On September 27, Patrick Armstrong, a senior risk analysis officer in the Innovation and Products Team of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), delivered a speech discussing regulatory opportunities and challenges for financial technology (FinTech) in the European Union. Mr. Armstrong covered a broad range of topics in relation to FinTech, including: (1) the challenges of FinTech; (2) history and drivers of financial innovation; (3) work by ESMA in relation to financial innovation, including in relation to automated advice; (4) big data and artificial intelligence; (5) crowdfunding; and (6) distributed ledger technology. Mr. Armstrong also discussed regulatory responses to technological change.