Nexi Joins Agentic Commerce Alliance
Nexi Group announced its membership in the Agentic Commerce Alliance, a global initiative focused on establishing open standards for autonomous, AI‑driven commerce. The alliance aims to create vendor‑neutral protocols that enable agents to operate securely and interoperably across platforms. Nexi will contribute its European scale, payment expertise, and existing partnerships with Google, Mastercard and Visa to shape the transactional layer for AI agents. The move signals a push toward a more open, trustworthy digital commerce ecosystem.
Iplicit Appoints VP Finance
Iplicit, the UK‑focused cloud accounting SaaS, has promoted Andy Jackson to Vice President of Finance after two years as Financial Controller. Jackson brings 27 years of finance leadership, including extensive fast‑growth SaaS experience, to support CFO Rob Steele as the...
Mea Platform Partners with Moonrock to Power AI-Led MGA Operations
mea Platform and Moonrock Insurance have partnered to embed mea Operations, an AI‑first operating platform, across Moonrock’s MGA business. The integration will automate core workflows—including submission intake, data ingestion, claims handling and finance—enabling faster, more consistent processing. By replacing legacy...
Crypto Crime Hits Record Levels as Nation-States Dodge Sanctions
Chainalysis reports illicit crypto transactions reached $154 billion in 2025, a 160% jump from the prior year. The surge stems largely from nation‑state actors, especially Russia, leveraging a ruble‑backed stablecoin (A7A5) to bypass sanctions. Stablecoins now represent roughly 60% of illicit...
The Rise of Digital Assets: A Conversation with Yoni Assia
In a Fintech Times podcast recorded at Abu Dhabi Finance Week, eToro co‑founder and CEO Yoni Assa discusses the broker’s transformation from a traditional‑finance pioneer to a leading digital‑assets platform. He outlines how eToro expanded its offering to more than...
South Korea’s Coinone Weighs Stake Sale Amid Coinbase Speculation
Coinone, South Korea's third‑largest crypto exchange, is preparing to sell the 53.4% stake held by Chairman Cha Myung‑hoon, while game‑developer Com2uS may offload its 38.4% holding at a loss. The exchange confirmed talks with both domestic financial institutions and overseas...
Japan Plans Framework that Could Permit Crypto ETFs by 2028: Nikkei
Japan’s Financial Services Agency is drafting rule changes that could allow cryptocurrency exchange‑traded funds as early as 2028. The proposed framework would let crypto assets count as eligible ETF holdings and include stronger investor‑protection measures. Major financial groups such as...
Mobility Fintech GoCab Closes $45m Funding to Expand Drive-To-Own Model
GoCab, a London‑based mobility fintech, closed $45 million in funding – $15 million seed equity and $30 million debt – led by E3 Capital and Janngo VC. The company provides a drive‑to‑own vehicle financing model for gig‑economy drivers and offers add‑on BNPL products,...
NEO PAY and Wio Bank Join Forces to Streamline SME Financing in the UAE
UAE payment provider NEO PAY has teamed up with digital bank Wio Bank PJSC to launch a point‑of‑sale (PoS) lending product for small and medium‑sized enterprises. The solution taps real‑time sales data from merchants’ PoS terminals to deliver fast working‑capital...
Banks Must Drive Ongoing Activity, Not Just Ownership
Account ownership is not enough. Banks must design propositions that encourage ongoing activity while building sustainable revenue models. Download the report for free: https://t.co/0wah7wPuXN https://t.co/kupkgsdHhe
ClearScore Enters Mortgage Market with Acquisition of Acre Platforms
ClearScore, the UK fintech known for free credit‑score checks, announced its entry into the residential mortgage market by acquiring Acre Platforms. The undisclosed deal equips ClearScore with Acre’s underwriting engine and cloud‑native loan‑origination system, enabling instant mortgage offers after a...
Consensys Pushes for Balanced Cybersecurity Rules in FTC’s Nomad Case
Consensys submitted a comment letter to the FTC urging technology‑agnostic security standards in the agency’s settlement with Nomad Capital Labs over the 2022 $190 million bridge hack. The firm warns that prescriptive measures such as mandatory circuit‑breaker mechanisms could clash with...
