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I by IMD report

The Future of Banking

The structural forces reshaping global banking and the strategic decisions leaders cannot defer

Banking is entering a structural break, not another cycle of incremental change. Rising risk from shadow banking, pressure from digital challengers, and geopolitical fragmentation have turned resilience, trust, and strategy into core survival issues.

At the same time, AI, new payment rails such as stablecoins, and emerging quantum risks are reshaping how banks operate and compete. This report examines how bank leaders can adapt governance, culture, and capabilities to remain trusted and relevant in a profoundly transformed financial system.

Readers will discover:

  • A perspective that combines academic rigor with insights from senior practitioners across global banking groups and leading technology firms.
  • A clear view of what the bank of the future will look like, and how leading organizations are already building it today.
  • Practical insights and guidance to help incumbent banks move decisively and remain competitive.
The firms that will define the next chapter of finance will not be those that moved fastest, spent the most, or built the biggest. They will be those that use this moment to think clearly about what technology can do — and what it should be used for.

Six shifts affecting a bank’s ability to operate successfully over the coming decades

1. A contested world order breaks the “old normal.”

2. Governance models must be upgraded for a tech-enabled era defined by volatility.

3. Strategy is defined by structural constraints.

4. Artificial Intelligence isn’t about copilots and chatbots – it’s shifting decision-making.

5. Culture and talent are strategic differentiators.

6. Payment systems are the new infrastructure battle ground.

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