Insights from more than 900 global financial services technology and operations leaders reveal how digital transformation is accelerating and where the winner’s playbook is beginning to take shape.
This sixth annual study shows how firms are prioritizing AI, tokenization, data integration, and modern platforms to stay competitive.
See how leading firms are mastering change, adapting faster, and building the infrastructure needed to compete in an era of accelerated digital transformation.
In 2026, digital transformation in financial services is driven by the need to gain competitive advantage, modernize legacy infrastructure, and respond to rapid advances in AI, data, cybersecurity, and tokenization. According to the 2026 Digital Transformation Study, transformation has become a core business strategy rather than a technology upgrade.
Artificial intelligence is the most impactful technology shaping financial services in 2026. The 2026 Digital Transformation Study shows that AI‑powered solutions are leading transformation efforts due to their ability to improve decision‑making, automate processes, and deliver measurable ROI faster than other technologies.
In 2026, nearly one-third of financial services technology budgets are allocated to innovation and emerging technologies. According to the 2026 Digital Transformation Study, these investments span AI, data architecture, cybersecurity, cloud platforms, and tokenization, with innovation spending expected to increase by more than 10% over the next four years.
AI adoption in financial services has accelerated rapidly in 2026, with 80% of firms reporting active use, up from 31% in 2025. The 2026 Digital Transformation Study also finds that 26% of firms are using agentic AI, and among those firms, 51% have moved beyond pilot programs into active operational use.
Yes, financial services firms are increasingly realizing measurable returns from AI investments. In 2026, 27% of firms report financial benefits from AI, up from 14% in 2025, representing a 13‑point year‑over‑year increase, according to the 2026 Digital Transformation Study.
Agentic AI refers to autonomous AI systems that can make decisions, take actions, and execute workflows without constant human intervention. While adoption remains low in early 2026, the 2026 Digital Transformation Study shows that 57% of firms are making moderate to large investments in agentic AI, with many planning increased spending over the next two years.
Enterprise AI readiness in financial services remains uneven in 2026. The 2026 Digital Transformation Study finds that, while 84% of firms say integrating front‑, middle‑, and back‑office systems into a unified platform is important, 43% believe they will need to build an entirely new technology stack to succeed in the age of AI.
The biggest barriers to AI adoption and digital transformation in financial services are talent shortages, insufficient data infrastructure, and legacy systems. According to the 2026 Digital Transformation Study, more than one-third of firms cite lack of skilled talent as a major obstacle to deploying GenAI and agentic AI at scale.
Tokenization is becoming increasingly important in capital markets because it transforms how assets are traded, cleared, and settled using blockchain and distributed ledger technology. The 2026 Digital Transformation Study shows that regulatory progress and real‑world use cases have moved tokenization from experimentation to operational reality, with more than half of firms actively investing.
The outlook for blockchain, distributed ledger technology, and tokenization in financial services continues to strengthen in 2026. According to the 2026 Digital Transformation Study, firms expect meaningful asset tokenization to emerge over the next 4–5 years, with money market assets likely to lead, alongside growing momentum for stablecoins and deposit tokens in global payments.
The 2026 Digital Transformation Study reflects that tokenization adoption across asset classes will take approximately 4–6 years, depending on the asset class and regulatory environment.