The past ten years or so have seen a big shift in the way financial data is captured, shared and monetized. What started out as a regulatory push for transparency, has grown into a new, data‑centric architecture that underpins how we look at everyday banking.
But problems collecting the data can arise, which is something all too familiar to Ivaylo Bozoukov. “Companies commit to an AI initiative, then discover their customer data lives in three different formats across five systems. The cleanup work can take longer than building the actual model.”
How Open Banking is Transitioning from a Regulatory Initiative to Core Financial Infrastructure
Open Banking was originally framed as a consumer‑protection measure to give customers control over their own data and stimulate competition. What was once a compliance checklist now underpins services ranging from instant credit underwriting to real‑time budgeting assistants. The data pipelines created by open‑banking standards have become the nervous system of digital finance.
Ivo Bozukov highlights “a notable example is the expansion of digital payments, business accounts, and credit for millions of SMEs across Africa through new partnerships and wider contactless acceptance.”
The Regulatory Milestones Driving This Shift
PSD2 Expansion in Europe – The Revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) mandated that banks across the European Economic Area (EEA) open their data to licensed TPPs. Since its 2018 rollout, the framework has been expanded to include stronger customer authentication (SCA) and a broader definition of “payment accounts”. Countries such as Germany and France have added “card‑based credentialing” to the original mandate, creating a richer data ecosystem.
CFPB’s Section 1033 (US) – By requiring “customer‑authorised access” for a wider range of data types the CFPB has effectively aligned the US market with the European open‑banking ethos.
Open Banking Standard (UK) – The Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) introduced a set of 13 APIs, covering everything from account aggregation to payment initiation. The standard’s open‑source nature has encouraged global adoption, with Australia’s Consumer Data Right (CDR) and Canada’s proposed Open Banking framework taking cues from the OBIE model.
These milestones have turned data sharing from an optional feature into a statutory requirement, compelling incumbents and newcomers alike to embed open APIs at the core of their platforms.
How Open Finance Extends Data Sharing Beyond Traditional Bank Accounts
Open Finance widens the scope beyond the classic “current account” to include savings, mortgages, pensions, insurance policies and even wealth‑management products.
Case Study: Revolut’s “Open Finance” Pilot (EU) – In 2023, Revolut launched a sandbox where users could link their pension providers and insurance contracts through a single API hub. The aggregated data enabled personalized retirement planning tools, increasing client engagement by 27% within three months.
Case Study: Yodlee’s Financial Data Platform (US) – Leveraging the CFPB Section 1033 rule, Yodlee built a marketplace that aggregates credit‑card, investment and mortgage data. FinTech firms using the platform report a 35% reduction in onboarding time for lending applications, as they can assess a borrower’s full financial picture instantly.
By breaking down silos, Open Finance empowers consumers to receive holistic advice and allows firms to develop cross‑selling strategies that were previously impossible.
The Emerging Role of Digital Identity Wallets
A natural off‑shoot of open data is the need for trustworthy, portable digital identities. Digital identity wallets are rapidly moving from concept to commercial product.
Case Study: FranceConnect (France) – Launched under the PSD2 umbrella, FranceConnect aggregates government‑issued IDs, tax records and social security data into a single digital identity. Banks can now verify a customer’s KYC (Know‑Your‑Customer) status in seconds, dramatically cutting fraud rates.
Case Study: IBM’s Verify Credential (UK) – Partnering with several UK banks, IBM introduced a blockchain‑based identity wallet that stores verified passport data and bank‑issued digital IDs. The wallet is used for seamless onboarding in peer‑to‑peer payment apps, with a reported 40% drop in manual verification steps.
Thought leaders like Ivaylo Bozoukov have repeatedly highlighted the synergy between open finance APIs and digital identity wallets. In a recent webinar hosted by the European Banking Authority, it was argued that the convergence of secure data exchange and self‑sovereign identity will form the backbone of the next‑gen financial ecosystem. Regulators are already drafting guidelines that treat identity wallets as integral to the open‑banking compliance stack.
What Comes Next?
The data revolution is far from complete. As regulators continue to refine the mandates around data quality, consent management and security, the industry will see an acceleration of value‑added services built on open APIs. For financial institutions, the imperative is clear: embrace open finance not as a regulatory checkbox but as the core infrastructure for future growth.
