Even Amended, the Hagerty-Alsobrooks Bill Remains the Wrong Answer
Congress has revised the Hagerty‑Alsobrooks bill, cutting the proposed special deposit‑insurance cap for non‑interest‑bearing transaction accounts from a 40‑fold increase to a $5 million limit. While the amendment reduces the size of the guarantee, it still creates a permanent, government‑backed safety net that would give credit unions a new competitive edge in business, nonprofit and municipal banking. Industry leaders argue that reactivating the emergency Transaction Account Guarantee (TAG) program, which operated from 2008‑2012, is a better solution because it provides temporary coverage only during crises. The Independent Community Bankers of America and FDIC Chairman Travis Hill have publicly endorsed a modernized TAG as the preferred crisis‑fighting tool.
South Korea's KBank and Ripple Are Teaming up to Fix International Money Transfers
South Korea’s digital‑only KBank has partnered with Ripple to test on‑chain cross‑border remittances using Ripple’s Palisade SaaS wallet. The collaboration is now in a second proof‑of‑concept phase, evaluating speed, cost and transparency for transfers to the United Arab Emirates and...
OPay Leads the Conversation on Africa’s Next Financial Frontier at BusinessDay Fintech Summit 2026
OPay, Nigeria’s leading fintech, headlined the inaugural BusinessDay Fintech Summit 2026 in Lagos as the headline sponsor. COO/CTO Dotun Daniel Adekunle delivered a keynote urging the industry to move beyond payments toward intelligent financial systems powered by data and AI....
AI Could Cut Adviser Admin From Hours to Seconds, Says Bravura
Bravura Solutions says AI agents could shrink core adviser tasks from hours to seconds, starting with single‑agent tools that still keep a human in the loop. The firm showcased end‑of‑tax‑year ISA planning, where an AI could identify eligible clients, calculate...
Compliance as a Competitive Edge in FinTech
FinTech executives gathered in Toronto to discuss how compliance is evolving from a regulatory checkbox into a strategic differentiator. The roundtable highlighted the rise of “compliance by design,” urging firms to embed regulatory controls early in product development to avoid...
Daniel Benjamin: The Engineer Building the Infrastructure Layer Modern Systems Depend On
Daniel Benjamin, a Nigerian software and infrastructure engineer, has been the silent architect behind high‑performing fintech and consumer apps. At Risevest he led mobile engineering, slashing crashes and enabling seamless expansion into three African countries. He then built the backend...
Airtel Money Pushes Into Merchant Payments with Absa Bank Kenya Account Integration
Airtel Money, Kenya’s second‑largest mobile money wallet, has linked its platform with Absa Bank Kenya to enable merchants to move funds directly between wallets and bank accounts. The integration allows small‑business owners to receive Airtel Money payments into Absa accounts...
Perfios Hires Veteran Veena Rao as COO to Accelerate Sales and Ops Scaling
Perfios announced the appointment of Veena Rao as Chief Operating Officer, tasking her with scaling the company's sales and operations functions. Rao brings 30 years of BFSI and technology leadership, joining a firm that recently installed Nitin Chugh as MD...
Jamtara Was the Trailer; the Real Story Is AI-Powered Fraud
Indian digital lenders are being hit by AI‑generated synthetic identity fraud. A mid‑size lender lost money after granting loans to 38 AI‑crafted applicants, exposing the limits of rule‑based fraud filters. RBI reports over 36,000 digital payment fraud cases in FY23‑24,...
Sellvia Market Unveils $150‑a‑Month DTC Platform, Cutting Entry Barriers
Sellvia Market launched a marketplace that lets buyers acquire verified direct‑to‑consumer ecommerce stores for as little as $150 per month via interest‑free installments. The service eliminates the traditional build‑phase, offers a 30‑day revenue guarantee, and targets the $5,000‑$20,000 price segment...
Paytm's UPI Share Rise Fuels 26% GMV Growth in Q4 FY26, Goldman Sachs Keeps Buy Rating
Goldman Sachs reaffirmed its Buy rating on Paytm, projecting a 26% year‑on‑year rise in Q4 FY26 GMV and a target price of 1,400 rupees (≈$18). The brokerage highlighted a UPI market‑share increase to 6.5% and a rebound in merchant app...
