New research highlights where banks and credit unions are focusing as business and commercial banking expectations continue to evolve
Alkami Technology, Inc., a digital sales and service platform provider for financial institutions in the U.S., has identified the top trends shaping business and commercial banking in 2026, based on proprietary market research that surveyed banks and credit unions across the U.S.
The findings show that regional and community financial institutions have a growing opportunity to strengthen business and commercial relationships as expectations evolve and digital capabilities advance.
The report draws on survey findings from digital banking decision-makers at banks and credit unions and outlines where financial institutions are focusing their investments and strategies. As business and commercial clients increasingly expect digital onboarding, real-time payments, embedded fraud protection and seamless integration into their existing workflows, financial institutions face a critical question: Are their platforms and processes keeping pace?
Alkami’s proprietary market research highlights which trends financial institution leaders anticipate will impact business and commercial banking the most in 2026 and how they can capitalize on these findings to exceed expectations while improving operational efficiency and accelerating time-to-value.
According to the research, the top 10 business and commercial banking trends of 2026 include:
- Trend 1: Digital onboarding and self-service account management continue to grow.
- Trend 2: Fraud protection is evolving from a cost center into a competitive advantage.
- Trend 3: Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered relationship management is emerging as a key differentiator.
- Trend 4: Real-time treasury and payments capabilities are becoming critical in providing instant visibility into finances.
- Trend 5: Consumer-grade digital experiences are raising expectations for business and commercial banking.
- Trend 6: Application programming interface (API)-driven connectivity is embedding banking directly into business workflows.
- Trend 7: Data democratization is expanding access to financial insights for small- and mid-size businesses.
- Trend 8: Mobile-first treasury access is gaining traction as business leaders expect full commercial functionality on mobile devices.
- Trend 9: Best-of-breed treasury stacks are replacing one-size-fits-all platforms.
- Trend 10: Adaptive, role-based treasury platforms are improving usability and control.
“These trends show where business and commercial banking leaders are focused as they plan for the year ahead,” said Taylor Adkins, vice president, product management at Alkami. “Financial institutions that continue to invest in building a digital sales and service platform from initial account opening into digital banking will be in a strong position to grow relationships and support their clients through real-time capabilities, data-driven insights and an experience that anticipates needs.”
