Business
Bots, banking and Stablecoins will dominate fintech this year
After a year of regulatory triumphs, industry leaders are betting that 2026 could mark a major inflection point. Crypto firms are trading state licences for national charters, payments giants are rewiring their rails for blockchain settlement, and artificial intelligence agents are inching closer to autonomous payments.
The fintech industry’s ambitious vision for the future of finance still faces hurdles, with congressional haggling over the details of crypto regulation spilling into next year. But with the White House in their corner, fintechs are riding a rare bit of momentum in Washington. Here’s what executives, investors and policymakers expect in 2026. Everything Is a Bank
One of the clearest paths for fintech firms to boost margins next year is by cutting out the middlemen. To gain access to the Fed’s core payment systems and take deposits, cryptocurrency exchanges and neobanks must rely on licensed banks-unless they have their own charter. Now fintechs are lining up to get one.
Under the regulatory about-face of the crypto-friendly Trump administration, preliminary bank charter approvals have been granted to five crypto companies, including Circle Internet Group and Ripple Labs. Crypto exchange Coinbase Global has its own application, as do online payments giant PayPal and neobank operator Mercury Technologies.
The rewards are potentially significant. Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller floated the possibility of a “skinny” master account, which would grant these firms direct access to federal payment rails like the automated clearing house and Fedwire networks.
More approvals are expected next year, according to Phil Goldfeder, chief executive officer of the American Fintech Council.
To Everyone, a Stablecoin
Stablecoins-which maintain a consistent value, typically backed by US dollar-denominated assets-are poised for a big 2026 as companies across the retail, banking and technology sectors pile in with the hope of achieving faster and cheaper transfers on blockchain.
Credit card giants Visa and Mastercard have both announced plans for stablecoin settlements this year and expect the trend to accelerate next year. Mastercard said that “crypto may be the financial story of the early 21st century.”
Oliver Jenkyn, Visa’s group president of global markets, said in a post on the company website this month that he expects to see significant stablecoin growth across emerging markets such as Argentina, where demand for US dollars is high as a hedge against inflation.
Firms including Stripe’s Bridge, Coinbase and Anchorage Digital have also launched stablecoin issuing platforms to meet rising demand.
Bloomberg Bots With Budgets
AI may not be completely running people’s lives yet, but it may soon be handling shopping carts. “2026 is when agent-native commerce goes mainstream,” Mastercard chief product officer Jorn Lambert said. “We’ll move beyond assistants-AI agents will research, negotiate, and complete secure purchases on behalf of consumers.” Lambert sees a future in which someone planning a birthday party might ask an AI agent to compile an inventory list and complete the purchases. Mastercard, PayPal and others are already partnering with AI firms.
Earlier this month, Visa’s Jenkyn told Bloomberg “we’re going to have full mainstream of AI-supported shopping” in 2026, with consumers relying on these agents for routine purchases.
