EML Payments Slashes FY26 EBITDA Guidance by 20% on Implementation Delays and Weak Trading
EML Payments trimmed its FY26 underlying EBITDA outlook by roughly 20%, now forecasting $31‑33 million USD (previously $38‑40 million USD). The downgrade stems from delayed program go‑lives and weaker‑than‑expected trading in its northern‑hemisphere operations. Despite the revenue shortfall, the company says operating costs stay on plan and strategic projects like Project Arlo remain on schedule. New CEO Adam Olding, appointed in March, will steer the ongoing EML 2.0 restructuring and regulatory negotiations.
Sophisticated Trading Strategies Through Automation and Real-Time Feeds
Financial institutions are accelerating a shift to cloud‑native, API‑driven architectures to support real‑time intelligence and automation. BBVA partnered with Bloomberg and AWS to rebuild its volatility‑marking system in the cloud, while Singapore‑based dtcpay leverages automated stablecoin‑fiat swaps across Asia. Executives...
India Makes FASTag and UPI Mandatory at All National Highway Toll Plazas
The Indian government announced that, as of April 11, 2026, all national highway toll plazas must accept only FASTag and UPI payments. The rollout excludes Tamil Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry until elections conclude, aiming to cut delays, improve transparency...
Circle Could've Frozen Stolen USDC but Didn’t
I asked @Amanda_S_Wick why Circle didn't freeze the stolen USDC. She said: it's not that they can't. It's that they chose not to. They have the tools. They have the mandate. They watched it happen for 6 hours. And they...
Banks and Insurers Eye De‑Dollarisation as Middle East Tensions Spur New Payment Routes
Emerging‑market banks and insurers are weighing the risks and rewards of de‑dollarisation after Iran introduced a $2 million yuan or crypto toll for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, central‑bank dollar holdings have fallen to 56.7% of...
UAE’s Aani Instant‑Payments Platform Reaches 12.5 Million Users
The Aani instant‑payments network in the United Arab Emirates has crossed the 12.5 million‑user threshold, a milestone that signals accelerating consumer uptake of real‑time payment services in the Gulf. The surge underscores the UAE’s broader push to digitise its financial infrastructure...
25% of Global CFOs Raise AI Budgets Over 50%, Sparking Oracle‑OneStream Showdown
One in four CFOs worldwide will increase AI spending by over 50% while cutting other tech budgets, according to a OneStream‑cited survey. The surge fuels a head‑to‑head race between Oracle and OneStream to win multinational finance teams, while newcomers like...
UK Retail Banks Turn to AI Agents as Digital Use Hits 88%
UK retail banks are accelerating the rollout of agentic AI after 88% of adults—about 48 million people—rely on digital channels for banking. The move follows widespread dissatisfaction with rule‑based chatbots and a surge in account switches driven by online capabilities.
Complete Guide to Payroll Processing
Hiring your first employee transforms a solo operation into an employer, triggering a series of payroll responsibilities—from obtaining an EIN and registering tax accounts to tracking hours, calculating withholdings, and filing quarterly and annual reports. Modern payroll software can automate...
HKMA Grants HSBC and Anchorpoint Financial Stablecoin Licences
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has issued stablecoin issuer licences to HSBC and Anchorpoint Financial under the city’s Stablecoins Ordinance, with the authorisations taking effect on April 10. These licences allow the two firms to create and distribute regulated digital...
GCash, Visa, Mastercard Eye PH Fare System Concession
The Philippine Department of Transportation is preparing a concession for a nationwide Automated Fare Collection System (PAFCS) and has received interest from 24 firms, including GCash, Visa and Mastercard. The concession will cover development, operation and maintenance of a fully...
Australian Payments Plus Continues "Operating Model Harmonisation"
Australian Payments Plus (AP+) has consolidated its IT, risk and customer service functions onto a single ServiceNow instance, creating a unified digital front door for its three core businesses—BPAY Group, eftpos and NPP Australia. The move merged previously separate ServiceNow...
White House Tells Banks to Use Anthropic to Spot Vulnerabilities
The White House is urging the nation’s largest banks to deploy Anthropic’s Mythos AI model for cybersecurity vulnerability detection. JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley have begun internal trials after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and...
