MoonPay and M0 Launch PYUSDx Stablecoin Development Framework
MoonPay and M0 have introduced PYUSDx, a development framework that lets developers launch application‑specific stablecoins backed by PayPal’s PYUSD. The platform combines M0’s universal stablecoin engine with MoonPay’s distribution network, offering branded tokens, cross‑chain support, rapid time‑to‑market and transparent reserve reporting. PYUSD recently topped $4 billion in market cap, providing a trusted monetary base for the new framework. USD.ai is the first project to build an AI‑infrastructure stablecoin on PYUSDx.
Lloyds Stops Opening some Bank Accounts for Customers in Branches
Lloyds Banking Group announced it will no longer open joint, premium or student accounts in its branches, and staff will not switch customers from other providers. Customers seeking new accounts will be directed to the bank’s app or website, though...
Marqeta Flags Cash App Hit
Marqeta warned that Block’s revised Cash App pricing will compress its 2026 earnings, projecting a modest $10 million net income – the first profit since 2024. Block now represents about 45% of Marqeta’s revenue after falling from 68% in 2023, and the...
ICYMI Fintech Funding Round-Up: Confido, WafR, Burst, and More
Fintech investors continued to pour capital into niche infrastructure this week, with Confido securing $9 million to expand its legal‑tech payment platform, and Morocco‑based WafR raising $4 million to grow a digital network for corner stores. In the U.S., health‑spending paytech Burst...
RIVER: A Cautionary Tale
River, formerly Satoshi Protocol, launched a chain‑agnostic stablecoin system called satUSD using its Omni‑CDP architecture. The protocol boasts LayerZero cross‑chain messaging, smart vaults, and integrations with major DeFi platforms, with satUSD peaking at $350 million and 50 000 holders. However, token ownership...
MetaMask Is Now Also Available in Card Form via Mastercard Partnership
MetaMask, the leading Ethereum wallet, has introduced a co‑branded payment card in partnership with Mastercard. The MetaMask Card is now available in 49 U.S. states, marking its first rollout in New York. The card allows users to spend crypto holdings...
February 2026: Top Five Fintech M&A Stories of the Month
In February 2026, fintech M&A activity highlighted five marquee deals reshaping banking, asset management, digital payments, and wealth services. Santander agreed to acquire Webster Bank for $12.2 billion, positioning itself among the top‑ten U.S. retail banks. Nuveen’s £9.9 billion purchase of Schroders will...
Banks Need to Choose Carefully Between Public and Private Blockchains
Stellar’s CEO warns banks that choosing between private and public blockchain infrastructures will create lasting path dependencies. With the tokenized real‑world‑asset market valued around $33 billion, banks are already piloting blockchain‑based settlement and fund tokenization. The article outlines three critical questions—who...
Covr Appoints Ryan Bivins as Head of Sales
Covr Financial Technologies has appointed Ryan Bivins as head of sales to accelerate its national distribution platform. Bivins brings over a decade of experience selling hybrid long‑term care (LTC) products at Lincoln, Pacific Life and John Hancock. He will oversee...
Fintech Firms Are Losing Out on Media Coverage by Overcomplicating Press Releases
Fintech companies in the UK have raised £2.6 billion, yet many are sabotaging their own growth with overly technical press releases. JournoLink’s analysis shows 74 percent of founders use AI for internal efficiency, but external communications remain cluttered with jargon. This complexity...
The Truth About AI False Positive Reduction
AI-driven supervision is now entrenched in financial services, with 94% of firms using or planning AI detection tools. Vendors tout dramatic false‑positive reductions, but Theta Lake warns these claims often rely on misleading accuracy metrics. The underlying base‑rate problem means...
Willis and Belfry Partner to Simplify Security Insurance
Willis, a WTW unit, has teamed with security SaaS provider Belfry and InsurTech specialist Kayna to launch a digital insurance programme for physical security firms. The collaboration embeds a Willis‑brokered insurance portal directly into Belfry’s platform, using Kayna’s real‑time data...
