Paymentus Posts 30% Revenue Surge, Raises Full-Year Outlook to $1.44 B
Paymentus Holdings (PAY) announced Q1 2026 revenue of $358.4 million, up 30.2% year over year, and lifted its full‑year revenue guidance to $1.425‑$1.44 billion. The growth was driven by new enterprise billers, a surge in transaction volume and the rollout of its AI‑native Billio platform.
AI Agents Expose a Costly Blind Spot in Fraud Prevention
Merchants are now seeing legitimate AI‑driven purchases flagged as fraud as AI shopping agents mimic bot behavior. Traditional fraud models, which rely on human‑centric signals, struggle to distinguish authorized agents from malicious bots. The resulting false declines generate lost revenue...
Visa Expands ‘Agentic Ready’ Program to Issuers in Canada
Visa announced the expansion of its global Visa Agentic Ready program to Canadian issuers, enabling banks to test AI‑agent‑initiated payments in live environments. The initiative offers controlled trials of card enrollment, tokenization, authentication and transaction authorization with real merchants. Early...
EPI Confronts the Cloud Dilemma for Payments Sovereignty
The European Payments Initiative (EPI) launched its Wero wallet, now serving 53 million users in Belgium, France and Germany, to rival Visa and Mastercard. Despite its sovereignty goals, Wero still depends on non‑European cloud services for the low‑latency, high‑availability infrastructure payments...
Bipartisan Senate Bill Takes Aim at AI Voice Cloning and Deepfake Fraud Targeting Mobile Users
The bipartisan AI Fraud Accountability Act (S.3982), introduced by Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester and Tim Sheehy, would make it a federal crime to use AI‑generated voice clones, synthetic video, or other deepfakes for financial fraud and identity theft on mobile...
Synthetic Identity Fraud Now 11 Percent of All Global Fraud, Posing Escalating Threat to Mobile Banking
LexisNexis Risk Solutions’ 2025 cybercrime report finds synthetic identity fraud now represents 11% of all global fraud, an eightfold rise since 2024. The study also documents a 450% surge in agentic bot traffic and a 59% year‑over‑year increase in malicious...
The AI Upload: Verifone Adapts AI for Fuel and C-Store Merchants; SoundHound AI Debuts an Agentic Platform
Verifone is embedding generative AI into its Commander point‑of‑sale platform, adding an AI‑driven help center, real‑time fraud‑detection scoring and a self‑checkout integration for fuel and convenience‑store merchants. The AI assistant also supports help‑desk agents by transcribing calls, surfacing relevant documentation...
Jamie Dimon and Dario Amodei Shared a Stage for the First Time. Here’s What They Revealed About AI, Cyber Risk...
Anthropic unveiled Claude Opus 4.7, its most capable financial AI model, alongside a suite of ten pre‑built agents for back‑office tasks at a private briefing in New York. The launch coincided with a $1.5 billion joint venture backed by Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman,...
Who Are Critical ICT Third-Party Providers Under DORA?
EU regulators have officially designated 19 technology firms as Critical ICT Third‑Party Providers (CTPPs) under the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). The designation subjects these vendors—ranging from cloud giants like AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft to data‑centre operators and fintech...
Kraken Partners with MoneyGram on Crypto-to-Cash Withdrawals
Kraken has entered a strategic global partnership with MoneyGram to enable crypto‑to‑cash withdrawals across more than 100 countries. The service leverages MoneyGram’s network of roughly 500,000 retail locations, allowing users to receive cash in hundreds of fiat currencies within minutes....
Stablecoin Payments Surge to $56.6T, Polygon Leads Growth
Bloomberg projects stablecoin payment flows go from $2.9T in 2025 to $56.6T by 2030. Stablecoin transactions on @0xPolygon grew 264% YoY through 2025, and in April 2026 alone we processed more than 577M! (source: @artemis) In 5 years from now the numbers...