Nigeria's Central Bank Tightens BVN Rules Ahead of May 1 Rollout
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) issued a circular on March 26 requiring banks and payment service providers to enforce new biometric verification (BVN) controls starting May 1, 2026. Key measures include a 24‑hour temporary watchlist for suspicious BVNs, single‑device mobile banking...
Vietcombank Launches QR Payments in 50+ Countries via Alipay+
Vietnam's largest commercial bank, Vietcombank, has rolled out a cross‑border QR payment service with Alipay+ that covers more than 50 countries and territories. The new Digibank feature lets Vietnamese travelers pay instantly abroad without foreign‑currency exchange, tapping Alipay+'s network of...
Wero’s Dutch Test Will Show Whether European Payments Sovereignty Can Outweigh Local Success
Wero plans to absorb the Dutch iDEAL scheme, testing whether a pan‑European account‑to‑account network can replace a highly successful local payment system. The migration will introduce consumer dispute handling, purchase protection, and a shift from iDEAL’s flat per‑transaction fee to...
![[Targeted] Apple Card Signup Bonus: 5% Back on Grocery, up to $500 Cashback (Plus $75)](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/apple-credit-card.png)
[Targeted] Apple Card Signup Bonus: 5% Back on Grocery, up to $500 Cashback (Plus $75)
Apple is rolling out a limited‑time signup promotion for new Apple Card users. The offer delivers 5% Daily Cash on grocery purchases for the first six months, capped at $500, plus a one‑time $75 bonus after the initial spend. The...
Over 80% of Bitcoin ETF Assets Hit Coinbase Custody Choke Point with $74B at Risk
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs now hold roughly $91.7 billion, with about $77 billion (84%) custodied by Coinbase. Even a stricter count that excludes multi‑custodian funds leaves over $74 billion, or 81%, under Coinbase’s control. The exchange’s recent OCC conditional approval for a national...
Aave's Landmark Vote Makes DAO Treasury Token‑Centric
Aave Will Win, the most important proposal in Aave's history just passed with a landslide. Here's the master plan going forward: General Direction - Aave becomes fully token-centric: one asset, one model: $AAVE - To date, protocol revenue per AIP-1 has accumulated to the...
Bitcoin Price Holds $70K as Institutions Buy and Pepeto Presale Fills
Bitcoin is hovering around $70,900 after Cantor Fitzgerald announced a $2 billion institutional lending program, bolstering the asset’s floor. ETF inflows have topped $38 billion, pushing the total market cap of Bitcoin to roughly $1.4 trillion. Meanwhile, the Pepeto token presale sold out...
User Doubts OneKeyCash After Missing Payment Option
Alright, is OneKeyCash a complete scam? I've booked 8 properties for an upcoming trip and not once have I ever had the opportunity to select OneKeyCash as a payment option. @vrbo @expedia @hotelsdotcom
European Central Bank (ECB) Research Study Examines Distinct Profiles of Crypto Holders and Users in the Euro Area
The European Central Bank released a working paper analyzing crypto adoption across the euro area, based on a 2022 survey of 39,500 adults in 17 countries. It identifies two distinct groups: typical crypto owners who are younger, educated, higher‑income investors,...
DBS Bank Adds Extra Verification for High‑risk Fund Transfers to Curb Scams
DBS Bank announced that, over the next few months, customers making high‑risk fund transfers will face additional verification prompts, including questions about the payee’s identity. The move is designed to interrupt scam‑driven transactions and follows a series of large phishing...
European Fintech Funding Hits $43 B, Matching US Levels by 2025
European fintech firms attracted nearly €40 bn (about $43 bn) in venture capital between 2022 and 2025, the same amount raised by U.S. peers. The parity reflects a shift in investor sentiment toward lower‑valued European startups and a maturing regulatory environment, signaling...
Visa Teams with OwlTing to Offer USDC Payments via Visa Direct for Debit Cards
Visa announced a partnership with OwlTing Group that lets U.S. debit‑card holders purchase USDC directly through Visa Direct. The integration removes the need for separate crypto exchanges, positioning Visa as a key on‑ramp for stablecoins and potentially boosting transaction‑fee revenue.
