Today's Banking Pulse
Mortgage refinance demand plunges 18% as rates climb to 6.65%
Refinance applications fell 18% week‑over‑week, dropping to 38% of total mortgage filings—the lowest share since June 2025. The average 30‑year fixed rate rose to 6.65%, while purchase‑loan volume edged down 0.4% and the average loan size hit $473,600.
Also developing:
By the numbers: OakNorth acquires Monite to boost business banking
Iran's Central Bank Raises Money Transfer Caps
On March 2, Iran’s Central Bank lifted daily transfer limits across its banking system to ease pressure from high inflation and the ongoing war. The POL instant network cap rose to IRR 1 billion, card‑to‑card limits to IRR 150 million, and payment transaction ceilings to IRR 4 billion, with transfers above IRR 20 billion requiring bank approval. The policy shift also includes supplying ATMs with cash after citizen complaints. These adjustments aim to support consumer liquidity and stabilize payment flows.
AI-Only Companies Promise Superior, Burnout-Free Customer Service
The irony of zero human companies: They'll probably have better customer service than most human-run businesses today. 24/7 response times No burnout No ego No politics Just ruthless optimization for user satisfaction. We've been training for this future every time we preferred the chatbot to waiting on...
EU Digital Euro Stalls Amid Offline‑only Push
Brussels proposed a digital form of cash that could be used both online and offline. Navarrete, by contrast, is pushing for an offline-only model. More delays. Can Europe break free of Visa and Mastercard? MEPs stall digital euro https://t.co/SLW3jTmnrB
Visa Targets North Africa Growth with New Egypt, Libya and Sudan Sub-Region
Visa announced a new sub‑regional structure covering Egypt, Libya and Sudan, part of its broader North Africa, Levant and Pakistan growth strategy. The reorganisation appoints Malak El Baba as country manager for the three markets and moves veteran Ahmed Mohey...
Lore Partners with Erebor Bank to Build US Sovereign AI
Excited to have selected @ereborbank as Lore's banking partner as we build sovereign AI infrastructure for the United States. It's important that American-aligned companies support one another. https://t.co/8b2Sgl0Ctm
Dubai's Woes Ripple Into India’s $45 Bn Remittances
Problems in Dubai are not just for people staying there - it spills over to India - we get $45 bn of remittances from the Middle East each year.
Banking on Nonbanks
The IMF paper documents a rapid rise in non‑bank financial institution (NBFI) subsidiaries within banking groups, now accounting for about 32 % of syndicated loan origination in 2024. When macroprudential policies tighten bank‑level constraints, bank subsidiaries cut lending by roughly 1 %,...
Dune Analytics Introduces Stablecoin Datasets
Dune Analytics has launched a stablecoin dataset designed for enterprise and institutional users, consolidating transfer records, pricing, and token metadata across EVM‑compatible chains, Solana and soon Tron. The offering includes both free and premium tables that normalize balances, label addresses...
Stablecoin Yields in Spotlight as US Senators Raise Deposit Flight Alarm
U.S. Senate Banking Committee leaders raised alarms that stablecoin yields could trigger a deposit flight from traditional banks. Lawmakers worry the high‑interest returns on payment‑stablecoins mimic savings accounts but lack regulatory safeguards. The hearing highlighted the tension between stablecoins’ rapid,...
The Fintech Stack
Fintech operates on a five‑layer stack, from foundational payment rails to end‑to‑end financial journeys. The bottom rail layer comprises card networks, ACH, SWIFT and emerging blockchain protocols that move money. Above that, capabilities such as KYC, AML, fraud detection and...
Why Getting a Digital Wallet Is a Smart Financial Move
Digital wallets have shifted payments from physical cards to smartphones, with services like Apple Pay and Google Pay gaining mainstream traction. By leveraging tokenization and encryption, they protect card data better than traditional chip cards. Consumers can store multiple credit,...