CFTC Countersues New York Over $3.4B Prediction Market Claim
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued New York State, rejecting a $3.4 billion damages claim against Coinbase and Gemini. CFTC Chair Mike Selig said the agency holds exclusive jurisdiction over prediction‑market exchanges, intensifying a clash between federal regulators and state gambling...
Tokenized Treasuries Surge as Institutions Adopt 24/7 Collateral
Q1 2026 Real World Asset Tokenization Market Report https://t.co/yGJ4xZoLFM shows that tokenized Treasuries have become the fastest-growing on-chain asset class in 2026. Growth is being driven by massive inflows into Circle’s USYC ($2.7B) and BlackRock’s BUIDL ($2.4B), as institutions use...
FICO Tech Helps Absa Slash Fraud and Double Debt Recovery
Absa Group partnered with analytics firm FICO to embed its Customer Communication Services (CCS) across fraud prevention and debt collection functions, becoming the first South African big‑five bank to use WhatsApp for real‑time fraud verification. The integration with FICO Falcon...
Dynamic Currency Conversion Lets Merchants Choose Euro or Dollar
Question for a payments expert. What I pay for something by card in Spain, the reader offers me the choice to pay in euros or dollars. Obviously dollars are removed from my account. And the cafe gets euros. So what’s really going...
You Say You Want a (Payments) Revolution
The article argues that the next payments revolution is being driven by AI, not just hype around stablecoins or agentic payments. While stablecoins are gaining interest for faster, cheaper cross‑border transfers, adoption stalls without trusted, institutional infrastructure and clear regulation....
Liberty Mutual Partners Ethos to Expand Digital Life Insurance Offering
Liberty Mutual has teamed with digital life‑insurance specialist Ethos to launch a fully online, end‑to‑end life insurance product under its own brand. The partnership leverages Ethos’s underwriting engine and digital platform, allowing customers to receive instant coverage decisions without a...
MobiKwik Gets RBI Nod for NBFC Licence, to Launch In-House Lending Arm
One MobiKwik Systems has received Reserve Bank of India approval for a non‑bank financial company (NBFC) licence, clearing the path to launch its wholly‑owned lending subsidiary, MobiKwik Financial Services. The licence lets the Gurugram‑based fintech originate and underwrite both secured...
Break Free From Spreadsheet Chaos and Redefine Financial Leadership with Cloud ERP
CFOs are moving from pure reporting to real‑time strategic partners, driven by the need for faster decision‑making. Legacy ERP systems and spreadsheet‑based data stitching create risk and slow finance teams, prompting a shift to connected cloud ERP platforms. Integrated cloud...
Going From Good to Great with AI Agents in Banking
AI agents are poised to become core to banking operations, with the sector allocating about 11% of revenue to IT and now shifting that spend toward AI and data platforms. Research shows the BFSI industry scores above 7.5 on AI...
What CFOs Get Wrong when Evaluating AI-Powered Invoice Processing in NetSuite
CFOs are being pressured to adopt AI for accounts‑payable, yet many vendors overpromise on capabilities. In NetSuite, effective AI must deliver measurable field‑level accuracy, automated GL coding, and reliable exception routing without sacrificing data integrity. The article outlines concrete questions—accuracy...
The Quiet Expansion of Stablecoin Exposure
Stablecoins are moving from niche crypto assets into core business processes, prompting firms to embed them in vendor, payment and treasury operations. The U.S. GENIUS Act now sets reserve, redemption and reporting standards, forcing issuers and intermediaries to adopt institutional‑grade...
How Compliance Teams Are Tackling the RegTech Surge
Regulatory change is accelerating, leaving many financial firms overwhelmed as 58% still rely on manual, spreadsheet‑driven compliance processes. AscentAI’s 2026 benchmark survey shows only 16% have reached an advanced, automated maturity level, but that cohort is projected to more than...
The News Never Fits: Introducing the Finance Magnates Daily News Recap
Finance Magnates has launched the Daily News Recap, a concise audio briefing released each weekday afternoon. The 5‑10 minute podcast curates the most relevant stories across forex, CFDs, prop trading, crypto, payments and fintech, filtering out noise. Hosted by the...
Volkswagen Financial Services UK Partners Wrisk on Van Insurance Offering
Volkswagen Financial Services UK has teamed up with InsurTech firm Wrisk Transfer Limited to become the preferred insurer for its commercial‑vehicle customers. The partnership offers drivers up to three days of complimentary “Drive Away” coverage when they collect a van...
