The American Fintech Council (AFC) hosted its ninth annual Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., bringing together leaders from the fintech industry, policymakers, and federal regulators to discuss responsible innovation in financial services. The event focused on topics such as open banking, partnerships between banks and fintech companies, digital assets, earned wage access, and the use of artificial intelligence in finance.
Phil Goldfeder, CEO of the American Fintech Council, commented on the significance of collaboration within the sector. “The Ninth Annual Policy Summit proved once again that responsible innovation thrives when industry leaders, legislators, and regulators come together with a shared commitment to consumers,” said Goldfeder. “This year’s conversations made clear that our financial system is strongest when competition is encouraged, data access is protected, and families have real choices in how they manage their money. As we look ahead to 2026, AFC will continue leading the national conversation to ensure every household has access to safe, transparent, and competitive financial tools – and to push for the regulatory clarity needed to support responsible growth in a rapidly changing economy.”
Speakers at the summit included executives from both banks and fintech firms as well as lawmakers and senior federal officials. Jonathan McKernan, Undersecretary of Domestic Finance for the U.S. Department of Treasury, addressed attendees by stating: “We need to have a healthy and vibrant financial system. If we're going to have a financial system that not only funds, but embraces and adopts innovation, the bigger picture questions there are ensuring that our regulatory capital framework is tailored to the underlying risks so we can have a financial system that's driven by the fundamentals, by the technologies, by consumer demand, and not by regulatory arbitrage.”
Congresswoman Young Kim (R-CA), who serves on the House Financial Services Committee and co-chairs the Financial Literacy and Wealth Creation Caucus also spoke at the event. She said: “As co-chair of the Financial Literacy and Wealth Creation Caucus, I am trying to educate ourselves, the staff, and the public to understand how fintech is going to make a difference in the work that we do. I think spending a few minutes with literally anyone in this room would be extremely beneficial.”
During the summit AFC announced plans for its tenth annual Policy Summit scheduled for November 17th 2026 at Capital Turnaround in Washington D.C., which it expects will be its largest gathering yet with expanded programming focused on key issues facing innovative banks and fintechs.
Ian P. Moloney Chief Policy Officer at AFC highlighted ongoing efforts for open dialogue within financial services: “Each year our Policy Summit provides a crucial space for open dialogue about both current state and future of financial services industry,” he said. “Continuing to expand allow more room for discussion provides crucial opportunity create regulatory clarity address industry challenges foster transparent inclusive consumer-oriented finance.”
AFC describes itself as an organization representing major fintech companies along with innovative banks providing embedded finance solutions. Its mission centers on promoting transparency inclusion customer-centric practices through supporting responsible innovation encouraging sound public policy.