Instant payments have officially entered the mainstream — but adoption is still uneven, and questions remain. How is FedNow performing more than a year after launch? What’s driving momentum, what’s holding institutions back, and what will it take for real-time payments to finally reach critical mass? In this episode of Banking Transformed, I’m joined by Bernadette Ksepka, Senior Vice President and Deputy Head of Product Development for the Federal Reserve’s FedNow Service. We’ll explore how instant payments are reshaping financial interactions, debunk some of the biggest myths surrounding FedNow, and examine how financial institutions — from community banks to major players — can leverage this infrastructure for competitive advantage. From new use cases and fraud prevention to the economics of real-time liquidity, this conversation offers a clear-eyed look at where the U.S. instant payments ecosystem stands today — and where it’s heading next. If your institution hasn’t yet activated “send,” this episode might just change your mind. This episode of Banking Transformed is sponsored by FedNow The FedNow Service is an instant payment infrastructure developed by the Federal Reserve that allows eligible financial institutions to provide 24x7x365 instant payment services to stay competitive and meet customer demand. The network currently has about 1,500 participating financial institutions headquartered in all 50 states. For more information visit https://explore.fednow.org/