A new Jiko survey reveals a striking disconnect between what finance professionals want from digital payment systems and what they can actually deliver today.
The research found that 76% of treasury and finance professionals consider 24/7 settlement capability important to their organizational operations.
Despite that strong demand, only 19% of respondents have successfully achieved real-time settlement, exposing a significant implementation gap across the industry.
Integration challenges and the associated costs of upgrading existing systems were identified as the primary barriers preventing wider adoption of real-time settlement capabilities.
Legacy cash infrastructure remains a persistent obstacle for many organizations, limiting their ability to modernize payment operations and respond to fast-moving financial conditions.
The findings come at a time when geopolitical tensions, rising inflation, and growing uncertainty around banking stability are pushing companies to reassess how they manage liquidity.
Businesses are increasingly seeking ways to enhance cash management and improve capital efficiency without sacrificing yield in the process.
The Jiko survey highlights an untapped opportunity in real-time investment options, pointing specifically to U.S. Treasury bills as a vehicle for optimizing cash flow.
The study suggests that organizations slow to adopt modern settlement infrastructure may be leaving meaningful capital efficiency gains on the table.
In broader market activity, Meritz Financial Group was a notable mover, rising 5.7% to close at 123,300 South Korean won during the latest session.
Digital payment sector stocks also saw mixed movement, with SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ: SOFI) gaining 5.74%, PayPal Holdings (NASDAQ: PYPL) slipping 0.42%, and Nu Holdings (NYSE: NU) advancing 2.06%.
The divergence in performance across digital payment names reflects ongoing investor uncertainty about which platforms are best positioned to solve the real-time settlement challenge at scale.
As demand for always-on financial infrastructure grows, companies that can close the gap between settlement ambitions and operational reality stand to gain a significant competitive advantage.
