From prototyping to production, vibe coding is reshaping how financial products are built—with speed, accessibility, and collaboration at the core.

What Is Vibe Coding?

Vibe coding is a new approach to software development that replaces syntax-heavy programming with intuitive, often artificial intelligence (AI )- or visual-driven interfaces. Rather than beginning with complex architecture or boilerplate code, vibe coding allows users to build data flows and logic visually or through simple prompts. More like sculpting than engineering, this is rapid prototyping in real time with tools that emphasize iteration, collaboration, and user intent.

“Vibe coding is a simplified process of writing code using AI or LLM tools,” explains Denis Krivolapov, Product Manager of DXcharts at Devexperts. “You don’t actually need to know a programming language—you simply describe what you’re looking for in the AI chat. This command is then immediately executed ... The end result feels a lot like actual coding, with deep immersion into the problem.”

It’s often presented as a mind shift, rather than a tooling upgrade. “Traditional development often involves long planning cycles before any code is written,” says Abdullah Dalgıç, Software Architect at Team Force Technologies. “Vibe coding flips that. You start from intent, build fast using AI-assisted tools, and improve as you go. It’s not about skipping best practices but about getting to insight faster.”

Fast, Frictionless, and Feedback-Driven

One of the most praised aspects of vibe coding is its ability to quickly generate working prototypes. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a non-technical product owner, vibe coding environments support short feedback loops and real-time simulation—making fast iteration not only possible, but natural.

“We’ve seen it both in internal ops tools and client-facing decision models. For example, in KYC flows or onboarding journeys, vibe coding lets teams simulate edge cases and regulatory changes with drag-and-configure logic blocks. In trading environments, it's been used to mock order-routing logic or visualize risk model behavior before implementation. These are complex domains, but vibe coding allows for rapid alignment between business, compliance , and dev,” said Tal Laitner, VP R&D at Leverate.

Krivolapov echoes the sentiment: “As a product manager … I’ve used vibe coding for the simplified creation of data dashboards and automation of tasks related to developer documentation.”

For Dalgıç, this initial speed drives smarter collaboration. “That early momentum helps refine thinking, test hypotheses, and unlock better discussions across product, design and engineering. For us, it's less about replacing development cycles, more about enriching them.”

Is Coding Experience Still Necessary?

A common selling point of vibe coding is its accessibility—users can create functional systems without traditional programming experience. But experts are quick to clarify the limits.

“There’s truth to it, but with a caveat,” notes Laitner. “You can build usable flows or models with minimal coding background; but to build robust, maintainable systems – especially in domains like finance – you still need someone who understands logic, edge cases, and architecture. So I’d say vibe coding lowers the entry barrier, but it doesn’t eliminate the need for technical understanding if the goal is scale and reliability.”

Krivolapov agrees that some tools require zero knowledge, like, “Lovable or Replit … while others, such as Cursos, which is more like a next-level IDE, will require a basic understanding of how everything works.” Dalgıç adds, “Vibe coding can democratize starting something, but it doesn’t remove the need for expertise.”

Key Benefits for the Financial Industry

The financial industry is uniquely positioned to benefit from vibe coding. The sector demands speed, agility, and compliance—all areas where vibe coding can excel.

“Vibe coding enables faster POCs (Proof of Concept) for internal tools, simulations, and data models – all while maintaining strong traceability,” says Laitner. “It also democratizes tool-building: analysts or risk officers can prototype logic independently.”

Krivolapov highlights cost efficiency: “If you are able to build a good-quality product with smaller investment in development, you can spend more on marketing and user acquisition. Startups often fail because they can't, or don't have enough time to, find a profitable source of traffic before they run out of money. Any niche in trading is a red ocean.”

Dalgıç emphasizes the ability to innovate rapidly: “... vibe coding helps us deliver prototypes and test features without long lead times. It speeds up innovation while keeping the end product compliant.”

Real-World Applications

From internal dashboards to customer-facing products, vibe coding is already in use across the financial ecosystem.

Krivolapov recounts: “Recently one start-up client came to us with an example of how they integrated our open source charting library to make it visible on their financial dashboard. They were even able to connect their data source directly to the chart without writing a single line of code.” At Leverate, vibe coding has been used to mock order-routing logic or visualize risk model behavior before implementation.

Team Force Technologies has also seen the impact firsthand. “When launching new features, vibe coding allows teams to create functional early versions in less time. These versions still go through the same security checks and QA reviews; but by starting with something concrete early on, we can refine faster and reduce back-and-forth,” Dalgıç says.

Apps and Platforms

Laitner outlines a hypothetical example of vibe coding in action: “Take a wealth management app introducing an AI-based savings advisor. Instead of hard-coding rules about income thresholds, life goals, and asset mix, a vibe-coded backend could let the product manager visually define savings logic, connect it to real-time data, and test outcomes live with dummy profiles. Once refined, the dev team productionizes it. This allows faster experimentation with financial guidance models, and real business users can adjust logic with confidence.”

Dalgıç explains how vibe coding can be used to assist in the development of a trading platform, “In a typical trading platform scenario, we might want to introduce a new user-facing feature. With vibe coding, the idea can be quickly translated into a working prototype, allowing teams to test and iterate much faster than with traditional methods. Once validated, we gradually layer in the necessary integrations, validations, and compliance steps,” he says.

