TechCrunch Disrupt Smart Money Stage to focus on fintech and AI

TechCrunch Disrupt Smart Money Stage will debut at the company’s 2026 conference, giving fintech, payments and AI a dedicated track during the October 13 to 15 event at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. TechCrunch said the program will bring executives and investors from Circle, Robinhood, American Express, Plaid, Airwallex and other firms to discuss how money movement, consumer finance and financial infrastructure are changing.

The new stage reflects a broadening fintech agenda at a time when payments, identity, fraud prevention and AI-enabled financial tools are converging. TechCrunch said the sessions will cover stablecoins, instant payments, AI agents in financial services, regulated infrastructure for global commerce and the consumer shift from single-purpose finance apps toward wider financial platforms.

What is the TechCrunch Disrupt Smart Money Stage?

The Smart Money Stage is a new Disrupt 2026 venue dedicated to financial technology programming. According to TechCrunch, it is intended for founders and operators looking at payments rails, fraud and identity systems, consumer finance and the use of AI in regulated financial products.

One session, titled “The Future of Money Movement: Stablecoins, Instant Payments & What’s Next,” will examine how emerging payment systems compare with traditional banking infrastructure. TechCrunch said the discussion will also address FedNow, private networks, regulation and the markets where newer payment methods are gaining use.

That panel is scheduled to include Nikhil Chandhok, chief product and technology officer at Circle; Rodney Robinson, co-founder and chief executive of TabaPay; and Lotti Siniscalco, a general partner at Emergence.

Who is speaking on fintech, payments and AI?

Robinhood’s product strategy will be the focus of a session called “Winning the Modern Financial Consumer.” TechCrunch said Abhishek Fatehpuria, Robinhood’s head of product, will discuss how technology and customer expectations are affecting financial services products. The company is described by TechCrunch as having a market capitalization of more than $90 billion and as having expanded from a trading app into a platform spanning investing, banking, credit, crypto and prediction markets.

A separate panel, “AI, Trust & Verification in Financial Services,” will look at how financial companies are treating AI agents as those systems move beyond content generation and begin taking action. TechCrunch said the discussion will address oversight, transparency, human judgment, privacy, fraud prevention and identity verification.

Speakers for that AI session are Hannah Bozian, vice president of agentic partnerships and strategy at American Express; Pedro Sanzovo, head of fraud and identity at Plaid; and Victoria Zuo, a partner at QED Investors.

Airwallex founder and chief executive Jack Zhang is scheduled to appear in a session titled “Building the Infrastructure for Global Commerce.” TechCrunch said Airwallex, valued by its investors at $11 billion, is building an AI-native financial operating system for companies that move money across borders, manage international finances and embed financial products into their own platforms.

Why does the agenda matter for finance companies?

The stage’s agenda places three operating questions side by side: how money moves, how users adopt financial products and how trust is maintained when AI systems enter regulated workflows. For fintech companies, those questions affect product design, compliance requirements, fraud controls and the infrastructure needed to serve customers across markets.

TechCrunch said Disrupt 2026 attendees will also have access to networking, side events and the broader speaker lineup. The company said its current ticket-pricing window is nearing its end and directed prospective attendees to its ticket options.

This story draws on original reporting from TechCrunch.