How iPayr’s Capacity-Limited Licensing Strategy Is Driving International Momentum Across Exchanges
iPayr International is pursuing a capacity-limited licensing model, granting access to its proprietary four-system automation suite only after applicant review. This scarcity-driven approach contrasts with the open-subscription SaaS model common among retail trading bots and is credited with accelerating the firm’s international momentum across crypto, forex, equities, and metals exchanges. By segmenting execution frameworks by asset class, iPayr aims to enhance performance during volatility spikes while preserving system integrity. Analysts view the controlled expansion as a strategic differentiator in the crowded 2026 fintech automation landscape.
Yoco’s Marcello Schermer Says the Next Test for African Fintech Is Smarter Tools
Yoco’s international expansion chief Marcello Schermer says African fintechs must evolve from passive transaction recorders to proactive financial partners. After a decade of digitising payments, the continent now hosts over 5,000 startups and attracted $1.37 billion in 2024, with fintech capturing...
Salt Lake City-Based Jump, a Provider of AI Tools for Financial Advisors to Automate Meeting Prep and More, Raised an...
Jump, a Salt Lake City fintech that provides AI‑driven tools for financial advisors, announced an $80 million Series B round led by Insight Partners. The capital will accelerate development of its meeting‑preparation, research, and compliance automation platform and expand its sales force....
Understanding Certainty of Fate in Faster Payments
The episode explains Certainty of Fate (CoF) – the need for clear, timely confirmation of success or failure for UK account‑to‑account (A2A) payments – and why it’s vital for merchants, consumers and payment providers. It outlines key challenges, including legacy...
Indie App Spotlight: ‘Summit’ Is an All-in-One Portfolio Tracker for iPhone and iPad
Summit is an indie‑made iOS/iPad portfolio tracker that consolidates investments from multiple brokerages into a single, clean dashboard. The app offers real‑time on‑device valuation, cost‑basis tracking, and an analytics tab, while requiring manual data entry or CSV import to populate...
Figure Technology Faces Major Data Breach Impacting Nearly One Million Customers
Figure Technology Solutions, the largest non‑bank home‑equity lender, disclosed a data breach affecting roughly 967,000 customer accounts. The breach resulted from a social‑engineering (vishing) attack on a single employee, allowing the ShinyHunters group to exfiltrate personal identifiers such as names,...
Iran’s Rial Collapse Mirrors Lebanon’s Crisis, Driving Citizens to Bitcoin
The Iranian rial has collapsed in 2026, spurring hyperinflation and prompting middle‑class savers to flee the banking system. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have attracted billions of dollars, echoing Lebanon’s 2019‑2021 crisis where crypto became a financial lifeline. On‑chain data shows...
Midnight Foundation Adds Blockdaemon, Shielded Technologies As Node Operators
Midnight Foundation announced that Blockdaemon and Shielded Technologies have joined Google Cloud and AlphaTON Capital as federated node operators for its fourth‑generation privacy‑enhancing blockchain. The network now counts four strategic partners and aims to secure ten before its mainnet launch...
Oracle Hack Triggers $1M Payout; Vitalik Profits $70K
The Polymarket oracle issue highlighted by Vitalik Buterin Oracle disaster: Russia-Ukraine market bet on city control. Oracle = ISW's X account maps. Account got hacked, fake map showed Russian control of train station, triggered $1.3M in payouts at 33,000% returns. One...
Crypto's Code‑Based Order Preserves Rights Amid Failing Systems
The purpose of crypto is to build a code-based order, because the rules-based order is unfortunately collapsing. That code-based order covers some of what international law once protected. It guarantees property rights, smart contracts, rule-of-code, privacy, secure voting, and user accounts...
10x Banking and HassemPrag Partner to Drive Core Banking Modernisation Across Africa
10x Banking, a cloud‑native core banking provider, has teamed up with South African digital platform HassemPrag to offer African banks a low‑risk path to replace legacy systems. The joint solution combines 10x’s modular, cloud infrastructure with HassemPrag’s regional integration expertise,...
Zero‑Human Companies Are Arriving, Lobsters Included
Zero human companies aren't science fiction In 2025 • Automated market makers • AI trading desks • Algorithmic underwriting • Smart contract DAOs In 2026 • Lobsters everywhere
Integration of Digital and Human Creates Competitive Edge
Competitive differentiation today comes from integration. It is about connecting digital capability with human experience in a way that feels seamless to the customer. https://t.co/Jk20pooXPJ
Prediction Markets Are Invading Everything
In this episode, Alex Heath talks with Substack CEO Chris Best about Substack’s new integration with prediction market platform Polymarket, which lets writers embed live market data in their posts. Best explains his personal fascination with prediction markets, citing how...
Top Seven Jurisdictions Lead Stablecoin Adoption, #13 Revealed
Stablecoin prevalence by jurisdiction: 1. USA 2. China 3. Hong Kong 4. Singapore 5. Japan 6. Germany. 7. UK Can you guess #13? More in our @thestablecon x @artemis State of Stables Q1 report 👀 https://t.co/ucHnGtrUdk
We’re On
Stripe processes billions without human intervention AWS scales infrastructure autonomously Algorithmic trading firms execute millions of trades per second We're already living in the age of zero human companies. We just haven't removed the last human yet. That final step? It's closer than you think.
