NY AG Issues Alert on Crypto-Based Pig Butchering Scams
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert warning that crypto‑based pig‑butchering scams are targeting New Yorkers through romance and professional ruses. The scams involve coaches who instruct victims to lie to bank staff, making fraud detection difficult. A recent case at Heartland Tri‑State Bank, where its CEO wired $47.1 million into the scheme, illustrates how these frauds can threaten a bank’s solvency. The alert also highlights a “second act” where scammers promise to recover lost funds for a fee, and notes transnational crime links in Southeast Asia.
FinovateEurope 2026: From AI Hype to Operational Reality
FinovateEurope 2026 highlighted fintech’s transition from AI experimentation to real‑world deployment, emphasizing governed, trustworthy agentic AI. Banks are shifting from product‑centric models to embedded, predictive experiences, with personalization and frictionless onboarding now expected. Over 70% of new fintech products involve...
Bank of Canada Orders XTM to Cease Retail Payment Activities After Investment Regulator Halts Trading of Its Stock
The Bank of Canada ordered fintech XTM and its affiliates to stop all retail payment activities after customers of its Everyday Payments subsidiary reported missing funds. Simultaneously, the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization halted trading of XTM’s PAID stock, causing the...
Anchorage Digital, B2C2 Partner on Institutional Trading, Custody
Anchorage Digital and crypto liquidity provider B2C2 have deepened their collaboration as B2C2 joins Anchorage’s Atlas platform, a two‑way settlement system for institutional crypto trades. Through the partnership, B2C2 will custody assets with Anchorage and settle transactions directly on Atlas,...
Malaysia Starts Sandbox Pilots Incl Tokenized Deposits, Stanchart Stablecoin
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has moved forward with its Digital Asset Innovation Hub, onboarding three stablecoin and tokenized‑deposit projects from more than 30 applicants. The sandbox pilots focus on domestic and cross‑border wholesale payments as well as settlement of tokenized...
Olympics Payments Hurdles Are a Microcosm of EU Challenges
The episode examines how Visa's exclusive role as the card provider at the Milano‑Cortina Winter Olympics exposed Europe’s reliance on U.S. payment networks, leaving many visitors stranded with cash‑only options and long ATM queues. Guest Don Apgar explains that geopolitical...
OCC Proposes New Appeal Process for Banks, Trusts
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has proposed a new appeals board that would review supervisory decisions using a de novo “fresh look” standard. The rule expands appeal rights to uninsured institutions such as national trust banks and...
Fears that Basel III Regulations Could Penalise Africa
The Basel III regulatory package, delayed to a full 2027 rollout, tightens capital quality, leverage and liquidity requirements for banks worldwide. African banks risk higher capital costs because their sovereign debt is risk‑weighted more heavily, potentially limiting credit to the...
IPO-Bound Kissht's NBFC Arm Gets Crisil Rating Upgrade on Strong Growth
Kissht’s NBFC subsidiary Si Creva Capital Services received a CRISIL rating upgrade, moving its long‑term rating to A‑/Stable and short‑term to A1. The upgrade follows a surge in assets under management, which climbed to Rs 5,533 crore by September 2025, driven by rapid expansion...
Affirm Partnerships Target Growth
Affirm is rapidly expanding its buy‑now‑pay‑later (BNPL) footprint by striking partnerships with Intuit, Expedia, a tenant‑services firm, and payment processor Fiserv. The strategy targets new verticals such as travel, tax preparation, rent payments, and debit‑card users, aiming to broaden consumer...
Affirm’s Move to Become a Bank Signals a Reconfiguration for the BaaS Industry and Beyond
Fintech lender Affirm announced plans to obtain a U.S. banking charter, a move that could reshape the banking‑as‑a‑service (BaaS) landscape. The filing comes as charter applications have surged, with 21 submissions in the first eight months of 2025—more than double...
Tragedy: American Express May Have Closed United Airlines Travel Bank “Loophole”
American Express appears to have ended a long‑standing loophole that let Platinum cardholders claim the $200 annual airline credit by purchasing United Airlines Travel Bank credits. The change, effective around February 6, 2026, reclassifies these purchases as ticket‑related, making them ineligible for...