How Modern Finance Teams Are Using Agentic AI to Simplify Planning
Finance teams are turning to agentic AI to overhaul financial planning, moving from manual spreadsheets to continuous, real‑time forecasting. A KPMG study shows 71% of organizations already use AI in finance, and agents now handle scenario modeling, data integration, and...
NetSuite Rolls Out AI Updates to Help Finance Teams Automate with Control
At its SuiteConnect London event, Oracle NetSuite unveiled major upgrades to its AI Connector Service, aimed at giving finance teams tighter control while automating tasks. The new AI Connector Service Companion includes a curated library of more than 100 finance‑specific...
Tokenization Set to Unlock $800 Billion in Real‑Estate Investment via Ethereum and Circle
Analysts project the tokenized asset market will swell from $30 billion in 2024 to $4 trillion by 2030. If Ethereum captures 20% of that market, $800 billion could flow through its blockchain, opening a new frontier for fractional real‑estate ownership. Circle’s stablecoin and...
BNPL Use Soars Among U.S. Millennials as Inflation Fuels Flexible Financing
A new Omni Calculator survey finds 74% of U.S. Millennials have used buy‑now‑pay‑later (BNPL) services, outpacing all other age groups. The BNPL market is projected to hit $127.94 billion this year, a growth spurred by March’s 0.9% CPI rise and a...
Agricultural Bank of Egypt Teams with eFinance to Roll Out Digital Services Across North Africa
The Agricultural Bank of Egypt has signed a memorandum of understanding with eFinance Investment Group to develop and operate a suite of digital financial services, including a new Farmer Card and pensioner platforms. The partnership aims to broaden the bank’s...
U.S. Regulators Classify XRP as Commodity, Opening Door to New Investment Products
U.S. regulators have officially designated XRP as a commodity, ending years of legal uncertainty. The reclassification clears the path for new exchange‑traded funds and could accelerate institutional use of Ripple's payment network.
Banks, Corporates in Europe ‘Actively Selecting Partners’ for Stablecoin Push
European banks and corporates are moving from study to implementation of stablecoins, selecting infrastructure partners after the EU’s MiCA regulation created a unified framework. Board‑level approved projects include ClearBank Europe’s MiCA licence, the ING‑led Qivalis euro stablecoin, and Societe Generale’s cross‑border...
🤖 Can AI Replace a Bloomberg Terminal?
Traders are increasingly asking whether artificial intelligence can replace the Bloomberg Terminal, the long‑standing gold standard for market data and analytics. While Bloomberg’s subscription can exceed $20,000 per seat, its integrated suite of real‑time pricing, news, and compliance tools remains...
Bolivia’s Fintech Landscape in 2026
In 2026 Bolivia’s fintech sector is moving from obscurity to early growth as inflation, foreign‑currency shortages and liquidity constraints push consumers toward digital solutions. The government is negotiating roughly $9 billion in multilateral loans that tie infrastructure upgrades to financial‑inclusion projects,...
Finix Review: Is The Platform Worth The Switch From Stripe?
Finix is positioning itself as a viable alternative to Stripe by leveraging a $75 million Series C round that brings total funding to $208 million and reporting a four‑fold revenue increase in 2024. The platform processes 432 million transactions daily across the United States...
Speedy Tokenization & Broken AI Governance Threaten Banking Loyalty
Tokenized Securities Settlement: Speed Kills Corporate AI governance is a sham, and 89% of your bank customers are one tap away from leaving In all my years of writing, I’ve never had two two-part articles in a single newsletter, so enjoy...
Commodity Traders Are Getting Debanked Due to Iran War, Pushing Them to Rely on Stablecoins
Commodity traders in Europe are being "debanked" as banks pull back from Iran‑linked transactions due to heightened compliance risk. To replace traditional rails, traders are increasingly using stablecoins, especially Tether's USDT, for cross‑border settlement. Haycen, a trade‑finance‑focused stablecoin issuer, is...
