Banking News and Headlines
Banking News and Headlines
Banking Pulse
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EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
Senators Angela Alsobrooks and Thom Tillis are negotiating a compromise on stablecoin reward provisions to revive the stalled Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. The compromise would allow limited, transaction‑based rewards while preserving guardrails to prevent deposit flight, addressing bankers’ concerns that yield incentives mimic bank deposits. The proposal aligns with the OCC’s pending rule adopting the GENIUS Act, but still faces uncertainty over broader DeFi and political hurdles. A Senate Banking Committee markup is the next step before a full Senate vote.
Government loan performance issues have tightened underwriting, while jumbo credit availability rose 2.9% in the past month, driven by non‑QM loan growth. In contrast, FHA‑backed loan availability slipped 0.8% as delinquencies topped 11%. The Mortgage Credit Availability Index edged up...
A recent poll shows that more than half of U.S. self‑serve laundries now earn the majority of their revenue from cashless payments, with 52.3% reporting a significant rise in digital transactions over the past three years. While two‑thirds still accept...
Newrez introduced TitlePass, a title‑insurance waiver for qualified rate‑and‑term refinances in 18 states, promising up to $2,200 savings for borrowers. Pennymac’s third‑party origination arm launched a non‑QM menu featuring debt‑service‑coverage‑ratio, bank‑statement, and asset‑qualifier loans aimed at entrepreneurs and retirees. Rate’s...
Societe Generale‑FORGE has deployed its euro‑denominated stablecoin, EUR CoinVertible (EURCV), on the Stellar blockchain, marking the token’s third network after Ethereum, Solana and the XRP Ledger. The Stellar launch leverages high throughput, low fees and an on‑chain DEX to broaden EURCV’s...
On 10 March 2026 the European Commission delivered a report to the Council and European Parliament assessing the EU financial sector's preparedness for systemic shocks. The document synthesises input from the European Central Bank, European Supervisory Authorities, the European Systemic Risk Board,...
The UK Home Office released a fraud‑prevention strategy for 2026‑2029 that explicitly flags crypto assets as a growing risk for consumers and businesses. It highlights how scammers lure victims into transferring funds via social‑media and messaging platforms, and notes lingering...
The Global Regulation Tomorrow Plus podcast launches a three‑part series on building regulatory and operational resilience amid rising geopolitical tensions. In the first episode, hosts Jonathan Herbst, Georgia Karamani and Simon Lovegrove focus on prudential challenges, including exposure mapping, stress...
China’s e‑CNY has processed roughly $2.37 trillion in transactions over the past two years, buoyed by explicit government backing and a blanket ban on private cryptocurrencies. The digital yuan now anchors Project mBridge, a cross‑border payment network that has expanded to...
Millbury National Bank, a 201‑year‑old, $140 million‑asset community bank in Massachusetts, uses personal greetings – often by name – as a security tool that once thwarted a robbery. The bank is more than half owned by women, earning a minority depository...
The U.S. Justice Department and state‑owned Halkbank have reached a deferred prosecution agreement, ending a five‑year case alleging the bank helped Iran evade sanctions. Under the deal, Halkbank must stop any Iran‑benefiting transactions and submit to an independent compliance monitor....
Bank of America, alongside undisclosed lenders, has arranged a leveraged loan to finance Nexstar Media Group’s proposed acquisition of TEGNA. The financing is intended to help Nexstar secure the deal that would make it the nation’s largest single owner of...
The three‑digit hotline 159, launched by Stop Scams UK in 2021, gives UK consumers a fast way to verify suspicious banking calls or texts. It links callers to the fraud teams of more than 99% of retail bank accounts, and over...
Superior Credit Union has renewed its long‑term partnership with Mahalo Banking, extending the use of Mahalo’s Thoughtful Banking® platform. The renewal follows measurable gains in operational efficiency and a steady rise in online banking registrations. Mahalo’s core‑centric architecture delivers real‑time...
Broadridge Financial Solutions has partnered with Crypto.com to embed cryptocurrency trading into its NYFIX order‑routing platform, extending the service to over 2,200 buy‑side and sell‑side firms worldwide. The integration uses the industry‑standard FIX protocol, allowing institutional brokers to send crypto...
