Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), comprising digital identity, payments, and data-sharing systems, was conceptualized as the foundational “digital rails” to drive financial inclusion, foster competition and innovation, and create trusted environments for the growth of digital financial services, ultimately contributing to economic development. The pace of adoption of services delivered on these rails often outstrips evidence on long-term impacts (competition, consumer trust, sustainability), which can create long term challenges.

While significant progress has been made in expanding inclusion, balancing the inclusion goal with other objectives of innovation, competition, and long-term sustainability continues to be challenging. Prioritizing one objective over the others as a strategic policy decision can shape market incentives in different ways, influencing how DPI-enabled services evolve. This session will explore these inherent tensions, with a focus on ensuring that consumers remain protected and continue to benefit from affordable access, safe transaction environments, and a fair choice of service providers, ensuring trust in the system is not eroded.