Student Research

As part of FinTech West's internship programme, students from our university partner network have produced policy research and micro-research papers exploring the current regulatory landscape and emerging topics with direct relevance to the South West FinTech community.

Hengjun Qiu (MSc FinTech with Data Science, University of Bristol) examines the gap between the UK's stablecoin reserve regulations and the cross-chain contagion risks that sit outside current regulatory scope. Drawing on the Terra collapse and the 2023 USDC de-peg, the paper proposes practical safeguards including smart contract circuit breakers, dynamic loan-to-value adjustments, and on-chain loss-absorbing buffers.

Download Hengjun’s research paper

Sanugi Gunasekera (BSc Computer Science, University of the West of England) explores explainable AI in credit scoring, asking whether tools like SHAP and LIME can deliver the transparency that regulators and consumers increasingly expect from automated lending decisions. The paper argues that explainability alone is not enough - meaningful trust requires fairness checks, plain-language communication, and human oversight.

Download Sanugi’s research paper

Key reflections: Both papers were written for a practitioner audience, not an academic one - translating complex technical topics into insights relevant to firms operating in the region. The programme gives students the opportunity to build published work, domain expertise, and professional credibility, while giving the community access to focused research on topics that matter.

Kai Edden (MSc FinTech, University of the West of England) and Shuiyuan Yin (MSc FinTech, University of Bristol) - have produced a Q1 2026 UK FinTech Policy & Regulation Watch - an analysis of the major UK regulatory and policy developments shaping payments, Open Banking, cryptoassets and stablecoins during Q1 2026. The report explores the FCA’s emergence as the unified lead regulator, the growing influence of Consumer Duty across financial innovation, and the evolving regulatory architecture connecting payments, e-money and digital assets. It also highlights the commercialisation of Open Banking, the future role of stablecoins in the payments ecosystem, and the implications for FinTech firms navigating rising compliance and governance expectations.

Download Kai and Shuiyuan’s paper

These papers sit within FinTech West's Academic and Industry Gap initiative, connecting university talent with real industry questions. If your organisation has a topic you'd like explored, get in touch.