Tapping Into Your Home Equity: What You Need to Know Before Taking the Plunge
Home equity loans and HELOCs let homeowners borrow against the difference between market value and mortgage balance, often at rates lower than unsecured credit. Lenders typically allow borrowing up to 80‑85% of available equity, with credit scores influencing terms. These...
Things Worth Reading: 26th January 2026
The Bank of England publicly acknowledged its inflation forecasting errors, while European regulators flagged systemic risk in life insurers and encouraged banks to re‑engage with Wall Street. In the fintech arena, Titan received a second SEC penalty for exaggerated crypto...
US Authorities Recover Billions in Bitcoin (BTC) Allegedly Linked to Fraud Scheme, 9/11 Families and Other Victims Seek the Funds
U.S. authorities have taken control of more than 127,000 Bitcoin, valued at over $11.4 billion, in what officials describe as one of the largest crypto forfeitures ever. The coins originated from a mining operation run by Iran‑linked LuBian.com, which allegedly helped...
AWS Releases Updated PCI PIN Compliance Report for Payment Cryptography
Amazon Web Services has released an updated PCI PIN compliance package for its Payment Cryptography service, confirming a recent third‑party audit with zero findings. The package includes a PCI PIN Attestation of Compliance and a Responsibility Summary that outlines customer obligations. The...
PulseChain: A Scalable, Low-Cost Blockchain Built for DeFi and Web3
PulseChain launched as a full Ethereum system‑state fork, replicating every wallet, token and smart contract while switching to a Proof‑of‑Stake consensus. The layer‑1 network offers sub‑second block times and transaction fees measured in fractions of a cent, delivering a scalable,...
Majority of Institutional Investors Say Bitcoin Is Undervalued: Coinbase
Coinbase’s Q1 2026 report reveals that 71% of surveyed institutional investors view Bitcoin as undervalued, citing a price range of $85,000‑$95,000. Bitcoin is trading near $87,600, more than 30% below its October all‑time high of $126,080. Eighty percent of institutions said...
SEC Closes Chapter on Gemini Earn Dispute with Permanent Dismissal Following Complete User Repayments
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission permanently dismissed its lawsuit against Gemini Trust Company after the crypto exchange and its partner Genesis returned roughly $3 billion in assets to more than 200,000 Earn users. The dismissal, filed with prejudice, follows a...
Uber and DoorDash Lose Bid to Quash NYC Tipping Law
Uber and DoorDash lost a federal bid to block New York City’s new tipping law, which forces delivery apps to present a tip option and a suggested minimum of 10% at checkout. U.S. District Judge George Daniels rejected the companies’...
26M+ Scammed By Fake QR Codes: NordVPN
NordVPN research finds more than 26 million people may have been lured to malicious sites via fake QR codes. Scammers embed these codes in “brushing” packages, a tactic that now delivers 26 % of all malicious links. Seventy‑three percent of Americans admit...
DXC Technology and Ripple Join Forces to Enable Digital Asset Integration in Banking
DXC Technology announced a strategic partnership with Ripple to embed blockchain‑based digital‑asset custody and payment capabilities into its Hogan core‑banking system. The integration lets banks manage stablecoins, tokenized assets, and cross‑border transfers without replacing legacy infrastructure. Ripple’s Payments and Custody...
Bitcoin, Clarity Act, FTC & NYSE: Web3 Thoughts of the Week
Bitcoin fell below the $94,000 threshold, testing support around $88,000 as geopolitical tensions and tariff news weigh on digital assets. The NYSE announced plans for 24/7 trading and on‑chain settlement, aiming to bridge liquidity gaps for real‑world assets. Meanwhile, the...
Experian, Credit Builders Alliance Partner to Improve Access for Underserved Consumers
Experian and the Credit Builders Alliance (CBA) released a study showing that adding a CBA tradeline propels 70% of previously unscored borrowers into prime or near‑prime credit within a year, far outpacing the 48% rate for the broader unscored population....
