Partnerships Key to Unlocking Value in Payments Space: KPMG International
KPMG International’s new report warns that banks and retailers must forge strategic partnerships to keep pace with rapid payment‑technology change. Survey data from 500 banks and 500 retailers shows 54 % of retailers consider payment modernization essential, yet only 45 % say their banks are delivering tailored solutions. Both sectors plan higher spending, with retailers budgeting a 2.5 % increase and 21 % of banks targeting 5‑9 % budget growth. High costs and legacy infrastructure remain the top barriers, underscoring the need for collaborative ecosystems.
Fintechs May Finally Get Regulatory Clarity as Kenya’s Central Bank Reviews Laws
Kenya’s Central Bank announced a consultancy to review the Central Bank Act and the Banking Act. The overhaul targets ambiguous provisions affecting digital banking, fintech regulation, consumer protection and cybersecurity. The current legal grey zone has delayed operating licences for...
TDRA Reinforces Efforts for Integrated Digital Payment Ecosystem
The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) convened a workshop to accelerate a unified digital payment ecosystem across UAE federal entities. Participants outlined a vision that blends digital identity, multiple payment channels, and secure settlement to simplify government transactions....
Coinbase USDC Revenue May Multiply 7x as Payments Grow, Bloomberg Says
Bloomberg Intelligence projects Coinbase’s stablecoin revenue, which already represented 19% of its 2025 earnings, could increase between two and seven times if USDC usage in payments accelerates. The exchange earned $1.35 billion from stablecoins in 2025, up from $911 million in 2024,...
Asia Pacific CFOs Push Banks to Rethink Working Capital, Study Finds
A Visa‑PYMNTS Working Capital Index shows nearly 50% of Asia‑Pacific growth‑stage firms (revenues $50 M‑$1 B) lack usable working‑capital tools, citing mismatched product design. CFOs demand flexible, sector‑specific digital financing, especially virtual and commercial cards that act as short‑term funding sources. High‑performing...
The Clearing House: Trust Is the Gatekeeper for What’s Next in Payments
The Clearing House’s chief strategy officer, Sal Karakaplan, declared “trust” the 2026 word of the year for payments, arguing it is the functional prerequisite for new players, technologies, and flows to gain lasting adoption. He highlighted the RTP® network’s expansion—now reaching...
Nearly Half of Shoppers Used Mobile for Their Latest Retail Purchase
The 2025 Global Digital Shopping Index, commissioned by Visa Acceptance Solutions, found that 48% of shoppers used a mobile device for their most recent retail purchase, with usage exceeding 60% in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Mobile browsing frequency is...
Tokenization Moves Into Production as Collateral Leads the Way
Tokenization is moving from experimental labs into core derivatives infrastructure, with Franklin Templeton and DTCC executives highlighting its ability to embed contracts directly in assets and replace multiple ledgers with a shared record. The technology promises near‑instant settlement and 24/7...
Freightos Revenues up Nearly 25% in 2025
Freightos reported $29.5 million revenue for 2025, a 24 % increase over 2024, driven by higher carrier participation and transaction volume. Adjusted EBITDA narrowed to a $11.2 million loss, improving from $12.6 million the prior year, while cash reserves remain sufficient to fund growth....
BVNK Secures MiCA Licence in Malta to Expand European Stablecoin Operations
BVNK, an enterprise stablecoin infrastructure provider, secured a Crypto‑Asset Services Provider (CASP) licence from Malta’s Financial Services Authority, aligning it with the EU’s MiCA framework. The licence allows BVNK to passport MiCA‑regulated digital‑asset services across all European Economic Area members....
Esperanza Securities Launches Asia S First Approved Entertainment Token Investment
Esperanza Fintech Securities secured approval from Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission to launch Asia's first regulated tokenized investment platform focused on live entertainment. The firm will issue security tokens through a managed fund, lowering entry barriers and enabling secondary‑market...
