Central banks – more than ever – have to be alert and, if necessary, take action to ensure the safety and soundness of the financial system. Their reputations are on the line and it is no longer acceptable to be a ‘fast follower’. But how do central banks go about regulating a sector of which they have relatively little expertise and without quashing innovation?

In July 2018, Central Banking launched its first annual FinTech & RegTech Global Awards with this question in mind. The answer – or answers – are provided within the awards articles published in this special edition focus supplement. They show how, from an official sector perspective, technological innovation is being harnessed to improve central banking across the monetary policy and financial stability planes.

It is a rich field, with advances in payments, supervision, data, risk management, financial infrastructure and that most elemental of central bank services: currency. The winners are geographically dispersed and encompass organisations ranging from start‑ups to multinational infrastructure providers. It represents, as it should, a microcosm of the fintech world.