Modern Payments Infrastructure Is the New Battleground for Growth
Payments infrastructure has moved from a back‑office function to a strategic growth lever, as platforms relying on legacy systems face higher friction, cost, and slower revenue realization. TSG and Payforge’s new whitepaper argues that modernizing payment stacks is essential to meet accelerating market expectations. The paper outlines the financial impact of delayed upgrades and presents a disciplined, focus‑first approach to transformation. It positions updated, AI‑enhanced payment platforms as the new competitive battleground.
What Are Microloans & How To Get One
Microloans have become a key financing option for U.S. small businesses that cannot secure traditional bank loans. The SBA’s microloan program, administered through community development financial institutions, offers loans up to $50,000, with an average size of $13,000, and pairs...
Loandepot Adds Wholesale Production 3 Years After Exit
Loandepot announced its return to the wholesale mortgage origination channel, a move it had abandoned in August 2022 after a $224 million Q2 loss. CEO Anthony Hsieh, now acting CEO, says the comeback leverages the joint‑venture shared‑services platform to drive profitable...
Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News
Fintech week pivots to the TradFi‑DeFi bridge as stablecoin platform Kast announced an $80 million financing round, signaling a move from back‑office infrastructure to mainstream financial services. Irish banks launched an in‑app instant payment service, while Visa introduced an AI‑driven intelligent...
Sonic Labs Unveils USSD Stablecoin as Network Looks to Reverse Decline
Sonic Labs has launched USSD, a native stablecoin built on Frax’s frxUSD framework, to shore up liquidity after its TVL collapsed to $34 million—a 97% decline from its 2025 peak. The token is fully dollar‑pegged, fee‑free to mint, and backed by...
TransUnion Fires Latest Volley in Credit-Score Price War
TransUnion announced a steep reduction of its VantageScore 4.0 mortgage‑origination fee to $0.99, down from $4. The move intensifies a price war sparked by the FHFA’s push for scoring‑model competition and comes as FICO and other bureaus raise their fees. TransUnion...
EU’s Regulated Blockchain Securities Market Adds First Bank Participant
Amina, a Swiss‑regulated crypto bank, became the first fully regulated bank to join 21X, the EU’s pilot blockchain‑based securities trading and settlement venue. The partnership with Tokeny enables Amina to sponsor listings of tokenized securities on the platform, tackling interoperability...
Can We Legally Trade on Anything? By Oren Stern
Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket let users trade on speculative events, from alien confirmations to geopolitical outcomes. While the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) oversees these platforms under the Commodity Exchange Act, the law explicitly bans contracts tied to...
Premium Cards Battle Escalates as Credit Balances Rise
Consumer credit expanded at a 1.9% annualized rate in January, with revolving balances rising 4.3% despite a modest slowdown. Premium‑fee cards, many charging over $600 annually, are witnessing heightened competition as fintechs like Robinhood and Revolut join incumbents. Research shows...
Go-Ahead Tests Littlepay CAATT Pre-Paid Travel Pass in Brighton
Littlepay, in partnership with Google, has enabled pre‑paid travel passes to be stored and activated in Google Wallet. Passengers can tap their phones on Brighton buses, replacing traditional paper tickets with a contactless, mobile solution. Go‑Ahead, a UK transport group, launched...
Spain Targets 2028 Digital Euro to Cut US Dependence
USD stablecoins guarantee a digital euro; now we have even more proof of this from Spain: “Europe needs a sovereign payment architecture,” and “the noticeable increase in US stablecoin-based financial intermediation increases the urgency.” Spain Pushes for 2028 Launch of...
Global Insurance Broker Aon Tests Stablecoin Payments with Coinbase, Paxos
Aon, one of the world’s largest insurance brokers, completed a proof‑of‑concept using stablecoins to settle premium payments. The firm partnered with Coinbase and Paxos to move USDC on Ethereum and PayPal USD on Solana, marking the first known stablecoin settlement...
