Worldline's $10.9 billion acquisition of terminal and payments technology provider Ingenico last February marked the most notable payments transaction in 2020, according to the annual mergers and acquisitions data of the financial technology industry report from investment bank Berkery Noyes.

Walmart's fintech venture with Ribbit Capital allows it to influence more technological developments in the retail industry.

The retail giant is teaming with the investment group Ribbit Capital on the venture, which will aim to provide new services to Walmart customers and employees.

If you are underbanked you probably have limited access to mainstream financial services normally offered by retail banks. Many fintech startups offer alternative ways to measure credit risk, and assert that their products can help extend financial services to consumers who have not been well-served by traditional banks.

BBVA’s acquisition of Simple, the first neobank, was closely watched as a possible model for others in the industry. But the shutdown last week of Simple has again stirred a debate about whether upstarts and traditional players can ever fit together.

With fewer people allowed inside branches, banks have to capitalize on those limited in-person interactions by offering experts on financial literacy and mobile banking.

Trade war bans on payment apps are pressuring large companies and providing opportunities for regional specialists, says Nets' Sirpa Nordlund.

While instant payments and open banking have been gaining momentum across the globe, payments providers have established digitally backed services that not only facilitate seamless financial operations but also help generate revenue, says AFEX Americas' Christian Spaltenstein.

Organizations that put the customer experience front of mind will be the winners, but they must nonetheless expect additional pressure from regulators, new competition, ever more digitally demanding consumers, and no slowdown in technological innovation, says Entersekt's Gerhard Oosthuizen.

History will remember Wednesday for the anti-democracy domestic terrorism that resulted in death, injuries and damage inside the U.S. Capitol — but did not thwart the process of confirming the presidential election. It was also a day that Georgia's Senate runoff gave much-needed clarity to the fintech sector.