The fintech market is on the rise. Due to various factors, including the growth of e-commerce, fintech is projected to expand rapidly during the next decade. Investors can cash in on this by buying shares of top companies in the field that can perform well over the long run. But with plenty of fintechs to choose from, which ones are likely to separate themselves from the pack and deliver superior returns? Let's consider two excellent candidates: Adyen (ADYE.Y 0.80%) and PayPal (PYPL +0.39%).
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1. Adyen
Adyen helps simplify companies' payment systems by allowing them to accept payments for online and in-person transactions across several regions -- which would normally require reliance on separate entities -- through a single integrated platform. These features have helped the fintech specialist attract some major multinational corporations, including Etsy, Spotify, and McDonald's, among many others.
Adyen has struggled during the past few years, with its shares mostly moving sideways. There are at least two reasons for that. First, Adyen had plenty of business in the early days of the pandemic, and its shares soared as a result. But this tailwind didn't last, nor did the strong stock market performance associated with it. Second, as economic troubles deepened and other corporations cut costs, Adyen doubled down and increased spending, narrowing margins.
The company has slowly addressed the second problem. In the first half of 2025, Adyen's net revenue increased by 20% year over year to 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion), while its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) margin was 50%, up from the 46% reported in the year-ago period. Adyen also reported net income of 481 million euros, up 17% year over year.
OTC: ADYE.Y
Key Data Points
Adyen remains a highly profitable fintech giant with solid margins and a strong economic moat due to switching costs, since its clients can't easily shift to another platform without risking disruptions to their day-to-day operations. Further, the company has attractive prospects. Adyen's continued push into the U.S. market looks promising, while the company is increasingly going after large-format retail clients, a category it has not focused on as much in the past.
Adyen might not have performed well during the past five years, but the company is well positioned to capitalize on the growth of the fintech industry through 2036 (and beyond).
2. PayPal
PayPal has also been struggling in recent years, with its financial results not as strong and user growth subpar. But there are at least two reasons the company could bounce back and perform well through the next decade. First, even with slow user growth, PayPal still has a deep ecosystem. In the third quarter, the company processed $458.1 billion in payment volume, up 8% year over year. The fintech leader had 438 million active accounts, up just 1% year over year.
PayPal's large customer base grants it potential monetization opportunities. The company has decided to enter the digital advertising sector. Access to vast amounts of transaction and consumer preference data can help the company's ad platform target potential customers efficiently.
NASDAQ: PYPL
Key Data Points
PayPal has launched initiatives such as PayPal Ads Manager (to help small businesses earn revenue through advertising campaigns) and a platform that provides companies with deep insight into consumer purchasing decisions. All of that could help the company attract a large customer base for its ad platform and generate significant revenue.
Second, PayPal benefits from strong brand recognition and trust. The company has been a pioneer in online payment processing, and its name is closely tied to what it does. This matters because, as the fintech market expands and the popularity of digital wallets grows, we can expect PayPal to be one of the companies that benefit from widespread adoption. That's a key reason PayPal could ride the fintech wave during the next decade and deliver competitive returns.
