North America’s $9.4tn Cross-Border Payments Market Faces a Defining Moment as Technology and Geopolitics Reshape the Industry

LAS VEGAS, NV – October 19, 2026 – Money20/20, the world's leading fintech show and the place where money does business, and FXC Intelligence, the leading provider of cross-border payments data and intelligence, today released new research showing that North America's cross-border payments industry is being reshaped by technological innovation, geopolitical tensions and the push to modernise financial infrastructure.

The report, North America’s Cross-Border Payments Rewiring: The Current State and Future Potential of the Industry in 2026, analyses 650 industry articles published over 12 months across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Americas’ outbound retail cross-border payments market reached $9.4tn in 2025, representing 21% of global outflows, and is projected to reach $14tn by 2033, according to FXC Intelligence market sizing data.

The findings reveal an industry balancing technological opportunity with growing geopolitical complexity. While financial institutions explore innovations ranging from stablecoins and blockchain to artificial intelligence, interoperability and regulatory developments remain central to the evolution of cross-border payments.

Interoperability and Geopolitics Take Centre Stage

Interoperability was the most-discussed topic in the report, appearing in 38% of the articles analysed. Real-time payments featured in 31%, reflecting growing efforts to connect payment networks and make international transactions faster and more efficient.

Meanwhile, stablecoins, tokenisation and blockchain featured in 33% of articles, highlighting the growing attention surrounding emerging payment technologies. The United States led this discussion, with the topic appearing in 54% of US articles, compared with 22% in Canada and 19% in Mexico.

Geopolitics and trade, alongside policy and regulation, each featured in 36% of articles. The impact was particularly pronounced in Canada and Mexico, where 46% and 45% of articles respectively discussed geopolitics and trade, compared with 21% in the United States.

The report highlights a fundamental question for the region: whether North America will move towards greater integration of its payments infrastructure or see its markets pursue increasingly distinct national approaches.

Scarlett Sieber, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer at Money20/20, said: “Technology is creating new opportunities to transform cross-border payments, but innovation alone isn’t enough. Interoperability, regulation and geopolitics will play a critical role in determining how these innovations scale and shape the future of money movement.”

The report also highlights the differing priorities across the three markets. While the United States drives much of the region’s payments innovation, Canada and Mexico must navigate the implications of their close economic and financial relationships with their southern neighbour.

Lucy Ingham, VP of Research at FXC Intelligence, said: “Our research and market sizing data highlights an industry balancing significant technological opportunity with growing geopolitical complexity. How North America navigates interoperability, regulation and its differing national priorities will be critical to the future of cross-border payments.”

As the market moves towards a projected $14tn in outbound retail payments by 2033, the report underscores the importance of connecting technological innovation with practical implementation to create a more efficient and resilient payments ecosystem.

The report is the latest instalment in the 2026 research partnership between Money20/20 and FXC Intelligence, combining industry coverage analysis with cross-border payments market data to examine the trends shaping global money movement.

Read the full report here: INSERT LINK

About Money20/20

Launched by industry insiders in 2012, Money20/20 has rapidly become the heartbeat of the global fintech ecosystem. Over the last decade, the most innovative, fast-moving ideas and companies have driven their growth on our platform. Mastercard, Airwallex, J.P. Morgan, SHIELD, GCash, Stripe, Google, Visa, Adyen and more make transformational deals and raise their global profile with us. Money20/20 attracts leaders from the world’s greatest banks, payments companies, VC firms, regulators, and media platforms, convening to cut industry-shaping deals, build world-changing partnerships, and unlock future-defining opportunities in Las Vegas (October 19-21, 2027), Miami (March 16-18, 2027), Bangkok (April 27-29, 2027), Amsterdam (June 8-10, 2027), Riyadh (September 14-16, 2027), Melbourne (15-17 February 2028). Money20/20 is where the world’s fintech leaders convene to grow their brands. Money20/20 is part of Informa PLC. Follow Money20/20 on X and LinkedIn for show developments and updates.

About FXC Intelligence

FXC Intelligence is the leading provider of cross-border payments data and intelligence, delivering companies with the strategic insights and expertise needed to meet market challenges and tell their story. Combining rich, granular pricing, intelligence and benchmarking data with sophisticated platform solutions across both fiat and stablecoin-based payments, we underpin the global payments strategies and day-to-day decisions of some of the world’s best-known financial services, technology and fintech companies.

The report highlights that revenue take rates differ materially by geography, influenced by FX volatility, liquidity, regulatory complexity and operational infrastructure. These structural differences shape both growth trajectories and monetisation profiles.