The Financial Evolution of 2025: AI, Crypto, and Regional Banking
- As the year wraps up, we zoom in on the standout trends across publicly traded companies we covered this year -- and what they signal for 2026.
- Looking ahead to 2026, we examine the bigger questions facing both investors and financial executives.
Brains, Blockchain, and Backbone: How finance evolved in 2025
2025 was anything but ordinary. AI evolved from tools to agentic decision-makers. Crypto roared back and shrugged off skepticism to reclaim a seat at the table. And regional banks, long content to play it safe and lurk in the shadows, began experimenting, innovating, and proving they can move differently yet fast.
As the year wraps up, we zoom in on the standout trends across publicly traded companies I covered this year — and what they signal for 2026.
Trend 1: AI — How AI found its place in banking, from a back-office helper to a decision-making partner
2025 began with a mix of fascination and unease around AI in the financial sector. There was a cloud of uncertainty: could AI take over jobs, reshape banking as we know it, or disrupt entire business models? At industry gatherings like the World Economic Forum 2025 at Davos, AI wasn’t just a topic – it was the topic. Panel after panel debated whether AI would be a villain, a tool, or a teammate.
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