Research
Deeper reads, wider topics.
Long-form analysis and cited research — the pieces worth setting aside time for.
AI Infrastructure Spending Is Set to Hit $497 Billion in 2026
The five biggest US cloud providers alone will spend up to $690 billion on capex in 2026 — nearly double 2025 levels — as global data center spending surpasses $788 billion.
26 July 2026 · 1 min read
Enterprise AI's ROI Problem: What the 2026 Data Actually Shows
65% of organizations now use generative AI somewhere in the business — but only 29% see significant ROI from it, and 56% of CEOs report zero measurable return.
26 July 2026 · 1 min read
Samsung and Apple Pull Ahead as Global Smartphone Shipments Hit a Multi-Year Low
Global smartphone shipments fell 6.7% in Q2 2026 to 277.5 million units — yet Samsung and Apple both grew share, while Xiaomi's shipments dropped 26.3%. Here's why scale is winning.
26 July 2026 · 1 min read
Global E-Commerce Sales Set to Hit $6.88 Trillion in 2026
Global retail e-commerce sales are projected to reach $6.88 trillion in 2026, 21.5% of total retail sales worldwide. New data shows digital wallets and mobile transactions driving the majority of online checkout volume.
22 July 2026 · 2 min read
Global IT Spending Hits $6.31 Trillion in 2026 as Public Cloud Spend Jumps 21%
Gartner forecasts worldwide IT spending will grow 13.5% in 2026 to $6.31 trillion, with public cloud end-user spending alone reaching $850 billion — a 21.3% jump — as AI infrastructure investment accelerates.
22 July 2026 · 2 min read
5.78 Billion People Own a Smartphone in 2026 — And Mobile Wallets Are Processing $16 Trillion
70.1% of the world's population — 5.78 billion people — now owns a smartphone. New 2026 data shows mobile wallets processing over $16 trillion in transactions and mobile commerce approaching 60% of global e-commerce.
22 July 2026 · 2 min read
Data Breaches Cost Financial Services Firms $5.56 Million on Average
The average data breach cost financial services firms $5.56 million in IBM's 2025 report — 25% above the global average, though down from $6.08 million in 2024. Here's how the sector compares and why costs remain elevated.
22 July 2026 · 2 min read
80% of Enterprises Now Run AI Agents in Production — But Most Pilots Still Fail
80% of enterprises report at least one production application embedding an AI agent in Q1 2026, up from 33% in 2024. But fewer than 10% have scaled agents to deliver tangible value, and 88% of pilots never reach production.
22 July 2026 · 2 min read
Neobanks Cross 350 Million Users in 2026 — Led by Europe, Growing Fastest in Asia
Global neobank users are projected to hit 350 million in 2026, up from 146 million in 2021, with the market valued near $210 billion. A look at the regional and demographic data behind digital-only banking's growth.
22 July 2026 · 2 min read
Contactless Payments Cross 65% of In-Person US Transactions in 2026
More than 65% of in-person US card transactions now use contactless technology, while Visa reports 200% year-over-year growth in tap-to-phone adoption worldwide. Here's the regional breakdown for 2026.
22 July 2026 · 2 min read
BNPL Has 380 Million Global Users in 2026 — And Gen Z Prefers It to Credit Cards
The global BNPL market is valued at roughly $509 billion in 2026 with over 380 million users worldwide. New data shows majorities of Gen Z and millennials now prefer BNPL to credit cards — alongside rising late-payment rates.
22 July 2026 · 2 min read
India's Fintech Sector Raised $2 Billion in H1 2026 — Here's Where It Went
India's fintech sector raised $2 billion in the first half of 2026, up 42% YoY, with CRED's $900M round and Bengaluru capturing 70% of total funding. A look at what the Tracxn-based data reveals about the shape of the market.
22 July 2026 · 2 min read
5.2 Billion People Now Use a Digital Wallet — The 2026 Adoption Numbers
Global digital wallet users are on pace to hit roughly 5.2–6.2 billion by 2026, with India leading penetration at over 90%. Here's what the latest market data shows about growth, transaction methods, and merchant acceptance.
22 July 2026 · 2 min read
Stablecoins Are Quietly Eating Cross-Border B2B Payments — The 2026 Data
Business use of stablecoins for cross-border payments grew 733% year-over-year in 2025, reaching an estimated $226 billion annually. Here's what's driving it, where it's concentrated, and how far it still is from the $190 trillion cross-border market it's chasing.
22 July 2026 · 2 min read
UPI in FY26: The Data Behind India's 24,162-Crore-Transaction Year
UPI closed FY26 with 24,162 crore transactions worth ₹314 lakh crore and 55.49 crore registered users. Here's what the underlying monthly data shows about where that growth is actually coming from — and where it's starting to plateau.
22 July 2026 · 2 min read
Where Venture Capital Is Actually Going in Mid-2026
July 2026's venture rounds — from Together AI's $800M raise to Wonder's $650M Series D — show where institutional money is actually flowing, and why founders outside AI, defense, and infrastructure are having a harder time raising.
19 July 2026 · 2 min read
ChatGPT Just Became the Fastest App Ever to Hit 1 Billion Users
ChatGPT reached one billion monthly active users faster than any mobile app in history. Here's what Sensor Tower's State of AI 2026 report shows about downloads, time spent, and where the competition is closing in.
19 July 2026 · 2 min read
UPI at the Center: How India's Real-Time Rail Became 85% of Retail Digital Payments
UPI now accounts for roughly 85% of India's retail digital payment volume and about 49% of global real-time transaction volume. Here's what the numbers show and why it matters for businesses building on top of it.
15 July 2026 · 2 min read