Tonik Becomes Philippines' First Standalone Digital Bank to Reach Sustained Profitability
Tonik Digital Bank posted consolidated positive cash net income for Q1 2026, making it the first standalone digital bank in the Philippines to achieve sustained profitability. The milestone reflects the lender’s credit‑first strategy and signals a shift in how emerging‑market fintechs can scale without ecosystem backing.
Pagaya's AI Engine May Be Undervalued Despite One-Off Loss
Pagaya Tech (NASDAQ: PGY): AI Credit Platform (small cap) Helps banks/fintechs/auto lenders assess loans, package into ABS. GAAP profitable, low P/E vs peers. But $140M one-off loss + relies on external borrowing. Market underpricing AI engine or pricing risk correctly? https://t.co/02retTW6kn
The Hidden Cost of Fraud Disputes Is Hitting Banks Hard
In this episode, host Rima Katz talks with Steve Derny of Quavo Fraud and Disputes and Suzanne Sando, lead analyst at Javelin, about the hidden costs of fraud disputes for banks. They explain how inefficient dispute processes erode revenue through...
Special Series: The Trust Advantage - Surcharging Done Right with Jim Oberman, CEO, Payroc | Episode 487
In this episode of the Trust Advantage series, Payroc CEO Jim Oberman explains credit‑card surcharging—what it is, why merchants use it, and how it differs from dual pricing, convenience fees, and service fees. He highlights that surcharging is only permissible...
Bakkt Posts $82.6M Cash and Targets $2.5B Transaction Volume as Stablecoin Market Surges
Bakkt Holdings announced $82.6 million in cash and a flat $18.6 million operating expense for Q1 2026, while projecting $2.5 billion in transaction volume by year‑end. The firm cites a 72% rise in stablecoin settlement volumes and a new Zoth partnership as catalysts for...
UAE Licenses Crypto.com for Government Fee Payments, Pioneering Sovereign Crypto Adoption
The United Arab Emirates' central bank granted Crypto.com a Stored Value Facilities license, making it the first platform approved to accept cryptocurrency for government service fees. The move positions the UAE as one of the earliest nations to link public‑sector...
Jifiti and Peach Finance Join Forces to Offer Full‑Stack Lending Platform for Community Banks
Jifiti and Peach Finance announced a strategic partnership that combines Jifiti's embedded lending and digital origination tools with Peach Finance's API‑first servicing platform. The joint solution gives community and regional banks a single, modular stack to launch, scale and future‑proof...
Outdated Finance Tools Slowing Startup Growth
Wallester’s 2026 Corporate Spending Outlook reveals that 55% of European startups and SMEs label manual financial processes as their top operational bottleneck. While 85% of firms express confidence in forecasting spend, the same survey shows 55% already rely on instant...
Reports: Five Startup Opportunities in Stablecoins; The Next Age of Fintech; Asset Tokenization in Financial Markets
The latest reports map a turning point for stablecoins and tokenization as they move from speculative niches to core financial infrastructure. In Europe, MiCA’s enforcement deadline of July 1 2026 forces 38 accredited EMT issuers to secure full authorization, while the U.S....
OniCore Unveils $0 Infrastructure Transparency Framework to Bolster Fintech Resilience
OniCore announced the Infrastructure Transparency Framework, a Dubai‑based initiative that gives fintech firms a structured view of their third‑party infrastructure. The move targets hidden dependencies that have previously caused $265 million in frozen funds and large‑scale outages, aiming to make the...
Valyra Exchange Expands Decentralized Trading Platform with Cross‑Chain and DeFi Services
Valyra Exchange announced a major expansion of its decentralized digital‑asset trading platform, adding cross‑chain capabilities, a high‑throughput matching engine and a roadmap that includes lending, staking and tokenization. The move positions the exchange as a broader digital financial infrastructure for...
BSP Orders Banks to Tighten AML Controls on QR Payments
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has issued Memorandum M‑2026‑017, requiring all supervised banks and payment firms to strengthen anti‑money‑laundering and counter‑terrorism financing controls for QR‑enabled transactions, merchant accounts and payment aggregators. The directive aims to curb money‑laundering, fraud and...
