What happens when the world’s most used paper money family gets its first major refresh in years—right as banks and retailers grapple with aging hardware? In 2026, the U.S. banknote redesign begins with a new $10 bill featuring next-generation security and a raised tactile feature for accessibility. The questions collectors and industry professionals keep asking are the same ones banks are asking: What’s changing, who needs to upgrade, and how should we prepare?
TL;DR
- Launch: The first of the new notes—the so-called “Catalyst” $10—is targeted for 2026 and will debut a raised tactile feature (RTF) for meaningful access. Rollout sequencing currently points to $50 in 2028, $20 in 2030, $5 in 2032, and $100 in 2034.
- Why it matters: Banks and cash-handling machines (ATMs, TCRs, counters/sorters, vending) will need software—and in some cases hardware—updates to authenticate the new features reliably.
- Accessibility: BEP reports the RTF program is on schedule; more than 100,000 currency readers have already been distributed to support accessible cash use.
- Design politics: Advocacy for a Harriet Tubman $20 continues via pending legislation, but Treasury hasn’t announced Tubman for the 2026 note; the $10 comes first.
Why the 2026 U.S. Banknote Redesign Matters (to Everyone)
For collectors and numismatists, new notes mean fresh varieties, first-year prints, test runs, and potential limited-window anomalies. For dealers, it means educating customers and verifying that counters and detectors don’t misread genuine notes. For banks and merchants, it’s a compliance and operations project: aligning software, sensors, and procedures to accept the new designs while rejecting counterfeits.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) confirms that the $10 note is slated for production no later than 2026, inaugurating a new family with advanced public and machine-readable security and the first-ever raised tactile featureon a circulating U.S. note.
As BEP’s accessibility program notes, the RTF is part of a broader plan to provide “meaningful access” for people who are blind or have low vision—complementing larger numerals, higher-contrast design, and currency readers.
The Plan and the Players
A sequenced rollout
Public documentation indicates an expected sequence after the 2026 $10: $50 (2028), $20 (2030), $5 (2032), and $100 (2034). While exact dates can shift, the order aligns with the Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence (ACD) Steering Committee’s planning framework.
Who decides what?
Under Treasury Order 101-17, the Secretary of the Treasury makes final decisions on banknote images and approves public and machine-readable security features recommended by the ACD Steering Committee (Treasury, BEP, Federal Reserve, and U.S. Secret Service).
Project “Catalyst” and accessibility
BEP’s status reports and budget documents show steady progress on the RTF and security integration for the 2026 $10, including multiple feasibility trials. The agency also reports distributing ~104,000 free iBill® currency readers as part of its accessibility mandate.
Technology Reality Check: Are Banks and Machines Ready?
A blunt assessment from Bank Automation News warns that many institutions still rely on legacy ATMs, TCRs, counters, and sorters not equipped for the new feature set—raising the risk of rejecting genuine notes or missing counterfeits until upgrades are deployed.
Solution vendors such as Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) emphasize sensor upgrades, software calibration, and sorting logic changes so that banknote processing systems can recognize new inks, threads, windows, RTF patterns, and micro-printing without slowing throughput.
“Transitioning a cash cycle is not just ‘new firmware’—it’s a re-qualification of sensors and workflows,” one cash-center engineer told me at a recent industry event, echoing G+D’s public guidance on banknote sensor performance.
What’s Changing on the Notes?
While designs are not final in public, BEP and the Federal Reserve have signaled three pillars:
- Advanced public features (e.g., motion/optically variable elements) to help the public verify notes quickly.
- Machine-readable features tuned for modern sensors—so counters, recyclers, and ATMs can authenticate and fitness-sort accurately.
- Raised tactile feature (RTF)—a touch-recognizable element unique by denomination to meet accessibility obligations.
BEP and advocates for accessible currency say the new $10 with RTF remains on track for 2026, with the Federal Reserve ultimately deciding when to place the notes into circulation once production quantities and validations are met.
The Harriet Tubman Question: Where Things Stand
In 2016, Treasury announced intent to feature Harriet Tubman on a future $20; the plan later stalled and shifted. In March 2025, lawmakers re-filed the Harriet Tubman Tribute Act, proposing that all $20 bills printed after Dec. 31, 2030 carry her portrait. As of today, Tubman is not announced for the 2026 $10; that decision remains separate.
Market Context: Why This Rollout Is Different
- Counterfeit pressure: New tools—including AI-assisted forgeries—raise the stakes for better public and machine features. Central banks globally have shifted toward more dynamic features in the last decade.
- Accessibility mandate: A 2008 court ruling pushed BEP toward “meaningful access,” culminating in the RTF and supported by currency readers and public education.