From First-Mover To Full-Stack Partner
Safe Harbor Financial, led by new CEO Terry Mendez, is transitioning from a niche cannabis‑banking pioneer to a full‑stack solutions partner for the industry. The fintech has already moved tens of billions of dollars through regulated cannabis channels and now...
Carlyle, BlackRock Buy Cheap Software Loans to Boost CLO Profits
Carlyle Group, BlackRock, Benefit Street Partners and Oak Hill Advisors are buying pools of low‑yield, software‑focused bank loans. The acquisitions are intended to seed new collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) after a year of compressed margins in the loan market. Buyers...
LSEG Partners with Bank of America to Unlock Next Generation Data, Analytics and AI Ready Content for Clients
London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and Bank of America have entered a multi‑year partnership to embed LSEG’s data, analytics and workflow solutions across BofA’s platforms. The deal gives BofA clients governed, rights‑cleared data and AI‑ready content, powered by LSEG Workspace,...
Thai Banks’ Bad Loans Dip Slightly
Thai banks’ non‑performing loan ratio slipped to 2.84% at December, down from 2.94% in September. Bank lending fell 1.1% in Q4 2025, marking the sixth straight quarter of contraction, driven by tighter credit to SMEs and consumers. Household debt remains...
Olaf Sleijpen: Repairing the Vending Machine - How the Savings and Investment Union Is Key to Europe's Future
Olaf Sleijpen, governor of De Nederlandsche Bank, highlighted Europe’s €10 trillion of low‑yield household deposits and the need to channel them into productive capital markets through the Savings and Investment Union. He warned that fragmented insolvency regimes and national rules act...
Policy Paper: Applying the FSMA 2000 Model of Regulation to the Capital Requirements Regulation
HM Treasury’s 2025 policy update outlines a shift from the EU‑derived Capital Requirements Regulation to a UK‑specific framework built on the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The Treasury will revoke parts of the CRR and replace them with rules...
The New Forces Shaping for Financial Trust
Banks must protect trust while delivering real‑time digital services, prompting CIOs to balance speed, innovation, and regulatory risk. Tata Communications identified four forces—Simplification, Network as a strategic asset, AI readiness, and Precedent‑free leadership (SNAP)—that now shape technology agendas in financial...
4 Steps to Building Your Own Fintech
UK platforms Klipboard, Access Group, and Epos Now illustrate a four‑stage roadmap for building embedded finance. They begin by validating assumptions and launching embedded payments, then evolve payments into a core, cross‑functional capability. Next, they add complementary financial products such as...
Piero Cipollone: The Digital Euro - Strengthening Europe's Payments Ecosystem
In a speech in Nicosia, ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone presented the digital euro as a cornerstone for Europe’s payment autonomy, security and competitiveness. He emphasized the ECB’s readiness to issue retail central‑bank digital money while maintaining wholesale settlement...
Emirates NBD Leads $31 Million Round in Real Estate Investment Platform Stake
Stake, a fractional real‑estate investment platform, closed a $31 million financing round led by Emirates NBD, bringing its total capital to $58 million. The raise backs Stake’s rapid expansion beyond Saudi Arabia into the United States and supports its regulated offering in the Kingdom....
Private Credit: Poised For Growth
Asia‑Pacific private credit is entering a rapid expansion phase, with issuance projected to rise from $59 billion in 2024 to $92 billion by 2027. Industry leaders such as SC Lowy and Moody’s cite digitalization, the energy transition, and infrastructure needs as primary catalysts,...
Velera’s Chuck Fagan: ‘Speed to Member Impact’ Is the Only KPI That Matters for Credit Unions
Chuck Fagan, CEO of Velera, told PYMNTS that credit unions must make "speed to member impact" their primary KPI, measuring how quickly they deliver solutions from concept to market. He warned that the term "credit" alienates millennials and Gen Z,...
What CFOs Need From Banks and FinTechs in Cross-Border Payments
Cross‑border payments are undergoing a structural shift as CFOs demand more predictable, liquid, and compliant solutions. FinTech firms have accelerated speed and API‑driven usability, opening new corridors and transparent pricing. At the same time, banks are investing in modern settlement,...
