In this episode, Bob and Amy dive into the McKinsey Global Payments Report 2025, unpacking the sweeping transformation underway in the global payments ecosystem. Despite generating an impressive $2.5 trillion in annual revenue, the industry stands at a pivotal crossroads.
McKinsey identifies three powerful forces reshaping the landscape: the growing fragmentation and regionalization of payment systems, the rapid adoption of stablecoins and tokenized money, and the accelerating influence of artificial intelligence (AI). The report emphasizes the intensifying competition between centralized and decentralized payment architectures, as both geopolitical dynamics and technological innovation give rise to a complex mosaic of regional standards.
AI emerges as a double-edged catalyst—boosting productivity and strengthening risk management, while simultaneously opening a new frontier in agentic commerce, where autonomous digital agents conduct real-time financial transactions.
The report concludes by offering six strategic imperatives for payments providers, merchants, and platform operators seeking to maintain competitiveness and capture value through 2029 in this rapidly evolving environment.
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