Institutional Market Insights: Payments

In 2026, ready-made infrastructure is beating custom development on speed, cost and compliance. Learn when to build vs buy—and where CTOs lose time and budget.

Guest insight from Olaf Ransome on UNITE Global FMI and a “single pool of liquidity” vision to reduce nostro reliance, cut buffers and enable real-time PvP/DvP.

Discover how SIKA’s CCP-based FX platform streamlines EM FX order matching and settlement, reduces credit risk and prepares banks and brokers for stablecoin rails.

Olaf Ransome explores how stablecoins offer faster, 24/7 payments and banking access where traditional rails fall short, with insights from industry experts: 6 reasons Stablecoins beat traditional payments

Olaf Ransome explores whether the rapid growth in the number of stablecoins will improve financial innovation or create new inefficiencies in digital payments.

JPMorgan is breaking new ground with the launch of JPMD – a “public-permissioned” stablecoin-like token that combines the interoperability and 24/7 settlement of a public blockchain with the regulatory controls and credit backing of a traditional bank deposit. In this post, Olaf Ransome revisits his long‑held view that tokenized deposits only work “inside the four walls” of their issuer, explains why JPMD’s hybrid model changes the game, and explores its far‑reaching implications for institutional liquidity, payment rails and the future of financial services.

“Let’s get together!” Big US banks and infrastructure providers are apparently looking at a common stablecoin. How should you think about this and what should you think?

Stablecoins, tariffs and the papal conclave have an oligopoly on the news headlines right now. Simon Taylor, who is one of those who I think really gets the FinTech space and its impact on financial services just posted: “Stripe just declared war on banks with their stablecoin financial accounts.” That alone is worth a read. I want to explain where banks will struggle with processing Stablecoins. And I’ll throw in a few words on things Tokenised Deposits too for free.

Stablecoins are off to the races across the pond. The Donald and his team have been preparing a plan, and now with the help of the Senate are moving to making new laws to help and encourage things stablecoins. The team is ready with a bill which has been read in the Senate, kicking off its path to being a new law. The modestly named “Genius Act of 2025” sets out new rules for things Stablecoins.

Digital assets are on the Trump agenda. Amongst the flurry of Executive Orders signed in the White House was a directive on things Digital Assets (see comments for link). Trump was expected to be “pro Crypto”. This order tastes better than “just Crypto”; in my opinion it is “pro Digital Assets” ice cream with a generous sprinkling of “America first” on top, but bureaucrats don’t get one of whatever it is “this” turns out to be. Read on for more, and please do share a comment or two.

What good are stablecoins? The news, or at least my news, is that they are starting to be used beyond the world of crypto for things we normally associate with money; a store of value, a medium of exchange and a means of payment. The new is converging with old. In this month’s post I shed some light on how stablecoins are being used like money and why this might matter to you as an individual or as a business.

The future of digital payments is here with stablecoins emerging as a game-changing solution for cross-border transactions. Unlike traditional banking, stablecoins offer instant settlement and reduced fees for both businesses and individuals. Learn how regulated stablecoins and Web3 wallets are reshaping payment infrastructure in 2024, enabling seamless global transactions without the limitations of traditional banking systems.

Whether you are in FX, equities, or even crypto, you have to settle trades and make payments. That world is complex and fragmented. And the complexity keeps growing as we add new forms of future money: Stablecoins, tokenised deposits, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and e-money. All of those are niches which we have to manage. This article focuses on how you can fine tune your processes to best manage the scarce resource that is intraday liquidity.

Recently, something of real note happened. Berlin Hyp issued a native digital bond and settled it with “old fashioned” money in Target 2, the Euro Systems payment platform. Interoperability was the magic ingredient in this transaction. Wonderful progress. I like to say that interoperability enables connectivity between the three key parts of tomorrow’s infrastructure, which I have dubbed the Holy Trinity: Marketplaces, Asset Custody and the Means of Payment.

These things are all the rage, so it is worth spending a little time to understand what they are, how they work and what the implications are for your business. If you are in treasury or transaction banking, or trading, I’d offer the view that having some insight and a view on this is essential.

This is the first edition of a monthly column on things liquidity. I am going to focus on the plumbing part of liquidity; how to make sure we have enough money and securities in the right currency, in the right place and at the right time to settle trades and make payments. Please do share your views and do ask questions. I’ll try to offer you some help either directly or in a future post.