Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

8-2026

Abstract

Over the past decade, financial innovation has moved from open banking, centred on consumer-permissioned data sharing, to banking-as-a-service (BaaS), which modularises core banking functions through application programming interfaces. This shift allows fintechs and non-financial platforms to embed financial products seamlessly, reducing transaction costs and fostering innovation. Yet the 2024 collapse of Synapse in the United States exposed the fragility of this model when intermediaries operate outside robust oversight, leaving consumers without recourse and revealing liability fragmentation and regulatory blind spots. This paper distinguishes BaaS from open banking, open finance, and embedded finance, and maps leading global models – from bank-led infrastructures to middleware providers and BigTech ecosystems. A comparative review of the EU, UK, US, Singapore, and China shows that open banking regimes remain inadequate for the risks of functional unbundling. The article proposes a regulatory model centred on licensing, liability clarity, resilience, prudential standards, and systemic safeguards.

Keywords

Banking as a Service, Open Banking, Open Finance, Fintech, Payments, Financial Regulation, Data Sharing, Application Programming Interfaces.

Discipline

Banking and Finance Law | Public Policy

Research Areas

Corporate, Finance and Securities Law

Areas of Excellence

Digital transformation

Publication

Law, Innovation and Technology

First Page

1

Last Page

27

ISSN

1757-9961

Identifier

10.1080/17579961.2026.2710955

Publisher

Taylor and Francis Group

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1080/17579961.2026.2710955

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