SOFI's Explosive Growth Undermined by Inflation Fears
$SOFI - Lending Revenue $267M ➡️ $1.85B - Tech Platform $0 ➡️ $450M - Financial Services $1M ➡️ $1.54B - Members 652K ➡️ 13.65M - Lending Originations $11.7B ➡️ $36.4B But sure, sell the stock because inflation is a bit higher, or you don't like the new FED chair nominee.
Banks Fund Real Estate, Not Stocks—Choose Property
If stocks were the best path to wealth, banks would loan you 80% to buy them. They don’t. But they will for real estate. That should tell you something.
Goldman Slide Signals Hidden Atlantic Credit Crisis
Goldman Sachs down 7.5% in a single day. From $985 to $860 in three months. Meanwhile, a UK mortgage lender just collapsed. Private credit contagion is spreading across the Atlantic. This isn’t a correction. It’s a credit event hiding in plain sight.
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
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.
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
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...
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...
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)
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
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...
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
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...
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
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...
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...
Nasdaq Launches 23‑Hour, AI‑Powered Tokenized Equity Trading
Nasdaq Advances ‘Always-On’ Markets - Markets Media https://t.co/qx1uN2r2R7 Equities trading for 23 hours each day between Monday and Friday, tokenization of equities and deployment of artificial intelligence. https://t.co/LEFEqDRaFg
Automation Boosts Call Center Quality Without Sacrificing Trust
Modernizing call center operations can improve service quality and increase conversion opportunities. Automation doesn’t have to erode trust. We explore this with @zaygranet, CEO of @usebland. Watch the full episode: https://t.co/XXRymkLwFx https://t.co/lVvoajEUEM
DBS and Visa Launch AI-Powered Tokenized Payments Pilot
The future of payments is here. DBS and Visa are bridging TradFi and Web3 with the pilot of Visa Intelligent Commerce AI agents can browse, select, and purchase real-world goods securely using tokenized credit card credentials. DBS and Visa collaborate to advance...
Banks Miss AI Mark: Rethink Your Strategy
Excited to be speaking at the NextGen Payments & RegTech Forum in Zurich next week, exploring why many financial institutions are missing the mark in my keynote 'Your Bank’s AI Strategy Is Wrong.' Register here: https://t.co/xTKmiFTVt8 https://t.co/nY4oh47Y7A
Emerging Risks, Bank Consolidation, Quantum Computing Near Production
I've just released my weekly wrap-up. 1️⃣ A public view on Emerging Risks 2️⃣ Re-aggregating banks 3️⃣ Quantum Computing gets closer to production 👉 https://t.co/P2HDzCRgWS — fgtrends
PayPal’s Bitcoin Play Forecasted PYUSD’s Payments Shift
#FlashbackFriday In 2020, I said PayPal’s Bitcoin move wasn’t about Bitcoin at all, but about positioning for a very different payments landscape. PYUSD has since filled in the blanks. https://t.co/IryLfol0XZ Yesterday’s future. Progress optional. #Stablecoins #Paypal #PYUSD
Decouple Payments From Credit with New Technology
New on the not-a-newsletter... The Cap Fits https://t.co/1SFmSdzq9b Maybe it’s time to rethink credit cards and use all the options provided by new technology to decouple the payment system from credit. https://t.co/auLNZL8z9W
Syfe Launches JPMorgan Active ETF Strategy as First WealthTech Partner
🇸🇬 Syfe becomes first #WealthTech partner to launch JPM AM's active ETF strategy: While #JPMorgan provides research insights and market perspectives, @SyfeSG remains responsible for all portfolio decisions. @financialit_net. #WealthManagement https://t.co/aJqdfpeMKr
China Cuts Shorting Costs, Drops 20% Reserve on Yuan Forwards
China Moves to Tame Yuan Rally by Slashing Shorting Costs—Chinese banks won’t be required to set aside a 20% risk reserve on forward currency trades https://t.co/myGXkMjp6X https://t.co/myGXkMjp6X
Fed Sets Reserve Levels; SOFR‑IORB Gap Signals Bank Comfort
No, it tells you there are still very large quantities of reserves in the system as a result of QE. Banks collectively are obliged to hold all the reserves issued by the Fed. The quantity of reserves in the system...