TRM Labs, Finray Technologies Partner for Crypto and Fiat Monitoring
TRM Labs and Finray Technologies have integrated Finray’s XZiel compliance engine with TRM’s blockchain intelligence, creating a unified system for monitoring crypto and fiat transactions. The platform delivers real‑time risk alerts, automated case management and a detailed audit trail across...
Stablecoins Are Taking Over and Most Banks Are Already Behind
In this episode of FinTech Confidential, host Ted Huff chats with Nick Milanovic, founder of This Week in FinTech and creator of StableCon, about the rapid adoption of stablecoins by banks and the broader fintech ecosystem. They trace the evolution...
Mashreq Launches First-of-Its-Kind Digital Cross-Border Accounts for Non-Resident Pakistanis in the UAE
Mashreq Bank has introduced a fully digital cross‑border account service that lets UAE‑based Pakistani expatriates open a Mashreq Pakistan account through the UAE mobile app. The offering replaces manual paperwork with a seamless, end‑to‑end digital experience and integrates a unified...
Stripe, PayPal Ventures Bet on India’s Xflow to Fix Cross-Border B2B Payments
Xflow, a Bengaluru‑based fintech, closed a $16.6 million Series A round led by General Catalyst with participation from Stripe and PayPal Ventures, valuing the company at $85 million post‑money. The startup now has over $32 million in total funding and processes roughly $1 billion in...
Malaysia Allows Brokers to Offer Digital Asset Trading Under Securities Rules
Malaysia’s Securities Commission issued a practice note allowing licensed stockbrokers with Capital Markets Services licences to provide broking services for approved digital assets under existing securities rules. Brokers must obtain regulator concurrence, use locally registered exchanges or vetted foreign platforms,...
Trust Must Catch Up to AI's Crypto Capability
At NEARCON 2026, Kraken’s co CEO said he could trust AI with 100 percent of his crypto. Dragonfly’s Haseeb Qureshi pushed back, questioning whether autonomous agents are ready to handle real money at scale. The real debate is not whether AI will...
AWS AI Tool Wipes System, Triggers 13‑hour Outage
AWS AI coding tool decided to "delete and recreate" a customer-facing system, causing 13-hour outage. ⚡️ https://t.co/Kx1ofvMwwh https://t.co/lpM618xtFh
Ant Group’s Alipay AI Pay and AI Health App AQ Each Surpass 100 Million Users During CNY Highlighting AI Adoption...
Ant Group reported that its AI‑powered payment service, Alipay AI Pay, and its AI Health application, AQ, each surpassed 100 million active users during the Chinese New Year holiday. The milestone underscores a rapid acceleration of AI‑driven consumer services in China,...
Bots, Not Literacy, Should Drive Public Financial Health
It's a waste of time and money trying to teach financial literacy to disinterested consumers, a better way to increase the overall financial health of the public would be to get bots to deal with the finance sector for them. https://t.co/m7Cd6D5VNz...
AI Prediction Markets Rapidly Closing the Human Advantage
I talked with one entrepreneur today that is building a prediction market. Crowds of humans are still better but AI is improving at a fast rate. Here is a prediction market for your Claws. Worth checking out. Not compensated by them.
This Startup Wants to Make Chicken Cheaper in Nigeria with a Simple Solution
Cubeseed Africa is launching a digital marketplace that links Nigerian poultry farmers directly with restaurants, hotels and other buyers, bypassing traditional middlemen. By using escrow payments and a Sterling Bank‑backed credit line, the platform guarantees timely funds for farmers while...
Visa Expands Latin America Footprint: To Acquire Argentina’s Prisma Medios De Pago and Newpay
Visa announced the acquisition of Argentina’s Prisma Medios de Pago and the fintech platform Newpay, marking a strategic push into Latin America’s payments ecosystem. The combined deal, valued at over $200 million, will be funded largely with cash. By integrating Prisma’s...
Fidelity National Information Services Inc (FIS) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) posted Q4 2025 adjusted revenue of $2.7 billion, up 6.3% year‑over‑year, and lifted its full‑year revenue growth outlook to 5.4‑5.7%. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 41.8% with a sequential 200‑basis‑point improvement, while free cash flow conversion...
