The Six Tech Trends Banks Need on Their Radar for 2026
•February 20, 2026
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Companies Mentioned
Why It Matters
Targeted AI adoption will differentiate banks that deliver personalized, real‑time experiences from those stuck in legacy, batch‑oriented processes, reshaping profitability and customer loyalty.
Key Takeaways
- •AI personalizes mobile banking with real‑time financial insights
- •Shift to targeted AI drives differentiation, not blanket adoption
- •Conversational AI becomes primary customer interface, easing staff workload
- •Enterprise background agents enable continuous, real‑time operations
- •AI verification streamlines lending, cutting approval time dramatically
Pulse Analysis
The banking sector’s digital transformation is accelerating, driven by consumer demand for instant, personalized services and tighter regulatory scrutiny. Mobile applications, once limited to basic transactions, are evolving into AI‑powered financial command centres that synthesize spending data, goals, and behavior to offer real‑time guidance. This shift forces banks to invest in robust data pipelines and AI models that can scale securely, positioning technology as a core competitive moat rather than a peripheral feature.
In 2026 the industry is moving away from the "AI everywhere" mindset toward "AI where it matters," emphasizing precision over volume. Conversational AI is emerging as the primary interface, delivering natural, dialogue‑driven experiences that match consumer expectations set by tech giants. Simultaneously, enterprise agents transition from experimental pilots to production‑grade infrastructure, providing continuous monitoring that replaces traditional point‑in‑time checks. This real‑time architecture reduces latency, improves risk assessment, and frees staff to focus on relationship‑building rather than manual data retrieval.
AI‑powered verification is set to overhaul lending workflows, automating the aggregation and reconciliation of documents from multiple sources in seconds. By identifying income patterns, flagging anomalies, and suggesting alternative documentation routes, AI reduces bottlenecks that previously extended loan cycles from weeks to days. The resulting speed and frictionless experience not only enhances borrower satisfaction but also lowers operational costs and credit risk, giving early adopters a decisive edge in a market where agility and customer centricity are paramount.
The six tech trends banks need on their radar for 2026
Banks may already have a clear view of the market forces shaping 2026, from shifting consumer expectations to mounting regulatory and economic pressures. But insight alone will not be enough. The technology decisions financial institutions make now will determine whether they can turn those forces into opportunity or risk being overtaken by more agile competitors. As banking becomes increasingly digital, the focus is moving away from experimentation and towards technology that delivers real, measurable value.
Against this backdrop, nCino has put together a guide highlighting six technology trends banks should keep on their radar in 2026.
1. AI turns mobile banking into a financial command centre
Mobile banking has long been a basic requirement, but its role is evolving rapidly. In 2026, mobile is moving beyond transactions to become an always-on financial command centre. AI enables banks to combine spending data, usage patterns and financial goals into personalised insights and guidance delivered in real time.
nCino chief industry innovation officer Anthony Morris said, “With AI, mobile banking is able to form a personality around each customer, rather than a generic user experience.” He added, “Personalized agents create profiles that understand your financial life—your goals, your patterns, your concerns. The real advantage for institutions will be in developing mobile experiences that deliver the right insight, at the right time, in the palm of your hand.”
2. A shift from ‘AI everywhere’ to ‘AI where it matters’
The industry is moving away from deploying AI for the sake of it. In 2026, success will be defined by precision rather than scale. Consumers will increasingly notice the difference between banks that use AI to tick a box and those that use it to solve specific problems well.
Morris said, “If every bank is chasing the efficiency gain and speed is the primary metric for success, where will the differentiation lie?” He continued, “Differentiation comes from experience, knowing your customer and being their always-on ‘financial partner.’ The real value comes from the insights learned from processing untold amounts of data — underlying trends, implications, and predictions uniquely focused on any one customer. AI allows banks to truly embrace a ‘segment of one’ perspective.”
3. Conversational AI becomes banking’s primary interface
Conversational AI is rapidly becoming the default way people interact with technology, and banking is no exception. Customers expect the same intuitive, dialogue-driven experiences they see elsewhere.
Internally, conversational AI also reduces employee frustration by surfacing information naturally, rather than forcing staff to navigate multiple systems. The result is less cognitive overload and more time spent on relationships, decision-making and value creation.
4. Enterprise agents move from pilots to production
Background AI agents are transitioning from experimental tools to operational infrastructure.
nCino chief technology officer Will Jung said, “As an industry, we are at the precipice of seeing background agents scale at an enterprise level,” adding, “But to focus on what this actually unlocks, I have a theme for 2026—continuous.”
These agents enable continuous monitoring, underwriting and assessment, replacing static processes that only activate at specific moments.
5. Continuous monitoring replaces point-in-time banking
Traditional banking relies on snapshots, such as credit checks at account opening or reviews triggered by suspicious activity. Continuous monitoring changes this model entirely.
Jung said, “The experience I described previously, and indeed what agents expect when they are built, is that the right context is available in real time—when the agent needs it. In that sense, banks need to invest in real-time architecture. Architecture that enables data to move in real-time.”
He added, “This investment includes moving away from batch processing to more real-time integrations or streaming to open accounts and process payments in real time.”
6. AI-powered verification removes friction from lending
AI-driven, real-time verification is set to transform lending across mortgages, commercial and consumer channels. Manual verification has long been a major bottleneck, creating delays and increasing costs.
nCino general manager of mortgage Casey Williams said, “We’re reaching an inflection point where AI can orchestrate verification across multiple data sources simultaneously—pulling bank statements, employer verification systems, tax transcripts, and even payroll providers—then intelligently reconcile discrepancies and flag issues for loan officers in seconds rather than days.”
He added, “The technology can identify income patterns, detect anomalies, and even suggest alternative documentation paths when standard verification fails. For borrowers, this means potentially getting from application to clear-to-close in days instead of weeks, with far less hassle gathering documents.”
Read the full blog from nCino here.
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The post The six tech trends banks need on their radar for 2026 appeared first on FinTech Global.
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