Emirati HR Council Partners with Emirates Institute of Finance to Upscale Local Talent
The Emirates Human Resources Development Council (EHRDC) and the Emirates Institute of Finance (EIF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Dubai to create specialised training for Emiratis in the financial sector. The partnership targets the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 goal of a knowledge‑based economy and aims to improve job stability and retention for national talent.
Binance Joins Crypto Rivals in Race to Launch Prediction Markets
Binance announced a partnership with Predict.fun to embed fee‑free prediction markets directly into its app, allowing users to wager on real‑world events using Spot and Funding balances. The one‑click interface eliminates complex onboarding, positioning the service as a low‑friction entry...
Fintech Industry Professional Shares Insights on Polgyon Labs’ Move Into Stablecoins
Polygon Labs announced plans to raise up to $100 million to launch a dedicated stablecoin payments arm, signaling a strategic shift from pure trading utilities to core payment infrastructure. Artur Firstov, CBO of Mercuryo, highlighted that 2026 will be the year...
Persistent Systems Launches Fraud Detection Service
Persistent Systems unveiled a Merchant Risk Management and Fraud Detection solution built on the Databricks Data Intelligence platform. The service leverages Agentic AI to vet merchants during onboarding and continuously monitor transactions, chargebacks, and external risk signals in real time....
Why I Will No Longer Be Using Apple Pay While Traveling
Mark Ostermann announces he will stop using Apple Pay while traveling, citing security concerns that outweigh its convenience. He argues that the two‑factor authentication that protects digital wallets does not shield users from face‑to‑face fraud or merchant manipulation. Without a...
Bank of France Pushes EU to Rein in Non-Euro-Backed Stablecoins
The Bank of France is urging the EU to tighten the Markets in Crypto‑Assets Regulation (MiCA) to curb the use of stablecoins that are not backed by the euro. It wants restrictions on everyday payments, stricter rules on multi‑issuance, and...
Perplexity Uses Plaid to Personalize Money Insights
Perplexity has expanded its partnership with Plaid to let U.S. and Canadian users link bank accounts, credit cards and loans directly within its AI platform, providing read‑only, real‑time access to data from over 12,000 financial institutions. The integration enables users...
Securitize Appoints Former SEC Official as President
Securitize has appointed former SEC Markets and Trading Director Brett Redfearn as its president and board member, bolstering the firm’s regulatory credentials ahead of a planned public listing. The tokenization fintech is pursuing a SPAC merger that values the company...
PNG Expands Mandatory Digital ID to Businesses Taking Gov’t Contracts
Papua New Guinea’s government has mandated the use of its national SevisPass digital ID for every business submitting a state tender. Acting ICT Minister Peter Tsiamalili announced the rule at the Department of Works and Highways Contractors Conference, emphasizing the...
Affirm’s Max Levchin: I Want to Be the Money Lender with Morals
Max Levchin co‑founded PayPal, which IPOed in 2002 at a $800 million valuation. A personal embarrassment—being denied a car loan due to a junk credit score—prompted him to rethink lending practices. Ten years later he launched Affirm, a fintech focused on...
BingX Rolls Out $500,000 Global Capital Gala to Fuse Crypto Trading with Traditional Finance
BingX announced a two‑week Global Capital Gala, featuring a $500,000 prize pool, 24/7 access to over 100 traditional assets and leverage up to 500x. The campaign aims to draw retail traders into its TradFi suite and signals new partnership opportunities...
Ratio Lands $15.8M Financing Round
Ratio, an AI‑driven fintech platform serving B2B technology scale‑ups, closed a $15.8 million venture financing round and added $100 million of lending capacity. The funding follows the company’s achievement of GAAP profitability in August 2025, underscoring its capital‑efficient growth model. Ratio’s solution links...
AI Unifies Finance Tools, Turning Chaos Into Clarity
there are a lot of finance tools out there. quickbooks, xero, netsuite, salesforce, hubspot, stripe, petadocs, dropbox sign, common paper, avalara, slack, campfire, rillet, numeral, sage intacct, the list keeps growing. the problem is not having tools. the problem is getting them to...
Why Banks Like Tokenized Deposits
American Banker’s analysis shows tokenized deposits are gaining traction faster than stablecoins among U.S. banks. Nineteen of the 50 largest banks are developing tokenized‑deposit strategies, compared with 15 pursuing stablecoins, and four banks already offer deposit tokens versus one stablecoin...
Visa Direct Integration Lets OwlTing Users Fund USDC Straight From a Debit Card
Visa Direct is now integrated into OwlTing’s OwlPay platform, enabling U.S. debit cardholders to fund USDC instantly without a separate exchange. The live feature appears in OwlPay Harbor and the consumer‑focused OwlPay Wallet Pro, with plans to extend to the...
Kalshi, IC360 Launch New Prediction Market Self-Exclusion Initiative
Kalshi, a CFTC‑regulated prediction‑market exchange valued at over $20 billion, has teamed with compliance firm IC360 to launch SelfExclude, a cross‑platform self‑exclusion hub. The tool lets users place themselves on a shared blacklist that blocks betting on Kalshi and any future...
The Crypto News Today That Proves This Market Will Never Die as BTC Holds $72,900 and Pepeto Fills
Stablecoin transaction volumes are projected to hit $719 trillion by 2035, dwarfing traditional payment networks. Bitcoin remains above $72,900 after a cease‑fire rally, with $75,000 as the next resistance level. Pepeto has raised roughly $8.8 million, offers zero‑fee swaps and 185% APY...
