Predictions of a cashless world have circulated for decades, yet physical money continues to anchor daily commerce across much of the globe. Visa’s 2026 outlook highlighted just how large that footprint remains. The company estimated that roughly $11 trillion in cash is still in circulation...
Mastercard partnered with regional FinTech Ottu to expand access to local and global payment methods across four Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. The collaboration brings together the Mastercard’s Merchant Cloud payment platform and Ottu’s regional expertise to provide businesses...
In its first action to implement the GENIUS Act, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is considering a proposed rule that would establish procedures under which the insured depository institutions the regulator supervises could seek to issue stablecoin payments. “Under the proposal, the FDIC would adopt a...
Faster payments are no longer held back by technology or regulation. They are held back by perception. That is the central tension explored in Reality Check: Fact vs. Fiction in Real-Time Payments Fraud, the August 2025 report from PYMNTS Intelligence and The Clearing House. The study...
Across the Middle East, governments, banks and global payments firms are treating digital payments as foundational infrastructure for future economic activity. The focus is not limited to consumer convenience or incremental efficiency gains. There’s a burgeoning broader effort to build systems that can support cross-border...
Payments services firm EBANX is expanding its network token operations in Latin America. As the company noted in a news release Thursday (Dec. 11), this technology replaces a card’s sensitive primary account number (PAN) with a secure, dynamic token (DPAN), thus protecting cardholder data and...
Migrating payment systems to post-quantum cryptography is feasible but requires further testing and preparation, according to a report released Thursday (Dec. 11) by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). The report “Project Leap: Quantum-proofing payment systems” shared the results of a test of post-quantum cryptography...
Vertical software companies have built thriving businesses by deeply understanding niche industries. Education technology platforms, for example, manage enrollment, tuition schedules and financial aid. Healthcare systems coordinate scheduling, billing codes and insurance workflows. Field-service platforms help contractors dispatch crews, track jobs, and manage customers. But...
Instant payouts are gaining traction as more recipients choose to receive money immediately. According to From Fast to Sticky: Why Instant Payouts Win Repeat Customers, a November 2025 PYMNTS Intelligence study produced in collaboration with Ingo Payments, more than half of individuals who receive instant...