Visa said the global payments industry is entering a new phase of transformation, as artificial intelligence-driven commerce and stablecoins begin to scale beyond experimental use. Outlining its 2026 payment trends on Tuesday, the company warned that as transaction speed approaches its technical limits, trust is emerging as the most critical constraint in the payment ecosystem.
Huang Hui-chin (黃慧琴), General Manager of Visa Taiwan, described 2025 as “the most dynamic year in the history of the payment industry,” citing the rapid adoption of AI-powered commerce, the growing role of stablecoins, and the acceleration of digital identity systems. She said these shifts are reshaping how money moves across platforms and borders, rather than simply optimizing existing payment models.
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AI-Driven Commerce Expands Beyond Consumer Markets
Visa said it is closely tracking the rise of so-called “agentic commerce,” in which AI systems move beyond product recommendations to execute purchasing decisions and payment processes on behalf of users. According to Visa data, generative AI tools drove a 4,700% year-on-year increase in online retail traffic in the United States in mid-2025.
The impact is extending into business-to-business transactions. Asia-Pacific is home to more than 200 million businesses and accounts for 70 of the world’s top 80 trade corridors, making the region a focal point for changes in payment behavior. Visa noted that as a new generation of corporate decision-makers expects B2B payments to match the simplicity and security of consumer payment apps, business payments are becoming increasingly “consumerized.”
To address governance and security risks associated with autonomous transactions, Visa said it plans to expand its Visa Intelligent Commerce platform and introduce a Trusted Agent Protocol in early 2026. The framework is designed to verify whether AI agents initiating transactions are properly authorized, with pilot programs scheduled across Asia-Pacific markets.