Nairagram Completes ₦10 Billion Capital Raise to Deepen Financial Connectivity Across Africa
Pan‑African payments firm Nairagram completed a ₦10 billion commercial paper issuance, fully subscribed within 48 hours after regulatory clearance from the Central Bank of Nigeria. The capital will fund operations across 37 African countries, accelerating expansion in key markets such as Nigeria,...
Fintech Treyd Targets Doubling UK Customer Base as It Hits £200m Lending Milestone
Swedish fintech Treyd has surpassed £200 million in UK lending since its 2022 launch, making Britain its biggest market with more than 500 customers. The company plans to double its UK client base by 2027, targeting underserved SMEs that need rapid...
Overseas and E-Commerce Payments to Be Made Easier in Ethiopia
The National Bank of Ethiopia announced sweeping foreign‑exchange reforms, letting exporters retain 100% of their foreign‑currency earnings in designated accounts and permitting banks to issue payment cards linked to those accounts. The minimum $100 requirement for foreign‑exchange savings accounts has...
Fibe Crosses Rs 1,200 Cr Revenue in FY25; Profit Spikes 13%
Fibe, the former EarlySalary, posted FY25 operating revenue of Rs 1,228 crore, a 49% increase from the prior year, while net profit rose 13% to Rs 114 crore. Interest on loans remained the dominant revenue stream, exceeding Rs 1,000 crore and representing over...
IHG Premier Card 175K Points Limited Time Welcome Bonus: Worth Applying
Chase’s IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card now offers a limited‑time welcome bonus of 175,000 points after $5,000 spend in the first three months, a 35,000‑point increase over the prior offer. The $99 annual‑fee card grants instant Platinum elite status,...
Mortgage Originator Maestro AI Announces $1.2M Pre-Seed
Maestro AI, an AI‑powered platform for mortgage origination, secured $1.2 million in pre‑seed funding led by New Stack Ventures, with participation from Family VC, ZFO, Roark’s Drift, and local angels. Founded by industry veteran David Rogove—who previously built and sold Wemlo...
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MONETARY POLICY: Sarb Proposes Major Reform — Ditching Prime Lending Rate for Repo Rate
The South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) has released a consultation paper proposing to scrap the prime lending rate (PLR) and use the repo rate, known as the SARB policy rate (SPR), as the benchmark for loan pricing. The PLR currently...
Philippine “Revolut” Maya Eyes Up to $1 Billion US Listing
Philippine fintech Maya, an all‑in‑one digital banking app, is eyeing a U.S. IPO that could raise up to $1 billion. The platform now serves 5.4 million customers and disbursed 68 billion pesos ($1.2 bn) in loans in 2024. Its filing comes amid a volatile...
Kinetic Treasury Arrives
J.P. Morgan’s Kinexys platform demonstrated kinetic treasury by instantly minting $40 million of stablecoins using a tokenized vacation‑home as collateral, freeing a semiconductor shipment for a Rotterdam logistics firm. The transaction bridged a retail client’s idle digital asset with an institutional...
MoonPay Deposits to Launch
MoonPay announced MoonPay Deposits, a cross‑chain funding solution that lets users top‑up applications directly from any crypto wallet, regardless of token or blockchain. The service automatically handles swapping, bridging, and routing, delivering the chosen asset to the destination wallet. It...
UK Bank Bosses Plan to Set up Visa and Mastercard Alternative Amid Trump Fears
UK bank leaders are convening to launch a sovereign payments network, DeliveryCo, as an alternative to Visa and Mastercard. The initiative, backed by City funders and the Bank of England, aims to mitigate risks from potential US political actions, such...
Andrew Baker Is New CIO of Capitec
Andrew Baker has been promoted from chief technology officer to chief information officer at Capitec, succeeding Wim de Bruyn who led the role since 2014. Baker joins the CIO post after four years driving Capitec’s migration to Amazon Web Services and...