Marqeta Inc (MQ) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Marqeta reported Q4 2024 total processed volume (TPV) of $80 billion, a 29% year‑over‑year increase, and net revenue of $136 million, up 14%. Adjusted EBITDA turned positive at $13 million, delivering a 9% margin, marking the company’s first profitable quarter. The firm announced...
Flywire Corp (FLYW) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Flywire reported Q4 2024 revenue of $112.8 million, a 17.4% year‑over‑year increase, and adjusted EBITDA that rose roughly 700 basis points, meeting the midpoint of its guidance. The company highlighted strong growth in its travel vertical—over 50% organic expansion making it...
What Do Community Bankers Want? What Do Community Banks Need?
The 2025 CSBS Annual Survey reveals community banks are feeling heightened pressure from non‑bank competitors, especially in payments and wealth‑management services, while deposit‑rate volatility forces more aggressive pricing. Cybercrime emerges as the top internal risk, with card and identity fraud...
Tap to Pay Starts
Open payments, branded as Tap to Pay, launched today on Sound Transit and Metro, allowing riders to use credit cards and digital wallets alongside ORCA cards. Early adopters report ambiguous on‑board confirmations, making it unclear which card is charged and...
Box Spreads: Low‑cost Synthetic Loans Explained
In recent years, a new form of 'synthetic' lending has emerged as a potential alternative to margin loans or SBLOCs for short- and medium-term borrowing: The "box spread". https://t.co/xmNXcFkoUQ Kitces Nerd Ben Henry-Moreland shares the mechanics of box spreads, why the...
State Bill Could End Tax Break for Large Digital Lenders
Washington State’s House Bill 2089 seeks to restore dwindling wildfire‑prevention funding by revoking a tax deduction that currently benefits large digital mortgage lenders. The deduction, originally crafted for community banks, generated $91.6 million in savings in 2024, with 65 % captured by...
Crypto.com Secures Conditional Approval for National Trust Bank Charter
Crypto.com has secured conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to charter Foris Dax National Trust Bank, operating as Crypto.com National Trust Bank. The bank will deliver custody, staking and trade‑settlement services under OCC supervision,...
Securities and Exchange Commission Schedules Roundtable to Discuss “Retailization” Of Private Securities
The SEC will host a Private Markets Roundtable on March 4, 2026 to discuss the retailization of private securities. Currently, non‑accredited investors are limited to Reg A and Reg CF, while most private offerings remain inaccessible. Pending legislation could relax accredited‑investor thresholds, adding a...
Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News
Finovate’s weekly roundup highlights a flurry of fintech activity as Flywire names a new CTO, MoneyHash teams with Wayl to enter Iraq, and Payabli partners with Huntington Bank to embed payments in digital banking. Worldline launches One Commerce for omnichannel...
Fintech Focused Banking as a Service Is Reshaping Bank Stability and Consumer Expectations : Analysis
Cornell Law professor Dan Awrey released a working paper titled "Banking, Technology, and Instability" analyzing fintech‑driven Banking‑as‑a‑Service (BaaS). The paper argues BaaS flips traditional outsourcing, with fintechs delegating core banking functions to partner banks, creating regulatory arbitrage. This shift destabilizes...
Bitcoin Whales Intensify Exchange Deposits During Extended Market Downturn : Analysis
On‑chain data shows Bitcoin whales are funneling record‑size deposits into centralized exchanges as the market endures a prolonged bear phase in early 2026. The exchange whale ratio climbed to 0.64, the highest since 2015, while average deposit size reached 1.58 BTC,...
Rate Launches RateFi to Make It Easier to Qualify for a Mortgage with Crypto Holdings
Rate has introduced RateFi, a new mortgage product that lets borrowers leverage their cryptocurrency holdings without liquidating them. The program treats verified crypto as both qualifying income and reserve assets, though any down‑payment must still be converted to U.S. dollars....