Three Neobanks Command Over 80% of Swiss Market
🇨🇭How neobanking reached mainstream adoption in #Switzerland: Of the #neobanks' nearly 2.3 million customers, #Revolut, @Yuh_app, and #Neon collectively capture >80% of the Swiss market. @IFZ_Zug/@HSLU via @FintechCH. #neobanks #fintech #DigitalBanking https://t.co/TXoUDr65oF
Sumsub, Chainlink to Enable Privacy-Preserving KYC Credentials Across Ethereum, Arbitrum, Avalanche, Polygon, and Base
Sumsub has partnered with Chainlink to bring privacy‑preserving KYC credentials to major public blockchains via Chainlink’s Automated Compliance Engine (ACE). The collaboration introduces a Cross‑Chain Identity (CCID) framework that issues reusable on‑chain credentials—such as age verification—without exposing raw personal data....
Great APIs Demand Ethical Decisions, Not Just Feasibility
When all banks are in the command line The question stops being "can we build this?" And starts being "should we build this?" With great APIs comes great responsibility
FINQ Unveils Since‑Inception Returns for First AI‑Managed Large‑Cap ETFs
FINQ disclosed since‑inception performance for its AIUP and AINT ETFs, launched on February 5, 2026, marking the first SEC‑registered AI‑managed U.S. ETFs. The funds carry expense ratios of 0.70% and 1.25% respectively, and the release gives investors the first data on AI‑driven...
AvenuesAI Adopts Liability‑light Model, Seeks Sub‑10% Stakes in NBFCs
AvenuesAI Limited announced it will pursue minority equity positions of roughly 5‑10% in multiple Indian non‑banking finance companies. The strategy, branded “liability‑light,” lets the fintech provide distribution and data while NBFC partners retain credit risk, positioning AvenuesAI as a digital...
InstaSwitch Launches Account Activation Infrastructure for Business Banking and Announces $4.7M in Funding
InstaSwitch unveiled an account‑activation infrastructure that automates the full business‑bank switching workflow and announced a $4.7 million seed round led by Chicago Ventures. The platform moves payroll, income and spend data in under 30 seconds, turning opened accounts into primary relationships...
Fiserv Revenue Dips Slightly and Other Digital Transactions News Briefs From 5/5/26
Fiserv reported first‑quarter revenue of $5 billion, a 2% decline from a year earlier, with merchant solutions flat and operating margins slipping to 26.4%. Elavon introduced a new Business Solutions suite that bundles payments with software tools, while FIS rolled out...
Peru, Chile and Argentina Enter a New Phase of Growth Driven by Real-Time Payments, ACI Worldwide Report Finds
A new ACI Worldwide report, authored by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, projects that real‑time payments will drive significant economic growth and financial inclusion in Peru, Chile and Argentina by 2028. Argentina is expected to gain $19.3 bn in...
From Hygiene Factor to Hero Product: Why the Card Deserves a Second Look
Banks are reclassifying the payment card from a basic service to a strategic differentiator as fintechs capture a growing share of U.S. checking accounts. Research shows three‑quarters of customers are indifferent or dissatisfied with their current card experience, prompting institutions...
PayPal Plans Job Cuts as Its New CEO Pursues Turnaround Strategy
PayPal announced a $1.5 billion cost‑reduction plan that includes job cuts as new CEO Enrique Lores seeks to reverse a multi‑year performance slump. The company posted first‑quarter adjusted earnings per share of $1.34, topping the $1.27 consensus. Lores reshuffled senior leadership,...
PayPal Beats Estimates as Consumer Spending Stays Resilient
PayPal reported first‑quarter revenue of $8.35 bn, beating analysts’ $8.05 bn forecast, and adjusted earnings of $1.34 per share, above the $1.27 consensus. Total payment volume rose 8% year‑over‑year to $464 bn, while its higher‑margin branded checkout segment grew 2%. The results reflect...
AWS Teams with OpenAssets to Scale Enterprise Tokenization
AWS 🤝 OpenAssets. 12+ years into building market infrastructure for Bitcoin, digital assets and financial markets… results and partnership still getting bigger. Particularly excited about this one. We will never give up and we will win. Never bet against us....
Chiara Scotti: Digital Money and the Architecture of Trust
Chiara Scotti, speaking at a Banca d'Italia workshop co‑hosted with the ECB, emphasized that trust—not intrinsic value—underpins all forms of money. She warned that the rise of central‑bank digital currencies, stablecoins and tokenized deposits shifts focus from technology to the...