Challenges and Limitations

Despite its advantages, vibe coding isn’t a silver bullet - especially when dealing with sensitive financial data.

“Vibe coding tools are not well suited for high-load systems or anything related to compliance or payments,” says Krivolapov. “If you want to make important decisions based on results produced with vibe coding, those results need to be double-checked. As with any other AI tool, critical thinking is a must.”

Laitner agrees: “Technically, debugging and version control can be messy. If not well-governed, vibe-coded systems become spaghetti quickly. Ethically, abstraction can blur responsibility – if a bad decision comes from a block someone dragged in, who’s accountable? Also, when data-driven decisions affect customers’ money or access to services, explainability is key – and many vibe platforms aren’t there yet. At Leverate, we tackle these challenges with clear governance layers, robust audit trails, and domain expert oversight. We ensure every block of logic is both traceable and reviewable – so innovation doesn’t come at the expense of accountability or transparency.”

Team Force Technologies’ Dalgıç underscores this need for human oversight. “AI-generated code is only as good as the context it’s given. In fintech, the smallest flaw can result in compliance issues or security vulnerabilities. That’s why every output needs human review. Also, explainability is key. If code is helping make or guide financial decisions, you need to understand how and why it behaves the way it does. Vibe coding is a tool, not a guarantee.”

How to Start: Cultural Shifts and First Steps

Within any institution, the implementation of vibe coding should start small - with isolated use cases like internal reporting or simulations - and grow with experience and governance. “The first step is usually picking a small, low-risk domain - say, internal compliance reporting - and letting a product+domain+tech trio build with a vibe tool. From there, culture can absorb the shift. Long-term, yes - it should be part of the design system and data strategy, especially if the goal is reusable logic blocks with audit trails,” said Laitner.

Krivolapov adds: “Give those who are most interested the opportunity to use these tools first. In practice, there are almost always people in your product or marketing teams who have already heard about and are testing these tools on their own.”

Dalgıç stresses that vibe coding requires a change in mentality, and that baby steps might be needed at first, “Start small. Choose a use case that’s isolated and non-critical, like internal tooling or simulations. Let teams explore the workflow, then build governance and documentation around it. Over time, update your design systems and testing frameworks to support this more agile development rhythm. It’s not a plug-and-play solution - it’s a cultural shift that works best when supported from leadership to delivery.”

A Paradigm Shift in the Making?

All three companies agree: vibe coding becoming a serious force and more than an approach with niche appeal. “It's already moving beyond niche,” says Laitner. “Think of how spreadsheets became the de facto logic tool for business users. Vibe coding is on a similar path, but more powerful. If governance, versioning, and security catch up, there's no reason it can’t become the default way for building internal systems and prototypes even in finance. It’s about reducing complexity without reducing control.”

Krivolapov concurs: “In the future, it will be a must-have tool for any employee in the field. It won’t be able to replace people or quickly build projects that used to take years, but it will give them the opportunity to solve problems faster. This will soon become a significant competitive advantage in marketing, as the number of hypotheses that can be tested in a given period of time will increase exponentially.”

For Dalgıç, the reason for its potential is clear: “We believe it’s already evolving beyond niche. As AI tools mature and teams get more comfortable integrating them, vibe coding is becoming a legitimate way to structure early-stage development. In regulated sectors, it won’t replace due diligence, but it will reshape how quickly and collaboratively teams can move from problem to solution.”

The Tea App Debacle - A Word of Warning

The Tea App, a platform marketed as the “safest” space for women with features like selfie verification and dangerous user alerts, has just suffered a catastrophic data breach—leaking 59.3GB of private content. That includes over 72,000 images, from selfies and driver’s licenses to location data and private DMs. The cause? A Firebase storage bucket left completely unsecured—no password, no encryption—exposing sensitive data to the public. And this wasn’t the result of a sophisticated cyberattack; it was basic negligence.

The kicker ….? Developers reportedly used AI-generated code to rapidly build the app, reportedly vibe coding, and then deployed it without proper security reviews. A prompt like “build a dating app with selfie verification” turned into an open database, now circulating on forums like 4chan and Reddit, fueling doxxing, harassment, and identity theft.

Now, it’s important to note that the Tea team have released a statement indicating that the problem code pre-dated the widespread use of vibe coding. However, it does highlight the importance of double-and triple-checking anything created with AI.

This breach is more than a technical failure - it’s a betrayal of trust. Women turned to Tea for protection and instead had their identities exposed. The app’s viral growth allegedly came with little time for audits, and its AI-built backend had few safeguards.

The normalization of mandatory ID uploads, rushed development, and false promises of safety are a dangerous combination. As our experts have all stated, everything made with AI needs to be checked and checked again.

Toward More Human Financial Tools

As AI becomes more embedded in financial services, vibe coding may also play a role in bridging the empathy gap and highlighting how important humans are in the development process. “When decision logic is transparent and editable, empathy becomes part of the design process,” says Laitner. “A product owner can see what the AI is doing and inject human-centered rules before it ships. If used well, vibe coding doesn’t just accelerate delivery – it humanizes it.”

Krivolapov put it’s perfectly: “Coding will become a commodity, while creativity and speed will come to the forefront.”

Coding as a commodity and value placed on creativity and speed. The perfect combination of AI and man?

A perfect combination, but one the outputs of which need to be checked, checked and checked again.

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