Erik Stenman wrote The BEAM Book and has built Erlang systems since the 90s. He worked on native code compilers, helped scale Klarna’s backend across Europe, and still prefers tools that show you what’s really going on.
Most fintech backends either grow too fast and break, or slow down to stay compliant. It doesn’t have to be either-or.
This talk is a practical overview of how to design systems that can handle regulation, scale, and product changes at the same time. I’ll share patterns I’ve used across different fintech projects: payment flows, ledgers, orchestration, and audits.
Some of it is low-level: typed money, trace IDs, and structured logs. Some of it is design choices: clear ownership, process boundaries, and how to support change without adding risk.
I’ll also touch on what the BEAM makes easier in this kind of environment, and where you still have to think for yourself. No frameworks, no buzzwords. Just decisions that hold up under pressure.
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