According to Sifted, compliance hiring in European fintech is set to rise by 29% this year according to a May report from Morgan McKinley and Vacancysoft, marking the third consecutive year of growth. This surge is driven by Europe’s constantly evolving regulatory environment, including the full implementation of Markets-in-Crypto-Assets (MiCA) rules late last year and the EU’s AI Act becoming fully effective by 2027 after launching in August 2023. Companies like Paris-based banking fintech Qonto are applying for banking licenses while navigating these changes, and mobility giant Bolt operates across 50 countries with 600 cities requiring localized compliance. Crypto data firm Kaiko faces the challenge of building frameworks for technology that doesn’t exist yet, while fintech venture builder 0TO9 deals with fragmented regulations across multiple European jurisdictions.
From Cost Center to Competitive Edge
Here’s the thing that struck me reading these interviews: compliance is undergoing a fundamental identity shift. These aren’t box-tickers anymore. Maxime Laot at Qonto actually said he’s trying to transform compliance “from a perceived constraint into a competitive advantage.” That’s a massive mindset change from the traditional view of compliance as just a necessary evil.
And it makes sense when you think about it. With compliance hiring surging 29%, companies are clearly investing serious money here. They wouldn’t do that unless they saw real business value. When Qonto gets its banking license, their compliance rigor becomes part of their sales pitch – “trust us, we’re properly regulated.” That’s powerful in fintech where trust is everything.
The Speed of Change Problem
What really keeps these folks up at night? It’s not just the volume of regulations, but the velocity. Anne-Sophie Cissey at Kaiko put it perfectly: “We’re writing the playbook while the game is already underway, under referees who rarely agree.” Basically, they’re building compliance frameworks for technologies that regulators don’t fully understand yet.
Think about autonomous vehicles at Bolt or AI governance across all these companies. The regulations are trying to catch up to technology that’s moving faster than legislation ever could. And in crypto? MiCA promised clarity but they’re still “deciphering what it means in practice” while the US remains “a moving target.” It’s like trying to hit a target that’s not just moving, but shape-shifting.
The European Patchwork Problem
Aleksandra Stiller at 0TO9 highlighted something crucial that often gets overlooked: Europe isn’t one market for compliance purposes. You’ve got EU-wide regulations like DORA for ICT risks, but then every country adds their own twist. And when you’re operating in multiple jurisdictions? The complexity doesn’t just add up – it multiplies.
Bolt faces this daily with 600 cities each having their own transportation rules. How do you scale when every market requires custom compliance work? The answer seems to be building flexible frameworks that can adapt locally while maintaining core principles. But that’s easier said than done when you’re also trying to move at “fintech speed.”
Compliance as Innovation Enabler
What’s fascinating is how these leaders see their role differently. Samantha Sayers at Bolt talks about “smart compliance leadership” and “embedding risk management into product development.” They’re not saying no to innovation – they’re figuring out how to say “yes, and here’s how we do it safely.”
The common thread? Technology as the solution, not just the problem. They’re all talking about leveraging AI, automation, and data intelligence to make compliance more efficient. The goal is freeing up human expertise for higher-value judgment calls rather than administrative tasks. In an era where industrial computing power drives so much automation, having robust systems becomes critical – whether you’re monitoring financial transactions or managing global mobility networks.
So where does this leave us? Compliance is becoming a strategic function that can make or break companies in regulated industries. The ones who get it right won’t just survive regulatory scrutiny – they’ll actually outcompete because customers and partners will trust them more. That’s a pretty dramatic shift from the compliance officers of old who were just there to keep companies out of trouble.
