Are fintechs still an innovation in 2026?
A few years ago, we talked about fintech in Latin America as an innovation or an alternative to traditional banking, key to driving financial inclusion. Today, we talk about an ecosystem with more than 3,000 fintech companies, which has grown by more than 340% since 2017.
The fintech ecosystem has entered a phase of maturity. Many startups are evolving toward more sustainable models, integrating with traditional banks, or consolidating themselves as key infrastructure within the financial system. Countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia account for more than half of that market.
Where is the sector heading? Here are some of the trends already shaping 2026
The unstoppable growth of digital payments
If there’s one truly transformative change in the region, it’s the accelerated growth of digital transactions.
Mexico, for example, has become one of the pioneers in real-time payments with SPEI, driving the growth of A2A transfers. At the same time, cards and wallets are growing at rates close to 20% annually in several markets.
It is true that cash usage remains predominant, especially for low-value transactions, but social behavior is changing. The trend shows that consumers increasingly value immediacy and efficiency.
This progress not only modernizes the economy—it also encourages formalization and reduces the informal economy.
Of course, this growth comes with a greater attack surface and, therefore, technological infrastructures that ensure digital trust are more critical than ever.
Open finance: data as the engine for new financial models
If digital payments have transformed the way money moves, Open Finance is transforming how financial information is used.
This model, based on secure and standardized access to data, is redefining the relationship between users, fintech companies, and traditional banks. It’s no longer just about sharing information, but about turning that data into actionable intelligence.
In an environment of increasing interoperability, users can authorize access to their financial information to receive more personalized, agile, and competitive services. This enables data structuring, predictive modeling, and better analytics, especially in processes like credit assessment, financing, or the design of products tailored to the customer’s real profile.
For financial institutions, Open Finance is not just an innovation opportunity, but a strategic lever to optimize risk management and expand their value proposition. For fintechs, it means the possibility of building solutions on open, scalable infrastructures.
In the ideal scenario: financial data is no longer isolated in silos but becomes a shared, regulated, and protected asset that drives competition, efficiency, and greater financial inclusion in the region.
Agentic AI: from KYC to KYA
We are entering a new frontier. With the arrival of autonomous agents, many rules of the game are changing. These new actors are capable of executing operations, negotiating, and making decisions with delegated authority.
For decades, financial control has been based on KYC: identifying the customer, verifying their identity, and monitoring their activity.
That model has worked because the owner and the actor were the same person. With autonomous agents, that symmetry disappears.
Here comes a natural evolution: KYA (Know Your Agent). It does not replace KYC; it complements it.
In an environment where an AI can execute payments or open products on behalf of a person, we need to verify:
- That the agent has real authorization.
- That it has not been tampered with.
- That it acts under auditable consent.
- Digital identity ceases to be individual and becomes relational.
Key regulatory changes in the region
As the ecosystem grows, regulators logically face the challenge of building frameworks that include these new players and set a standard regarding the limits and obligations of their activities. Clear examples are the update of the Fintech Law 2.0 expected in October in Mexico, the payment system in Peru that formally incorporates fintechs, wallets, payment initiators, and the push for Open Finance in several countries.
The regulations seek higher standards of security and resilience: technological risk management, robust authentication controls, and the ability to demonstrate compliance to auditors.
Ultimately, Latin America’s financial and fintech system is currently a fertile ground of opportunities that keeps growing. In this new stage, the competitive advantage will be building a system where every digital interaction is backed by verifiable identity and real security.