Robinhood Chain Introduces Native Stock Token, Unlocking New Apps
“We're probably the first chain to launch with the stock token as part of the native part of the chain itself,” Robinhood's Seong Seog Lee says. I am really interested to see what type of applications this unlocks. Are you...
Fideo Intelligence Launches Verify For Payments
Fideo Intelligence unveiled Verify for Payments, a real‑time identity intelligence API aimed at payment service providers, fintechs, and banks. The solution targets synthetic identity fraud, promising 47% higher detection rates than traditional KYC checks while delivering sub‑second responses. By tapping...
Interview: Booshan Rengachari, Founder and CEO of Finzly
Finzly, founded in 2012, delivers BankOS—a cloud‑native operating system that consolidates ACH, Fedwire, SWIFT, RTP, FedNow and tokenized assets behind a single API, letting banks retire fragmented legacy cores. In October 2025 the firm introduced Agentic Galaxy, AI agents that...
JPMorgan Warns a ‘Parallel Banking System’ Is Emerging—And It Could Put Trillions in Deposits at Risk
JPMorgan CFO Jeremy Barnum warned that interest‑bearing stablecoins are forming a "parallel banking system" that lacks the prudential safeguards of traditional deposits. Treasury estimates up to $6.6 trillion of bank deposits could be exposed if the regulatory loophole remains open. Lawmakers...
NoCFO Taps Salt Edge to Deliver In-App ‘Pay by Bank’ for SMEs in Finland and Germany
NoCFO, the AI‑native financial management platform, has partnered with open‑banking specialist Salt Edge to embed a Pay‑by‑Bank payment‑initiation service directly into its app. The new feature lets Finnish SMEs approve and pay invoices without leaving the platform, currently serving more than...
Friday's Roundup: Sunway IPO, Plot, Profit Swings
Summary of Major News on Friday, 27 February 2026:  1. Sunway Healthcare’s Historic IPO and IJM Corp Bid Update 2. Alleged Plot to Topple the Government Uncovered 3. Petronas Faces 18% Profit Drop Amid Oil Price Slump 4. CIMB Reports Earnings Growth and...
Digital Success Hinges on Bold Change, Not Vendors
The future belongs to leaders willing to take smart risks, challenge legacy processes, and deploy technology the way customers want it used. Digital success isn’t about the vendor. It’s about the will to change. https://t.co/oqVqr3G6ac
LAST DAY: Get a 25% Bonus on HSBC Premier Credit Card Points Conversions to Avios
HSBC is offering a limited‑time 25% bonus on converting HSBC Premier credit‑card points to British Airways Avios, ending at midnight on 28 February 2026. The bonus applies only to transfers into a BA Avios account and the bonus points usually arrive instantly,...
Bank Credit Surge Signals Inflation Pressure Ahead
The growth rate in U.S. commercial bank credit has been steadily picking up. On Feb. 18th it was 6.7%/yr. When it comes to the money supply, commercial banks are the elephant in the room. They produce 80% of M2. THE US INFLATION GENIE...
Even Small Mortgage Savings Beat Retail Prices
"Grand slams and home runs are hard to get. But singles and doubles are still wins – that's still less money in the deal than buying at retail price." –Mortgage lender & financing expert Bryan Maddex (Podcast 476)
Tether Has Blocked $3.5 Billion in Crime-Linked Stablecoins Since 2023
Tether has frozen $3.5 billion of USDT linked to illicit activity since 2023, bringing the total frozen amount to $4.2 billion since the stablecoin’s launch. The company, which now has over $180 billion of USDT in circulation, can remotely lock tokens at law‑enforcement...
Real‑time Payments Demand Faster Providers—Are You Ready?
