Bots, banking, stablecoins to dominate fintech

Industry leaders are betting that 2026 could mark a major inflection point.

- BY EMILY MASON AND PAIGE SMITH

CIRCLE Internet Group has won initial approval for a bank charter. Its CEO, Jeremy Allaire, center, in June.

(Michael Nagle Bloomberg)

The crypto wins many predicted for 2025 didn’t fully materialize. But while Bitcoin is ending the year in the red, firms across the broader digital finance landscape have been making a methodical push into the heart of the U.S. banking system.

After a year of regulatory triumphs, industry leaders are betting that 2026 could mark a major inflection point. Crypto firms are trading state licenses 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.

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.