Rethinking the Financial Crime Stack in the Age of AI
AI is moving from a bolt‑on feature to the core architecture of financial‑crime compliance, as Flagright CTO Madhu Nadig explains. An AI‑native stack requires a standardized data layer, a decision engine that can act within policy controls, and built‑in governance...
South Asian Wealth Giant Taps IntellectAI for AI Platform
A leading South Asian financial services group partnered with IntellectAI to build an AI‑led, platform‑first wealth management solution using a first‑principles, architecture‑first methodology. The composable, API‑first platform spans onboarding, portfolio management, advisory and operations, embedding automated rebalancing, CRM workflows and...
Jack Dorsey's Block Lays Off Nearly Half Of Workforce Due To AI
Jack Dorsey's Block announced a 40% workforce reduction, cutting staff from over 10,000 to just under 6,000. Dorsey cited rapid AI advances as the primary driver, saying a decisive cut now is preferable to a slower attrition. The layoffs include...
Aria CEO Warns Against ‘Black Box’ AI in High-Stakes B2B Credit Decisions
Aria CEO Clément Carrier warns that opaque, black‑box AI models are unsuitable for high‑stakes B2B credit decisions, where a single error can erase profits. He notes that B2B lending differs from consumer credit because of larger ticket sizes, infrequent purchases,...
Why Legal AI Tools Need Human Feedback to Succeed
The RegTech market is flooded with legal AI tools that rely heavily on static statutes and generic language models. Zeidler Group warns that these solutions miss the nuanced, practice‑based knowledge that regulators and firms apply daily. By treating its AI...
MiFinity Launches MiRewards – A Premium Loyalty Programme for eWallet Customers Worldwide
MiFinity has launched MiRewards, a premium loyalty program embedded in its eWallet, allowing customers to earn MiPoints on everyday transactions. The free‑to‑join scheme features four tiers—Classic, Exclusive, Signature and Elite—with higher tiers delivering accelerated earn rates and VIP support. Built...
Quantum Threat: Q-Day Could Cripple Global Financial Security
Quantum computers are coming — and in the next decade, could break widely used public-key encryption (RSA, ECC) that secures everything from bank transactions to crypto. Citigroup’s latest report on quantum calls it a trillion-dollar security threat, and they are not...
Why Delivery Matters More than Vision in Payments Reform
The UK has published its Strategy for Future Retail Payments Infrastructure, moving the conversation from high‑level vision to concrete delivery. Early design decisions—such as system architecture, sequencing, and operational responsibilities—will dictate cost, resilience, and user experience. Brazil’s PIX instant‑payment platform...
Botim Money Adds Digital Silver to Its Fractional Investing Suite From AED 10
Botim Money, the fintech arm of UAE messaging platform botim, has launched a digital silver investing option within its in‑app “Invest” feature. Eligible users can buy, sell and hold fractional silver starting at AED 10, extending the company’s precious‑metal suite that...
Corrected COVID Overhire Boosts Profit Per Employee
yes we over-hired during covid because i incorrectly built 2 separate company structures (square & cash app) rather than 1, which we corrected mid 2024. but this misses all the complexity we took on through lending, banking, and BNPL....
AI's Honeymoon Ends: 2026 Demands Real Value
Deutsche Bank boldly says what many are thinking: The honeymoon is over for AI. 2026 is likely to be a tough year, and AI will have to prove its value in 2026 to keep the money flowing. The prognosis is not good,...
Things Worth Reading: 27th February 2026
Block announced a 40% workforce reduction, cutting 4,000 jobs and citing AI‑driven efficiency gains. Klarna reported US$1 bn in revenue, positioning itself for further global expansion. The UK introduced stricter buy‑now‑pay‑later regulations, aiming to curb predatory lending, while Lloyds halted new...
Souhoola Gains Approval for New Prepaid Card in Partnership with Banque Misr, Visa, and Modupay
Egyptian fintech Souhoola has secured initial regulatory approval to launch a reloadable prepaid card in collaboration with Banque Misr, Visa, and payment‑technology firm Modupay. The card will be instantly activatable via an app, allowing real‑time balance tracking, cash withdrawals and...
