Wallets, Payments, Identity, and AI: 25 Years of Mobey Lessons — and the Road Ahead

Join Kasper Sylvest, Chair of Mobey Forum’s Board of Directors, as he revisits the industry’s turning points together with the ‘Mobey veterans’ Kristian T. Sorensen (IN Groupe), Amir Tabakovic (experiens.AI), and Ville Sointu (Nordea). 

They reflect on how Mobey and the industry grew up together, with Mobey frequently anticipating the next shift — and why the most exciting changes may still be ahead. In this podcast, they trace the predictions, turning points, and lessons that have shaped the way we pay, identify ourselves, and imagine the future of banking.

 What topics were explored:

•  “This is the year of NFC” (… said every year, for a decade): For ten years, each new year was predicted to be the year of NFC. However, a breakthrough for NFC finally came with the emergence of HCE and a memorable unveiling of the world’s first HCE demo at Mobey’s Member Meeting.
• The Wallet Era: From those beginnings came the era of the digital wallet — and the Mobey’s definition of a wallet that still holds firm today. The work evolved into the Control Points Framework to analyse the ownership dynamics in the wallet, and it’s still being used today for an analytical update of the wallet space.
• From Payments to Identity: We began with payment wallets where ID was a feature. Now we are entering the age of ID wallets, with payments as the add-on. But perhaps what matters most isn’t the container’s name — only that we can access it.
• Still Talking Wallets: We know the answer is “wallets,” but what exactly is the question? And should they even be called wallets?
• “Payment is not a product. It’s a feature .”  A famous Mobey quote that is still as true today as ever, and one that product teams often forget. Its source may be forgotten, but its impact endures.
• From Predictive Analytics to AI: A decade ago, we called it predictive analytics. Today, it’s AI in banking. Either way, it’s another means to an end. The challenge today is in creating the right environment for banks to harness AI effectively, guided by best practices and sound governance.

When we see real gold, we build on it. When we see hype, we expose it. That has always been Mobey’s role.

Enjoy!