World Class Leaders Set to Champion Innovation Throughout Fintech’s Most Prestigious Awards
BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 5 March 2026 – Money20/20, the world’s main fintech present and the place the place cash does enterprise, at this time broadcasts the return of The Cash Awards for its second yr, following robust business engagement and the momentum of its inaugural program. The Cash Awards honor and rejoice the businesses, improvements, and partnerships shaping the way forward for finance, recognizing excellent achievements throughout the worldwide monetary expertise sector.
The awards, which debuted in 2025, have shortly turn into one of many business’s most‑watched benchmarks for innovation and significant affect.
Constructing on that momentum, the 2026 program expands its international attain and deepens its dedication to spotlighting organizations which might be reworking industries and driving the following wave of economic innovation. Judging is carried out by means of a rigorous, advantage‑based mostly course of led by a various panel of leaders from fintech, banking, funds, enterprise capital, and expertise. The worldwide award ceremony will happen at Money20/20 USA in Las Vegas on Sunday, October 18.
“The Cash Awards have been constructed with one clear aim: to set a world customary for what excellence in fintech truly appears like,” stated Grania Chesterton, VP of Awards at Money20/20. “What makes them totally different is who decides. Our Jury Presidents and World Jury are the operators, founders and innovators constructing this business in actual time. To be recognised by them isn’t only a win, it indicators to the market, your friends and the world that your work actually issues.”
This yr’s program facilities on 5 foremost award classes that replicate the priorities shaping the way forward for monetary providers.
- On the high is The Diamond Award class, this system’s highest honor, celebrating essentially the most transformative achievement in international fintech.
- The Startup class follows with two tracks: Early Stage and Development Stage, recognizing founders at pivotal moments of their journey.
- The Banking, Funds, and Partnerships & Strategic Alliance classes spherical out this system, spotlighting excellence throughout the core pillars driving the business ahead.
Every class is led by a distinguished Jury President representing international experience throughout monetary providers and expertise. An unbiased World Jury will be a part of them and consider submissions by means of a clear, multi‑stage course of, together with on-line assessments and in‑individual deliberations at Money20/20 USA in October 2026.This yr’s Jury Presidents embrace:
Diamond Award Class: Main this system’s most prestigious class, Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President & CEO, Girls’s World Banking, brings a long time of worldwide affect in monetary inclusion to her function as Jury President for the Diamond Award class.
“The Cash Awards 2026 come at a time of fast business transformation, the place innovation have to be each daring and inclusive. The Diamond class units the very best customary, recognizing work that not simply advances monetary providers but additionally revolutionizes what is feasible. I’m honored to steer this yr’s Jury and to rejoice organizations which might be elevating international requirements for excellent achievement and significant progress.” stated Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President & CEO, Girls’s World Banking.
Startup (Early Stage & Development Stage): Overseeing the Startup class, Osama Bedier, Funding Companion, NYCA Companions, attracts on his deep expertise as a founder, operator, and investor to champion the following technology of fintech innovators.
“Each decade or so, a expertise shift reshapes how cash strikes — from the net, to cellular and now to AI. An important breakthroughs hardly ever begin inside giant establishments; they start with founders keen to rethink first rules. The Cash Awards 2026 shine a highlight on these founders and groups pushing our business into its subsequent period. Main the Early & Development Stage jury offers me the prospect to champion the daring concepts, the arduous‑received progress, and the extraordinary execution that can decide the way forward for cash. It’s a privilege to acknowledge the people who find themselves not simply imagining what comes subsequent, however actively creating it” statedOsama Bedier, Funding Companion, NYCA Companions.
Banking: Shruti Patel, EVP, Enterprise Banking; Chief Product Officer, U.S. Financial institution, leads the Banking class and attracts on her expertise constructing merchandise and main U.S. Financial institution’s enterprise banking options portfolio.
“Banking is evolving quickly, and it’s important to develop options that construct belief, enhance resilience, and ship actual worth to clients. I’m honored to chair the Banking jury for 2026 and sit up for recognizing innovators who reveal what purposeful and bold trendy banking can obtain. The Money20/20 Cash Awards rejoice the visionaries reshaping monetary providers—from digital pioneers to these increasing entry and alternative to assist drive economicgrowth. We’ll be recognizing establishments that show trendy banking will be each technologically subtle and deeply human-centered.” Stated Shruti Patel, EVP, Enterprise Banking; Chief Product Officer, U.S. Financial institution
Funds: As Jury President for the Funds class, Dave Excell, Founder, Featurespace, a Visa Resolution, leverages his pioneering work in fraud and danger expertise to highlight breakthroughs shaping international cash motion.
“The funds ecosystem stands at a pivotal second the place innovation, safety, and buyer expertise should converge to create actually holistic options. As expertise reshapes how we transact, the necessity for adaptive, real-time fraud detection has by no means been larger. I’m excited to function Jury President for the Funds class on the Cash Awards, the place we’ll rejoice the pioneers driving this evolution. We’ll be recognizing corporations that perceive what drives the very best fee experiences to make them accessible to all.” stated Dave Excell, Founder, Featurespace, a Visa Resolution
Partnerships & Strategic Alliance: Main the Partnerships & Strategic Alliance class, Garry Sien, Chief Innovation & Options Officer, Worldwide, Ant Digital Applied sciences, brings a world innovation lens formed by his work driving Ant Digital Applied sciences’ worldwide technique.
“The Cash Awards 2026 spotlight simply how a lot collaboration fuels progress throughout the worldwide monetary ecosystem. Partnerships and strategic alliances are the place imaginative and prescient turns into actual‑world affect, bringing collectively various strengths, shared ambition, and the willingness to construct one thing superior to what anyone organisation might obtain alone. I’m proud to steer this yr’s Jury as we acknowledge the cross‑business collaborations which might be creating new worth, accelerating AI innovation, and transferring monetary providers ahead worldwide.” stated Garry Sien, Chief Innovation & Options Officer, Worldwide, Ant Digital Applied sciences.
This system will conclude with the announcement of the 2026 Cash Awards Trophy winners at Money20/20 USA. Extra recognition moments at Money20/20 Europe and Money20/20 Asia will present international visibility for honorees. Winners will obtain a bespoke trophy and yr‑spherical publicity throughout Money20/20’s platforms, together with unique talking alternatives, media protection, investor visibility, and entry to international networking in any respect Money20/20 occasions.
Functions for entries at the moment are open. For particulars on classes, judging standards, and entry directions, go to www.money2020.com/awards.
Hashtag: #Money20/20
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