Tariff uncertainty, billion-dollar merger and acquisition deals, and a jump in social commerce will create new dynamics in the payments industry in H2 2025. Burgeoning tech like agentic AI and stablecoins will further shake up the space.

Sixty percent of current and prospective homeowners are unsure whether it’s a good time to buy a home—the highest uncertainty in three years, per Bank of America’s report. Meanwhile, 75% of prospective buyers are waiting for mortgage rates to drop, up from 62% in 2023. Younger generations, especially Gen Z and millennials, are delaying homeownership, with ownership rates flatlining. Stagnant rental prices and economic uncertainty add to the hesitation. Lenders must modernize offerings, streamline processes, and explore alternative financing like crypto and peer-to-peer loans to convert hesitant buyers when the market improves.

The news: Paze notched a major partnership with Worldpay to expand its merchant network, per a press release. Our take: Groundwork has been set for Paze to take off. We predicted that Paze would make significant gains in 2025, and this partnership will help Paze establish its online presence and customer familiarity for strong back-to-school and holiday shopping spend.

Changing regulatory stances and incentives could coax banks into crypto to avoid payments disintermediation.

Whose credit card business does it hope to woo?

Banks have an opportunity to build trust by recommending relevant products and engaging on social media.

In the first 100 days of his second term, President Trump has reshaped business strategy across retail, tech, healthcare, and media. Here’s how tariffs, regulation, and market volatility are forcing brands to rethink spend, growth, and planning.

Madwell sued by NYT for thousands in unpaid debts: The lawsuit serves as a warning and highlights the need for brands to vet the agencies they work with.

Latest data from the Federal Reserve shows leading institutions based on consolidated assets.

The issuers are taking a wait-and-see approach to gauge how Trump’s tariffs will play out

The P2P player was able to make this pivot thanks to the success of its integration in banks’ apps, which currently lead to 98% of its transactions

As hype over the asset class explodes, players want to capitalize on early-mover advantages

Despite climate pledges, Amazon, Google, and Meta could face opposition to their nuclear plans—raising questions about readiness to support AI with sustainable infrastructure.

It’s a major win for the P2P player as the Trump administration dismantles the agency

Consumers are slowly making changes to how they pay at checkout. We look at the top seven payment methods and delve into what’s pushing forward and detracting from their growth.

Many large banks are watering down or removing online references to DEI in a polarized environment.