Money20/20 Reveals 2026 Money Awards Finalists: Celebrating Global Fintech Innovation

Money20/20 has revealed the finalists for the 2026 Money Awards, highlighting the firms and products defining the next era of financial services. For fintech professionals, these shortlists serve as a barometer for market leadership across banking, payments, and strategic partnerships, identifying the innovators currently gaining traction ahead of the industry’s flagship US gathering.

What was announced

The 2026 Money Awards finalists represent a cross-section of the global financial ecosystem, spanning early-stage disruptors to established tier-one institutions. Following the inaugural ceremony in 2025, this second iteration of the awards features six primary categories: Startup Early Stage, Startup Growth Stage, Banking, Payments, Partnerships & Strategic Alliance, and the prestigious Diamond category. The winners are scheduled to be revealed live at Money20/20 USA in Las Vegas on October 18, 2026.

The Startup Early Stage category features Aviel Intelligence, Charm Security, and Socratix AI, while the Growth Stage includes Ballerine, Hello Clever, Trace Finance, Veritus, and Verto. In the Banking sector, finalists range from infrastructure providers like Plaid and Socure to traditional giants like U.S. Bank and international players such as The International Bank of Azerbaijan. The Payments shortlist is equally diverse, featuring J.P. Morgan Payments and Marqeta alongside regional leaders like bKash Limited and Botim.

The Partnerships & Strategic Alliance category highlights collaborative efforts such as Tunic Pay & NatWest Group and U.S. Bank & Edward Jones. Finally, the Diamond category recognizes high-impact entities including TerraPay, Wio Bank, and Yellow Card. These finalists were selected by an independent panel of industry experts based on their ability to solve complex problems and drive real-world impact within the global money ecosystem. The awards aim to spotlight those challenging the status quo across various geographies and product types.

"The momentum behind The Money Awards is incredibly exciting to see. Building on the energy and success of our inaugural year, the 2026 entries have raised the bar even further. We’re seeing businesses challenge the status quo, solve complex problems, and create meaningful change across financial services. These finalists represent the ambition and innovation that The Money Awards were created to celebrate, and we’re thrilled to put their achievements in the spotlight."

Grania Chesterton, VP, Awards at Money20/20.

The companies involved

Money20/20 is widely regarded as the world’s leading fintech show, serving as a primary hub where the global financial community conducts business. The organization is a subsidiary of Informa, a FTSE 100 company and a global leader in international events, digital services, and academic research. Under the leadership of executives such as Tina Loncaric, Global Director of PR at Money20/20, the platform has expanded its influence beyond its flagship Las Vegas event to include major summits in Europe and Asia, and more recently, the Middle East.

The finalists listed in the 2026 awards reflect Money20/20’s role as a market convener. The inclusion of companies like J.P. Morgan Payments and U.S. Bank alongside startups like Ballerine and Socratix AI demonstrates the platform's ability to bridge the gap between legacy finance and emerging technology. With 62 stories documented by FF News regarding their activities, Money20/20 continues to be a central fixture in the fintech calendar, facilitating the partnerships and deals that define the industry’s trajectory.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has maintained extensive coverage of the 2026 Money20/20 cycle. We recently detailed the upcoming event’s focus in Money20/20 USA 2026 Unveils Agenda: AI, Digital Assets, and TradFi-DeFi Convergence in Las Vegas, which highlighted how the convergence of decentralized and traditional finance is taking center stage. Our report on Money20/20 USA 2026: The Agenda That Moves Money Forward further explored the strategic themes of this year's gathering. Additionally, our coverage of the brand’s international expansion, such as Money20/20 Middle East Riyadh: Tabby Hits $6.5B Valuation as Saudi Fintech Booms and the launch of the RiseUp Program to Empower Women in Fintech, underscores the global scale of the innovators now appearing on the 2026 awards shortlist.

What this means

The 2026 finalists signal a definitive shift in the fintech narrative from pure disruption to sophisticated integration. The heavy presence of "Partnerships & Strategic Alliance" finalists suggests that the industry has moved past the era of startups attempting to unseat incumbents in isolation. Instead, the market is rewarding those who can navigate complex regulatory and technical integrations, such as the collaboration between NatWest and Tunic Pay. Furthermore, the diversity of the "Diamond" category indicates that the center of gravity for fintech innovation is no longer exclusively Western, with significant representation from emerging markets. This puts traditional players under pressure to prove they can innovate at the same pace as these globally-distributed, agile competitors.