As we enter the second half of the year, executives in the payments and fintech industries are looking ahead to networking and learning opportunities still to come in the second half of 2025. Industry experts anticipate a handful of topics will rise to the top of agendas at these upcoming events.

Among the most pressing subjects will be artificial intelligence, the ongoing digitization of payments and ISO 20022, the standard for a common payments language.

With the July deadline for ISO 20022 looming next month for the Fedwire Funds Service and a broader November ISO 20022 cross-border payments deadline also ahead, the importance of that topic is rising. Real-time payments gaining ground via the Federal Reserve’s FedNow system, alongside The Clearing House RTP network, are also hot themes so far at this year’s events.

In addition, fraud has taken center stage, including at the Nacha Smarter Faster Payments in April.

Erika Baumann, the director of commercial banking and payments at the consulting firm Datos Insights, said she expects real-time payments, artificial intelligence and use cases for generative AI, to be hot themes at remaining events this year.

“The conversation around AI and generative AI in financial services is shifting from theoretical possibilities to real-world applications,” Money20/20 President Tracey Davies said in an interview last year. That’s especially true now that Congress is moving ahead with a possible regulatory framework for stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency tied to fiat currencies.

Digital currencies, buy now, pay later and in-house banking payments will likely be on the docket for conferences throughout 2025, Melissa Rawak, Association for Financial Professionals’ managing director of membership, marketing communications and events, predicted last year. 

Below is a look at the biggest payments and fintech conferences still coming up in 2025.

MWAA (Midwest Acquirers Association) 2025

July 30-31
Chicago

This will be MWAA’s 23rd annual conference, a two-day event with educational and networking opportunities, speakers and an exhibit hall that showcases the latest payments products.

Merchant Advisory Group Payments Conference

Sept. 8-11
San Antonio, Texas

MAG’s event aims to focus on the latest industry topics as well as provide an outlook on the future of payments. 

WSAA (Western States Acquirers Association) 2025

Sept. 9-10
Scottsdale, Arizona

Like the other regional acquirers associations, WSAA will hold a multi-day conference with education sessions and networking. Last year’s event featured presentations on independent software vendors, commerce trends and major credit cards. 

MoneyLive North America

Sept. 15-16
Chicago

About 800 people are expected to attend MoneyLive in 2025, with 60% at the C-level, director, vice president or head-of level. This year’s speakers included executives from Barclays, TD Bank and Old National Bank. 

Chicago Payments Symposium

Oct. 8-9
Chicago

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago hosts this annual event. Last year’s conference featured discussions related to cybersecurity, instant payments and digital currency, among other topics. 

Datos’ Commercial and Small Business Banking Forum

October 15
New York

“What is great about the Datos event is that … we have the top 100 banks there with limited vendors,” Baumann said. Key topics typically include embedded banking, treasury onboarding and sustainability. 

AFP (Association of Financial Professionals) 2025

Oct. 26-29
Boston

AFP’s annual conference will take place just before Halloween next year, with nearly 7,000 professionals expected to attend the event, according to Melissa Rawak, Association for Financial Professionals’ managing director of global product strategy and growth. The Payments Hub Keynote will discuss the pros and cons of automated clearing house payments versus checks. Other topics will include AI, ISO 20022, fraud prevention, cross-border payments and stablecoins, Rawak said.

Money20/20 USA

Oct. 26-29
Las Vegas

Money20/20 is among the largest gatherings of AI and finance leaders. This year’s event will feature speakers from IBM, OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA and many more. The sessions explore how incumbent players, as well as disruptors and innovators, are using technology to modernize payments. 

Payments and fintech leaders “attend because we’re the place where they can meet with every key stakeholder in the global money ecosystem,” Davies said. “We’re the place to find partners, investors and customers - all under one roof.”

Ninth Annual Fintech Conference at FRB Philadelphia

Nov. 12-13
Philadelphia

This conference in the past has focused on both fintech and payments, delving into topics like the “future of bitcoin in payments,” innovations in payments and the role of central bank digital currencies. Speakers are drawn from across the payments, banking and digital asset arenas. (A link to the conference isn’t available yet, but there is a link to the eighth annual conference above.)