Money20/20 and FXC Intelligence have released a report on Europe's cross-border payments landscape and its strategic trajectory.
The report, titled Europe's Cross Border Payments Crossroads: The Current State and Future Potential of the Industry in 2026, draws on analysis of more than 1.000 cross-border payments industry articles published across 14 European markets. It also positions Europe at a confluence of technological change, regulatory pressure, and growing concern over financial sovereignty.
Scale and growth projections
According to the report, the EMEA region accounted for USD 21.1 trillion in outbound retail cross-border payments in 2025, representing 48% of global outflows. That figure is projected to reach USD 30.8 trillion by 2033. B2B transactions account for the majority of activity, representing 83% of total flows.
The findings highlight stablecoins, tokenisation, and blockchain as the most discussed topics within European cross-border payments coverage, appearing in 35% of all articles analysed. Interoperability and real-time payments are identified as rapidly emerging strategic priorities, with pan-European initiatives such as Wero and EuroPA cited as potential alternatives to established global payment networks.
Sovereignty concerns and sentiment divergence
A notable theme running through the report is the question of payments sovereignty. Growing concerns over dependency on US-dominated payment rails and dollar-denominated stablecoins are said to be shaping policy discussions and accelerating European-led infrastructure development. The report notes that 63% of European cross-border payments coverage carried a positive sentiment, with forward-looking reporting more optimistic than present-focused or retrospective analysis.
In addition, sentiment varied considerably across markets. Sweden and the UK were identified among the more optimistic, while Romania and Greece reflected greater caution, driven by concerns over geopolitics, sanctions exposure, and financial infrastructure resilience.
The report also notes that nearly half of all coverage analysed focused on upcoming developments and infrastructure transformation, suggesting the European payments ecosystem is increasingly oriented towards future-state planning rather than current operational realities.
Research series context
This publication is the second instalment in a global 2026 research series from Money20/20 and FXC Intelligence examining cross-border payments across major regions. It follows a 2025 collaboration between the two organisations and builds on earlier regional analysis focused on Asia.
The series reflects a broader effort to map how different regions are approaching the structural transformation of cross-border payments, as technology, regulation, and geopolitical factors converge to reshape global money movement infrastructure.