Tokenization Boom: Choose Open Architecture or Institution‑Centric Networks
Investing in the Tokenization Megatrend The two competing networks: Open architecture networks and Institution-centric networks. https://t.co/f9xh0mGAj1 https://t.co/KGXBWoMKI7
Virgo Launches U.S. Expansion, Bringing Institutional OTC Liquidity to 34 States in Collaboration With Balance
Virgo, a global institutional OTC digital‑asset trader, is launching U.S. operations across 34 states through a partnership with Balance USA, Canada’s largest regulated custodian. The collaboration gives Virgo access to Balance’s NMLS‑registered execution, custody and atomic settlement platform, ensuring pre‑funded,...
RS2 Signs Multi-Million-Euro Payment Processing Deal To Enter 8 New Latin American Markets
RS2, the Malta‑based payment processor, signed a five‑year agreement valued at roughly €5 million ($5.4 million) to provide acquiring and issuing services in eight new Latin American markets. The deal adds Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala...
Gift Cards As Payment Rails with Alex Preece, CEO & Co-Founder of Tillo | Episode 485
In this episode, Greg Myers talks with Alex Preece, CEO and co‑founder of Tillo, about how the company has turned gift cards into a modern payment rail for rewards, incentives, and payouts. Preece explains Tillo’s API‑driven platform that connects thousands...
As AI Fuels Rapid Growth in Document Fraud, Leading Fraud Detection Startup Finovox Launches in the UK
Finovox, a European leader in document fraud detection, announced its entry into the United Kingdom as AI‑driven fraud spikes across the continent. A recent study shows the UK ranks third in Europe for document fraud, with 11% of respondents admitting...
Embed Announces Integration with Square POS
Embed, a global provider of point‑of‑sale and revenue‑management solutions, has launched an integration with Square POS. The new link lets family entertainment centres and attractions sell Embed cashless cards directly through the Square interface, eliminating the need for separate systems....
Lili CTO Liran Zelkha on Building AI that Disappears
Fintech firms have spent the past two years layering chatbots and in‑app assistants onto their platforms, but Lili CTO Liran Zelkha argues the effort is misdirected. He believes small‑business owners, who are time‑pressed and uninterested in new interfaces, need AI...
The Week in Market Moves
The weekly market roundup highlights several strategic shifts across major banks and fintechs. Wells Fargo teamed with Mastercard to streamline B2B card payments, signaling a deeper push into payments infrastructure. Paymentus re‑positioned its value proposition around user experience rather than data...
Monzo to Launch in Spain, as Ramps up EU Expansion Plans
Monzo, the UK‑based challenger bank, announced it will launch its services in Spain, adding a second European market after Ireland. The bank secured a pan‑EU banking licence from the ECB and Central Bank of Ireland in December and has opened...
Stablecon EMEA Draws Major Stablecoin Players—Limited Tickets
The scale of companies coming to Stablecon EMEA is 🔥🔥 If you're building stablecoins in Europe, MENA, or Africa, you'll want to be in the room. Your partners and customers will be there. We have a few tickets left at https://t.co/pDP19YkZj2 See you in...
FinScan Expands AML Screening to Digital Wallets
FinScan has upgraded its Payments solution to screen stablecoin transactions and digital‑wallet addresses against global sanctions lists. The enhancement lets banks and fintechs run AML checks on both traditional rails and emerging digital assets through a single API. FinScan’s platform...
Payment Technology Company Appoints Jerome Alfred as COO
Cross Switch, a fast‑growing payment‑technology platform, announced Jerome Alfred as its new chief operating officer. Alfred arrives with more than 15 years of senior roles in fintech and banking, where he has overseen end‑to‑end operations for high‑growth payment solutions. His...
Personal Loans Offer Savings as Credit‑Card Debt Hits $1.23 Trillion Record
U.S. households face a historic $1.23 trillion credit‑card debt pile, prompting many to consider debt‑consolidation personal loans. With average credit‑card APRs over 21% and personal loan rates near 12%, borrowers who qualify can slash interest expenses, though eligibility and fees remain...
