Europe's payment independence takes center stage in Amsterdam.

Our Principal Consultant Eric ten Voorde attended the Future of Payments conference in Amsterdam last week. One message came through loud and clear from the Dutch payments community: Europe must reduce its dependence on global players and build more sovereign payment infrastructure.

What we heard on stage

Swift presented an update on their payment scheme initiative, highlighting progress toward quicker payments with greater transparency end-to-end. It was a concrete step forward in a space where speed and visibility have long been pressure points for banks and processors alike.

The broader programme reflected the industry's focus on European autonomy, a theme that is growing in urgency across the continent as the geopolitical and competitive landscape shifts.

What was missing from the conversation

Perhaps the most telling observation from the day was how limited the conversation around agentic commerce remained. While the topic did surface, Visa among others touched on it, it received only a fraction of the attention it commanded at the US Payments Forum just a month earlier.

As AI agents increasingly initiate and complete transactions on behalf of users, payment infrastructure, authentication, and fraud controls all need to adapt. The industry's readiness for that shift is worth assessing, and Amsterdam suggested that conversation is still in early stages in Europe.

Do you think agentic commerce should be on the main stage at every payments event in 2026?