SEBI Sets up Expert Group to Chart Tech Roadmap for Markets
India’s securities regulator SEBI has created a high‑level expert working group to draft both short‑term and long‑term technology roadmaps for the market ecosystem. The group will address growing trading volumes, digital participation, and operational complexity, while SEBI simultaneously rolls out...
Nasdaq Taps Kraken as Settlement Layer for Tokenized Stock Initiative
Nasdaq announced a partnership with Kraken’s parent Payward to build a settlement layer for its new equity‑token design. The collaboration will connect Nasdaq’s infrastructure with Kraken’s xStocks platform, enabling tokenized stocks to move between regulated, permissioned markets and permissionless DeFi...
Bison Bank Integrates Elliptic’s AI Analytics to Supercharge Digital Asset Compliance
Lisbon‑based Bison Bank has partnered with blockchain analytics leader Elliptic to embed the firm’s AI‑powered “copilot” into its digital‑asset subsidiary, Bison Digital Assets. The integration enables real‑time monitoring of more than 1,000 crypto tokens and automates data collection, fund‑flow analysis,...
Square, SumUp, Shopify: Data Streaming for Real-Time Point-of-Sale (POS)
Point‑of‑sale systems are evolving from simple cash registers into real‑time, connected platforms that handle payments, inventory, and customer insights. Mobile payment leaders Square, SumUp, and Shopify now offer SMBs enterprise‑grade POS capabilities, blurring the line between payment processors and commerce...
Coinbase CEO Highlights UK Regulatory Risks as US Stablecoin Framework Advances and Global Adoption Surges
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong warned that proposed UK stablecoin caps could erode the country’s fintech edge, while the United States has moved ahead with the GENIUS Act, establishing the first federal framework for payment stablecoins. The legislation mandates 100% reserve...
Why Mastercard Has Become the Go-To Payment Method for Online Casino Players
Mastercard has transformed into a digital‑payments leader, becoming the preferred method for online casino players. Its investments in tokenization, biometric verification, and real‑time fraud prevention deliver fast, secure transactions that meet regulatory and user expectations. Operators benefit from the card’s...
Hamachi.ai Integrates With Fynancial to Deliver AI-Driven Household Intelligence and Compliant Advisor Workflows
Hamachi.ai announced a deep integration with Fynancial, embedding its regulatory‑first AI orchestration layer into the digital client‑experience platform. The connection pulls household‑level data—relationships, goals, life events—and generates compliant, context‑aware communications and next‑best‑action recommendations. Advisor‑approved outputs flow back into the Fynancial...
Jump Expands AI Operating System for Advisors With New Products Powering Growth and Operations
Jump announced an AI Operating System for Advisors, bundling three new products—Meet, Grow and Operate—on a unified data and orchestration platform. The suite transforms meetings, emails and documents into structured, compliance‑ready intelligence and automates workflows across the client lifecycle. Over...
Despite Fintech Encroachment, Banks Can Remain the Go-To for SMBs
In this episode, host Rima Katz talks with Eleanor Bontrager of Byserve and Don Apgar of Javelin Strategy about the fragmented fintech tools small businesses currently use for payments, receivables, and cash‑flow management. They explain how SMBs juggle multiple apps,...
ICBA Adds Jack Henry to Preferred Program and Other Digital Transactions News Briefs From 3/9/26
Jack Henry & Associates’ anti‑fraud solution, Financial Crimes Defender, has been added to the Independent Community Bankers of America’s Preferred Service Provider program. Affiniti Finance secured a financing agreement with Column N.A. to accelerate its corporate‑card and banking services for...
The Tech Trying to End Construction’s 300-Year-Old Payment Problem
Construction’s chronic cash‑flow issues have spurred two new fintech solutions. Saible, launched in 2023, introduces a Digital Parallel Payment Account that holds project funds in a regulated trust, separating cash from payment authority. ProjectPay, also founded in 2023, embeds short‑term...
Nasdaq European Trading Venues to Connect to Boerse Stuttgart Group Settlement Platform
Nasdaq announced a strategic partnership with Boerse Stuttgart Group to connect its European trading venues to the Seturion tokenised settlement platform. The collaboration will enable tokenised securities to settle via a distributed‑ledger infrastructure while preserving MiFID II and the EU DLT...
