In 2026, a new financial ecosystem will form around five trends—stablecoins, agentic AI, consolidation, financial media networks, and AI search—blurring boundaries between banking, technology, and commerce.

Lloyds, NatWest, and Truist are redefining banking with generative AI. Lloyds moves beyond individual use cases to rethink processes entirely, aiming for a customer-facing AI agent by late summer 2025. NatWest shifted to reimagining entire customer experiences, empowering all 70,000 employees with AI tools to rapidly explore new possibilities. Truist focuses on "knowledge extraction," a low-risk, high-reward use case demonstrating immediate value. Continuous experimentation and adaptable strategies are crucial for AI implementation, requiring agile learning, boundary-pushing, and prioritizing employee buy-in for customer-focused solutions.

The rollout will help it keep up with Klarna, but well-established competitors in the market could limit its growth

By teaming up with banks, Meta aims to crack down on fraud and restore user trust amid rising concerns over scams on its platforms.

GenAI gives banks unprecedented tools to create a more personalized experience for their customers, but some use cases are easier to implement than others.

Consumers’ adoption of AI banking chatbots varies by country. Though the US and UK promote their tech-friendly banking environments, the geographically concentrated, Big-Six-focused Canadian market has taken the lead in embracing this much-hyped tech.

Showing card account info takes away an important touchpoint for banks and puts Apple at the center of the relationship

UK mobile P2P payments usage growth has a case of the doldrums—but bank and digital wallet providers can explore several options to give it a boost.

The neobank launched the Ultra card, which offers travel, lifestyle, and investment perks. But stiff competition will pose a challenge.

They were aided by high interest rates and low loan delinquencies. But this year, the effects from persistent inflation and the failed mini-budget still lurk.

The government hopes sweeping changes for Britain's banks will give the sector a lift. But it could expose lenders to more risk.

The cloud-based platform will offer personalization, modernization, and speed—but it will face big competition.

This fourth annual study ranks 10 UK banks and building societies based on their support of 42 emerging mobile banking features, weighted by consumer demand.

We look at how the tanking pound and growing economic uncertainty are affecting UK banks.

Barclays, NatWest, and Lloyds are all exploring possible acquisitions despite market uncertainty.

The neobank launched its BNPL product in Ireland ahead of a wider continental rollout.

More than half of consumers in the UK would switch their bank if it was caught laundering cash, new research shows.

The program will work across financial institutions, and eventually across sectors. It could help shape standards for new tech.

Technology decision-makers within the banking industry will need to balance high tech spending with the potential for regulatory disruptors.