Exclusive: Tiago Da Costa Cardoso Returns to INFINOX as Commercial Director
Tiago da Costa Cardoso has rejoined INFINOX as Commercial Director, returning to the Dubai‑based broker after a stint at Exinity, HFM and XTB. His appointment follows INFINOX’s recent receipt of a UAE Capital Market Authority license, positioning the firm for accelerated growth in the Middle East. Cardoso will oversee commercial strategy, scale processes and drive expansion into new regions. The move signals INFINOX’s intent to deepen its market presence and strengthen its partner network.

Bank of Canada Orders XTM to Cease Retail Payment Activities After Investment Regulator Halts Trading of Its Stock
The Bank of Canada ordered fintech XTM and its affiliates to stop all retail payment activities after customers of its Everyday Payments subsidiary reported missing funds. Simultaneously, the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization halted trading of XTM’s PAID stock, causing the...
Businesses Turn to Stablecoins for Domestic Payments
“There’s going to be a lot of domestic payment activity as well,” said Shawn Main , who is EVP and chief business architect officer at Vantage Bank . “Anecdotally, I’ve talked to plenty of customers who are already doing this....

Governor of Utah Slams CFTC’s Regulation of Prediction Markets Which Are “Gambling”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox publicly denounced the CFTC’s push to regulate prediction markets, calling them pure gambling and vowing to fight the agency in court. CFTC Chairman Mike Selig responded that the commission is prepared to litigate to preserve federal preemption over...
Radial Launches New Commerce Solutions Services for Payments and Fraud Prevention
Radial, a fulfillment and third‑party logistics provider, has introduced Radial Commerce Solutions, a suite of payment orchestration and AI‑driven fraud prevention services. The modular platform offers PSP‑agnostic processing, automatic failover, tokenization, chargeback resolution and tax compliance. It joins existing fulfillment,...

Anchorage Digital, B2C2 Partner on Institutional Trading, Custody
Anchorage Digital and crypto liquidity provider B2C2 have deepened their collaboration as B2C2 joins Anchorage’s Atlas platform, a two‑way settlement system for institutional crypto trades. Through the partnership, B2C2 will custody assets with Anchorage and settle transactions directly on Atlas,...

Malaysia Starts Sandbox Pilots Incl Tokenized Deposits, Stanchart Stablecoin
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has moved forward with its Digital Asset Innovation Hub, onboarding three stablecoin and tokenized‑deposit projects from more than 30 applicants. The sandbox pilots focus on domestic and cross‑border wholesale payments as well as settlement of tokenized...
Olympics Payments Hurdles Are a Microcosm of EU Challenges
The episode examines how Visa's exclusive role as the card provider at the Milano‑Cortina Winter Olympics exposed Europe’s reliance on U.S. payment networks, leaving many visitors stranded with cash‑only options and long ATM queues. Guest Don Apgar explains that geopolitical...
Meridian Closes $17M Seed Round to Bring Agentic AI to Financial Modeling
Meridian, an AI‑driven financial modeling startup, emerged from stealth with a $17 million seed round at a $100 million post‑money valuation. The funding was led by Andreessen Horowitz and The General Partnership, joined by QED Investors, FPV Ventures, and Litquidity Ventures. Meridian...
Fintechs Embed Bitcoin, Bypassing Trust and Access Hurdles
Bitcoin doesn’t need mass retail adoption to prove utility. It needs regulated distribution. That’s what SoFi Technologies just demonstrated with Bitcoin. This isn’t a “crypto comeback” story. It’s a regulatory arbitrage story. After exiting crypto in 2023 due to bank charter constraints, SoFi re-entered through...
Bitcoin's Bullish Path: Gradual Gains Over Nuclear Surge
What is the bullish case for Bitcoin? In my new conversation with @LynAldenContact we cover: 🔸Is Bitcoin headed lower? 🔸Where was retail this cycle? 🔸Why we could see a “gradual print” rather than a Big or “nuclear” print 🔸Why Lyn urges caution here with...