BSA and RelyComply Unite on AML Compliance
The Building Societies Association (BSA) has partnered with fintech firm RelyComply to boost anti‑money‑laundering (AML) capabilities for UK building societies and credit unions. The collaboration leverages RelyComply’s AI‑enabled, lifecycle‑driven compliance platform to replace fragmented legacy systems with real‑time monitoring and...
Agentic Commerce Forces a Rethink of Card Infrastructure
Agentic commerce—AI agents that initiate purchases—is moving from concept to reality, with nearly 50% of consumers expressing interest in autonomous shopping. Existing payment card infrastructure, built for human‑driven, linear transactions, struggles to handle the speed, scale, and parallelism of machine‑initiated...
Vestwell Heads US FinTech Deal Rankings in Q1 2026 as Funding Grew by 16% YoY
US FinTech investment surged to $11.1 billion in Q1 2026, a 16% year‑over‑year increase and a 33% rise in deal volume to 466 transactions. California remained the dominant hub, accounting for half of the top ten deals, while New York’s presence grew...
Affirm: Agentic Credit Rewrites the Rules of Consumer Lending
Affirm is championing "agentic credit," a model that underwrites each purchase in real time using AI and cash‑flow data, replacing the legacy revolving‑credit paradigm. By pricing loans at the point of sale and displaying the full cost upfront, the company...
Maverick Says Data Without Intent Is Just Expensive Storage
Maverick Payments’ Vice President of Product Justin Downey told PYMNTS that merely hoarding data is no longer a competitive advantage; intent‑driven use is. He highlighted how AI‑powered underwriting can eliminate redundant steps and create “smart friction” before a first transaction,...
AI Agents Move From Demo Day to Desk Work
Agentic AI is transitioning from proof‑of‑concept demos to everyday tasks in financial services. Banks, insurers and asset managers are piloting software agents to handle data gathering, document verification, signal monitoring, routing approvals and drafting recommendations. Snowflake promotes an Ecosystem Agent...
63% of Firms Face Check Fraud as Paper Payments Linger
According to a PYMNTS Intelligence report with The Clearing House, 63% of firms report check fraud while only 2% encounter fraud on real‑time payment rails such as RTP and FedNow. Despite lower fraud rates, 85% of U.S. payments professionals anticipate...
Visa Says Payouts Should Move at the Speed of Need
Visa argues that real‑time payouts must move at the speed of need, not just faster. A recent incident where a bank mailed a paper check despite a digital transfer highlighted lingering legacy processes that delay funds. Visa says its network...
The Morning Briefing: AJ Bell and GBST Sign Decade-Long Technology Extension; New Tax Year, New Rules, New Opportunities
AJ Bell has signed a 10‑year extension with technology provider GBST, keeping the Composer platform as the backbone of its wealth administration. The platform currently oversees £109 bn (≈$139 bn) in assets for about 723,000 customers across advised and direct‑to‑consumer channels. The new...
The Fintech Landscape of Malawi in 2026
In 2026 Malawi’s fintech sector is moving from modest beginnings toward broader financial inclusion. Mobile‑money services have become the primary gateway to banking, supported by the Reserve Bank of Malawi’s modernization of the national payments switch and new interoperability rules....
The International PLUS-Forum Digital Uzbekistan Will Be Held in Tashkent for the Sixth Time
The International PLUS‑Forum Digital Uzbekistan is set to convene in Tashkent for its sixth edition, gathering policymakers, fintech innovators, and e‑commerce leaders from across Central Asia and Europe. The forum will spotlight Uzbekistan’s digital‑economy roadmap, including recent regulatory reforms, blockchain...
UK Spends £550 on Digital ID, Silences Press
UK govt shells out £550 for Digital ID panel, bans press https://t.co/jMMSDnEqaN "You don't need to know anything about this topic to take part" should be the UK Government's motto. https://t.co/oq6P4ZG2pA
RBI’s Recent Moves Tighten Grip on India’s Fintech Sector
In April 2026 the Reserve Bank of India intensified oversight of the fintech sector, revoking Paytm Payments Bank’s licence and initiating winding‑up proceedings. The RBI also proposed a one‑hour cooling‑off for UPI and IMPS transfers above Rs 10,000 (≈ $120) and drafted...
