An updated edition of the March 25, 2026, article.

Financial technology or fintech, is reshaping the global financial landscape by making financial services faster, more accessible and more customer-focused. By combining finance with advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, Big Data and cloud computing, fintech has disrupted traditional models across banking, payments, lending and investing.

One of fintech’s most significant contributions is its role in expanding financial inclusion. Digital wallets, mobile banking platforms and peer-to-peer lending services have improved access for millions of unbanked and underbanked individuals. Fintech innovation is also transforming cross-border payments, making transactions that were once slow, expensive and complex faster, cheaper and more efficient.

Fintech has also redefined payments and lending by improving convenience, speed and accessibility. Contactless payments, buy now, pay later solutions and app-based lending platforms have simplified everyday financial transactions for consumers while helping businesses better meet customer needs. In capital markets, robo-advisors and algorithm-driven trading platforms are lowering costs and reducing barriers to investing.

At the same time, fintech is enhancing transparency, cybersecurity and risk management across the financial system. Blockchain supports secure and tamper-resistant transactions, while AI-powered tools strengthen fraud detection, credit assessment and regulatory compliance. As fintech continues to evolve, it is pushing traditional financial institutions to innovate, collaborate and adapt, creating a more agile, inclusive and technology-driven global financial ecosystem. So, stocks like Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM Quick QuoteAFRM - Free Report) , Visa Inc. (V Quick QuoteV - Free Report) and Block, Inc. (XYZ Quick QuoteXYZ - Free Report) are grabbing investor attention. 

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3 Stocks to Tap the Fintech Opportunity

Affirm Holdings is focused on providing flexible and transparent installment loans at the point of sale (POS). It partners with a wide range of merchants to offer both interest-free and interest-bearing payment options, giving consumers more control over how they pay for their purchases. The company’s primary goal is to offer a straightforward and customer-friendly alternative to traditional credit options, promoting responsible borrowing with no late fees or hidden charges.

For merchants, Affirm Holdings provides tools to drive sales and improve customer engagement. Through its API, merchants can integrate various financing options at checkout. The company also offers features like Affirm at Checkout, a merchant dashboard and analytics tools, helping businesses track performance and optimize the customer experience. The Affirm Marketplace further supports customer acquisition and brand visibility.

Consumers benefit from AFRM's range of payment options, including Pay-in-4 and longer-term interest-bearing loans. The Affirm App and Affirm Card enable users to make online and in-store purchases, with the ability to convert eligible debit transactions into installment plans. Apart from a strong presence in the United States, the company is accelerating global expansion through new markets, merchant partnerships and stronger funding channels.

Affirm uses a data-rich, cloud-native platform and machine learning to assess fraud and credit risk, improving scalability and underwriting accuracy. It also applies AI to boost productivity and automate customer support. Tools like Boost AI and Adapt AI help merchants optimize 0% offers, improve conversions and unlock incremental marketing spend.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AFRM’s fiscal 2026 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 29.8% and 680%, respectively. The company, currently, carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Visa’s dominant market position is supported by steady payments volume growth, strategic acquisitions and continued innovation in digital payments. Rising cross-border activity, higher digital transaction adoption and investments in AI and stablecoins further strengthen the company’s long-term outlook.

Visa has adapted quickly to the shift toward digital commerce. The company continues to enhance its products and platforms through offerings such as Visa Token Service, Visa Checkout and In-App Provisioning, reinforcing its leadership in secure digital payments. It is also advancing emerging payment methods, including contactless, tap-to-pay and secure remote commerce, while expanding partnerships across fintech and cryptocurrency-linked use cases.

The company is also moving into agentic commerce. Visa introduced Intelligent Commerce Connect, an “on-ramp” that enables businesses to connect AI agents to payments and acceptance through a single integration. It is also expanding its Agentic Ready testing program from Europe into Asia Pacific and Latin America to validate enrollment, tokenization, authentication and authorization flows ahead of broader deployment.

Visa’s AI-driven security capabilities remain a key differentiator as fraud risks increase. The company has embedded AI across more than 100 products, primarily to strengthen fraud prevention, and has invested $3.5 billion to modernize its data platform. Visa is also leaning into stablecoins to support faster, more programmable cross-border settlement while maintaining its network as the common layer for global money movement.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for V’s fiscal 2026 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 13.4% and 14.1%, respectively. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Block is building a powerful fintech ecosystem through its two core growth engines: Square and Cash App. Together, these platforms provide a broad suite of solutions across payments, commerce, banking, investing and lending. The company is also expanding its partner network, which should help broaden distribution and strengthen customer reach.

Square, Block’s merchant-focused business, continues to deliver solid performance. Growth in gross payment volume (GPV) and gross profit reflects healthy business momentum. The company is also adding new capabilities, such as Square AI, which uses data-driven insights to help sellers manage operations, improve decision-making and grow in an increasingly competitive POS and software market.

Cash App remains a key growth driver for Block. The platform has evolved from a peer-to-peer payments tool into a broader financial ecosystem, particularly popular with younger users. It now offers payments, banking, commerce and Bitcoin-related services. 

Block has further strengthened Cash App with features such as group payments, buy-now-pay-later offerings through Afterpay, enhanced borrowing tools, Tap to Pay on iPhone, Proto Bitcoin mining initiatives, Bitkey self-custody, Bitcoin wallet services and TIDAL music streaming. These additions are helping increase user engagement, deepen customer relationships and support broader business adoption.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for XYZ’s 2026 sales and EPS implies year-over-year growth of 8.9% and 58.7%, respectively. The company, currently, carries a Zacks Rank #3.