Japanese Fintech PayPay Looks Enter the U.S. Via a Visa Partnership And an IPO
Japanese fintech PayPay Corp. announced a U.S. market entry strategy that pairs a Visa partnership with an upcoming initial public offering. The collaboration will enable PayPay to bundle its Balance, Card and Bank services into a single Visa credential, expanding...
RBI Eases On-Lending, Current A/C Rules in Final ECB Framework
The Reserve Bank of India released its final external commercial borrowing (ECB) framework, removing the mandatory "current account" condition for banks to become designated authorized dealers. While the RBI clarified that ECB proceeds may be used to purchase land and...
Cost of Credit for Builders & Developers at Its Lowest Since 2022
The NAHB’s AD&C Financing survey shows that in Q4 2025 the cost of credit for residential builders fell to its lowest level since 2022. Contract rates dropped across land acquisition, development, speculative and pre‑sold single‑family loans, and effective rates fell even...
Letters to the Editor Dated February 16, 2026
The Hindu BusinessLine letters highlight three regulatory concerns. First, they argue that the credit‑deposit ratio alone cannot gauge bank health and call for abolishing the Cash Reserve Ratio to improve deposit mobilisation amid RBI’s new risk‑based insurance premiums. Second, they...
RBI Issues Draft Norms for Reporting on Forex Derivative Transactions Involving Rupee
The Reserve Bank of India released draft norms requiring Authorised Dealer Category‑I banks to report all rupee‑denominated foreign‑exchange derivative transactions undertaken by their related parties worldwide. This follows earlier steps that mandated primary dealers and banks to disclose rupee interest‑rate...
Backbase and Plaid Partner to Power AI Banking
Backbase and Plaid have announced a partnership that embeds Plaid’s secure, real‑time financial data connectivity into Backbase’s AI‑powered Banking Platform. The joint solution tackles data fragmentation, streamlines onboarding, and delivers a 360‑degree view of customers’ financial health. It replaces fragile...
Deutsche Pfandbriefbank's 2025 Results Hit by U.S. Exit Costs; Medium-Term Targets Delayed
Deutsche Pfandbriefbank posted a preliminary 2025 loss of €250 million before tax, primarily due to accelerated U.S. exit costs, high provisioning and fair‑value adjustments. Operating income fell to €422 million despite a 23% rise in new business volumes, while office‑focused commercial real‑estate...
Brokers to Approach RBI as Tighter Norms Squeeze Funding for Proprietary Desks
The Reserve Bank of India’s new capital‑market exposure framework, effective April 1 2026, mandates 100 percent collateral backing for all bank loans to brokerage firms and bars banks from financing proprietary trading desks. Brokers plan to petition the RBI for clarifications as the...
Hoot Host’s Launch and Other Digital Transactions News Briefs From 2/16/26
Digital payments and real‑estate markets saw notable shifts on Feb. 16, 2026. Hoot Host rolled out an expanded SaaS platform integrating PayPal, Square and Stripe, while cryptocurrency exchange OKX obtained a Malta Payment Institution license to extend stablecoin payment services across the...
Fed's Bowman Wants to Boost Banks' Share of Mortgage Market
Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman announced that the Fed will soon propose two mortgage‑related regulatory changes aimed at lowering banks' capital costs and encouraging greater bank participation in mortgage origination and servicing. The proposals could revise Basel...
MiFIR Schema 1.4.0 Rollout: Testing Clarity Still Pending – April Deadline Remains
ESMA’s MiFIR reporting page shows the test environment for schema v1.4.0 will open in February 2026, but exact dates remain unconfirmed. The new XML schema removes the separate FITRS quantitative reporting channel, shifting equity transparency calculations to transaction reporting data...
Why some Major Banks Are Bringing Embedded Finance In-House
Capital One is reshaping its business by bringing embedded finance capabilities in-house through two high‑profile acquisitions. The 2024 purchase of Discover gave the bank broader credit‑card reach, payment rails and consumer data, while the January 2026 acquisition of Brex adds...
RBI Approves Rajan Bajaj as MD and CEO of Slice
Fintech firm Slice announced that its founder Rajan Bajaj has been appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, with the appointment cleared by the board, shareholders and the Reserve Bank of India. Bajaj, who previously served as Executive Director, steered Slice...