- Cash cycle complexity: Today’s cash cycle relies on automated acceptance at every touchpoint; a single misread can jam lanes from retail kiosks to central cash centers.
Pros and Cons (Balanced View)
Benefits
- Stronger counterfeit deterrence across human and machine checks.
- Accessibility for millions of Americans who are blind or have low vision, via RTF—a first for U.S. currency.
- Operational clarity once upgrades are completed—fewer ambiguities for acceptance.
Risks / Challenges
- Legacy equipment may reject genuine new notes until patched or upgraded.
- Staggered readiness across banks, retailers, and vending could cause early-phase friction at the point of sale.
- Public confusion if design changes are misunderstood; requires clear, nationwide education.
Action Plan: What Each Audience Should Do
For Collectors & Numismatists
- Track BEP/FRB updates and early print runs: first-year printings often become type favorites.
- Document provenance of early acquisitions—OGP straps, teller straps, or ATM withdrawals near the first-release window.
- Educate: prepare quick-reference handouts or blog posts on how to authenticate the most visible new features for club meetings.
For Coin & Currency Dealers
- Update equipment: ensure UV/IR detectors, counters, and recyclers are firmware-current for the new features.
- Train staff: use BEP and Fed materials to brief teams; plan scripts for customers encountering the new $10.
- Manage intake: set temporary policies for buy/sell spreads on 2026 $10s while you validate your equipment’s acceptance rate.
For Banks & Credit Unions
- Audit your fleet: list ATMs, ITMs, TCRs, counters/sorters; confirm vendor timelines for software and sensor packages.
- Pilot early: run certification pilots in a few branches/cash centers before broad rollouts; include vending/retail partners.
- Communicate: publish customer guidance and set up contingency procedures if a device rejects a genuine new note.
Data & Milestones to Watch
- BEP Status Reports & Budget Justifications (confirming RTF integration/tests and production timing).
- Federal Reserve Currency Program notes (readiness for “Catalyst $10” and equipment validation).
- Bank Automation News/Industry bulletins (legacy system readiness and upgrade case studies).
- Advocacy updates from the American Council of the Blind on accessibility timelines.
Comparison Table: Current vs. Redesigned Notes (What’s New in 2026)
| Aspect | Current $10 | 2026 $10 (Catalyst) |
|---|---|---|
| Public security features | Color-shift, watermark, thread | Next-gen features with enhanced motion/OV effects (final mix TBD) |
| Machine-readable | Legacy patterns and inks | Updated patterns/features tuned for modern sensors |
| Accessibility | No tactile differentiation | Raised tactile feature unique to denomination |
| Education | Existing materials | New national education campaign (BEP/FRB/Secret Service) |
Sources: BEP Currency Redesign and Meaningful Access Program pages; BEP status/budget documents; Coin World reporting.
Expert Perspective
“Currency modernization is as much machine integration as it is design. The earlier you calibrate sensors and train staff, the fewer false rejects you’ll have at ATMs and cash counters,” note banknote-processing specialists, pointing to G+D’s emphasis on sensor optimization and modular upgrades.
From the payments side, analysts argue that legacy tech is expensive to maintain and ill-suited for rapid regulatory or feature changes—another reason to align currency upgrades with broader modernization.
FAQs
Will the old $10s still be good?
Yes. Older designs remain legal tender and will circulate alongside the new notes. The Fed withdraws older notes through natural attrition.
When exactly will I get a new $10 from an ATM?
Production and distribution are targeted for 2026, but the Federal Reserve decides the go-live based on inventories, validation, and distribution logistics.
What is the raised tactile feature?
A touch-recognizable element embossed/printed so people who are blind can identify denominations by feel; it’s unique per denomination and part of BEP’s Meaningful Access program.
Will the 2026 $10 feature Harriet Tubman?
No announcement indicates that. Tubman advocacy currently targets the $20, with a bill proposing her portrait after Dec. 31, 2030; not yet law.
Do banks really need hardware changes?
Many will need software/firmware updates; some may need sensor or module upgrades depending on equipment age and capabilities.
Conclusion & Call to Action
The 2026 U.S. banknote redesign is equal parts security upgrade, accessibility milestone, and operational challenge. For collectors, it’s a chance to document a first-year type and educate the public. For dealers, it’s about readiness—ensuring your equipment and staff can authenticate and handle the new notes confidently. For banks and merchants, it’s a modernization checkpoint: audit devices, schedule upgrades, and communicate clearly with customers.
If you plan now—calibrating sensors, updating software, and training teams—you’ll turn a potential pain point into a smooth launch. Keep an eye on BEP status reports, Federal Reserve updates, and industry guidance so you’re ready when that first Catalyst $10 lands in your till