Web3 Thoughts of the Week: Stablecoins, Bitcoin, Tokenization and AI
Tokenized real‑world assets (RWAs) posted a 36 % on‑chain market‑cap rise this year, outpacing a $1 trillion crypto market decline. Investors are shifting from speculative altcoins to yield‑bearing tokenized Treasury bills, bonds, and money‑market funds, highlighting a liquidity‑driven rotation. Meanwhile, AI is...
Bybit Offers Low Fees, Many Pairs, $30K Bonuses
Looking for a new exchange? Bybit has been my go-to lately Fees are low, solid range of pairs & features inside of a smooth mobile app. $30K+ in welcome bonuses available for new users. Check it out 👉 https://t.co/V8SG2SD2PJ Crypto trading is high...
Credit One Teaches Credit Pitfalls and Rebuilding Momentum
@CreditOneBank is building programs like Credit Wreckers to teach people what not to do with credit and help rebuild financial momentum. In this episode, we discuss how with Steve Min. Watch the full video: https://t.co/wUIHckaAy4 https://t.co/kXzIKFYg9G
Building an Effective Surveillance Lexicon Policy
Bloomberg’s February 2026 article outlines how compliance teams can build effective surveillance lexicon policies amid evolving AI and regulatory scrutiny. It defines lexicons, explains their precision and transparency, and highlights challenges such as language drift and false positives. The piece recommends...
First Citizens Seeks New Mergers to Cross Growth Threshold
First Citizens BancShares, sitting at $230 billion in assets, is actively scouting acquisitions to push past the $250 billion regulatory threshold that imposes stricter capital and reporting rules. The bank recently secured 138 BMO Bank branches across 11 states, adding a solid...
The Philippines: Digital Banking Empowers Northern Negros Students
Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) launched its Cash‑Lite Campus Programme at the State University of Northern Negros, bringing digital banking to more than 2,000 students and campus partners. The initiative offers no‑deposit PISO Plus accounts, QR‑enabled person‑to‑merchant payments, and...
Ep 276- Prospero.ai CEO George Kailas
In this episode, host discusses value investing in the modern era with George Kailas, CEO and co‑founder of Prospero.ai, a platform that transforms complex financial analytics into actionable investment signals. Kailas explains how Prospero.ai leverages AI and data science to...
Shinhan Securities Signs Deal with OTC Security Token Consortium
South Korea passed tokenization legislation, enabling security token markets. Two consortia, led by Korea Exchange and Nextrade, received preliminary approval to operate OTC trading venues. Shinhan Securities signed an agreement with the Nextrade consortium to support fractional investments in real‑world...
One Billion Identity Records Exposed in Unsecured ID Verification Database
A cloud‑based identity verification database tied to IDMerit was found exposed without password protection or encryption, leaking roughly one billion personal records across at least 26 countries. The trove, estimated at one terabyte, contained names, dates of birth, addresses, phone...
Bankers Complain that Apple Has a Tight Grip on Mobile Payments
Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay dominate Canada’s mobile payments, capturing roughly 90% of phone‑based transactions. The Canadian market, valued at about $1.39 billion in 2024, is forecast to surge to $20.48 billion by 2030. Major banks such as RBC, Scotiabank...
Lightspark Teams Up with Cross River Bank for Fiat Payments via Bitcoin
Lightspark, a Bitcoin Lightning Network startup, has partnered with FDIC‑insured Cross River Bank to enable 24/7 fiat settlement of Lightning transactions via the FedNow service. The collaboration aims at B2B, cross‑border and retail payments where instant settlement can improve cash‑management...
Gemini App Gets Faster, Richer Features and Payments
The Gemini app you opened last week? Much better today. ✅ Faster homepage, invest tab, deposit/withdraw flows ✅ Polished prediction open orders, better cash-outs, sports UI refresh ✅ Predictions now supports credit card and crypto payments ✅ Major framework upgrade under the hood Update your...
Democratic Senators Press Bowman on Fed Changes
Democratic senators sent two letters to Fed Vice Chair Michelle Bowman questioning recent supervisory changes, including a 30% staff cut in the Fed's supervision arm and the removal of bank examiners at banks' request. They also demanded answers on her...
FP&A Software
Once you use an FP&A solution, you never want to go back. Spreadsheets always have their place, but FP&A software dramatically increases FP&A productivity. Here are the highlights from my latest tech stack report. - 37 forecasting and budgeting solutions...
BGD Departs Aave After Four Years of Pivotal Contributions
For four years, BGD has played an important role in Aave V3’s technical development, and it is fair to say that Aave V3 would not be what it is today without their contributions. That Aave V3 has lasted this long...
TNS Launches Smart Routing Technology
Transaction Network Services (TNS) introduced TNSPay SmartRoute, a cloud‑based solution that lets merchants, processors and acquirers set real‑time routing rules for each transaction. The platform can route payments by geography, cost efficiency, processor performance or scheduled maintenance, and it automatically...