Paymentology Secures $175 Million to Accelerate Real‑Time Payments, AI and Tokenisation
London‑based issuer‑processor Paymentology raised $175 million in a round co‑led by Apis Partners and Aspirity Partners. The funding will fuel global expansion, AI‑driven services and tokenisation, as the company reports 117% YoY sales growth and a 65% jump in transaction volume.
Paysafe Ltd (PSFE) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Paysafe Ltd reported full‑year 2025 revenue of $1.7 billion, delivering 6% organic growth despite a divested business line. Digital‑wallet consumers rose to 7.8 million, the highest in three years, while the Vitality Index reached 16% of revenue, underscoring new‑product momentum. Unlevered free...
Bermuda to Transition ‘Key’ Financial Services to Stellar Blockchain
Bermuda announced it will shift core payment and financial‑services functions onto the Stellar blockchain, aiming to become a fully on‑chain national economy. Premier David Burt said the move follows risk assessments that cleared digital‑asset acceptance and investment. Stellar’s low‑cost, fast...
Alphabet Boosts Portfolio Value by $1.5 B, Adds CME Group as Top Holding
Alphabet increased the value of its public‑equity portfolio by $1.5 billion in Q1 2026 while trimming the number of holdings from 29 to 26. The tech giant added sizable positions in CME Group, PayPal and Ethos Technologies, and cleared stakes in five...
Amex and Chase Turn Dining Into Card Ecosystem with Resy, Infatuation Deals
American Express and Chase have deepened their lifestyle arms by integrating restaurant reservation and discovery platforms into their premium cards. The moves signal a shift from point‑redemption models to fully owned dining ecosystems that lock spend within the issuer’s infrastructure.
Dun & Bradstreet Partners with Anthropic to Power Compliance AI with Claude
Dun & Bradstreet announced a partnership with Anthropic to integrate its Commercial Graph data into the Claude generative‑AI assistant. The joint solution will let financial institutions automate know‑your‑customer and know‑your‑business checks with audit‑ready outputs, marking a major step for AI...
Keel Launches Profitable BaaS Platform After Pivot From Frost Neobank
Manchester‑based fintech Keel has emerged from stealth with a profitable Banking‑as‑a‑Service (BaaS) platform, abandoning its original Frost neobank model. The new infrastructure serves venture‑backed fintechs, regulated firms and a Southeast Asian platform with over 750,000 users, marking a strategic shift...
Payward and Franklin Templeton Unveil Tokenized Yield Suite
Payward, the parent of Kraken, and global asset manager Franklin Templeton announced a joint suite of tokenized yield products. The partnership will extend Payward’s xStocks framework, which has processed over $30 bn in volume, to include tokenized equities, money‑market funds and...
Galaxy Digital and Sharplink Announce $125M Onchain Yield Fund
Galaxy Digital and Sharplink have signed a non‑binding MOU to launch the Galaxy Sharplink Onchain Yield Fund, a $125 million limited partnership focused on decentralized finance strategies. Sharplink will supply $100 million from its staked Ethereum treasury while Galaxy contributes $25 million and will serve as the...
Figure Drops Hints of Future Mortgage Product
Figure Technology Solutions posted a $45 million net income in Q1 2026, nearly tripling its profit from the previous quarter and surpassing analyst forecasts. Revenue climbed to $167 million, driven by a surge in blockchain‑backed loan and capital marketplace activity. The fintech...
AFC Urges Regulatory Clarity and Tailored Oversight in OCC Stablecoin Rulemaking
The American Fintech Council (AFC) submitted a comment letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on the proposed GENIUS Act rulemaking for U.S. stablecoins. The AFC urges a risk‑based federal framework that tailors requirements to the...
Klarna Brings BNPL Into Google’s AI Shopping Experience
Klarna’s buy‑now‑pay‑later services are now embedded in Google’s AI‑powered Gemini app and Google Search checkout flows. The integration surfaces Klarna’s flexible payment plans, including BNPL and longer‑term financing, with an affordability check at point of purchase. Klarna reports AI‑referenced traffic...
Google Integrates Klarna, Affirm Into Gemini AI Checkout
Buy now, pay later services in AI surfaces -> Google Adds Klarna, Affirm as AI Shopping Payment Options in Gemini app and in AI Mode "When shoppers are making a purchase from Gemini or Google search results, Affirm and Klarna...