KPMG Shares Insights on Digital Euro Functioning as Legal Tender Across Eurozone Under EU Rules
KPMG reports the European Central Bank is accelerating the rollout of a digital euro that will be legal tender across the eurozone under forthcoming EU rules. The CBDC is positioned as a risk‑free, fully backed public‑money alternative to private stablecoins,...
Kissht Files RHP to Launch Rs 926 IPO; Sets Price Band at Rs 162-171
Digital‑lending platform Kissht filed its RHP with SEBI and will launch a Rs 926 crore (≈$100 million) IPO on April 30, pricing shares at Rs 162‑171 ($2.20‑$2.30). The issue values the company at about Rs 3,062 crore (≈$329 million) post‑money, with the fresh‑issue size trimmed to Rs 850 crore (≈$92 million)...
DeFi Platforms Petition Arbitrum DAO for Release of $71M in Frozen Ethereum (ETH) Tokens to Support rsETH Recovery
A consortium of DeFi protocols—including Aave Labs, KelpDAO, LayerZero, EtherFi, and Compound—has filed a constitutional AIP with the Arbitrum DAO to unlock roughly $71 million (30,765 ETH) frozen after the April 18 rsETH breach. The seized ETH, representing about a quarter of the...
Platforms, Brands Accelerate Agentic Commerce Push as Fintechs Plug Payment Gaps
Digital platforms and brands such as Flipkart, Bigbasket, Ajio and Firstcry are building AI storefronts to enable agentic commerce—AI‑driven shopping where agents autonomously search, select, order and pay. Fintechs like Razorpay and Cashfree have introduced payment protocols, with Razorpay piloting...
Sullivan & Cromwell Discusses GENIUS Act Implementation
On April 7 the FDIC released a notice of proposed rulemaking to implement the GENIUS Act, outlining requirements for permitted payment stablecoin issuers (PPSIs) that are subsidiaries of insured depository institutions. The proposal caps reserve assets at 40% per institution,...
Capital Ideas: David Duccini on Reg CF Flaws, Importance of Liquidity, and How Markets Are Becoming Continuous
David Duccini, founder of Silicon Prairie, argues that modern capital formation remains relationship‑driven, with fundraising progressing through friends‑and‑family, extended networks, and broader public exposure. He warns that Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) imposes the highest cost of capital because of mandatory audited...
Pine Labs Pays $10.5 M for Shopflo to Add D2C Checkout Tech
Pine Labs has agreed to buy 100% of Shopflo for up to ₹88 crore ($10.5 million) in an all‑cash deal that will close within three months. The acquisition adds a proven D2C checkout solution to Pine Labs’ payments suite, aiming to boost...
Rajesh Kumar Takes Helm at Lentra, Steering Fintech’s Next Growth Phase
Lentra has appointed Rajesh Kumar as chief executive officer, tasking him with accelerating the company’s technology roadmap and expanding its footprint across India’s banking sector. Kumar brings three decades of credit‑risk and SaaS experience, including a stint as CEO of...
Intuit Secures FedNow Certification, Boosting Instant‑Payment Services for U.S. Businesses
Intuit completed the Federal Reserve’s FedNow certification on April 9, 2026, allowing the fintech firm to process real‑time payments for its business customers. The move dovetails with Jefferies’ upbeat outlook for TurboTax, where high‑priced product uptake rose to 53% and...
JPMorgan Teams with ACI Worldwide to Embed Real‑Time Fraud Checks
JPMorgan Chase and ACI Worldwide announced a partnership that embeds JPMorgan's Kinexys Liink Confirm verification into ACI's fraud‑prevention suite. The integration aims to stop fraud before funds move on instant‑payment rails, a growing target for thieves.
Valitana Secures Growth‑Equity Backing From FTV Capital to Scale Structured‑Credit Platform
Valitana announced a growth‑equity investment from FTV Capital to accelerate product innovation, AI development, and market expansion. The deal adds FTV partner Mike Cichowski to Valitana’s board and positions the firm to broaden its reach across the $1 trillion structured‑credit market.
Hyperliquid Posts $820 Million Revenue, Cementing Lead in Decentralized Perpetual Futures
Hyperliquid announced $820 million in annual revenue, positioning the platform as a top‑five global player in perpetual futures trading. The Bitcoin Suisse report also highlighted a 41% share of open interest and rapid rollout of over 120 new markets tied to...