Solaris' poll of 4,000 German online‑banking users finds banks are the most trusted institution for safeguarding AI‑processed personal data, with 45.4% preferring banks over insurers and government. Trust is strongest among 18‑29‑year‑olds, where 51.5% rank banks highest. One‑third of respondents...
A Reuters‑cited study by WWF and Themis finds that roughly 40% of banks and investors do not screen for illegal mining risks, despite 84% operating in high‑risk sectors such as transport and trade. Illegal mining generates at least $48 billion in...
Single‑family acquisition, development and construction (AD&C) loan stock slipped 1.5% in Q4 2025, reaching $456.3 billion despite two Fed rate cuts. While overall AD&C volume fell, 1‑4‑family residential construction loans rose 1.7% year‑over‑year, marking a second consecutive YoY gain. Nonaccrual and...
Interchange fees are the charges that a merchant’s bank pays to the card‑issuing bank for each card transaction, typically ranging from 0.2% to 2% of the purchase amount. In the European Economic Area, regulation caps these fees at 0.2% for...
PayPal announced Enrique Lores, the former HP chief who has overseen major supply‑chain and split‑up initiatives, as its new CEO and president. The appointment comes as the company’s branded checkout growth slumped to 1% year‑over‑year in Q4, far below the...
Shift4 Payments announced the promotion of two former Global Blue executives to senior leadership roles following its $1.5 billion acquisition of the Swiss payments‑technology firm. Pier Francesco Nervini will serve as president of Shift4’s international division, overseeing all commercial and go‑to‑market activities outside the...
RegTech vendors are merging their offerings into larger, unified platforms that cover surveillance, reporting, identity and risk functions. Proponents argue that consolidation reduces operational fragmentation, delivers economies of scale, and strengthens security through enterprise‑grade infrastructure. Critics counter that platform concentration...
KBC, Belgium’s largest insurance‑banking group, has appointed Geneva‑based fintech Taurus as its custody partner for a newly launched regulated crypto trading service. The offering, introduced in February, lets self‑directed investors buy and sell Bitcoin and Ether on an execution‑only basis....
At FIN/SUM 2026, BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda outlined how AI and blockchain are reshaping the financial ecosystem and reaffirmed central banks' role as the anchor of trust. He highlighted the programmability of DeFi, the potential of AI‑driven analytics, and the...
Wells Fargo is positioning itself as the lead bank for middle‑market companies, targeting firms with $10 million to $1 billion in annual revenue. The bank is revamping its product suite and coverage model while hiring 185 commercial bankers to deepen relationships early and...
According to BVNK and YouGov’s Stablecoin Utility Report, 79% of African crypto holders own or have recently held stablecoins—the highest rate globally and well above the 54% average. The survey of 4,658 respondents across 15 African countries shows 95% would...
Prembly, a Nigerian digital‑security firm, has unveiled FraudLens, an open‑source fraud‑intelligence bank built on millions of identity‑verification checks. The platform aggregates fraud events from banks, fintechs and other partners, offering a publicly accessible repository that starts with Nigeria and aims...
The Federal Reserve has proposed three adjustments to how banks treat mortgage loans and mortgage servicing rights (MSRs) under capital rules. While the new loan‑to‑value risk‑weight buckets and a review of the 250% MSR risk weight align with Basel principles,...
The Financial Conduct Authority has issued final rules and guidance under Policy Statement 25/21 that overhaul the safeguarding regime for payments and e‑money firms. The new requirements take effect on 7 May 2026, compelling firms to redesign client‑asset segregation, capital buffers, and governance...
Commerzbank has partnered with AI‑fraud specialist Hawk to boost its anti‑money‑laundering capabilities. The collaboration deploys Hawk’s “AML AI Extended Risk Model,” which layers explainable AI on top of the bank’s existing rule‑based compliance framework. Connected via a dedicated integration layer,...
Tandem Bank has named Stephen Jones, a veteran of UK banking, as its new chair. Jones currently serves as executive chair of investment banking at Panmure Liberum and previously held senior roles at Santander, Barclays, and UK Finance. He succeeds Paul Pester, who...
Eugene Ludwig, former Clinton cabinet official, founded Cari to create a bank‑centric network for tokenized deposits that are FDIC‑insured and faster than traditional transfers. The startup has secured five regional banks—KeyCorp, Huntington, Old National, First Horizon and M&T—as design partners...