World Markets Launches ‘No ADL’ DEX on MegaETH
World Markets (WM) debuted its decentralized exchange on the MegaETH network, integrating spot trading, perpetual contracts, and lending into a single on‑chain account. The platform eliminates auto‑deleveraging (ADL), promising protection for delta‑neutral positions and preventing forced liquidations that plagued earlier...
Earn Yield From Stables and RWA Tokens on Kamino
Kamino has emerged as the second‑largest DeFi protocol on Solana, managing just under $2 billion in total value locked. The platform blends lending, automated liquidity vaults, and a Multiply feature that lets users leverage stablecoins and tokenized real‑world assets (RWAs). RWAs...

Bluefin and Basis Theory Offer Unified Token Strategy Across Digital and In-Person Payments
Bluefin and Basis Theory have formed a strategic partnership to deliver a unified token strategy that bridges digital and in‑person payment channels. By integrating Bluefin’s PointConex platform with Basis Theory’s API‑driven tokenization and vaulting, merchants can capture, tokenize, and reuse...
Ripple Prime Adds Hyperliquid Support to Bridge DeFi and Institutional Trading
Ripple Prime, the institutional brokerage arm of Ripple, announced integration with Hyperliquid, a high‑performance decentralized derivatives protocol. The partnership lets institutional clients trade on‑chain derivatives while keeping the capital‑efficiency and risk controls of a traditional prime broker. Clients can now...
T+1 Settlement: How Custody Tech Boosts Readiness
T+1 settlement forces firms to complete trade capture, confirmation, reconciliation and final settlement within one business day. The compressed timeline eliminates overnight buffers, exposing manual and batch‑based custody processes to heightened operational and liquidity risk. Automation and real‑time custody platforms...
CFDs Broker GCI Trading Adds cTrader
Spotware has partnered with CFD broker GCI Trading to power its offering with the cTrader platform. The integration brings cTrader’s Traders First™ ethos, ultra‑fast execution and transparent trade lifecycle to GCI’s 24‑year‑old client base. GCI will now appear in the...
AI Boosts Efficiency and Client-Winning Deliverables
The real use of AI tools is not only to gain greater efficiency, but also to create high-quality deliverables that convert prospects and wow clients - Christopher Haigh, CEO of Iconoclastic Capital, shares how he does it: https://t.co/VMkPMNuWxh In this #FASuccess...
The Signal: The Real "Payment Meets Fraud" Journey with Brian Rust at Worldpay | Episode 467
In this episode, Brian Rust, SVP and Deputy CISO at Worldpay, explains how fraudsters now target SaaS platforms and ISVs by exploiting weak onboarding, transaction logic, and refund processes. He outlines the fraud kill‑chain—from synthetic business creation and card‑testing spikes...
IPO-Bound Kissht's NBFC Arm Gets Crisil Rating Upgrade on Strong Growth
Kissht’s NBFC subsidiary Si Creva Capital Services received a CRISIL rating upgrade, moving its long‑term rating to A‑/Stable and short‑term to A1. The upgrade follows a surge in assets under management, which climbed to Rs 5,533 crore by September 2025, driven by rapid expansion...

Ethiopia Deploys Real-Time National Payment Switch
Ethiopia Launches National Instant Payment System with Swiss BPC In a leap for African fintech, Ethiopia has launched its instant payment switch built on BPC’s SmartVista. The system enables 24/7 transfers and QR payments across all banks, providing the "Real-Time Rail"...
Affirm Partnerships Target Growth
Affirm is rapidly expanding its buy‑now‑pay‑later (BNPL) footprint by striking partnerships with Intuit, Expedia, a tenant‑services firm, and payment processor Fiserv. The strategy targets new verticals such as travel, tax preparation, rent payments, and debit‑card users, aiming to broaden consumer...
S45 Introduces AI-Based Platform for IPO Execution
S45 has launched India’s first AI‑enabled investment‑banking platform to streamline IPO execution. The system replaces manual spreadsheets with real‑time demand analytics, eligibility checks, and regulatory tracking. In a pilot covering 26 listings, the platform helped raise Rs 1,120.8 crore and achieved an...