Bitcoin Empowers the Financially Oppressed, Not Just Elites
Wait -- they reposted it after getting ratioed on the first one? 😂 ICYMI, this was my comment: Whoa … is this from 2013?? Spoken like people with a lot of financial privilege. Go ahead and tell an Argentinian or...
Solana’s New Phase Is ‘Much More About Finance,’ Says Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante
Solana’s ecosystem is pivoting from meme‑driven hype to a sober focus on financial infrastructure, according to Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante. Over the past year the network has emphasized high‑throughput on‑chain trading, market structure and settlement rather than NFTs or gaming....
US Private Credit Market Expands Significantly in Early 2026, Report Reveals
PitchBook reports that US private credit assets under management are set to top $2 trillion in early 2026, driven by a steady decline in default rates and solid middle‑market earnings. Fourth‑quarter 2025 earnings rose 3.1 % thanks to strong consumer‑goods and technology...
Banks Should Use Personalization to Build Trust, Not Push Sales
Banks must rethink personalization as a relationship engine, not a sales trigger. Getting this wrong weakens trust over time. Read more here: https://t.co/bBd6Gks1RH https://t.co/N9sg2C4Ct5
Here's What Fed's Highly Anticipated Rate Decision This Week Means for Bitcoin and the Dollar
The Federal Reserve is expected to keep its policy rate steady at 3.5%‑3.75% this week, marking a pause after three consecutive quarter‑point cuts. Traders will watch Jerome Powell’s language to determine whether the pause is hawkish, which could bolster the...
Top Crypto SEO & AI Search Agencies for Web3 Projects
The article outlines the shift in crypto SEO from traditional rankings to AI‑driven visibility, highlighting agencies that specialize in Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and LLM‑friendly content. It profiles eight firms, with Victoria Olsina’s consultancy leading in...
The Rise of RWA: How Mey Real Bridges Wall Street Tech with High-Yield Real Estate
Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization is booming, with the market reaching $36 billion by late 2025—a 2,200% increase since 2020. Research projects the sector could expand to $30 trillion by 2034, while tokenized real‑estate alone may hit $3 trillion by 2030. Mey Real...
Tech Is Erasing the Line Between Banks and Fintech
Distinctions between banks and other kinds of FIs blurring because of technology.... can you guess what year this was written? https://t.co/WcajuBHnoU
Bridging the Gap: The Ultimate Guide to Instant Crypto Liquidity and How to Transfer Bitcoin to PayPal, Bank, and Western...
ExchangeInstant positions itself as a one‑stop solution for instant crypto liquidity, enabling users to convert Bitcoin, USDT, Ethereum and other assets directly into PayPal, bank accounts, or cash‑pickup services such as Western Union and MoneyGram. The platform emphasizes speed—often delivering...
Quantum Tech in Banking and Fintech: The Next Big Thing
Quantum technology is transitioning from theory to proof‑of‑concept within finance, with banks and fintech firms launching pilots in portfolio optimisation, fraud detection, and quantum‑secure communications. Quantum computing's ability to solve large‑scale optimisation and accelerate Monte Carlo simulations promises faster risk...
How the Ultra-Wealthy Are Using Bitcoin to Fund Their Yacht Upgrades and Cannes Trips
Ultra‑wealthy crypto investors are turning to decentralized finance platforms such as Aave, Morpho and Uniswap to obtain short‑term credit without liquidating their Bitcoin or Ether holdings. Cometh, a French DeFi‑for‑businesses firm that recently secured a MiCA licence, structures these loans...
We Checked Out Bobby, a Trading Platform Focused on Discipline Over Speed
Bobby is a day‑trading platform that puts discipline ahead of speed, using a proprietary Trend Score to give a single directional bias each morning. It limits traders to one market, one bias, and a short window around the open, enforcing...
Crypto ETFs with Staking Can Supercharge Returns but They May Not Be for Everyone
Ethereum staking ETFs now let investors earn yield while avoiding direct custody. Grayscale’s ETHE became the first U.S. Ethereum fund to distribute staking rewards, paying $0.083 per share, roughly an 82‑cent return on a $1,000 position. Compared with self‑custody or...