Revolut Steps Up Israel Hiring as It Pushes for “Lean Bank” License
Revolut is launching a hiring drive in Israel, adding a Strategy and Operations Manager to support its push for a lean bank licence. The lean‑bank framework would let Revolut accept deposits and extend credit under lighter regulation, complementing its full...
Lossdog Launches AI Platform to Quantify White‑Collar Worth and Hedge Compensation Gaps
Thinkorswim and tastytrade co-founders Tom Sosnoff and Scott Sheridan released Lossdog in April 2026, an AI‑driven platform that delivers a single market‑based compensation figure and a portfolio‑optimization layer for white‑collar professionals. The service aims to counter AI‑induced wage suppression by...
City of London Launches $6.7 B Digital ID Orchestrator Push to Curb Financial Fraud
The City of London Corporation has issued a call for technology partners to build a Digital Verification Orchestrator (DVO) that could slash fraud costs by up to £5 bn ($6.7 bn). The voluntary, reusable identity service aims to let consumers verify once...
Visa, Keyno and Fidelity Bank Launch Tap‑Based Identity Verification for Cardholders
Visa partnered with fintech Keyno and Bahamian issuer Fidelity Bank to launch Tap to Confirm and Tap to Activate, a tap‑based identity verification solution that replaces one‑time passcodes with EMV‑level security. The pilot, first deployed in the Bahamas, signals a...
Mastercard Deploys Scorecard‑Driven AI Governance as AI Models Surge 60% YoY
Mastercard’s finance organization has rolled out a proactive, scorecard‑driven AI‑governance framework to control a 60% year‑over‑year increase in AI deployments. The new process, anchored by a pre‑contract scorecard and an agile AI Governance Council, aims to eliminate “shadow AI” and...
Edison Chan: «Regulation Unlocks Real Demand for Crypto»
Hong Kong has completed a sweeping virtual‑asset regulatory overhaul, adding a Stablecoins Ordinance, licensing for OTC dealers, custodians, advisers and managers, and a 2026 bill that will bring the entire crypto ecosystem under the Securities and Futures Commission and the...
Worldline Signs EcoFlow To Its Global Collect Platform
Worldline and EcoFlow have entered a commercial partnership in which EcoFlow will use Worldline’s Global Collect platform for local payment acquiring across the US, UK, Europe and eventually Asia‑Pacific and Latin America. The arrangement enables domestic transaction processing, improves authorisation...
How Toast And Fiserv Are Widening Their Reach in Restaurants
Toast Inc. announced a chain‑wide rollout of its point‑of‑sale, kitchen‑display and AI‑driven analytics platform at Hungry Howie's, a pizza franchise with roughly 500 locations in 18 states. The deal highlights Toast’s push into the complex pizza segment, where menu customization...
India Gets Its UPI for EV Charging as Kumaraswamy Unveils Unified Bharat E-Charge
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy launched Unified Bharat e‑Charge (UBC), dubbed the “UPI for EV charging,” a government‑backed, NPCI‑supported platform that lets Indian EV owners locate, book and pay for charging across public networks through a single app. The system, built...
Corporate Card Fintech Parker Shuts Down without Warning
Parker Group, a Y Combinator‑backed corporate‑card fintech that raised $243.6 million, abruptly ceased operations in early May and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Delaware. The shutdown left customers unable to access funds and forced sponsor banks Piermont and Patriot to scramble for...
MobiKwik Posts Second Straight Profitable Quarter in Q4
MobiKwik reported a profit after tax of ₹4.4 crore (≈$0.5 M) in Q4 FY26, reversing a ₹56 crore loss a year earlier. Revenue grew 8% YoY to ₹288.7 crore (≈$35 M) and contribution profit more than doubled. Payments gross merchandise value jumped 58% to ₹52,400 crore...
NatWest Sharpens Its AI Focus with New Fintech Cohort
NatWest has chosen eight artificial‑intelligence‑led fintechs for its 2026 Fintech Programme, a 12‑week accelerator aimed at pre‑Series A and Series A companies. The cohort spans solutions for customer engagement, compliance, financial‑crime detection, vulnerability identification, geopolitical risk, treasury and payments. Participants will work...
Revolut Launches UK Savings Challenge with £100k Prize
Revolut has launched its first UK savings challenge, letting customers set weekly targets of £10‑£50 (≈$13‑$64) that are auto‑deposited. Participants who meet every weekly deposit for a month enter a £10,000 (≈$12,700) draw, while those who sustain a streak for...