EToro Reports $868M Net Contribution for 2025, Funded Accounts Rise to 3.8 Million
eToro posted its first full‑year results as a public company, reporting a net contribution of $868 million, a 10% increase year over year, and GAAP net income of $216 million. Growth was driven by expanded stock, derivatives and ISA offerings, while crypto...

Affirm’s Move to Become a Bank Signals a Reconfiguration for the BaaS Industry and Beyond
Fintech lender Affirm announced plans to obtain a U.S. banking charter, a move that could reshape the banking‑as‑a‑service (BaaS) landscape. The filing comes as charter applications have surged, with 21 submissions in the first eight months of 2025—more than double...
Tragedy: American Express May Have Closed United Airlines Travel Bank “Loophole”
American Express appears to have ended a long‑standing loophole that let Platinum cardholders claim the $200 annual airline credit by purchasing United Airlines Travel Bank credits. The change, effective around February 6, 2026, reclassifies these purchases as ticket‑related, making them ineligible for...

Why Proof of Address Is Essential for KYC Compliance
Proof of address has become a cornerstone of Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance across banks, fintechs, and crypto platforms. Regulators such as the FATF and FCA require recent utility bills, bank statements, or government letters to verify a customer’s residence....

Crypto Privacy Has Turned Into an Economic Crisis as MEV Bots Siphon Millions and Most Users Still Leak Everything
MEV bots are now burning more than half of gas on leading Ethereum layer‑2s while extracting tens of millions of dollars in profit, turning privacy from a philosophical concern into an economic crisis. Recent data shows roughly $24 million captured in...

ZeroLend Shuts Down After Liquidity Dries Up Across Layer 2s
ZeroLend announced it will wind down after three years as liquidity on the Layer‑2 networks it served evaporated. TVL plummeted from a November 2024 peak of $359 million to roughly $6.6 million, a 98% decline, and the ZERO token is down 99%...

X Adds Finance Tools: Smart Cashtags and Visa‑backed Money
The platform that popularized ragebait is bringing you better gambling: 📉 @X will roll out Smart Cashtags, enabling users to view data on stocks and cryptocurrencies directly from their timeline. 💸 X Money is currently in closed beta with employees. A public...

Ethereum Hits Record Daily Transaction Volume
Activity on Ethereum is spiking 📈 The network is seeing the most traffic & usage ever A record 2,896,853 transactions were made this month in a single day https://t.co/ubk9zbhxzV
From First-Mover To Full-Stack Partner
Safe Harbor Financial, led by new CEO Terry Mendez, is transitioning from a niche cannabis‑banking pioneer to a full‑stack solutions partner for the industry. The fintech has already moved tens of billions of dollars through regulated cannabis channels and now...

Many Long Positions Stuck at $48K, New Data Shows
Coinglass has added a Prime subscription - now you can see liquidation data for the past two years. Take a look at how many longs are sitting at the $48K level. https://t.co/XfeIIknkik
Bankrupt Fraudster Now on Fox Promoting Killer Robots
I don't mean to alarm anyone, but the guy who lost track of $95 million of depositors' money is on Fox talking about building killer robots-
LSEG Partners with Bank of America to Unlock Next Generation Data, Analytics and AI Ready Content for Clients
London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and Bank of America have entered a multi‑year partnership to embed LSEG’s data, analytics and workflow solutions across BofA’s platforms. The deal gives BofA clients governed, rights‑cleared data and AI‑ready content, powered by LSEG Workspace,...
Patience Pays: Superior Tech Wins Amid Market Chaos
The market structure is frustratingly messed up, but zooming out reveals technology's cumulative nature. It only gets better, and superior solutions inevitably win. For the patient and curious in this industry, now is the time to commit and think deeper...
IHG Cobranded Visa Debit Card For UK With Revolut Coming In 2026
IHG announced a co‑branded Visa debit card with fintech firm Revolut, targeting UK consumers and slated for launch in late 2026. The new product replaces the IHG‑Creation credit card that was discontinued in 2023, and will be issued under the...
The New Forces Shaping for Financial Trust
Banks must protect trust while delivering real‑time digital services, prompting CIOs to balance speed, innovation, and regulatory risk. Tata Communications identified four forces—Simplification, Network as a strategic asset, AI readiness, and Precedent‑free leadership (SNAP)—that now shape technology agendas in financial...
What Liquid Death Can Teach Banks
In this episode of Banking Transformed, Jim Marous and a lineup of industry leaders explore how banks can learn from the bold branding and cultural disruption of Liquid Death. Guests discuss leveraging visionary partnerships, generative AI, and platform strategies to...
4 Steps to Building Your Own Fintech
UK platforms Klipboard, Access Group, and Epos Now illustrate a four‑stage roadmap for building embedded finance. They begin by validating assumptions and launching embedded payments, then evolve payments into a core, cross‑functional capability. Next, they add complementary financial products such as...
Piero Cipollone: The Digital Euro - Strengthening Europe's Payments Ecosystem
In a speech in Nicosia, ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone presented the digital euro as a cornerstone for Europe’s payment autonomy, security and competitiveness. He emphasized the ECB’s readiness to issue retail central‑bank digital money while maintaining wholesale settlement...

