FPC: Identifying and Supporting What’s Ahead in 2026
Reed Luhtanen, Executive Director & CEO, FPC
As 2025 draws to a close and we look ahead to 2026, the payments landscape is poised for another year of rapid evolution. From the rise of agentic AI and the maturation of stablecoins, to the continued importance of standards such as ISO 20022 and data, which all contribute to enhanced user experience, the Faster Payments Council is poised to support the change and ensure our Members are prepared for what’s next.
In 2026, we anticipate that agentic AI will become a dominant force when it comes to instant payments. Agentic AI has the potential to enable faster, autonomous, and more intelligent payment processes that can make real-time decisions and execute transactions without direct human intervention. This level of sophistication can be a true game changer when it comes to the faster payments.
Digital assets, such as stablecoins, are also positioned to drive change within faster payments. Stablecoins offer the potential for increased transparency and traceability while also ensuring privacy and security. By combining the speed and transparency of blockchain technology with the stability of traditional currencies, stablecoins can address some of the key challenges faced by existing payment systems paving the way for an enhanced faster payments environment.
And while stablecoins can be transformative, data can be key to their growth and functionality. So, data and data optimization will be a critical aspect of 2026 as well. Data optimization can support stablecoin use and fuel faster payments using analytics to streamline processes, reduce costs, manage risk, and so much more. And our Payments Data Optimization Work Group will seek to identify the ways in which we can leverage data optimization to support faster payments goals.
Each of these developments contributes to the ever-important user experience, and an efficient, secure, consistent, and easy user experience when it comes to faster payments is the optimal experience. In 2026, our newly launched Faster Payments User Experience Work Group will begin work on efforts to support this mission, and our partnership with X9 will help drive the development and adoption of standards, like ISO 20022, for faster payments to drive a consistent user experience. In addition, operational best practices will be key to creating a cohesive, frictionless user experience. Organizations will need to leverage strategies, processes, and practices specifically cultivated with a seamless experience in mind, including addressing the issues that arise around them. For example, the improved exception resolution that is the focus of our Exception Resolution for Account-Based Payments Work Group will help ensure transactional certainty for an optimal user experience.
As we move into 2026, the Faster Payments Council remains committed to staying at the forefront of faster payments advancements to ensure we can guide the industry through this next phase of innovation and beyond. In 2026, we’ll seek to provide the information, tools and resources needed to embrace emerging technologies, leverage data and optimize its use for faster payments, and keep the user experience at the center of our efforts. By doing so, we will ensure that faster payments continue to deliver secure, efficient, and meaningful value for the broader payments ecosystem.
As we close out the year and reflect on the progress made together as an industry and what’s ahead, we want to thank you in advance for continued engagement and collaboration. Happy holidays!
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