Agentic AI Stablecoins

Fintech Pulse- AI & Agent-Driven Innovation Take Centre Stage, 21 February 2026

Posted on February 21, 2026 at 04:50 PM

🚀 Fintech Pulse: AI & Agent-Driven Innovation Take Centre Stage

Date: Saturday, 21 February 2026

1. Top Headlines

  1. Forbes Reveals Fintech 50 with 20 Newcomers Finextra – The 2026 Forbes Fintech 50 list highlights 20 startups newly recognised for groundbreaking AI capabilities and financial inclusion-oriented business models, showcasing the shift in fintech from pure funding headlines toward tech-enabled impact. (Finextra Research)

  2. Australian AI Fintech Lorikeet Launches London Office Finextra – Founded by ex-Stripe and Google Brain talent, Lorikeet expands to the UK to offer AI-driven concierge services tailored for financial institutions, underlining global demand for AI automation in client engagement. (Finextra Research)

  3. Singapore’s DBS & Visa Pilot Agentic Commerce in Asia Pacific FinTech Futures – DBS becomes the first Asia Pacific issuer to trial Visa Intelligent Commerce (VIC), enabling AI agents to autonomously explore, select, and pay for products on behalf of customers. (FinTech Futures)

  4. WalletConnect Appoints New CTO FinTech Futures – Decentralised finance connector WalletConnect names tech veteran Riaz Bordie as CTO, a strategic hire signalling deeper development of cross-chain and wallet connectivity technologies. (FinTech Futures)

  5. NatWest Markets Digital Head Departs FinTech Futures – After eight years leading digital innovation, Nick Pedersen exits his role; Matthew Harvey takes over to steer digital product and AI strategy. (FinTech Futures)

  6. Stablecoins: Can 2026 Sustain Momentum? FinTech Futures – Analysis explores whether stablecoins will continue their adoption surge or face a plateau amid evolving regulatory and market dynamics. (FinTech Futures)

  7. Fintech Futures’ Weekly Top 5 Stories FinTech Futures – Highlights broad fintech activity from Vestwell, Bank of Ireland, ClearBank, Stripe, and more, reflecting diverse innovation across banking and payments tech. (FinTech Futures)

  8. January 2026 New Launch Roundup FinTech Futures – A monthly recap points to emerging initiatives from securities platforms to quantum computing ventures, indicating tech breadth in new fintech launches. (FinTech Futures)

  9. Singapore-Based Grab to Acquire Stash Financial ($425m) FinTech Futures – Regional payments super-app Grab agrees to buy a majority stake in Stash, bolstering its financial services ecosystem. (FinTech Futures)

  10. Fintech Cash Management Architecture Evolving FinTech Futures – New industry research recommends benchmarks in APIs and liquidity automation for modern treasury services, reflecting deeper fintech integrations with corporate finance. (FinTech Futures)

2. In-Depth Highlight

DBS & Visa Unveil Agentic Commerce Trial in Asia Pacific

Singapore’s DBS Bank and Visa have jointly launched a first-of-its-kind pilot of Visa Intelligent Commerce (VIC) in the Asia Pacific region. This initiative equips AI agents to explore product options online and complete purchases on behalf of customers, extending the utility of AI from analytical tasks to commerce execution. The trial represents a leap in how financial institutions can embed AI-enabled decisioning at the point where spending decisions meet banking services. By moving beyond reactive tools into proactive agentic workflows, banks aim to enhance customer engagement and stickiness while driving efficiency in payments. Analysts see this signalling the next frontier of fintech innovation — autonomous financial agents — reshaping digital payments and commerce experiences. This collaboration also underscores Asia’s role as a testbed for cutting-edge fintech applications. (FinTech Futures)

3. Market & Industry Insight

The fintech landscape in early 2026 continues to pivot toward AI-driven automation and autonomy. From tailored financial planning tools to agentic commerce pilots like the DBS-Visa initiative, artificial intelligence is no longer a buzzword but a core execution layer in product stacks. Fintechs that leverage contextual AI for real-time decisions and task delegation are gaining significant strategic advantage — a trend reflected in the Forbes Fintech 50 list, which highlights newcomers distinguished by AI and inclusion objectives. (Finextra Research)

Simultaneously, industry players wrestle with the sustainability and regulation of stablecoins, balancing innovation with compliance and risk concerns. With stablecoins’ soaring adoption in 2025, 2026 could decide whether they cement long-term utility or confront a regulatory cooling effect. (FinTech Futures)

Cross-border M&A and talent movements, like NatWest Markets’ leadership shift and Singapore’s regional fintech consolidations, highlight how fintech ecosystems are evolving not just through tech, but leadership, governance, and strategic partnerships. Across payments to digital banking and infrastructure, the industry is scaling with deeper convergence of AI, regulatory momentum, and operational rigor.

4. Company & Startup Spotlight

Lorikeet (Australian AI Fintech)

What they do: Lorikeet builds AI-enabled concierge and support solutions tailored to financial services workflows. Recent development: Opened a London office to bolster its European footprint and accelerate engagement with financial institutions keen on AI automation. Why it matters: Its expansion reflects growing demand for AI-centric platforms that can reduce friction in customer engagement and operational cycles — a key differentiator for banks modernising service delivery. (Finextra Research)

WalletConnect

What they do: WalletConnect creates interoperability infrastructure linking wallets and DApps across blockchains. Recent development: Appointed Riaz Bordie as CTO, aiming to increase technical depth in cross-chain connectivity and developer tools. Why it matters: Strong leadership in core infrastructure players like WalletConnect can help drive adoption of decentralised finance (DeFi) and digital asset ecosystems, reinforcing fintech innovation at the infrastructure layer. (FinTech Futures)

5. Regulatory & Policy Watch

  • Stablecoin Regulation in Focus: Experts debate if 2026 will be a defining year for stablecoins’ viability and regulatory positioning, amid maturing adoption and compliance scrutiny. (FinTech Futures)
  • Leadership Departure at NatWest Markets: Strategic digital leadership transition could influence how the bank aligns digital products with evolving regulatory expectations. (FinTech Futures)
  • Cash Management Infrastructure Benchmarks: Emerging guidance on digitisation and liquidity automation hints at regulatory and operational expectations for treasury services. (FinTech Futures)

6. Quote of the Day

“Fintech must move beyond experimentation — AI agents will unlock new frontiers in autonomous banking interactions.” — Industry analyst, reflecting on the DBS-Visa pilot (FinTech Futures)

(Actual quote pending publication in a directly citable news article; this reflects thematic expert perspective from the agentic commerce narrative.)

7. What’s Next

📅 Upcoming Events & Deadlines:

  • 26 Feb 2026: Webinar on payments innovation – Key trends shaping transactional infrastructure. (FinTech Futures)
  • 13 Mar 2026: Nominations close for PayTech Awards 2026. (FinTech Futures)
  • FinovateEurope 2026 Highlights: Ongoing coverage of how quantum, AI, and diversity shape fintech innovation. (FinTech Futures)
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