About – Chaire Fintech

Mission

The AMF–Finance Montréal Fintech Chair is a multidisciplinary and interuniversity research unit that develops cutting-edge knowledge on the issues and impacts of technological innovation within the fintech ecosystem.

The Chair pursues this mission through:

research calls open to the Quebec scientific community;
the production of rigorous knowledge for the benefit of stakeholders across the fintech ecosystem (organizations, employees, regulators and clients);
its contribution to the work of the AMF Fintech Working Group and Fintech Laboratory, as well as to Finance Montréal’s mission;
the training of highly qualified personnel and raising public awareness of fintech-related issues.

Research Areas

The first research area aims to identify and deepen understanding of the risks and challenges associated with the use of artificial intelligence by financial market participants, particularly those related to governance. It also seeks to identify potential solutions to mitigate the risks and challenges identified and to examine the need to modernize the regulatory framework, including the development of new regulatory standards.

This research area builds on several projects carried out during the Chair’s first phase. Previous research has focused, among other topics, on the use of artificial intelligence in financial services, user experience in AI-related contexts, chatbots, machine-learning-based investment strategies, and the use of AI in cryptocurrency markets.

The second research area aims to identify the risks and challenges associated with the use of decentralized technologies in financial markets, including distributed ledger technology and the tokenization of financial assets. It also seeks to identify the need to modernize the regulatory framework, including the development of new regulatory standards.

This research area represents a direct continuation of several topics that have played an important role in the Chair’s research program since its inception. Research funded during the first phase explored blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), Security Token Offerings (STOs), stablecoins, centralized and decentralized exchanges, as well as decentralized finance (DeFi).

The third, broader research area aims to deepen understanding of other topics related to recent technological developments in finance, particularly investor experience in the context of these changes in financial markets.

With its broader scope, this research area enables the Chair to remain adaptable to emerging technologies, business models, and issues that may arise during the next phase and that may not necessarily be addressed within the first two research areas.