Payments industry moves toward always-on finance

By Vriti Gothi

The global payments industry is entering a pivotal phase as banks, market infrastructures and technology providers accelerate efforts to build a truly always-on financial ecosystem. With more jurisdictions moving toward round-the-clock settlement and instant payment schemes, the focus is shifting from isolated real-time rails to interoperable, scalable models that can support continuous value movement across borders and asset classes.

Large transaction banks are increasingly modernising legacy infrastructure to bridge traditional payment systems with emerging technologies such as tokenised ledgers and digital settlement assets. This transition reflects growing demand from corporates and financial institutions for faster settlement, improved liquidity visibility and reduced operational risk—particularly in an environment of heightened market volatility and global supply chain complexity.

Carl Slabicki, Co-Head of Global Payments for BNY’s Treasury Services, said, “As we look to 2026, the industry is accelerating toward a truly 24/7 financial services ecosystem; one that seamlessly blends proven capabilities such as instant payments, APIs and real-time reporting with emerging innovations like tokenized ledgers, settlement tokens and digital assets beyond cash. Banks are making tangible progress in modernising their platforms and connecting established rails with new technologies designed for continuous settlement models.”

The expansion of 24/7 settlement frameworks across more markets is also raising questions around standards, governance and interoperability. While domestic instant payment systems have matured in several regions, cross-border and interbank settlement particularly involving tokenised representations of fiat—remains fragmented. Industry participants are increasingly calling for coordinated approaches to ensure that new digital settlement models can operate alongside existing systems without introducing new systemic risks.

Artificial intelligence is expected to play a critical role in this next phase. Banks and corporate treasury teams are deploying AI-driven tools to automate payment workflows, strengthen fraud detection and enhance real-time risk management. As transaction volumes increase and settlement windows disappear, automation and predictive analytics are becoming essential to maintaining control and resilience.

For the broader FinTech and banking sector, the shift toward always-on finance represents more than a technology upgrade. It signals a fundamental change in how liquidity is managed, how risks are monitored and how value is exchanged globally. Institutions that can integrate real-time payments, tokenised settlement and intelligent automation within secure and trusted frameworks are likely to set the pace as the industry moves toward a continuous, digitally native financial system.