Payments are getting a serious upgrade. Affirm pushes BNPL straight into debit cards with Fiserv, applies for a banking charter, PayPal doubles down on agentic AI with its Cymbio acquisition, crypto payments get another swing from Square and Stripe, and Wyoming launches the first-ever state-issued stablecoin. We break down what it all means for banks, merchants, and the future of money — from checkout to the capitol.