PayU’s inFINity 3.0 And The Push To Make Early Stage Fintechs Scale-Ready
PayU has launched the third edition of its inFINity accelerator, targeting 30 early‑stage fintech founders with a four‑week sprint that blends mentorship, direct capital pathways, and integration into PayU’s extensive merchant network. Building on two prior cohorts that supported over...
Top 3 Must-Read Books for Crypto Literacy
Got a few questions about why @CoinDCX is celebrating #CryptoLiteracyWeek. The short answer: There are a lot of misconceptions about crypto, and as India's crypto coach we wanted to help demystify it for the masses. Reading is one of the best...
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...
Friday Reads for 27 February
The Friday Reads roundup for 27 February highlights several transport‑focused developments, from Greater Anglia’s expansion of its contactless payment zone to include Stansted Airport, to Milan’s inauguration of a Metrotram Line 7 extension ahead of the Winter Olympics. It also flags a...
How to Accept Crypto Payments in Your Business (2026 Guide)
Crypto adoption has exploded to about 741 million users, making digital‑asset payments a mainstream expectation. Modern crypto payment gateways now provide plug‑and‑play solutions that remove the need for in‑house wallet management. Businesses across ecommerce, SaaS, and retail can integrate crypto checkout...
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...
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...
Bitcoin Still Needs DeFi and Privacy Solutions
BTCFi for unlocking Bitcoin's economy strkBTC for adding privacy to Bitcoin What else does Bitcoin need?
Vietnam: Building a Regulated Digital Asset Market: Vietnam
Vietnam is set to launch its first pilot crypto‑asset exchange before 28 February 2026, following the government’s five‑year pilot programme and new licensing rules issued in January 2026. The Ministry of Finance’s detailed procedures codify market entry criteria, capital thresholds, and supervisory safeguards,...
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...
Rocket Announces Partnership with Compass Alongside Strong Q4 Financial Report
Rocket announced a three‑year strategic alliance with Compass, linking Rocket Pro brokers to Compass’s nationwide real‑estate agents and offering an 80‑basis‑point purchase credit. The partnership promises to feed more than 500,000 new listings into Redfin, expanding the searchable inventory for homebuyers....
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
BNB Chain Drives 40% of Transactions on 5% Supply
🚨 INSIGHT BNB Chain = 5% of stablecoin supply but 40% of ALL transactions 8x higher circulation than competitors. While CT focus on ETH vs SOL, BNB is processing more real economic activity than both combined. Follow the money not the noise. https://t.co/TeEaBcnK2E
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...
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
Addi Secures $89M From Citi
Colombian fintech Addi secured $89 million in structured financing from Citi, adding to the $71 million debt facility it raised in November 2025. The funding brings Addi's total recent debt to roughly $160 million, supporting its buy‑now‑pay‑later (BNPL) platform that offers instant point‑of‑sale credit....
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
Decibel Perpetuals Exchange Launches on Aptos
Decibel, an Aptos‑incubated perpetual derivatives DEX, went live on the Aptos mainnet alongside its Amps points incentive program. The platform debuted with a central limit order book model, on‑chain risk engine, and cross‑chain support for Ethereum and Solana deposits. Testnet...
Moderate Credit Growth Expected in 2026 as Lending Normalizes : Analysis
TransUnion projects moderate credit growth for 2026, with mortgage originations rising 4.0% and unsecured personal loans expanding 11.2%. Credit‑card originations are slated for a modest 2.0% increase, while auto‑loan originations may dip 1.5%. The outlook emphasizes disciplined underwriting supported by...
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...
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
Marquis V. SonicWall Lawsuit Ups the Breach Blame Game
Fintech firm Marquis, which serves over 700 banks, filed a lawsuit against firewall vendor SonicWall after a ransomware breach exposed client data for roughly 780,000 individuals. SonicWall later disclosed that a breach of its own firewall configuration backups affected all...