The payment world is moving beyond the old question of which currency to use, toward a new question of how interconnected financial systems can become. Recently, Visa, the global leader in digital payment services, has assessed that by 2026, payment systems will no longer be divided by lines between fiat and cryptocurrencies. Instead, traditional finance, stablecoins, digital wallets, and real-time systems will work together seamlessly.
The Asia-Pacific region is regarded as the center of this transformation due to its rapidly developing digital infrastructure and a digital lifestyle where people primarily use smartphones. Thailand is one of the world’s model countries, with consumers familiar with real-time payments and transfers, especially leading in QR Payment and mobile banking.
Visa states that 2026 will mark a phase shift in payment systems—from separated platforms to fully interconnected systems across all dimensions. This can be summarized into five key trends shaping the future of payments:
The debate over whether traditional money or crypto will prevail is ending, as the future lies in using both systems together. Visa sees the future of finance as the integration of both, especially with stablecoins increasingly connected to mainstream payment systems.
Currently, stablecoins have a total value exceeding 250 billion U.S. dollars. Visa supports cards linked to stablecoins in over 130 programs across 40 countries, with annual transaction volumes around 3.5 billion U.S. dollars. Visa Direct and partners like Nium enable easy, fast transfers between fiat and digital currencies, moving beyond mere technological trials. Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan are establishing clearer regulatory frameworks, and Thailand is moving in the same direction.
AI is shifting from a tool for search assistance to an “agent” that can decide and conduct transactions for users—from searching, comparing, and selecting purchases to making payments—known as Agentic Commerce.
This trend is already visible, with generative AI platforms in the U.S. driving a 4,700% year-over-year increase in online retail traffic in July 2025. Given Asia-Pacific’s digital capabilities, such a transition is likely to happen rapidly in the region.
Not only consumers, but businesses are also adapting quickly, especially in Asia-Pacific, home to over 200 million companies and a global trade hub. Visa notes a trend of “Consumerisation of B2B” where businesses demand payment experiences as easy, fast, and seamless as those for consumers, leading to systems that allow merchants to confidently work with AI agents.
As AI increases the complexity of identity fraud, authentication becomes a key strategy for payment systems this year. Visa emphasizes that cooperation among governments, private sectors, and payment networks will intensify to combat new forms of crime.
Technologies like tokenization—which replaces card data with unique tokens—and biometrics such as fingerprints and facial recognition will become standard, reducing fraud risks. Payment networks will invest in proactive fraud prevention systems to address AI-driven threats.
Online payment experiences are shifting from lengthy, complex steps to “one-click” payments. Visa reports that 6 in 10 consumers in Asia-Pacific faced card payment issues over the past year, from forgotten card details to failed OTPs, causing merchants to lose revenue opportunities. Features like Click to Pay and Passkey authentication will replace manual card number entry, making online shopping faster and more secure.
Asia-Pacific remains a testing ground for payment innovations, from QR Payments and digital wallets to real-time systems like Thailand’s PromptPay, which has become essential infrastructure in daily life.
Visa sees this year as a crucial acceleration point for connecting cash, cards, wallets, and digital assets, ushering payments into an era where users no longer need to consider the form or platform of their money. Transactions will seamlessly cross platforms, currencies, and countries, supported by cloud-native, API-first infrastructure, increasingly backed by governments and businesses.
In summary, Visa views 2026 as a year when payment systems evolve from manual, separated processes to intelligent, fully connected networks. The Asia-Pacific region, including Thailand, stands at the forefront of this change.
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