Channel
Coverage of real-time payments, card networks, wallets, merchant acquiring and cross-border rails shaping how money moves.
South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT has selected Toss Payments as the preferred negotiation partner to connect its CBDC project Hangang with merchant POS terminals. Consumers will be able to pay with digital won without needing to replace any cashier hardware, and this partnership is expected to cover millions of small merchants.
This article delves into how stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are reshaping the global payment and settlement infrastructure, analyzes the different development paths of the United States, mainland China, the European Union, and Hong Kong, and their impact on the banking industry, capital markets, and cross-border payments.
HSBC has released its "2026 Global Payment Trends Report," noting that the restructuring of international trade, the expansion of digital commerce, the upgrading of payment infrastructure, and the mainstreaming of digital currencies are jointly reshaping the global payments landscape. The report emphasizes that corporate treasury departments need to view payment modernization as a strategic issue rather than a purely operational matter.
This article analyzes the retail CBDC practices of the Bahamas, the Eastern Caribbean, and Jamaica, noting that technology is not the bottleneck for adoption; rather, value proposition and ecosystem integration are the keys to success.
In 2026, global cross-border payment infrastructure is undergoing key transformations: accelerated assessment of central bank digital currencies, interconnection of real-time payment systems, and advancement of tokenization trials. The Bank of England and the European Central Bank are respectively advancing the digital pound and digital euro, Canada has launched real-time payments, and the BIS has launched Project Agorá to explore unified ledgers. These developments will reshape payment efficiency, banking competition, and regulatory frameworks.
Global central banks and financial institutions are accelerating their recruitment of CBDC talent, with roles spanning technical architecture to policy research, covering banking, payments, fintech, and consulting services. Based on Blockchain Council's analysis, this article outlines key roles, salary levels, and future trends.
Ericsson and Mastercard announced the integration of their fintech platform and money transfer network, aiming to expand digital wallet and cross-border payment services through telecom channels, with initial deployments focused on the Middle East and Africa.
Based on the latest 2026 report published by ICLG, this article provides an in-depth analysis of the application progress, market dynamics, and future challenges of blockchain technology, stablecoins, and central bank digital currencies in the field of global trade finance.
Digital payment systems are reshaping global financial infrastructure, weakening the network externalities of the US dollar, and driving currency multipolarity. Based on ODI expert commentary, this article analyzes the impact of systems such as UPI, PIX, and CIPS on the global payment landscape.
South Korea has selected Toss Payments as its preferred negotiation partner to connect the deposit token network to merchant POS terminals, without the need for hardware replacement. This contract is a key step in Project Hangang, enabling the digital won to enter physical commercial payments for the first time.
Samsung has partnered with Barclays to launch a co-branded credit card in the U.S. market, another example of technology companies deeply embedding themselves in financial services.
Payment giant Stripe, together with private equity firm Advent International, has offered approximately $53 billion to acquire PayPal. If successful, the deal would integrate merchant infrastructure with consumer scale, potentially accelerating stablecoin adoption and reshaping the digital payments landscape. However, the transaction faces stringent antitrust scrutiny and challenges in integrating different compliance frameworks and crypto strategies. Industry experts believe this move could drive stablecoin payments into the mainstream and mark a shift in fintech from fragmented innovation to platform consolidation.
The latest report from S&P Global Market Intelligence shows that global consumer digital payment transaction volume is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.2%, reaching $83.9 trillion by 2030. The Asia-Pacific region contributes half of the transaction volume, but North America accounts for nearly 43% of processor revenue, highlighting a structural mismatch between transaction volume and profitability.
Thunes Deputy CEO Chloé Mayenobe delves into why payment infrastructure is often overlooked, and how interconnectivity can reduce cross-border remittance costs and accelerate fund arrival, truly promoting global financial inclusion.
The commercial banking business in the Asia-Pacific region is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by real-time payments, fintech competition, and the development of digital assets, which are reshaping the industry. This article, based on a collaborative report between Finextra and Visa Direct, analyzes the unique drivers and challenges of the Asia-Pacific market.
Guyana has become one of the world's fastest-growing economies due to oil discoveries, and fintech is emerging as a key pillar of its economic transformation. This article analyzes the country's digital finance opportunities, challenges, and future trends.
This week, several major developments have taken place in the fintech sector: Japan's SBI Holdings acquired crypto exchange Bitbank for $289 million; Worldline, Mastercard, and Crédit Agricole completed France's first AI agent payment; over 140 banks and tech giants jointly launched the Open USD stablecoin; Lloyds Banking Group announced the phasing out of the 173-year-old Halifax brand; and the UK's FCA released final regulatory rules on crypto assets and stablecoins.
Global payments giant Global Payments executives interpret the practical applications of stablecoins in cross-border settlements and corporate liquidity management, as well as how European and American regulatory frameworks are driving stablecoins to become mainstream payment tools.
The European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs passed the digital euro legislative draft with 43 votes in favor and 14 against, paving the way for pilot testing in 2027 and full rollout in 2029. The digital euro, to be issued by the European Central Bank, aims to safeguard Europe's monetary sovereignty and reduce reliance on U.S. payment systems such as Visa and Mastercard.
Cross-border payments are evolving from traditional wire transfers toward a future of interoperability, real-time processing, and digital wallet support. ISO 20022 standardization, payment infrastructure collaboration, and the rise of stablecoins are reshaping global fund flows.
Payment protection is no longer just a cost center; through integrated, intelligent solutions, enterprises can reduce fraud losses while improving conversion rates and customer trust, becoming a new growth strategy.
According to a joint report by Money20/20 and FXC Intelligence, the European cross-border payment market will see outflows of $21.1 trillion in 2025, accounting for 48% of the global total. Stablecoins and blockchain have become core topics, and Europe is competing for payment sovereignty through real-time payment networks such as Wero and EuroPA.
Myanmar's fintech development is not a simple growth story. Against a backdrop of political turmoil, economic fragmentation, and weak infrastructure, digital payments and mobile finance continue to struggle to provide basic financial services to the people. This article analyzes the current state, challenges, and future prospects of Myanmar's fintech ecosystem.
Based on the agenda for Day 3 of Money20/20 Europe, this article focuses on key trends such as identity governance for autonomous AI agents, banking licenses and cross-border expansion, stablecoins and tokenized deposits, as well as post-quantum security and real-time fraud prevention.
Money20/20 Europe’s third day of discussions showed that the industry focus has shifted from proof of concept to implementable financial infrastructure upgrades: real-time payment networks, cross-border settlement, agentic AI governance, tokenized deposits and stablecoin applications, as well as post-quantum security and real-time fraud prevention.
PingPong and Visa’s Card to Account Payment Solution aims to solve the problem of mismatch between corporate commercial cards and suppliers’ payment methods, while bringing greater efficiency and less operational friction to cross-border B2B payments.
This article, based on FinTech Futures’ review of the five major payments industry news stories in May 2026, focuses on PayPal’s organizational restructuring, NBG Cyprus introducing AI reconciliation, Housing Bank upgrading its payments infrastructure, Currensea obtaining a European payment institution license, and management changes at The Payments Association, analyzing their impact on digital payments and financial infrastructure.