Earnings Season Made It Clear: Digitize Supply Chains or Fall Behind
Earnings season revealed that digitizing supply chains has shifted from a cost‑saving exercise to a strategic imperative. Executives at FedEx, Caterpillar, Dollar General and others highlighted upstream capex on supplier integration, AI‑enabled orchestration and real‑time visibility as growth enablers. The...
Square’s Quest for More Partners Looks to Add Merchant Appeal
Square, the POS arm of Block Inc., is set to expand its partner ecosystem beyond the roughly 1,000 collaborators it already supports. The move aims to bring more technology add‑ons, discounts and specialized services to merchants, accelerating Square’s merchant acquisition....
On‑chain Small Business Loans Boost Transparency and Capital Efficiency
Most “real-world asset” tokenization is still theoretical. This one is not. Fintech lender Newity just raised $11M to bring small business loans onchain. Not art. Not T-bills. Actual SBA-style lending to Main Street. Here is why that matters. Traditional small business lending is fragmented...
AI Makes Money Invisible, Predictive, and Automated
AI is quietly reshaping our relationship with money. From smarter budgeting and personalized financial advice to embedded finance and real-time credit decisions, AI is changing how we spend, save and invest. As open banking and fintech accelerate, money is becoming more invisible,...
Wealthsimple Named CIX Innovator of the Year
Wealthsimple was crowned the 2026 CIX Innovator of the Year by Elevate, with CEO Michael Katchen slated to speak at the CIX Summit in Toronto. The Toronto‑based fintech doubled its assets under administration to $100 billion CAD and its valuation to...
Coinbase Shifts Toward Own ZK L1, Leaving Optimism
Coinbase may be moving away from the OP Stack and building its own tech with ZK proofs. The long term direction could be a transition toward L1 instead of relying fully on Optimism. #Coinbase #Layer1 #Crypto #IvanClips https://t.co/h6f4okgVNX
Fee‑Free Accounts Offer 3.61% Savings, 2% Checking
We're fee free and paying high yields here. I'm not worried about the competition, I'm worried about local economies. 3.61 APY savings, 2.0 APY checking at https://t.co/HHwXUb7kB6
Jordan’s Banking Sector Now Accepts Sanad App as Valid Customer Identification
Jordan’s Central Bank issued a directive on Feb 16, 2026 that the Sanad mobile app’s digital identity credential is now legally equivalent to physical ID documents for banking transactions. The mandate applies to every bank in the kingdom, obligating them to accept...
Leadership's Risk Appetite Drives Digital Success
The biggest barrier to digital success is rarely technological or budget. It is leadership’s willingness to embrace change and take risks. Watch the full episode now: https://t.co/BQNDlxuwMR https://t.co/rgqIU4dXx1
Seeking Real Experiences with Bitcoin-Backed Loans
Has anyone personally taken a loan against their bitcoin? If so, what platform did you use and what did you use the money for?
Incumbent Banks Weaponize Regulation to Block Fintech Rivals
“Incumbents in the financial industry do use regulation to try to keep competitors out.” —@HesterPeirce at #ETHDenver @BlockchainAssn policy lunch YESSSSSSSSSSS https://t.co/solCqLuqDC
Privacy Must Be Default for Financial Transactions
“Privacy should be the default expectation” for financial transactions. —@HesterPeirce at #EthDenver @BlockchainAssn policy lunch https://t.co/HKdQpnmoPA
Stablecoin Advocates Push Government Loans Over Banks
Wow. Now stablecoin yield advocates are saying that government should provide loans to local communities rather than local banks. What could be wrong with that?
Instant USD‑to‑BRL Transfers Powered by Claude AI
Demo Friday: realtime @claudeai assisted 🇺🇸 USD → 🇧🇷 BRL in seconds using @Lightspark Grid. Magic money movement available to everyone and in 60+ countries. We recorded this in one shot. So easy. https://t.co/6tOqsVxo9R
Challenger Brands Win Through Clear Purpose, Not Spend
Challenger brands do not win by spending more. They win by making clear choices about who they serve and what they stand for. We explore Rival’s study with @EFulwiler in this episode. Watch the full video: https://t.co/Y31f7tnfQ6 https://t.co/M2cWuLR3zt
Venmo Lags Zelle as Banks Outpace Innovation
Venmo falls further behind Zelle https://t.co/qIyIwXmCFq "This is a useful tale to counteract some of the doomsaying about banks and innovation. When they try collective action, banks often win, but cooperation doesn’t come naturally." Word. Now do ID. https://t.co/ahiMlNMmux
Self‑buyback Bots Can't Replace Real Economic Fundamentals
Robot takes assets in treasury to buy its own token to get paid a small percent back in trading fees No perpetual money machines exist, others will just sell into the buyback Need economic, not just financial, engine
Post‑mining Bitcoin Relies on Fees for Security
What Happens After All Bitcoins Are Mined by @freedx The critical question post-2140: can transaction fees alone sustain network security? Bitcoin's design bet: as adoption grows, fee revenue naturally replaces block rewards. High congestion periods and their fee spikes are a live...