Digital Payments: Europe between innovation, regulation and global competition

Free Content Report Innovative Payments September 2025 36 pages pdf

What you will learn

The digital payments market is undergoing a phase of evolution. Advancements in new technologies, changes in regulatory frameworks, the entry of new players, and increasingly consumer demands are reshaping established dynamics. In this context, regulatory intervention by the European Union is also promoting innovation and competition across multiple areas. This report provides a global overview of emerging trends and potential future scenarios that could reshape the digital payments landscape.

Table of Contents

1
Instant Payments: innovation in money transfers
2
Buy Now Pay Later: between regulation and innovation
3
EUDI Wallet: payments and identity moving toward convergence
4
CBDC and Stablecoin: digital currencies in the future of payments

Index of Graphs

1
The roadmap for implementing the Instant Payments Regulation (IPR)
2
Challenges for digital identity and payments

You will know how to answer these key questions

What are the main innovations and regulations in the digital payments sector in Europe, and how do they compare to trends and policies adopted in other regions of the world?
How is the adoption of instant payments spreading across Europe, and how does it compare to the instant payment systems implemented in other parts of the world?
How is the BNPL model regulated in Europe, and what are the potential implications of tighter regulation?
What role will the EUDI Wallet play in the payments landscape, and how does it fit within the existing ecosystem of digital wallets?
How is Europe preparing for the introduction of the Digital Euro, CBDCs, and stablecoins, and how do these efforts differ from the approaches taken in the United States and China?

The methodology used in this Report

To achieve the objectives of examines the impact of new technologies and regulations on payment habits and the overview of potential future scenarios, identifying emerging trends and factors that could reshape the digital payments sector in the coming years, several research methodologies were adopted:
• Analysis of secondary sources: To define the scope of the research, academic articles, regulatory documents, technical and professional reports, and press coverage at both national and international levels were reviewed.
• Interviews and engagement with market players: insights were gathered from key market stakeholders to better understand sector dynamics. In addition, continuous dialogue with companies in the Innovative Payments Observatory community provided up-to-date perspectives on emerging innovations and the impact of ongoing regulatory changes on the main industry players.
• Thematic workshops on selected topics: Research findings were discussed in dedicated workshops aimed at fostering informed and constructive dialogue between the community and the experts involved, depending on the topic addressed.

Authors