by Monica The CB Insights Fintech 100 is an annual, prestigious ranking of the 100 most promising private financial technology companies globally, selected from thousands of applicants. These companies are recognized for building innovative solutions across artificial intelligence, crypto payments infrastructure, digital banking, lending platforms, and financial automation, representing the next generation of financial services.
The 2025 cohort reflects a sector that is evolving from rapid expansion toward operational depth. Many of these companies develop core systems that integrate directly into banking networks, enterprise finance operations, and regulatory frameworks. As fintech becomes more embedded within financial infrastructure, clarity of identity becomes increasingly important.
Domain Name Usage Across the 2025 Fintech 100
An analysis featured by SmartBranding.com examines the naming approaches and domain name selections of the companies included in the 2025 CB Insights Fintech 100.
| Pattern | Observation | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| .com Usage | 57 companies operate on a .com domain name. | .com remains the global standard, offering familiarity and institutional trust across financial markets. |
| Alternative Extensions | 13 companies operate on .ai, 10 use .io, and 20 use other extensions. | Alternative extensions offer greater availability, but they are less universally recognized and can introduce challenges such as traffic leakage, email confusion, and limitations during expansion. |
| Exact Brand Match (EBM) Domain Names | 39 companies secured a domain name that exactly matches their brand name. | An EBM domain name ensures a business is easily found online, as it directly matches what customers typically enter when searching for the company. |
| Hyphen Usage | None of the companies use hyphens in their domain names. | Hyphens complicate usability, are easily overlooked, and can create confusion, making a website harder to find, type, and remember. |
Source: SmartBranding.com
Naming Patterns Observed Across the 2025 Fintech 100
Dictionary Words
A significant number of companies use familiar dictionary words as their brand names. Examples such as Hawk, Beam, Affinity, Conduit, Due, Rain, Campfire, and Jump rely on simple, widely recognized language. This approach improves memorability, supports cross-market recognition, and reduces barriers in global communication.
Short and Compact Names
Short names are common across the fintech sector. Brands such as Uzum, Nada, Capi, Enza, Toku, Yuno, and Dub demonstrate how brevity strengthens recall and simplifies digital navigation. In financial services, where most interactions begin online, short names reduce friction in search, typing, and app usage.
Personal Names
Some fintech companies adopt personal names to create familiarity and trust. Murphy, Clara, Mendel, Debbie, and Noah reflect a human-centered branding approach. Personal names can make financial products feel more approachable, particularly in sectors where trust and credibility are central.
AI- and Technology-Oriented Names
As artificial intelligence and automation continue to expand within financial services, certain brands emphasize technical positioning through their names. Auditoria.AI, Further AI, Axyon AI, RD Technologies, and Cryptio signal innovation and modern technological focus.
Finance-Focused Names
Other companies embed financial terminology directly into their brand names. CrediLinq, InDebted, InstaPay, Payrails, PayTic, Maple Finance, and RedotPay clearly signal sector alignment and core functionality.
What Founders Should Take From This
Fintech is one of the most competitive and highly regulated sectors in the global economy. Companies compete for investor capital, banking partnerships, enterprise integrations, and customer trust. In this environment, product innovation must be supported by strong market positioning, and a domain name strategy plays a central role in that positioning.
Securing the Exact Brand Match (EBM) domain name strengthens brand control, minimizes the risk of traffic and email leakage, and ensures the company can be easily found online. In financial services, where trust and security shape every decision, clear alignment between the brand name and domain name supports credibility and long-term competitive advantage.
Takeaway
The 2025 Fintech 100 shows that naming and domain decisions directly influence credibility in a highly competitive financial sector.
If your company is reviewing its domain name strategy, posting a domain request allows you to review strong .com options that better support alignment, credibility, and long-term growth.