FIS Discounts Pismo Competition
FIS CEO Stephanie Ferris told analysts that Visa‑backed Pismo poses "absolutely no impact" on FIS, emphasizing that Pismo only offers ledgering capabilities and not full‑end‑to‑end core banking. The statement follows FIS’s first‑quarter earnings, which showed revenue climbing 30% to $3.3 billion...
Canada Doesn’t Need a Digital Loonie to Maintain Sovereignty From the U.S. — It Needs Digital Competition
Canada’s government is urged to skip a state‑run CBDC and instead foster private‑sector stablecoins. The Stablecoin Act (Bill C‑15) already provides a registration regime, at‑par redemption and Bank of Canada oversight, and Tetra Digital Group has launched CADD, the first...
GratifID Debuts TIPMO at HITEC 2026
GratifID unveiled TIPMO, an NFC‑enabled digital tipping platform, at HITEC 2026 in San Antonio. The solution promises frictionless tap‑to‑tip interactions, real‑time direct payments to staff, and plug‑and‑play deployment without complex IT integration. GratifID highlighted advanced encryption, real‑time analytics, and a...
VeriPark Expands in Canada with 12 New Credit‑union Partnerships and Central 1 Certification
VeriPark announced a wave of new credit‑union partnerships in Canada, securing Central 1 certification and launching a Canadian User Group with Tru Cooperative Bank. The moves accompany an 8× boost in digital onboarding for Innovation Federal Credit Union and reinforce VeriPark’s...
BlackRock Files for New Tokenized Fund With SEC, Taps Securitize Again
BlackRock has filed with the SEC for a second tokenized fund, again selecting Securitize to provide the blockchain infrastructure. The filing follows the launch of BUIDL in 2024, which has grown to roughly $2.3 billion in assets. The proposed structure blends...
Nubank Deploys AI Model to Expand Credit While Keeping Risk Flat
Nubank rolled out nuFormer, a transformer‑based AI underwriting engine that slashes projected risk by 70% and helped the bank lift its credit‑card spend share by 50 basis points in Q4 2025. The move expands the lender’s credit portfolio 40% year‑over‑year while...
Visa Tap ID Tech Debuts and Other Digital Transactions News Briefs From 5/12/26
Visa introduced Tap to Confirm and Tap to Activate, letting cardholders verify identity or activate new cards by tapping their Visa card on a mobile device, in partnership with fintech Keyno and Fidelity Bank Bahamas. BNPL providers Affirm and Klarna...
Greenboard Raises $15.5 Million to Keep Compliance From Slowing Down Business in the AI Era
Greenboard announced a $15.5 million Series A round led by Base10 Partners, with participation from Y Combinator, General Catalyst, Commerce Ventures, Transpose Platform and Liquid2 Ventures. The AI‑driven compliance platform now serves more than 500 financial institutions and has introduced a conversational tool...
Judge Combines Fiserv Lawsuits
A Wisconsin federal judge ordered two shareholder lawsuits against payment processor Fiserv to be combined and heard in the Southern District of New York. The cases allege that Fiserv and its executives misled investors about the forced migration to its...
Europe's Banks Deploy Smart Bond Contracts on Blockchain
European milestones for natively digital debt: 1️⃣ 🇩🇪: DZ BANK & KfW mapped the full lifecycle of a crypto bond on a public blockchain - proving Smart Bond Contracts can autonomously handle payments. https://t.co/3WAevr3yBs 2️⃣🇨🇭: Keyrock issued an on-chain corporate bond via Sygnum...
Human Verification Can Prevent $28B Fraud Losses
$28B+ in improper payments. Phantom claims. Duplicate identities. FaceTec shows how verifying a real, living human can stop fraud before it starts. 👉 https://t.co/SCvzoUsitU @FaceTecInc #ViVE2026 #HITSM
AI Drives Massive Shifts in Commerce, Finance, and Tech
AI Revolution: Stripe ignites agentic commerce, GM axes IT jobs for AI talent, and NVIDIA bets $40B on AI founders. Read the signals shaping tomorrow’s retail, finance, and tech landscapes. https://t.co/YcBYMfOYzl