Real-time payments look set to take off in the small and medium-sized enterprise market in 2023, according to recent reports in Europe and the US.

The US plans for the introduction of FedNow, its real-time payments solution – but decades after some other countries. What took so long?

A retail digital euro released into a complex financial system could become a ‘liquidity vampire’ if severe stress erupted in the banking system. But if soundly designed it could also bring many benefits.

Financial swindling is increasing at a global level, with certain country exceptions, though new machine-learning technologies are proving key in the fight against fraud.

Payment in cryptocurrency is becoming increasingly common, but even with the existence of stablecoins, it is not without its risks.

Consumers now have access to real-time payments through the PayTo system, with business access to follow, generating a host of advantages.

There are good reasons for most countries to improve cross-border payment efficiencies, though that desire is complicated by technical and legal issues. But new forms of digital money potentially open up some interesting new channels.

Demand for gold-backed payments is on a sharp upward trend as customers look for stability, with regulators’ attention likely to draw in.

Huge growth in digital payments during the Covid-19 pandemic points to a longer-term trend, with physical payments set to gradually wane.

Authorised push payment fraud, which can be difficult even to identify, needs to be tackled head on by banks and the wider finance industry.