Three Big Themes Shaping Financial Services: AI, Fraud, and Stablecoin

In conversations across the financial services ecosystem, three themes consistently surface—AI’s expanding role in payment rails, the rapid evolution of fraud prevention, and the uncertainty and potential surrounding stablecoin. 

These topics come up almost daily in discussions with banks, credit unions, and fintech leaders. Together, they represent both the optimism and the unease shaping the industry today. 

1. AI and the Future of Payment Rails 

AI now sits at the center of nearly every strategic conversation in financial services. What’s becoming increasingly clear is how directly it is tied to the future of payment infrastructure. 

Much of the industry’s focus is shifting toward Agentic AI, where intelligent systems act on behalf of users or businesses. Imagine a small business allowing an AI agent to transact on their behalf by leveraging financial data, payment methods, performance indicators, purchasing requirements from leadership meetings, and even calendar data to execute transactions automatically. 

That level of autonomy brings enormous potential and real risk. The core question remains: Who can be trusted to power those agentic payment rails? Whoever can confidently say, “I’ve built secure, trusted agentic rails for payments,” will be in a strong position.  

Right now, no one has solved both innovation and trust. The experimentation is happening, but the infrastructure that supports safe, large-scale use of agentic AI doesn’t yet exist. Until it does, many small businesses will hesitate to grant AI agents access to the sensitive data required to make Agentic AI truly effective. 

The lingering concerns continue to center on fraud, data access, and data ownership. It’s my data as a small business, but everyone else gets to treat it like it’s their data. Meanwhile, fraud remains high, and the question—“What happens to my data once it’s shared?”—still hangs over the industry. 

2. Fraud’s Rapid Evolution 

AI and fraud are now deeply intertwined. As the industry moves toward more agentic AI, fraud prevention must evolve just as quickly. 

Every advancement in AI brings new ways to enhance the customer experience, but it also introduces new vulnerabilities. Every hook into another system creates a weak point for fraud, and since most companies partner to deliver these payment rails, there are plenty of hooks. 

Financial institutions increasingly recognize that legacy fraud systems can’t keep up with real-time, AI-driven behaviors. What’s needed now is a new generation of fraud prevention that is just as adaptive and autonomous as the systems it protects. 

Whoever can integrate both sides of the equation—the intelligence of AI and the security of next-generation fraud prevention—will lead the next phase of digital payments. The stakes remain high, and trust is still the currency that determines who succeeds. 

3. Stablecoin: Promise Meets Skepticism 

Stablecoin remains one of the most talked-about innovations in fintech, generating both excitement and trepidation across the industry. 

On the fintech side, stablecoin often presents as a clear “shiny object.” The recent GENIUS Act has accelerated conversations among players like Bridge and Circle, who are pushing to make stablecoin transactions frictionless and widely accessible. 

But for many banks and credit unions, the tone is more cautious. The question isn’t whether stablecoin can work—it’s how it may reshape the financial system in ways that don’t always benefit traditional institutions. 

There’s real concern that stablecoin could create an environment where certain institutions are “picked as winners,” whether by government or market forces, leaving smaller institutions to navigate the impact on innovation and deposits. Many leaders are asking what happens to deposits if more money moves into stablecoin ecosystems. 

Before stablecoin can be integrated equitably within the banking system and across communities, it will require time—and a great deal of trust, clarity, and consistency across both regulation and technology. 

Optimism with a Dose of Uncertainty 

Despite the challenges, the overall sentiment across conversations with financial leaders is optimistic. Banks and credit unions are engaged, curious, and eager to understand what’s coming next. They want to explore new ideas, evaluate emerging technology, and find partners who can help them innovate. They’re searching for the next thing they need to serve account holders and prepare their boards for what’s ahead. 

That curiosity is exactly what’s needed. The industry is ready to embrace technology that drives meaningful impact, even as uncertainty lingers. 

There’s optimism about AI’s ability to improve efficiency—but also a recognition that efficiency alone isn’t the goal. As one banker put it, “If I was really concerned about efficiency, I’d already be fixing it. I want to understand how AI makes my balance sheet better.” 

It captures the moment perfectly: innovation energy is strong, but the demand for measurable, bottom-line impact is stronger. 

Looking Ahead 

Across every conversation, one thing is clear: AI, fraud prevention, and stablecoin are converging to redefine how financial systems operate. 

And guiding all of it is a single principle—trust. Every innovation we build, every agentic payment system, every new digital currency depends on it. The institutions and fintechs that deliver trust while embracing change will shape the future of financial services. And that future is approaching faster than most expect.