041: Money20/20 Europe 2026 roundup with Oliver Smith, Head of Content

Money 20/20 Europe 2026 is a wrap! One week after the fun in Amsterdam, Mo sits down with Oliver Smith (Olly), the Head of Content for Money 20/20, to get the behind-the-scenes debrief on where fintech is headed and how one of the world's biggest fintech shows actually comes together. If 2025 was all about the future-facing hype of AI and stablecoins, 2026 was the year the industry brought the receipts. In this episode, Mo and Olly unpack the major shifts from the show floor, how the megatrends of AI and stablecoins are moving into practical reality, and why "trust" remains the most important currency in finance. Here is what we dive into: From hype to reality: how global rollouts from the likes of MoneyGram and Kraken proved that stablecoins and agentic AI are no longer just "word salad" buzzwords — they are foundational financial infrastructure. The "festivalization" of business: why the traditional corporate conference is no more, and how intimate spaces like the new Money Lab stage are fostering peer-to-peer learning. The 12-month playbook: Olly pulls back the curtain on how a small content team uses deep industry research and an open "Call for Content" to predict what will be on everyone's mind a year from now. From City AM to the mainstage: Olly reflects on his 12 years in financial journalism, standing in Monzo's scrappy first office in 2015, and how the mobile movement has finally put financial control back into the hands of everyday users. Whether you were on the ground in Amsterdam or missed the announcements, this episode is your essential look at everything that happened at the 2026 Money20/20 in Europe.