Emerging Trends and Technological Advancements in Data Lakes for the Financial Sector: An In-depth Analysis of Data Processing, Analytics, and Infrastructure Innovations

Hariharan Pappil Kothandapani

Senior Data Science Analytics Developer at FHLBC, MS Quantitative Finance @ Washington University in St Louis

https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1768-9328

Keywords: artificial intelligence, data lakes, data lakehouse, data mesh, financial industry, hybrid cloud, machine learning


Abstract

The financial sector is increasingly adopting data lakes to manage and analyze vast amounts of structured and unstructured data. This paper explores the latest trends and technological advancements in data lakes, focusing on their application in the financial industry. Key areas of analysis include the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for predictive modeling, risk assessment, and process automation. Additionally, the paper examines real-time data processing and its importance in enabling immediate decision-making and market responsiveness. The evolution of data lakehouse architecture, which merges data lakes with data warehouses, is discussed as a solution for handling diverse data types and supporting both batch and real-time analytics. On the infrastructure side, the paper explores innovations such as serverless data lakes, which reduce operational complexity and costs while providing scalability. The shift towards hybrid cloud environments is analyzed for its balance of data security and cloud-based scalability. The paper looks at data mesh architectures, which decentralize data management to align with specific business domains, improving scalability and governance. Lastly, the evolution of data lakehouse architecture, which merges data lakes with data warehouses, is discussed as a solution for handling diverse data types and supporting both batch and real-time analytics. This paper aims to provide a clear understanding of how these advancements are shaping the future of data management in the financial sector.