The Fraud Hiding in Email Signups
E‑commerce merchants are increasingly hit by fraud that begins with fake but technically valid email sign‑ups. Fraudsters use these accounts for low‑value card‑testing transactions and to harvest welcome coupons, driving chargebacks and an estimated $89 billion in annual coupon abuse losses....
Safeguarding Real-Time Payments: How to Leverage AI Through Back-Office Readiness
Payments firms are racing to meet the FCA's 7 May safeguarding deadline, prompting a sector‑wide audit of control frameworks and risk tolerances. Simultaneously, exploding real‑time payment volumes are exposing the limits of legacy reconciliation and reporting systems. Many organisations still rely...
Colombia’s Second-Largest Pension Fund to Offer Bitcoin Exposure
Colombia’s second‑largest private pension manager, AFP Protección, announced a new fund that offers limited exposure to Bitcoin, available only to investors who pass a personalized risk‑assessment process. The product is positioned as a diversification tool rather than a core shift away...
Tevau Hits 260K Users and Evolves Into a Money App
Tevau announced its 2025 results and a 2026 roadmap, positioning itself as a full‑stack Money App rather than a single‑card service. The Hong Kong‑based fintech grew from roughly 4,000 users at the end of 2024 to over 260,000 active users...
Deep Dive: Unwrapping FIS’s Technology Stack and Architecture
FIS is rearchitecting its banking platform into a modular, cloud‑native stack that treats banks as a collection of interoperable services rather than a monolithic core. The architecture layers a universal ledger and orchestration core, componentized product services, risk and program...
Mercuryo and Visa Partner to Expand Global Crypto-to-Fiat Off-Ramping via Visa Direct
Mercuryo announced a strategic partnership with Visa to embed Visa Direct into its crypto‑payment platform. The integration will let wallet, exchange and Web3 users convert digital assets to fiat and have funds pushed to Visa cards, bank accounts or digital...
Binamarket Launches Blockchain-Based Event Market Platform
Binamarket introduced a blockchain‑based event market platform on BNB Chain, allowing users to trade binary outcomes linked to verifiable real‑world events. The first market asks whether gold will hit $5,000 per ounce by Jan 31 2026. All positions, pricing and settlement are...
Polymarket Sees January US Gov't Shutdown Odds Surge to 77%
Polymarket’s prediction market shows a 77% probability that the U.S. government will shut down before Jan. 31, a 67% jump in the last 24 hours. The surge follows Senate Democrats’ refusal to fund the Department of Homeland Security in the upcoming...
Elariosso Digital Ltd Combines Human Expertise and Smart Processes to Modernize Customer Support Operations
Elariosso Digital Ltd is positioning itself as a modern customer‑support outsourcing partner for e‑commerce, SaaS, fintech and other digital businesses. The firm blends skilled human agents with structured, technology‑driven workflows to deliver 24/7, multichannel assistance. Its model emphasizes clear escalation...
White House Credits Trump for Making America Crypto Capital
The White House credited Trump with making America the crypto capital, while the CFTC chair said regulators are working to deliver that vision. Sources: White House & Mike Selig https://t.co/vDroIuv0eL
Bitcoin Payments Held Back by Tax Policy, Not Scaling Tech: Crypto Exec
Bitcoin’s primary barrier to mainstream payments is tax policy, not scaling limitations, according to Strive board member Pierre Rochard. The absence of a de‑minimis tax exemption means every small BTC transfer incurs tax liability, discouraging its use as a medium...
The Fight over Stablecoin Yield Isn’t Really About Stablecoins
Congress is debating whether stablecoins should be allowed to pay yield, but the dispute reveals a deeper shift in how consumers view deposits. The author argues that balances are increasingly expected to earn by default, challenging the traditional low‑yield bank...
US Department of Treasury Organizes Event for Trump Accounts Launch, Participants Include Michael Dell, Kevin O’Leary, Niki Manaj, Others
The U.S. Treasury is launching "Trump Accounts," a tax‑advantaged savings vehicle for children born between 2025 and 2028, offering a $1,000 government seed deposit and allowing up to $5,000 in annual contributions. The program, slated to go live on July 4, 2026,...