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News•Mar 6, 2026
FedNow Pushes FEMA Disaster Aid From Days to Seconds
The Federal Reserve’s FedNow service now powers FEMA’s disaster‑relief payouts, moving funds from days or weeks to seconds. Transaction limits have been raised to $10 million, enabling large‑scale disbursements directly to states, municipalities and households. This capability is part of a $175 billion federal overhaul that will eliminate paper checks by September 2025. Private firms such as InComm are pairing FedNow with blockchain‑based platforms to deliver controlled, instant payments for essential goods.
By PYMNTS
News•Mar 6, 2026
Visa Taps Veteran Leonardo Collado to Lead Pismo’s Global Growth
Visa has appointed senior vice president Leonardo J. Collado as general manager of Pismo, effective April 1. Collado, who oversees value‑added services for Latin America and the Caribbean, brings 25 years of payments experience to the role. The move follows...
By PYMNTS
News•Mar 3, 2026
PayPal and TCS Blockchain Modernize Logistics Payments
PayPal and TCS Blockchain have partnered to launch a blockchain‑based payment platform that uses PayPal USD (PYUSD) stablecoin to settle freight invoices. The solution promises same‑day, year‑round settlement and cost reductions of up to 90% compared with traditional invoice factoring....
By PYMNTS
News•Mar 3, 2026
Billtrust Debuts Agentic Credit to Catch Payment Risks
Billtrust announced the Agentic Credit Lines product, an AI‑driven credit risk tool embedded in its AR workflow. It leverages a proprietary network of 13 million buyers and 25 years of B2B payment data to analyze payment history, utilization patterns, and external credit...
By PYMNTS
News•Mar 2, 2026
Embedding Security: Designing Fraud Risk Out of Business Transactions
Embedded finance is set to exceed $7 trillion in transaction volume by 2026, cementing its role as core infrastructure for business platforms. However, fraud attempts are rising two to three times faster than in traditional banking, outpacing legacy detection tools. The...
By PYMNTS
News•Mar 2, 2026
52% of Small Businesses Don’t Revolve Their Credit Card Balances
A PYMNTS Intelligence study of 583 U.S. small and medium‑sized businesses reveals that credit cards are now a primary operating tool rather than a backup. Over half of SMBs (54%) mix business and personal cards, 82% rely on cards for...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 28, 2026
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...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 27, 2026
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...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 27, 2026
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...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 27, 2026
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...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 27, 2026
Figure Doubles Consumer Loan Volume and Adds Auto Lending
Figure Technology Solutions reported a 131% year‑over‑year surge in its Consumer Loan Marketplace, reaching $2.7 billion in Q4 2025. More than half of that volume, $1.5 billion, flowed through its newly launched Figure Connect platform, marking a rapid shift toward a capital‑light...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 27, 2026
OCC May Give Senators Warren and Scott Access to Trump Bank Application
The OCC’s comptroller, Jonathan Gould, indicated he will consider providing Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tim Scott with the unredacted bank charter application of World Liberty Financial, a Trump‑family‑linked DeFi firm. The application, submitted in January, seeks a national trust bank...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 27, 2026
Brink’s to Buy ATM Firm NCR Atleos in $6.6 Billion Infrastructure Bet
Brink’s announced a $6.6 billion cash‑and‑stock acquisition of NCR Atleos, aiming to create a leading financial‑technology infrastructure company. The deal, slated to close in the first quarter of 2027, merges Brink’s global cash‑management and route‑based network with Atleos’ owned ATM fleet...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 26, 2026
Sam Altman’s World ID Wins Major Brand Partners
Tools for Humanity, the iris‑scanning startup co‑founded by Sam Altman, is rolling out its World ID platform with high‑profile brand partners. A Gap store in San Francisco now hosts an Orb device that captures facial and eye data, while Tinder...
By PYMNTS
News•Feb 26, 2026
Stars Align for Passkeys but Will Adoption Follow?
Credential‑based fraud and login friction are eroding conversion for high‑value e‑commerce shoppers, prompting merchants to seek stronger, lower‑friction authentication. Passkeys, built on FIDO public‑key cryptography and unlocked via biometrics or PIN, promise to eliminate password reuse and phishing risk. PayPal...
By PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 26, 2026
Brink's to Acquire NCR Atleos in $6.6 Billion Deal
The Brink's Company announced a cash-and-stock acquisition of NCR Atleos for $6.6 billion, creating a leading financial‑technology infrastructure firm. The definitive agreement was signed on Feb. 26, 2026, with closing expected in the first quarter of 2027. The combined entity will generate...
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 11, 2026
Bedrock Robotics Raises $270M to Scale Autonomous Construction Systems
Bedrock Robotics announced a $270 million fundraising round to expand its AI-driven autonomous construction equipment, aiming to address labor shortages and improve safety. The capital will be used to retrofit traditional machinery with AI systems for earthwork tasks. The raise...
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 10, 2026
Agibank Slashes IPO Share Count and Price Range to $12-$13 Amid PicPay Share Drop
Brazilian fintech Agibank announced on Feb. 10 that it is reducing its U.S. IPO size from 43.6 million to 20 million shares and lowering the price range to $12‑$13, down from $15‑$18. The adjustment follows a 20% decline in competitor PicPay’s shares after...
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 10, 2026
Equal Parts Secures $23M Series A Funding Led by Inspired Capital
Equal Parts, a platform that acquires independent insurance agencies, announced a $23 million Series A round led by Inspired Capital. The funding will fuel its growth network, supporting plans to acquire 25 agencies this year and target $1 billion in premiums within two...
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 9, 2026
Beast Industries Acquires FinTech Step to Expand Financial Wellness
Creator-driven platform Beast Industries announced the acquisition of financial‑literacy app Step on Feb. 9, 2026. The deal combines Step’s technology and 7 million‑user base with Beast Industries’ audience reach to deliver financial wellness solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed.
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 9, 2026
NatWest Pays $3.6 Billion for Wealth Manager Evelyn Partners
U.K. banking group NatWest announced it will acquire wealth manager Evelyn Partners for about $3.6 billion (£2.7 billion). The acquisition, disclosed on Feb. 9, 2026, aims to expand NatWest's savings and investment services. Evelyn Partners is being bought from private-equity...
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 7, 2026
Databricks Secures $7B in New Funding to Power AI Agent Database
Databricks announced a $7 billion financing round on Feb 7, 2026, comprising $5 billion in equity and $2 billion in debt, lifting its valuation to $134 billion. The capital will be used to expand its Lakebase serverless Postgres database for AI agents and its Genie conversational...
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 4, 2026
EnFi Raises $15M to Expand AI Agents for Bank Credit Decisions
Boston-based fintech EnFi announced a $15 million fundraising round led by Fintop, with participation from Patriot Financial Partners, Commerce Ventures, Unusual Ventures and Boston Seed Capital. The capital will be used to deploy AI agents that automate credit analysis and...
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 4, 2026
Resolve AI Raises $125 Million for AI Agents That Maintain Software
Resolve AI announced a $125 million Series A round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, taking its total funding above $150 million and valuing the startup at $1 billion. The capital will accelerate development of its AI agents that act as site‑reliability engineers, helping enterprises...
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 3, 2026
Experian to Acquire AI-Powered Mortgage Shopping Platform Own Up
Experian announced it will acquire Own Up, an AI-powered mortgage shopping platform, to expand its mortgage offerings within the Experian Marketplace. The acquisition was announced in a Feb. 3 press release and is expected to close within 90 days pending...
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 2, 2026
Waymo Raises $16B in Funding Round, Valuation Climbs to $110B
Google-owned autonomous vehicle startup Waymo is close to finalizing a $16 billion funding round that would value the company at $110 billion. Google will contribute more than 75% of the capital, and the round is reported to be three times oversubscribed, underscoring...
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 2, 2026
Fifth Third Bancorp Completes Merger with Comerica, Forming $294B Regional Bank
Fifth Third Bancorp and Comerica Incorporated closed their merger on Feb. 2, creating a $294 billion institution that becomes the ninth‑largest U.S. bank. The deal combines Fifth Third’s consumer digital platform with Comerica’s commercial franchise, expanding digital banking and embedded‑finance capabilities across...