Stablecoin Payments Startup Kast Raises $80M at $600M Valuation: Report
Kast, a stablecoin‑based payments platform, closed an $80 million round that lifts its valuation to $600 million. The company projects a $100 million annual revenue run‑rate by 2025 and will use the capital to broaden its footprint across North America, Latin America and...
EQB Nears Takeover of PC Financial Arm After Competition Bureau Approval
EQB Inc. received Competition Bureau clearance to acquire President’s Choice Bank and related PC Financial assets from Loblaw, moving the deal closer to completion. The transaction still requires sign‑off from the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions and the...
Pakistan Passes Virtual Assets Act, Creates Regulator for Digital Asset Sector
Pakistan's parliament approved the Virtual Assets Act 2026, creating the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) to license and supervise cryptocurrency service providers. The authority, initially formed by a 2025 presidential ordinance, now has permanent legal standing. PVARA will enforce...
Paul Stoddart Joins Fourthline as CEO
Fourthline has appointed Paul Stoddart as its new chief executive, succeeding co‑founder Krik Gunning who will stay on as an advisor. The fintech specializes in AI‑driven digital identity verification and AML/KYC compliance for European banks and challenger lenders. Stoddart, known...
Effortless Onemain Financial Payment Options: Manage Your Loan Online
OneMain Financial now offers a suite of digital tools that let borrowers pay, track, and manage their personal loans entirely online. Customers can choose from several disbursement methods, including a SpeedFunds® debit card that delivers funds within an hour, ACH...
CRC Launches Upgraded Mobile App to Expand Access to Credit Data
CRC Credit Bureau launched an upgraded mobile app that streamlines access to credit data, financial services, and digital transactions for Nigerians. The new version adds biometric authentication, a built‑in wallet, and direct enrollment in CRC’s financial education programmes. The bureau...
Fixed Income Electronic Trading Platform Trumid Achieves New Average Daily Volume Milestone in February
Trumid’s electronic fixed‑income marketplace posted a record $10.2 billion average daily volume in February, a 37% year‑over‑year increase and the first time it breached the $10 billion mark. Market share rose 13% YoY, while its RFQ tool surged 148% to a $1.6 billion...
AI Advice Used by Half of Brits, Shaking Wealth Industry
Financial advice... I'm sure we will hear a range of stories as this becomes more prevalent -> A Lloyds-commissioned study of 5,000 people in the UK finds that 50%+ of the adults used generative AI platforms for financial advice; ChatGPT...
Filippo Chiricozzi on Web3, Digital ID and the Future of Finance
Filippo Chiricozzi, DLT & Digital Identity Lead at Banca Sella, is steering the bank’s push into Web3, cryptocurrencies, and the metaverse while focusing on digital identity solutions. The bank is aligning with European initiatives such as the Digital Identity Wallet...
9PSB Reinforces Commitment to Financial Inclusion with ‘Send to Ghana’
Nigeria’s first Payment Service Bank, 9PSB, has unveiled a new cross‑border feature called Send to Ghana on its Bank9ja app. The service, built on Onafriq’s technology and the Pan‑African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), is regulated by the Central Bank...
Nasdaq's Equity Tokenization Spurs Tech Long Ahead of 2027
NASDAQ advances equity tokenization: issuer-controlled tokens, DTCC settlement, Kraken gateway. Risk—regulatory friction. Trade: go long select exchange/clearing tech ahead of 1H2027 rollout. — Viktor Kopylov, PhD, CFA. More insights: t.me/si14Kopylov
Claude's AI Rebalances Threaten RIA Middleware Stack
Claude can now execute portfolio rebalances at scale. Every RIA-focused AI middleware company just became a target. The advisory stack isn't being augmented — it's being bypassed. Agentic AI and Anthropic's Launch of Wealth Management AI Tools https://t.co/eJ7H2Bo1Ml
Top US Banks Weigh Suing Federal Regulator over Crypto Banking Rules
The Bank Policy Institute (BPI), representing major lenders such as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, is weighing a lawsuit against the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) over its new national trust charter framework for crypto, payment and fintech...