European Wealth Firms Rally Against AI-Driven Client Loss
European wealth managers hit back after fears #AI will make them obsolete: Europe’s top wealth firms are rushing to defend themselves against advances in AI after the launch of a tax-planning tool in the US intensified concerns that tech disruption would...
Digital Adoption Drives the Future of Financial Services
The future of financial services is digital. Whether you want to play that way or not. Consumers are opening accounts and transacting digitally more than ever before. https://t.co/mif0VDdckX
Crypto.com's $15M Trump Donation Raises Charter Conflict
Crypto .com parent co donated a combined $15M to Trump entities. It just received conditional approval of its trust bank charter app. Even if these things AREN'T related, and I hope they're not, the appearance of a conflict of interest is...
Banks to Embed Wallets Directly in Online Banking
🎯+ wait until you see what @Vantage_Bank & @custodiabank are delivering to a consortium of banks that abstracts away the complexity of wallets *INSIDE* the banking system, accessible from your online banking page. I gave an interview to @BankDirector on...
Bluprynt Secures $4.25M Seed, Bridges Compliance to On‑Chain
Truly big news today: I’m delighted to share that my startup @blupryntco has completed its oversubscribed $4.25m seed raise. Thanks to an all star roster of investors including @valorcapgroup @CultivationCap @RobinhoodApp @cbventures @QuonaCapital @FlourishVC @SelahVentures and Kazea for joining...
Effective Onboarding Fuels Customer Retention and Revenue
You cannot expect strong relationships with weak onboarding. A well structured digital process directly impacts retention and revenue. Download The Power of Customer Permissioned Data for free: https://t.co/0wah7wPuXN https://t.co/QvZQSHbMI8
Bunq CEO Ali Niknam Challenges EU Stablecoin Rules
🔵 The banker who sued his central bank and changed European regulation. I sat down with Ali Niknam, founder and CEO of @bunq, at Davos during the WEF 2026 🎥 "𝐛𝐮𝐧𝐪'𝐬 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐬: 𝐀𝐈, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐁𝐞𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞...
Combat AI Attacks with Automated Zero‑Trust Security
CIOs and CISOs face AI-driven attacks that outpace traditional defenses. The answer: automated AI security, zero-trust frameworks, centralized identity, and regular training. Fighting fire with fire is how we protect organizations. https://t.co/HSIY5JYyPE
Double Standards: Swiss Bank Targeted, Binance Pardoned
The hypocrisy of cutting off a Swiss Bank for facilitating payments to Iran and Russia, while the administration pardons CZ & family does business with Binance... https://t.co/p2PfBgrfDs
Top 5 Payment Processors Control 56% Market
Will anyone dislodge Stripe as the payments king? This chart is about the same as last year. Stripe lost a few points, but the same number of Do Not Accept / N/A remains the same. PayPal remained the same. Survey...
Consumer Fintech Still Holds Massive Untapped Opportunity
There are a lot of reasons for this, but the net-net is tha this is why there's still so much opportunity for consumer fintech.
Circle Surges 30% as USDC Hits $11.9 T
Circle Pops 30% as USDC Prints an $11.9 Trillion Flex The Stock market is seeing an Agentic future in which agents choose regulated USD stablecoins. https://t.co/efPUeNxQsu
Revolut IPO Sparks Unprecedented Fintech VC Liquidity
We are going to see previously unheard of liquidity in fintech VC following the @Revolut IPO. "The firm is targeting a valuation of at least $150 billion through any listing." https://t.co/mos6kPJDYO
Crypto Proves Vital as Traditional Finance Falters
I found the conversation on @bitsandbips this week quite clarifying. @ramahluwalia @austincampbell @perkinscr97 and @malekanoms covered a lot of ground. 💥 Why BTC broke below $63k ☠️ The DAT debate gets real: spiral or floor? (and Omid owns his earlier hype 😅) 🌍 Crypto...
Kalshi Uses Public Enforcement to Signal Legitimacy
Fascinating to see @Kalshi taking so much action on alleged insider trading Legitimacy through very public enforcement. It's like an inverse regulation by enforcement. It's enforcement by industry to demonstrate being regulated. Kalshi accuses MrBeast editor of insider trading : NPR https://t.co/3sI6leeiBM