Emirates NBD Leads $31 Million Round in Real Estate Investment Platform Stake
Stake, a fractional real‑estate investment platform, closed a $31 million financing round led by Emirates NBD, bringing its total capital to $58 million. The raise backs Stake’s rapid expansion beyond Saudi Arabia into the United States and supports its regulated offering in the Kingdom....

Mondrian Picks FundGuard to Update Investment Ledger
Mondrian, a European asset manager, has selected FundGuard’s cloud‑based investment ledger to replace its legacy accounting system. The new platform will provide real‑time transaction processing, automated regulatory reporting, and seamless integration with tokenisation workflows. Migration includes historic data transfer and...

Danish Fintech Pluto Secures New Funding From Seed Capital and Unicorn Founders to Scale Commission-Free Investing Across Europe
Copenhagen‑based fintech Pluto announced a €5 million funding round led by Seed Capital and a syndicate of ten Danish unicorn founders, including executives from Pleo, Synthesia and Zendesk, with footballer Thomas Delaney also participating. The capital will fuel the launch of “Pluto...

Velera’s Chuck Fagan: ‘Speed to Member Impact’ Is the Only KPI That Matters for Credit Unions
Chuck Fagan, CEO of Velera, told PYMNTS that credit unions must make "speed to member impact" their primary KPI, measuring how quickly they deliver solutions from concept to market. He warned that the term "credit" alienates millennials and Gen Z,...

What CFOs Need From Banks and FinTechs in Cross-Border Payments
Cross‑border payments are undergoing a structural shift as CFOs demand more predictable, liquid, and compliant solutions. FinTech firms have accelerated speed and API‑driven usability, opening new corridors and transparent pricing. At the same time, banks are investing in modern settlement,...
Nairagram Completes ₦10 Billion Capital Raise to Deepen Financial Connectivity Across Africa
Pan‑African payments firm Nairagram completed a ₦10 billion commercial paper issuance, fully subscribed within 48 hours after regulatory clearance from the Central Bank of Nigeria. The capital will fund operations across 37 African countries, accelerating expansion in key markets such as Nigeria,...

Linkhome Launches AI Agent to Enhance the Home Buying and Financing Experience
Linkhome Holdings Inc. unveiled its Linkhome AI Agent, an intelligent conversational assistant designed to simplify property searches, market analysis, and mortgage preparation. The tool leverages natural‑language processing to deliver AI‑assisted property recommendations, multilingual interactions, and real‑time market context. By consolidating...
Fintech Treyd Targets Doubling UK Customer Base as It Hits £200m Lending Milestone
Swedish fintech Treyd has surpassed £200 million in UK lending since its 2022 launch, making Britain its biggest market with more than 500 customers. The company plans to double its UK client base by 2027, targeting underserved SMEs that need rapid...

UK Crypto Rules Too Slow to Support Global Hub Ambitions, Says Agant CEO
Andrew MacKenzie, CEO of stablecoin developer Agant, warned that the United Kingdom’s crypto regulatory timetable is too slow to support its ambition of becoming a global digital‑asset hub. While the government plans to pass comprehensive stablecoin legislation later this year,...