You’re only as fast as your slowest provider. Real-time payments are ready. Are your systems and teams ready? Many institutions are behind. Watch the full video now: https://t.co/qrsFZDRVT6 https://t.co/B7BPNfmvRo
Morgan Stanley to Build In‑House Bitcoin Services
Morgan Stanley 'absolutely' plans to offer Bitcoin custody, trading, yield and lending: The investment bank decided that it needs to build its own in-house capabilities before rolling out #Bitcoin offerings to its clients. @DecryptMedia. #CryptoAssets https://t.co/RWAGf7he23
Morgan Stanley’s OCC Application Is Wall Street Colonizing Crypto’s Back Office
Morgan Stanley has filed an application with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to create a new federally chartered entity, Morgan Stanley Digital Trust, National Association, under a national trust bank charter. The charter would focus on...
World Bank Proposes Conceptual Model for VC-Based Reusable Digital Payment IDs
The World Bank’s new white paper, “ID Meets Instant,” outlines a conceptual model that merges verifiable digital ID with fast‑payment systems via a portable Payments Identity Credential. Built on a trust framework linking national ID authorities and payment providers, the...
CFOs Capture B2B Payments Digitization Value by Targeting Year-Two Gap
Finance leaders face a “year-two problem” where B2B payments upgrades fail to deliver expected gains without refined data and processes. The article argues that execution velocity—how quickly firms turn standardized transactional data into actionable decisions—will be the decisive KPI. CFOs...
Gaza Reconstruction Draws Questions on Digital Wallets, Biometric Surveillance
The Hudson Institute released an analysis urging the careful rollout of digital wallets in Gaza to improve financial oversight and limit Hamas’s funding streams. It highlights the sector’s $14.2 million damage, near‑total loss of bank branches, and the scarcity of functional...
Senate’s AFFORD Act Seeks New Capital for Underserved Markets
The Senate introduced the Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development (AFFORD) Act, aiming to strengthen the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. The bill would let smaller CDFIs join the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program, reauthorize a liquidity‑enhancement...
Edward Jones Gets Green Light to Launch Industrial Bank
Edward Jones has secured conditional approval from the FDIC and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions to launch Edward Jones Bank, an industrial loan company slated for early 2027. The new bank will accept deposits and issue certificates of deposit,...
Thredd Supports MuchBetter Israeli Expansion
Thredd, an AI‑first issuer processing platform, announced an expanded partnership with MuchBetter to launch its prepaid card and digital‑wallet program in Israel. The collaboration builds on Thredd’s earlier deployments in the United Kingdom and Canada, providing end‑to‑end processing, security and...
Canadian Mortgage Delinquencies Just Made A Rare, Historic Jump
Canadian mortgage arrears surged to a five‑year high of 0.219% in December 2024, marking the fastest monthly increase since the pandemic’s early days. The number of mortgages 90 days past due rose 4.2% month‑over‑month, adding roughly 520 delinquent loans and...
Opaque Private Debt Markets Reveal Growing Financial Fragility
Private debt markets have been struggling for some time. These are nonbank lenders, largely in the private equity space, although they do rely upon bank credit. This is one of many fragilities in the financial market and the economy more...
UK Appoints Barclays Executive as Top Bank of England Regulator
The UK government appointed Katharine Braddick, a former regulator now Barclays group head of strategic policy, as the Bank of England's deputy governor for prudential regulation. Her five‑year term begins on July 1, 2026, succeeding Sam Woods. The move follows finance...
Citi and Morgan Stanley Expand Bitcoin and Crypto Custody, Trading and Tokenization Efforts
Citigroup announced it will launch institutional‑grade Bitcoin custody later this year, integrating crypto into its existing custody, reporting and settlement infrastructure. The service will allow clients to manage Bitcoin alongside securities and cash through a single master account, with transaction...
What Lenders Should Consider when Evaluating Small Landlords
Small landlords are an expanding segment of the rental market, but their limited scale creates underwriting challenges for lenders. To gauge creditworthiness, lenders must scrutinize the borrower’s financial stability, including cash flow, tax returns, and debt ratios. Portfolio performance—occupancy rates,...
