Global commerce is entering a new phase defined by autonomous and intelligent payment systems. As we move into 2026, global commerce is shifting from manual transactions to autonomous, intelligent systems. Stablecoins have expanded beyond early-stage adoption, with blockchain increasingly used as infrastructure for cross-border payments, including more than USD 225 mn settled through Visa. This operational efficiency is powering the rise of agentic commerce, where consumers move from tapping to delegating certain transactions through AI assistants. To support this shift, Visa has introduced a trust framework focused on consumer control, payment security, and agent verification.

As payments become more advanced, identity protection is emerging as the central security challenge. However, as commerce grows smarter, identity protection is becoming more complex. With fraudsters using generative AI to create increasingly sophisticated scams, security efforts are focusing on protecting identity, not just transactions. This is a critical pivot for the 97% of CEMEA consumers who report taking proactive steps to secure their payments, reinforcing the need for biometric and AI-driven defenses to maintain digital trust.

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