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 2, 2026
TransUnion to Acquire Mobile Division of RealNetworks
TransUnion announced a definitive agreement to acquire the mobile division of RealNetworks, aiming to boost its communications solutions and fraud‑prevention portfolio. The deal, disclosed in a Feb. 2 press release, will bring AI, machine‑learning and real‑time analytics capabilities to TransUnion, with...
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 2, 2026
Loop AI Secures $14M Series A Funding to Expand AI Platform for Restaurant Back Offices
Loop AI announced a $14 million Series A round led by Nyca Partners to expand its AI-driven platform for restaurant and retail back offices. The funding will be used to broaden its product suite and increase headcount, as detailed in...
PYMNTS
Deals•Feb 2, 2026
Varo Bank Secures $123.9M Series G Funding Led by Warburg Pincus and Coliseum Capital
Varo Bank, the all‑digital nationally chartered bank, announced a $123.9 million Series G round led by existing investor Warburg Pincus and new investor Coliseum Capital Management. The funding will support Varo’s next growth phase, including expansion of its AI‑driven lending products. The round...
PYMNTS
Deals•Jan 27, 2026
Anthropic Nears $20B Fundraising at $350B Valuation
Anthropic, the AI startup, is close to finalizing a new fundraising round that would raise $20B and value the company at $350B, according to the Financial Times on Jan. 27, 2026. The round follows a $13B Series F raise in...
PYMNTS
Deals•Jan 27, 2026
Mesh Raises $75M in New Funding Round, Hitting $1B Valuation
Crypto payments network Mesh announced a $75 million funding round that values the company at $1 billion. The round was led by Dragonfly Capital and will fund Mesh’s expansion into Asian, European and Latin American FinTech markets. The company previously raised...
PYMNTS
Deals•Jan 22, 2026
TikTok and ByteDance Form Joint Venture with Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX
TikTok and its parent ByteDance have signed agreements with Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX to create a new TikTok U.S. joint venture, slated to close on Jan. 22, 2026. The partnership will secure TikTok’s continued operations in the United States and...
PYMNTS
Deals•Jan 20, 2026
Walmart’s PhonePe Gets Regulatory OK for Indian IPO
India’s largest digital payments firm PhonePe, backed by Walmart, has received SEBI approval for its upcoming Indian IPO. The offering could raise up to $1.5 billion, valuing the company at roughly $15 billion, with existing shareholders Walmart, Microsoft and Tiger Global expected...
PYMNTS
Deals•Jan 15, 2026
BlackRock and Microsoft Raise $12.5B for AI Partnership
BlackRock announced that its AI partnership with Microsoft has raised $12.5 billion, bringing the collaboration closer to its $30 billion target. The partnership, which also includes Nvidia, xAi and UAE‑based MGX, aims to fund data‑center infrastructure for AI workloads. The capital raise...
PYMNTS
Deals•Jan 7, 2026
Zilch to Acquire Fjord Bank to Accelerate European Expansion
Consumer payments platform Zilch announced plans to acquire Lithuanian challenger bank Fjord Bank, securing a European banking licence and establishing a new headquarters in Lithuania. The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory...
PYMNTS
Deals•Jan 7, 2026
Anthropic Targets $10B Funding Round at $350B Valuation
Anthropic announced plans to raise $10 billion in a new funding round that would value the AI startup at $350 billion, nearly double its September 2025 valuation. The round is separate from its partnership with Microsoft and Nvidia, who have pledged a combined...
PYMNTS
Deals•Jan 6, 2026
GTreasury Acquires Solvexia to Expand Financial Automation Capabilities
Ripple’s GTreasury announced the acquisition of Solvexia, a no‑code financial automation platform, to broaden its treasury management suite with end‑to‑end reconciliation and regulatory reporting. The deal, disclosed on Jan. 6 2026, adds analytics and compliance tools for both fiat and digital‑asset transactions....
PYMNTS