The European System of Central Banks has launched Phase III of an EU‑financed technical cooperation programme to strengthen central bank capacities in the Western Balkans. Hosted by Banca d’Italia, the initiative builds on two successful phases that delivered training, internships and...
State Bank of India (SBI) has refused to process payments for Russian crude oil even after the United States issued a temporary waiver for Indian imports. The bank cites uncertainty over the waiver's duration, potential sanctions exposure, and reputational risk...
The article outlines when a Canadian business must register as a Money Services Business (MSB) with FINTRAC, detailing the specific activities—foreign exchange, fund remittance, virtual‑currency dealing, and crowdfunding—that trigger regulatory oversight. It distinguishes domestic MSBs from foreign MSBs (FMSBs) and...
Hilco has announced its entry into the medium‑term commercial real‑estate lending market, targeting loans with maturities of three to five years. The move is designed to capture growing investor demand for longer‑duration property financing that bridges the gap between short‑term...
A PwC‑IIF survey of 24 global banks managing over $18 trillion in assets shows near‑universal interest in the ISSB’s IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 standards, with 22 banks pursuing S1 and 23 pursuing S2. Yet most institutions are still building the data pipelines,...
TransUnion has teamed with Google Cloud to launch an AI‑driven analytics agent that fuses TransUnion's credit data with Google’s Vertex AI and BigQuery services. The new solution delivers real‑time credit intelligence, cutting underwriting decision times by roughly half while boosting...
Access to credit remains elusive for most South African small businesses, with over 85% of firms earning under R1 million facing high rejection rates. A Forrester‑Experian study shows that 70% of senior lenders believe machine learning can improve risk accuracy and...
Elder financial exploitation continues to surge, with the FTC reporting $2.4 billion in losses in 2024 and AARP estimating $28 billion annually. A 76‑year‑old Rhode Island retiree narrowly avoided a $250,000 fraud after a bank teller escalated the case to police. In...
South African bank Absa increased its IT spend by 6% to R16.7 billion, targeting new digital infrastructure, cyber security, data and cloud capabilities. The bank posted a 12% rise in headline earnings and a 5% increase in revenue, while digitally active...
The article examines India’s shift toward a cash‑light economy driven by UPI’s explosive growth. In December 2025 UPI recorded 21.6 billion transactions worth Rs 28 lakh crore, and in FY25 it accounted for over 83% of payment volume, pushing digital retail payments to...
Open banking is projected to generate £43 bn a year for the UK economy when fully mature. Research commissioned by Open Banking Limited and conducted by EY shows the sector has already delivered £8.2 bn in benefits, with an expected £7.4 bn annual...
Mastercard completed its first live, authenticated agentic payment in Singapore, partnering with DBS and UOB. An AI‑driven agent used Mastercard Agent Pay to book a hoppa ride to Changi Airport, leveraging tokenised credentials and Payment Passkey consent. The transaction moves...
Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky reported a 56 percent jump in Android banking trojan detections in 2025, accompanied by a 271 percent surge in unique malicious APKs, now exceeding 255,000. The report also found that supply‑chain attacks affected 31 percent of surveyed organizations, rising to...
Irish household wealth has hit a record €724,000 per family, yet 38 percent of assets sit in low‑yield deposits. The Central Bank reports Ireland has one of the lowest investment participation rates in Europe, with only about 2.3 percent in equities and...
Bangkok Bank announced it will indefinitely postpone the April 9 rollout of a 2,000 baht minimum‑balance requirement for its e‑Savings and Extra Digital accounts. The rule was intended to block scammers from using low‑balance accounts as money‑laundering mules. Senior executive Chaiyarit Anuchitworawong...
Australian influencers are popularising shared bank accounts between friends, a practice once limited to couples or family. Stephanie Leahy and housemate Phillip Gow have been using Up Bank’s “2Up” joint account since 2021 to pool income, track expenses and allocate...
The Trump administration has reached a tentative agreement to dismiss criminal charges against Turkey’s state‑run Halkbank, which prosecutors accused of moving roughly $20 billion in sanctioned Iranian funds. The deal links the dismissal to Turkey’s instrumental role in negotiating the release...
China announced at the 2026 Two Sessions that it will draft a comprehensive financial law and a dedicated financial stability law within the year. The measures aim to cement the yuan’s global role, expand green‑finance frameworks, and formalise risk‑control mechanisms....
