In 2025, Brazil and the United Kingdom mark 200 years of diplomatic relations — a milestone celebrating two centuries of partnership, trade, and innovation. As part of this historic moment, the First Brazil-UK Fintech Forum took place on 1st May in London during UK Fintech Week, bringing together fintech leaders, regulators, investors, and policymakers from both countries.
Organised by the Embassy of Brazil and the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the forum explored cross-border opportunities in open finance, regulatory alignment, and emerging fintech ecosystems — with a focus on creating real, lasting cooperation between two of the world’s most dynamic markets.
Insights from Raidiam’s Open Futurist, Marie Walker
Raidiam’s Open Futurist, Marie Walker, joined the panel discussion “Building Successful Local Partnerships”, sharing insights from our work enabling both the UK and Brazil’s open finance ecosystems.
In a wide-ranging conversation with fellow panellists Diego Perez, President at ABFintechs, Janine Hirt, CEO at Innovate Finance, Pedro Barreiro, Director of Banking at Nomad, and Gui Silva. Managing Partner at Tagus Capital, Marie explored:
How Brazil scaled Open Finance
Marie reflected on how Brazil’s Central Bank took inspiration from the UK’s early open banking model and built something bigger: a consent-driven data-sharing ecosystem processing 2.5 billion API calls per week — vastly surpassing the UK’s 13 billion annually.
She explained how Raidiam’s trust framework technology, first used in the UK, became the technical foundation of Brazil’s Open Finance and Open Insurance ecosystems — helping Brazil leapfrog into global leadership.
Why shared standards are key to cross-border interoperability
Looking beyond national implementations, the panel explored the potential for global alignment, referencing the Bank for International Settlements’ Project Agorá — which aims to enable cross-border data sharing between Brazil, the UK, the UAE, and Hong Kong, without requiring full regulatory harmonisation.
Marie highlighted the importance of standardised security protocols, directory-based API discovery, and policy interoperability to make scalable, multi-market ecosystems possible.
How collaboration accelerates ecosystem growth
The conversation also emphasised the need to build trust — not just between participants, but between governments, regulators, and consumers. As Marie noted, sandbox pilots, clear mandates, and shared incentives are critical for scaling responsibly and sustainably.
Watch the full panel discussion to learn more.
Why UK-Brazil fintech cooperation matters
Brazil is now home to one of the world’s most innovative fintech environments — with strong government backing, a thriving startup scene, and nation-wide initiatives like Pix, Open Finance, and Real Digital.
The UK remains a global hub for financial services regulation and innovation, with mature infrastructure and supportive policy frameworks.
Events like the Brazil-UK Fintech Forum show what’s possible when these ecosystems come together — and how trusted, secure data-sharing infrastructure can help financial services evolve, globally.
Want to learn how Raidiam supports national open finance ecosystems?
We’re powering trusted data-sharing infrastructure across Brazil and beyond — using standards-based trust frameworks that enable secure, compliant participation.
Contact us today to find out more.
