Tap your card. Send money. Check your balance. Payments feel effortless. But behind the scenes, the way money moves is being rebuilt. A quiet transformation is already in motion.
At this year's Orange live, ING Wholesale Banking's global webinar series, leading voices in digital finance explored one question: what's next? Their message was clear: The future of payments isn't ahead of us. It is already here.
Here are three shifts shaping that future, and how they could soon influence everyday life.
Money is getting smarter
Standing orders are reliable but rigid. You tell a bank what to do, and it follows that instruction. Programmable money flips that model. Payments can react to events in the real world such as goods delivered, a contract completed or a sensor triggered.
In supply chains, this means payments can be released automatically once goods arrive, confirmed instantly by real‑time data.
As Neha Narula, director of the Digital Currency Initiative at MIT Media Lab, explained: “Real-time movement, according to programmatic conditions, with everyone having certainty about where the money is.”
For consumers, this could lead to services that adjust in real time, for example insurance that adjusts to behaviour or subscriptions that pause automatically. Marieke Flament, independent board member at Qivalis, said: “You can put intelligence into money, and that is extremely powerful.”
Looking ahead, Narula expects AI agents to take on much of this work for us, optimising flows far faster than people. Within a decade, most transactions may not be initiated manually at all.
Payments are finally going twenty-four seven
Move money on a Friday afternoon or across borders and settlement can still take days. In an always-on world, that delay feels outdated.
Narula summed it up well: “The internet does not say we are only going to operate Monday to Friday, eight am to five pm.”
Euro-denominated stablecoins help solve this gap. They operate around the clock, so businesses can act on their own schedule. The benefits go beyond speed. When money settles instantly, companies do not need to hold large buffers of idle cash. Less waiting means less risk and better use of capital.
This shift is not about working at night. It is about financial systems keeping pace with modern life.
Banks, not just startups, are building the new infrastructure
Payments innovation no longer sits only with startups. Major financial institutions are now building stable, regulated infrastructure.
ING recently joined twelve European banks to co‑found Qivalis, which will launch a safe, supervised euro stablecoin later this year. It addresses a growing challenge: most of today’s stablecoins are tied to the US dollar. For Europe, that means dependency and currency risk.
A strong euro‑based alternative helps reduce that dependency. Regulation doesn’t slow innovation, it makes it dependable. This new infrastructure will grow step by step, tested carefully along the way.
As Mairead McGuinness, former European Commissioner responsible for MiCA, said: “While people do not always like regulation, they value it.”
What this could mean in practice
Narula’s advice is simple: “Get your hands dirty with the technology.”
Trying a digital wallet and moving a small amount can help people understand how these systems work. Those who explore now may be better prepared as digital money becomes part of everyday life.
Orange live
Orange live is ING Wholesale Banking’s global webinar series for clients worldwide. It explores the biggest shifts shaping finance and features insights from leading experts.
Watch the full Orange live session.