Tron’s Justin Sun Slams Trump-Backed WLFI for Treating Users as ‘Personal ATM’ After $75 Million DeFi Loan
Tron founder Justin Sun has severed ties with Trump‑backed World Liberty Financial (WLFI) after the firm deposited 5 billion WLFI tokens (≈$395 million) on DeFi lender Dolomite and borrowed roughly $75 million in stablecoins. The loan drove Dolomite’s USD‑1 pool to 100 % utilization,...
Shift4 Wins on Price, Not Product Quality
It is clear that Shift4 can win on price and subsidies. This former VP at Shift4 readily capitulates that Toast is a better product than Shift4, but notes their ability to pay off merchants and give away hardware often convinces...
African Economies Explore Stable Coins Option for Cross-Border Settlement
African nations are evaluating stablecoins as a cross‑border payment tool to offset chronic hard‑currency shortages, a trend highlighted by Visa’s regional manager. The digital assets, backed by reserve currencies, promise to preserve foreign‑exchange reserves while facilitating trade. Kenya’s recent credit‑based...
These Cofounders Quit Corporate Jobs, Took on $100K in Credit Card Debt, and Slept in a Denny’s—Now Their $1.2B Company...
Esusu, a fintech platform that reports on‑time rent payments to credit bureaus, was launched by co‑founders Wemimo Abbey and Samir Goel after they quit stable corporate jobs, racked up $100,000 in credit‑card debt and even slept in a Denny’s. Their...
Capital One Completes $5.15 B Acquisition of Brex, Boosting AI‑native Payments
Capital One has closed a $5.15 billion cash‑and‑stock acquisition of fintech Brex, adding an AI‑native payments suite to its portfolio. The deal pairs Brex’s automation‑first software with Capital One’s underwriting scale, positioning the bank to compete more aggressively in the B2B...
Regional VC Activity Holds Steady Amid Middle‑East Conflict, Highlighting $280M Indian Unicorn Deal
Asian venture capital kept a pulse on growth as India’s fintech KreditBee secured a $280 million round that lifted it to unicorn status, even as overall Indian startup funding fell 33% in March. The week also saw a $73 million strategic financing...
Adyen Launches Intelligent Money Movement Platform for Global Enterprises
Adyen introduced Intelligent Money Movement, a single platform that combines payments, cash‑management and disbursements for large multinational corporations. The solution, already adopted by Etsy, Expedia Group and Vinted, aims to reduce the fragmented treasury processes that consume more than 20%...
Mastercard Rolls Out AI‑driven Payment Authentication in Singapore and Malaysia
Mastercard is deploying AI‑powered payment authentication across Singapore and Malaysia, using tokenization, verifiable intent and end‑to‑end auditability. The rollout, built with United Overseas Bank and Google, aims to create a trusted foundation for autonomous, AI‑driven transactions in Southeast Asia.
Event Bets Pose a Problem for Wall Street Firms Looking to Trade
Prediction‑market platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi are experiencing a surge, with weekly wagering volumes now running into the billions of dollars. The boom covers a wide range of events, from sports outcomes to speculative religious forecasts. While a few...
US Down to 'Last Chance' To Pass CLARITY Act Before 2030: Lummis
U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis warned that the CLARITY Act—legislation aimed at giving the crypto sector clear regulatory oversight—faces its final window for passage before a de‑facto deadline in 2030. The push comes amid concerns that the November midterm elections could...
3 Different Fintech Giants: Turnaround, Stability, or Risky Bet?
The payments sector continues its rapid expansion, but three leading fintech firms are charting very different courses. Fiserv (FISV) trades near an eight‑year low despite generating $5.8 billion of operating cash flow, positioning it as a contrarian turnaround play. Global Payments...
Eliminate the Black Box: How Gradient Labs Is Architecting Safe Agentic AI for Banking
Gradient Labs is building transparent, auditable AI agents for banks, addressing the industry’s fear of opaque large‑language models. By logging decision traces and binding LLMs to narrow tasks, the firm creates an audit trail that satisfies regulators. It also benchmarks...
Swiss Stock Exchange SIX, Snowflake Partner to Simplify Access to Financial Data
Switzerland’s SIX stock exchange has teamed up with Snowflake to deliver its regulatory, reference and pricing data directly within Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud. The integration uses Snowflake’s zero‑copy data sharing, letting clients query SIX data without moving or duplicating it....