Public Disclosure Authorized © 2026 The World Bank 1818 H Street NW, Washington DC 20433Telephone: +1-202-473-1000; Internet: www.worldbank.org Some rights reserved. This work is a product of The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do notnecessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the data included in this work and does notassume responsibility for any errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the information, or liability with respect to the use of orfailure to use the information, methods, processes, or conclusions set forth. The boundaries, colors, denominations, links/footnotes and other information shown in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning thelegal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. The citation of works authored by othersdoes not mean the World Bank endorses the views expressed by those authors or the content of their works. Nothing herein shall constitute or be construed or considered to be a limitation upon or waiver of the privileges and immunitiesof The World Bank, all of which are specifically reserved. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World Bank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, thiswork may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as long as full attribution to this work is given. Coverphoto: © Shutterstock, Inc. Used with the permission of Shutterstock, Inc. Further permission required for reuse. Cover Design:Duina Reyes Attribution – Please cite the work as follows: “Christopher Tullis, Adam Cooper and David Black. 2026. Digital Wallets: A NewParadigm – Convergence of User-Centric Digital Identity, Data Sharing and Payments.Digital Wallet Policy Note Series, No.1. © Washington, DC: World Bank.” Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The WorldBank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: +1-202-522-2625; e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org. Digital Wallets:A New Paradigm Convergence of User-Centric DigitalIdentity, Data Sharing and Payments About Us This publication is developed by the Digital & AI Vice Presidency, WBG, withthe support of the Digital Public Infrastructure & Services Umbrella Multi-DonorTrust Fund (DPI TF). Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) refers to the foundational digital buildingblocks—such as digital identity, data sharing, and digital payments—that enablegovernments and economies to deliver services at scale. DPI & Services TF aims to increase the adoption and productive use of safe,inclusive,and interoperable digital building blocks and digitally enabledservices. Operating as a One-World Bank effort, it mobilizes expertise acrossdigital transformation, social protection, health, financial inclusion, agriculture,governance, and education among others; and collaborates closely with ProjectFASTT on fast payment systems. The DPI & Services TF is based on three pillars: •Knowledge:generating evidence and translating standards into practicaltools;•Action:supporting country-level DPI strategies,safe and inclusivebuilding blocks, and sectoral digital transformation; and•Convening:strengthening the global DPI community through peerlearning, standards alignment, and digital public goods. The work supported by the DPI TF is anchored in cross-cutting commitmentsto inclusion and gender equity, human-centric design, reusability through digitalpublic goods, safeguards, data protection, and evidence-based implementation. Building on the foundations laid by the ID4D-G2Px MDTF (2016-2026), the DPITF is structured around three workstreams: •The Identification for Development (ID4D) Initiativehelps countriesrealizethe transformational potential of identification systems forthe Sustainable Development Goals, from foundational ID and civilregistration to next-generation digital identity and trust services. Itsmission is to enable all people to access services and exercise theirrights by improving the inclusivity, design, and governance of ID andtrust service ecosystems. Learn more atid4d.worldbank.org. •The Digital Government-to-Person Payments(G2Px)Initiativetransforms G2P payments to accelerate financial inclusion, women’seconomic empowerment, resilience, and government efficiency. It helpscountries modernize their G2P ecosystems through recipient-centricframeworks and evidence-based guidance on sustainable, inclusivemodels. Learn more atwww.worldbank.org/g2px. •The Data Sharing workstream enables secure,interoperable,andprivacy-respectingdata sharing across sectors at national scale,advancing high-value use cases and inclusive benefits. Our work is made possible thanks to the generous support of the GatesFoundation, UK International Dev