SBI Holdings Teams Up with Startale to Introduce Regulated Yen-Pegged Stablecoin
SBI Holdings has signed an MOU with blockchain firm Startale Group to create Japan’s first fully regulated yen‑pegged stablecoin. The token will be issued as a Type 3 Electronic Payment Instrument, backed by assets held in Shinsei Trust & Banking, and...
Walker & Dunlop Dismisses A Banking Team After Fraud Investigation
Walker & Dunlop dismissed members of its banking staff after an internal investigation revealed approximately $134 million in Freddie Mac multifamily loans were affected by borrower fraud, leading to a $29 million loss expense in Q4. The review also uncovered an additional $34 million...
Building Broker–Lender Partnerships That Actually Work
Tom Ahles, a mortgage broker, outlines how effective broker‑lender partnerships require consistency, transparency, and direct access to decision‑makers. He highlights the use of AI to decode lender guidelines, service‑level agreements for communication, and technology integrations that accelerate loan processing. The...
Financials Lead Market Weakness with Biggest Daily Loss
The real market story today is the weakness in financials and not the hyperscalers @ScottWapnerCNBC @HalftimeReport @dougkass Observe these massive individual financial stock losses: $C -$7 $AXP -$25 $GS -$72 $MS -$13 $APO -$10 Since this is the single largest daily loss, it might...
Learning Velocity Threatens $847B in Regulated Transformations
Most regulated industries still rely on 24-month transformation projects. Seventy percent fail to deliver value. That gap puts $847B at risk by 2030. I explore why learning velocity is the real threat. Watch the full episode now: https://t.co/3EzvLwQdvE https://t.co/BesD9wBahx
Indiana Aims to Advance Crypto Access in Public Retirement Plans Amid Key Federal Regulatory Developments
Indiana’s House Bill 1042, approved by both chambers, requires state‑managed retirement and savings plans to offer self‑directed brokerage accounts with at least one cryptocurrency option, and protects citizens’ ability to use crypto for payments and wallet custody. The measure awaits...
JPMorgan, Not Stripe, Seen as Viable PayPal Buyer
.@ShenLucinda argues that Stripe isn't a logical buyer for PayPal. But JPMorgan may be. https://t.co/5mg3m05s44
Anti-Fraud Measures Often Backfire, Despite Regulator Assurances
This genre of unintended consequence is fairly frequent in anti-fraud implementations, and when you tell regulators/legislators that, they say obviously it won’t happen because businesses would lose money. (I have no knowledge of this specific purchasing pathway.)
Companies Rebrand Routine Restructuring as ‘AI’ Overhype
Block built two parallel company structures during COVID and is now collapsing them. That's a management correction, not an AI story. Worth watching which other companies use "AI restructuring" as branding for decisions they would've made anyway. Expect a...
Digital Experience Ownership Drives Modern Financial Relationships
Primary financial relationship used to be about history and proximity. Now it’s about convenience and daily engagement. If you own the digital experience, you own the relationship. https://t.co/g0okHl57Ma
OCC's Stablecoin Yield Plan Threatens Consumers, Slows Adoption
The bank lobby got to the OCC with this week’s announcement about stablecoin yield. Senate banking hearing after this and Gould at OCC is open to comments. Bad for consumers, slows down stable adoption. Call your senator.
Robinhood Push Alerts Push Margin Trading Like a Dealer
Robinhood using push alerts to suggest trading on margin… like a dealer tempting a junkie https://t.co/NEGFyQTVzg
Effective Data Strategy Needs Governance, Not Just Storage
A strong data strategy is more than storage. Its context, quality, & governance. The “useless” data may hold insights GenAI needs, but without curation, access controls, and trust, innovation risks becoming noise instead of value. https://t.co/ParkENiwRg
Banks Fund Equipment, Not Your Business Goodwill
"Most commercial banks will lend against machines & equipment... Do you know what the bank won’t finance? Goodwill… the intangible value of the fact that you’ve built up a great clientele" –12 Things to Do Before You Consider Selling Your...