Temenos Widens Cloud Banking Offering with AWS Expansion and FAB Saudi Arabia Project
Temenos announced an expanded SaaS suite on Amazon Web Services that now includes digital banking and payments alongside its core banking platform. The new model lets banks adopt individual components or a full‑stack solution, offering flexibility for varied modernization strategies....
Imposter Investment Scams Surge, Threatening Retail Investors
Imposter investment scams are proliferating, with fraudsters hijacking the names of registered brokers to dupe retail investors. The schemes span social media, fake websites, forged documents and counterfeit apps, forcing fintech firms and regulators to tighten verification and education efforts.
Bre-B Records 7 Million Transactions and COP $1.48 Trillion Moved in a Single Day
Colombia’s Bre‑B instant‑payment network processed a record 7 million transactions on April 30, 2026, moving roughly COP 1.48 trillion (about $370 million) in a single day. The surge represents the highest daily volume since the system’s launch and underscores rapid adoption of interoperable payment rails across...
The Authentication Challenge
The blog highlights that while EMV 3DS 2.x is technically identical worldwide, authentication outcomes vary dramatically because issuers make strategic economic choices. In Australia, just 3% of card spend generates 51% of CNP fraud, illustrating the cross‑border cost disparity. Issuers...
3DS Authentication Under Scrutiny as E-Commerce Stakeholders Look to Break Data Deadlock
Global card networks Mastercard and Visa are tightening 3D Secure (3DS) rules, requiring merchants to send richer transaction data to issuers. Mastercard’s Essential Data Requirement for its Identity Check went live on April 1, while Visa’s Verified by Visa mandate reaches...
Moremonee Launches Moremonee Student Community Program to Provide Loans, Jobs, and Scholarships to Students
Moremonee has launched the Moremonee Students Community (MSC), a digital ecosystem for Nigerian students that bundles flexible loans, merit‑ and need‑based scholarships, skill‑building courses, and priority hiring. The platform also rewards referrals with about $1 per sign‑up and offers entrepreneurship...
The Fintech Ecosystem of Mauritania in 2026
Mauritania’s fintech sector remains modest but is gaining momentum as of 2026, with roughly 20 active players concentrated on mobile‑money, payments and remittances. The nation’s $12 billion economy, driven by iron ore, fisheries and emerging offshore gas, is seeing the central...
How Fintech Startups Use a Meta Ads Agency to Reach Accredited Investors
Fintech startups are turning to specialist Meta ads agencies to reach accredited investors more quickly and cheaply than traditional channels. By leveraging Meta’s sophisticated behavioral targeting—professional titles, investment interests, and look‑alike audiences—agencies can assemble compliant audiences that meet the accredited...
AI Is the Force for Change in Banking
McKinsey’s new report argues that most banks cannot reap AI benefits because legacy architecture, fragmented data, and siloed operating models prevent true intelligence from being applied. AI will only add value if banks tear down these structures and rebuild around...
Europe Is Debating a Digital Euro But Progress Is Slow
The European Central Bank, led by Christine Lagarde, is pushing for a digital euro but expects the first issuance no earlier than 2029. The initiative is framed as a geopolitical move to secure payment‑system sovereignty and reduce reliance on U.S....
China, Indonesia Debut Cross‑border QR Payments, Boosting Yuan
SCMP: "China and Indonesia have launched a new cross-border QR payment system, marking the latest step in Beijing’s drive to build a regional digital payments network as it pushes to internationalise the yuan and reduce dependence on the US dollar." https://t.co/NEt62G5jZ7
AI in Finance: News Brief April 2026
April 2026 saw a wave of AI breakthroughs for finance, with Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.7, OpenAI’s GPT‑5.5, and China’s DeepSeek V4 all hitting top‑tier performance. AI agents were embedded in core finance tools such as Microsoft Copilot, SAP Joule, Workday and BlackLine, shifting the...
Paygasus and Enghouse Launch Joint Payment Platform
Paygasus and Enghouse Transportation and Public Safety have unveiled a unified payment platform that combines contactless fare collection, parking revenue management, and EV‑charging payment processing for North American transit agencies and municipalities. The cloud‑native solution consolidates all transactions into a...