Let Digital Handle Routine; Branches Build Relationships
Digital handles routine needs. Branches should focus on complex conversations, community engagement, and relationship building. https://t.co/nOTg9IGJlt
Fintech Overkill: Fraud Controls Lock Users Out
Wow three fintech/banking FUs in 7 days. Overactive fraud controls at @billcom @Chase and now @AmericanExpress. Apparently I need to upload a photo of my nanny’s SSN card to add her to my credit card. Is this 2026?
Morgan Stanley Says This Undervalued Brazilian Digital Bank Can Double
Morgan Stanley launched coverage of Brazil’s digital lender Agibank, assigning an overweight rating and a $21 price target that suggests roughly 100% upside from its recent IPO price of $12. The analyst team highlighted the bank’s deep discount to peers...
Worrying About Credit Card Fraud Isn't Rational
While no one wants to deal with credit card fraud, is it rational to worry about it, especially selectively? Here's why I think the answer is "no." https://t.co/YrRjx9Mdvr
Morgan Stanley's Rapid Crypto Push Signals Closing Institutional Window
When Morgan Stanley moves this fast on crypto, it tells you something The institutional window is closing First movers already positioned Second movers are scrambling Last movers will buy the top We're watching the second wave in real time
Kalshi Taps Brazil’s XP to Take Prediction Markets Global
Kalshi has teamed up with Brazil's leading brokerage XP Inc. to launch regulated prediction‑market contracts outside the United States. XP will handle local distribution, client relationships, and regulatory coordination, while Kalshi supplies the trading technology, market design, and risk‑management tools....
Kraken Bypasses TradFi, Builds Bank for Fed Access
Kraken got fed up of waiting on TradFi so it built its own bank to access the Fed — and it just worked https://t.co/KXiaMBmASC https://t.co/TwTkLEnUYo
Bilt Card Subjects Rent Payments to CARD Act Rules
Either rent/mortgage payments are via Bilt card (CARD Act, TILA apply) or they are not. I suspect some users' confusion is due to Bilt's communication of how housing payments work in "Bilt 2.0" https://t.co/vORPcpuwYe
MoneyGram, Vodafone, and eToro to Operate Privacy-Enhancing Blockchain Nodes for Midnight
The Midnight Foundation announced that MoneyGram, Vodafone’s Pairpoint unit, and eToro will each run one of the ten founding nodes for Midnight, a fourth‑generation privacy‑enhancing blockchain. The three regulated firms join existing operators such as Google Cloud, Blockdaemon, Shielded Technologies...
78% of Firms Anticipate Tokenized Collateral by Year‑end
Nasdaq: 52% of Institutions Expect Live Tokenized Collateral by Year-End Shift from "if" to "when": 78% of North American firms expect tokenized collateral to significantly impact their business. Catalyst = recent SEC + CFTC no-action positions allowing digital assets as margin...
Banks Must Align Branches with Digital‑First Strategy
To thrive in the digital age, banks must rethink branch strategy. It’s not about supporting the branch. It’s about aligning branches with digital-first planning. Learn how: https://t.co/7yibAIVrHK https://t.co/47DCJWpqnf
New Briefing Note: PSD3 and PSR: From Provisional Agreement to 2026 Readiness
The European Commission has reached a provisional agreement on the Payment Services Directive 3 (PSD3) and the accompanying Payment Services Regulation (PSR), setting a roadmap toward full implementation by 2026. The new rules broaden the definition of payment service providers, tighten...
Digital Ambition Needs Execution, Not Just Hype
Credit unions have digital ambition heading into 2026. But ambition alone won’t drive results. In this episode, Jesus Garcia of @OceanAir_CU explores the execution gap, branch expansion paradox, and where AI is real versus hype. Watch the full conversation sponsored by...