Fintech’s Next Test: Turning AI and Stablecoins Into Working Systems
“If an agent makes an error in a payment, who is at fault?”
That question from Rodrigo Rodas of A. Gain Capital set the tone for the discussion at the “Fintech Investors 2026: Where Are Investors Looking for Growth?” event this week.
Hosted by NYPAY and convened at Vested HQ in New York, the session brought together a senior audience of corporate strategy leaders, fintech operators, investors, and banking executives. The attendee mix reflected the level at which decisions around capital allocation, infrastructure, and risk are actively being made.
The panel, which also included Hans Morris of Nyca Partners and Adam Hark of Wellesley Hills Financial, focused on where capital is flowing, which models are proving resilient, and how emerging technologies are translating into real investment decisions.
What emerged was a shift in how financial executives need to think about building and operating their businesses.
Building for a Multi-Rail Environment
Payments infrastructure is expanding, with stablecoins developing alongside existing systems rather than replacing them. As Hans Morris noted, these technologies are still forming around the edges while traditional rails continue to evolve.
For leadership teams, this changes how payment strategy is constructed. It requires investing in interoperability across ACH, wires, real-time payments, and emerging rails, while also establishing clear internal frameworks that allow teams to evaluate speed, cost, risk, and recoverability across each option. With more pathways available, there is also a growing need to route transactions dynamically based on context, rather than defaulting to a single system.
Organizations that can operate across this environment with flexibility will be better positioned as the number of rails continues to increase.
Trust Remains Central to Adoption
New infrastructure continues to develop, but trust remains a gating factor in adoption. Adam Hark pointed to the strength of tokenized deposits within the banking system, where compliance and AML frameworks are already established.
For executives, evaluating new payment capabilities requires a broader operating lens. This includes understanding how risk is contained within each system, ensuring that appropriate controls and oversight mechanisms are in place, and maintaining clarity on whether transactions can be reversed or corrected when needed.
These factors influence how new technologies are introduced into core financial operations and how comfortable institutions are in scaling their use.
Stablecoins as a Targeted Tool
Stablecoins are gaining traction in specific areas, particularly in cross-border payments and markets facing currency volatility. Rodrigo Rodas highlighted Latin America as an example, with Argentina and Brazil showing earlier adoption.
For executives, the opportunity lies in applying stablecoins where they create incremental value within existing operations. This includes strengthening cross-border treasury management, improving settlement speed in defined workflows, and enabling access to markets where traditional systems are less efficient.
A focused approach allows institutions to build capability while maintaining flexibility as the broader ecosystem continues to mature.
AI Investment and Operational Readiness
AI continues to draw investment, though the conversation is becoming more grounded in execution. Hans Morris emphasized that the strongest use cases are tied to replacing expensive manual processes.
At the same time, organizations are working through practical constraints that come with implementation. This includes securing access to large and reliable data sets, establishing clear permissions and governance around how that data is used, and defining accountability when systems produce errors or unexpected outcomes.
These considerations carry additional weight in financial services, where precision and control are essential.
Managing Timing in a Long Cycle
The broader shift in fintech is expected to play out over time. Rodrigo Rodas noted that there will be multiple opportunities to engage as the market develops.
For leadership teams, this creates a balance between staying active and remaining disciplined. That balance often takes the form of testing targeted use cases, building internal capabilities ahead of full-scale adoption, and maintaining flexibility so the organization can scale when conditions are clearer.
The session at Vested HQ was designed to move beyond headlines and into practical insight on deal selection, market timing, and growth signals. That objective came through in the discussion.
For executives in the room, the takeaway was not tied to a single trend. It was a clearer understanding of how to navigate a more complex system, where multiple technologies, business models, and investment theses are developing at the same time.
The institutions that move forward with discipline in how they evaluate these shifts, and clarity in how they apply them, will be better positioned as the next phase of fintech continues to take shape.
