North America is fast becoming the epicentre of a global payments revolution, with real-time transactions and stablecoin innovation poised to reshape how money moves across borders and platforms.
At a recent press breakfast hosted by FXC Intelligence and Money20/20, industry leaders Lucy Ingham and Micky Tesfaye highlighted the region’s pivotal role in driving payments innovation.
Their remarks come as new research, released by FXC Intelligence, predicts North America’s payments market will reach £10.8 trillion by 2032, fuelled by the rise of stablecoins and instant payment infrastructure.
The push towards real-time payments is gaining momentum.
According to FXC Intelligence, 91 percent of surveyed experts ranked it as the most critical technology in the sector.
This reflects a growing urgency among banks and fintechs to meet consumer demand for speed and transparency. In Europe, real-time payments are already embedded in daily life, but North America is now racing to catch up.
“There’s a tendency to think of North America as just the US,” said Lucy Ingham, Head of Content at FXC Intelligence.
“But Canada has been a model for balancing policy with innovation, and Latin America is increasingly shaping the region’s trajectory.”
Central banks are also stepping in, with initiatives aimed at interconnecting systems globally.
The Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve have both signalled support for cross-border interoperability, while private firms like VoPay are expanding real-time payout capabilities to platforms like PayPal and Venmo.
Micky Tesfaye, Director of Content at Money20/20, added, “The future of payments is incredibly layered.”
His words underscore the complexity of integrating legacy systems with emerging technologies such as blockchain and AI.
As North America accelerates its transformation, the global payments landscape is set for a decade of disruption, collaboration and reinvention.
