From embedded finance to artificial intelligence to real-time processing, there are plenty of sources of competition and opportunity in the new year.

The emerging industry could be worth as much as $480 billion in two years, and payments are central to that growth.

By naming David Sacks as his "AI & Crypto Czar," Donald Trump has sent a strong signal that forward-thinking regulation of the most vibrant sector of the financial services industry could be on the way.

The coming year will bring banks the ability to work with digital assets and crypto companies, according to speakers at American Banker's Cyber Risk Summit.

Myriad payment innovations are cutting into old-school cash payments, changing how funds are accessed, spent and received for purposes ranging from in-store payments to accessing disaster recovery funds. Will these changes bring new communities into banking, or will it leave them behind?

The president-elect confirmed that he will pursue a strategic reserve of the flagship cryptocurrency as part of a broader push for the U.S. to champion the digital asset industry.

Ripple, MoneyGram and FV Bank all bolstered their ability to distribute digital assets, with cross-border transactions emerging as a primary use case.

Allegations of regulators pressuring banks to drop clients and customers because of political views or ties to legal-but-disfavored industries have sparked outrage among conservatives. But requiring banks to serve absolutely everyone would change the nature of banking in ways that aren't conservative.

With a business-friendly crypto and AI overseer, observers expect a softer government approach to tech projects and partnerships.

Telcoin is seeking to become the first chartered bank under Nebraska's Digital Asset Depository Institutions regime. Its CEO believes it can become a regulated bridge between crypto and banking.

The Clearing House increased its transaction limit from $1 million to $10 million; Mastercard settled a card fee lawsuit; and other news from the world of payments.

The Federal Reserve chair is not concerned about President-elect Trump nominating his successor well in advance of the end of his term in 2026, saying he is "confident" he will have a productive relationship with the next Treasury Secretary.

Rep. French Hill, R-Ark. — one of the leading contenders to chair the House Financial Services Committee next year — focused on 'debanking' of crypto and other companies in his questions to the witnesses.

President-elect Trump's embrace of cryptocurrency and decentralized finance is a political gambit that has already paid off. But greenlighting crypto's intermingling with traditional finance would create an asset bubble that would be especially painful to pop.

As 2024 comes to a close, trends such as open banking, fights over credit card fees and the future of faster payments are still in flux.

Buy now/pay later firms launched new products and announced new operational strategies this week as they prepare for an expected increase in demand this holiday shopping season, while Revolut's CEO laid out plans for 2025.

The bank and payment company are using the technology that underpins digital assets to improve interoperability for international transactions, a major point of friction in trade finance.

The Federal Reserve issued an enforcement action against the former head of Heartland Tri-State Bank, who embezzled millions of dollars after falling victim to a crypto scam.

The embattled crypto bank announced that it will reduce operations and move to preserve capital after losing its banking partner earlier this month.

The payment company is using its Xoom transfer app to bring PYUSD to a broader market; while Barclays is reportedly in talks with Brookfield Asset Management to sell a portion of its payments business. That and more in our global payments news roundup.