Fintech is a combination of the words finance and technology. Fintech stocks represent shares in publicly traded financial technology businesses.
Fintech is a broad category encompassing companies that apply new technologies to financial services. For example, companies that develop new digital payment processing solutions are considered fintech; so are companies that build and operate person-to-person payment applications.
The potential of fintech is exciting. In this article, we'll take a look at the different types of fintech stocks, as well as some specific examples of promising fintech stocks you can buy right now.
X top Fintech stocks for 2026
| Name and ticker | Market cap | Current price | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block (NYSE:XYZ) | $42.9 billion | $71.63 | Diversified Financial Services |
| PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) | $45.4 billion | $50.48 | Diversified Financial Services |
| SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ:SOFI) | $23.5 billion | $18.44 | Consumer Finance |
| Adyen (OTC:ADYEY) | $36.1 billion | $11.45 | Diversified Financial Services |
| MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI) | $93.0 billion | $1,833.80 | Multiline Retail |
1. Block
Formerly known as Square, Block's product suite has evolved from a way for merchants to accept credit cards via mobile phones into a large-scale financial ecosystem for individuals and small businesses. Block now processes payments for merchants at an annualized rate of over $250 billion and has its own banking subsidiary (Square Financial Services) and a thriving small business lending platform.
NYSE: XYZ
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NASDAQ: PYPL
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PayPal has successfully boosted efficiency and rolled out exciting initiatives such as Fastlane checkout and an advertising platform in recent years. It also has agreements to be the first integrated payments wallet in ChatGPT and to collaborate with Google to develop new financial solutions for use across the tech giant's products.
With more than $10 billion in cash and investments on the balance sheet and $6 billion to $7 billion in annualized free cash flow, PayPal has the financial flexibility to pursue opportunities as they arise. The company has 439 million active accounts across more than 200 countries. In a nutshell, this is a highly profitable industry leader, and there's no reason to believe that will change anytime soon.
3. SoFi Technologies
SoFi Technologies aims to disrupt the entire banking industry with its app-based financial ecosystem, and it's doing a pretty good job so far. The company offers checking and savings accounts, an investment platform, loans, credit cards, and more. It also owns the Galileo financial technology platform that provides the infrastructure for third-party clients' payment needs.
NASDAQ: SOFI
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SoFi has been growing rapidly for years and still has impressive momentum. In the fourth quarter of 2025, SoFi's membership base grew by 35% year over year, and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) grew by an impressive 60%.
This could be just the beginning. SoFi's brand awareness in the United States is still under 10%, and it's still a relatively small bank. Management's stated goal is to become a top 10 financial institution, and it's definitely on the way.
4. Adyen
Adyen isn't exactly a household name to most U.S. investors, but it certainly belongs in the same conversations as Block and PayPal. Based in the Netherlands, Adyen provides payment processing solutions to businesses and has operations around the world (including a large U.S. presence). It offers payment solutions for in-person, online, and mobile channels.
OTC: ADYEY
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NASDAQ: MELI
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The company also has a logistics platform (Mercado Envios) and a lending business (Mercado Credito), both of which have gained serious traction in recent years. Mercado Credito is especially interesting, with 90% year-over-year growth in the credit portfolio in the fourth quarter of 2025.
However, it's perhaps the Mercado Pago payments platform that is most exciting, at least from a fintech perspective. The business processes more than $300 billion in annualized payment volume and is growing much faster than the e-commerce business.
How to buy fintech stocks
The process of investing in fintech stocks is a rather straightforward one, especially if you've already been investing in other stocks. But even if you haven't, here are the general steps:
- Open your brokerage account: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments. If you don't have one yet, take a look at our favorite brokers and trading platforms to find the right one for you.
- Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
Benefits and risks of investing in fintech stocks
Fintech stocks can allow investors to get in on the latest trends in financial technology, including mobile banking, cryptocurrency, e-commerce, payment processing, and more. However, as with any emerging technology, fintech stocks can be more volatile than the average investment. Keep this in mind before you decide to invest.
Investing in fintech stocks isn't for investors with a low tolerance for volatility and risk. Like any exciting growth industry, fintech will likely be a bit of a roller coaster as it matures. However, for long-term investors with a relatively high risk tolerance, fintech stocks such as those mentioned here can be an excellent way to capitalize on one of the most exciting growth trends in the business world.
The bottom line
Fintech is an exciting and rapidly evolving industry, and gaining exposure to leading fintech companies can be a smart move. If you have a relatively high level of risk tolerance, some of the stocks discussed in this article could be worth a closer look.
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FAQ
Investing in fintech stock: FAQ
About the Author
Matt Frankel, CFP has positions in Amazon, Block, MercadoLibre, PayPal, and SoFi Technologies and has the following options: long January 2027 $75 calls on PayPal, long January 2027 $95 calls on PayPal, short January 2027 $135 calls on PayPal, and short January 2027 $85 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Adyen, Amazon, Bitcoin, Block, MercadoLibre, Microsoft, PayPal, and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2027 $42.50 calls on PayPal and short March 2026 $65 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