Solve Real Problems, Don’t Just Chase Ideas
He turned a mall booth with taped signs into a $3B fintech. Matt Oppenheimer built Remitly by falling in love with the problem, not the product. He stood outside a remittance store, asked customers why they said no, and pivoted fast. He raised...
Liquid Federation Convenes 50+ in Viareggio to Shape Bitcoin Finance
Over 50 people from the Liquid Federation gathered in Viareggio to plan the future of finance on Bitcoin. Very bullish on what’s to come. 🇮🇹 🌊 https://t.co/t89BUHhDC3
Trump's 'Board of Peace' Is Exploring a USD Stablecoin for Gaza: FT
A Trump‑initiated “Board of Peace” is studying a U.S.‑dollar‑pegged stablecoin for Gaza. Israeli entrepreneur Liran Tancman leads the effort, partnering with the 14‑member National Committee for the Administration of Gaza and the UN Office of the High Representative. The digital...
Agents Likely Use Any API, Not Specific Rails
I sometimes get asked whether I expect agents paying each other to use stablecoins. I certainly expect them to call a remote API backed by a database, but wonder why they would have strong preferences on which payment rail to use.
Fast, Cheap Blockchain Payments Threaten Traditional Financial Trust
The blockchain provides lightning fast, nearly free, payment exchanges w/ abundant opportunities to build a new payments system. It also opens the door to undoing the trust the U.S. financial system is known for. 👇
Stablecore Marks Jack Henry Integration to Enable Stablecoin Payments And Acceptance
Stablecore has joined Jack Henry’s Fintech Integration Network, allowing its stablecoin and digital‑asset services to be delivered through the Banno digital‑banking platform used by over 1,000 banks and credit unions. The integration adds tokenized deposits, asset management and digital‑asset‑backed lending...
Predicting PM Reaction to AI News Gives Edge
i should have realized a widely shared article on social media that mentioned credit card AI disruption would cause $AXP & $V to sell off today. PMs are shooting first and asking questions later. figuring out how PMs will react...
From Blocking Bots to Trusting Agents: Visa‑Akamai Solution
AI agent traffic nearly tripled in a year. 25Billion bot requests in 2 months. The question is no longer how to block bots — it's how to trust them. Visa + Akamai are building the answer. "What it takes to secure...
CPI Card Group CFO Exits
CPI Card Group announced that CFO Jeffrey Hochstadt will leave the role on Feb. 13, with senior vice president Terra Grantham stepping in as interim CFO. The transition occurs just weeks before the company’s Q4 and full‑year earnings release scheduled for...
Demand Risk Mitigation Details for Efficient Money Transfers
My unsolicited comms advice: if you're going to go on at length about making it more "efficient" to move money to places like Venezuela (sanctions risk) and Colombia (narcotrafficking/money laundering risk), also explain how (if?) you mitigate these risks. https://t.co/rN8g9ibBhf
Treasury Unveils AI Lexicon and Risk Framework for Finance
Risk says "model risk." Tech says "ML system." Compliance says "automated decision tool." Legal says "algorithm." US Treasury just fixed this: AI Lexicon + Risk Framework for financial services. 230 control objectives. NIST-adapted. "Treasury releases AI lexicon and sector-specific risk framework"...
FCA Chief Nikhil Rathi Confirms Regulatory Shift Away From New Rules in Candid Podcast Interview
FCA chief Nikhil Rathi told the inaugural Fairer Finance podcast that the regulator is moving away from drafting new rules, opting instead to lean on the existing Consumer Duty and supervisory tools. He framed the shift as an outcomes‑based approach,...
Sky Risk Capital Adds USDT/USDC High‑risk Vault on Morpho
Sky Risk Capital tokens are expanding on Morpho, the higher risk/higher reward is now available on USDT and USDC, in addition to the original USDS Risk Capital vault
2026 Identity Fraud Targets Precise, Not Broad Attacks
This Week in Fraud (2/17) https://t.co/DeKt9G8P3d "2026 identity fraud is more sniper than shotgun" Great stuff from Nick. https://t.co/eNakT4O4Fd