The Payment Type Publix Doesn't Bother With Anymore
Publix announced it will retire its in‑app payment service, Publix Pay, effective March 2026. Launched in 2019, the QR‑code based system let shoppers link cards, store gift cards, and redeem digital coupons, but offered no unique rewards. Internal sources said...
Implementing the Digital Euro Project
The European Central Bank is advancing its digital euro project, originally launched in 2020, as EU legislation clears the path for implementation. The digital currency is envisioned as a cash‑like token to complement physical euros in everyday transactions. ECB officials...
Fintech Funding Rises While Deal Count Plummets
Venture funding to fintech companies is up year over year so far, but concentrated into significantly fewer companies, Crunchbase data shows. Global venture funding to financial technology startups totaled $12B across 751 deals in 2026 as of April 6, per @Crunchbase...
Inside the Freshly Vendor-Neutral Payments Protocol Putting the 402 Status Code to Use
The Linux Foundation announced it will steward a newly created, vendor‑neutral payments protocol that operates directly at the HTTP layer. The protocol revives the rarely used HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code to enable automated, machine‑to‑machine transactions for SaaS, API, and...
RBI Proposes One‑hour Hold on UPI Transfers over ₹10,000 to Curb Fraud
The Reserve Bank of India has released a discussion paper proposing a one‑hour delay for person‑to‑person UPI transfers exceeding ₹10,000, aiming to give users a “golden hour” to stop authorised push‑payment scams. The move follows a ten‑fold rise in fraud...
Upstart Sued over AI Model’s ‘Overreaction’
Fintech lender Upstart faces a class‑action lawsuit alleging its executives misled investors by inflating 2025 revenue guidance on the back of a new AI model, Model 22, and later revising the outlook downward when the model over‑reacted to macroeconomic conditions. The...
Mantle and Bybit Launch xStocks, Bringing Tokenized Equities to Ethereum L2
Mantle and Bybit announced the live integration of xStocks on the Mantle Ethereum Layer‑2, allowing users to trade tokenized equities such as TSLAx and AAPLx on the native Fluxion DEX. The move positions Mantle as a leading distribution layer for...
Revolut Unveils AI Assistant ‘AIR’ to Streamline Money Management in UK
Revolut has launched its AI‑powered personal finance assistant, AIR, to customers in the United Kingdom on April 9, 2026. The tool promises real‑time spending insights, portfolio checks, subscription management and travel budgeting, marking the neobank’s biggest product expansion in a year.
BlackRock Buys $589 Million of Bitcoin and Ethereum in April 2026
BlackRock accelerated its crypto exposure by buying $589.16 million of Bitcoin and Ethereum over four trading days ending April 9, 2026. The purchases were funneled through its iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) and iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA), cementing the firm as the biggest...
Fed Seeks Comments on Intermediary Access for FedNow, Aiming to Boost Cross‑Border Payments
The Federal Reserve Board has opened a 60‑day public comment period on a proposal that would let U.S. banks and credit unions route FedNow transfers through intermediaries. The change would align FedNow with Fedwire and could enable instant domestic settlement...
Greenlight Partners With RBFCU to Help Parents Raise Financially Smart Kids and Teens
Greenlight Financial Technology announced a partnership with Randolph‑Brooks Federal Credit Union (RBFCU) to provide the credit‑union’s members with free access to Greenlight’s family‑finance app. The “Greenlight for Credit Unions” program lets parents manage allowances, chores, and real‑time spending controls while...
How SAP Concur Automates Expense Reporting with Agentic AI
SAP Concur has upgraded its ExpenseIt platform with an agentic AI layer that goes beyond OCR, using Google Cloud’s Gemini models to infer missing receipt details. The new Receipt Analysis Agent applies routing, reflection, and tool‑use design patterns, automatically pulling...
Middle East Retail Investing: The WealthTech Opportunity
Retail investing is rapidly gaining momentum across the Middle East, driven by a young, digitally native population and strong economic growth in hubs like the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The GCC digital neobrokerage market reached $1.2 bn in 2024, while government...
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong Backs Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's CLARITY Act Push
Coinbase chief executive Brian Armstrong publicly endorsed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s push for the CLARITY Act on April 10, 2026. The legislation seeks to create a unified regulatory framework for digital assets across U.S. financial regulators. Armstrong’s backing adds a...
Nordic Banks Turn to CaaS to Fight Rising Fraud
Nordic banks are grappling with a surge in digital fraud as cashless payments dominate the region. Norwegian banks blocked roughly NOK 2.3 bn (about $250 m) and Danish banks prevented DKK 500 m (around $70 m) in attempted fraud in 2025. At the same time, compliance...
Klarna's First Invoice Sparked BNPL Revolution
FINTECH FLASHBACK: 21 YRS FROM THE 1ST BNPL On this day in 2005 (April 10, 11:06:40 AM): Klarna (then called Kreditor) processed its very first transaction. The merchant: Pocketklubben, a small bookstore in Stockholm, Sweden. The customer...
Global FinTech Funding Tops $2bn as RegTech Deals Run Rampant
Global FinTech funding surged to $2.17 billion across 23 deals in the past two weeks, driven largely by RegTech and AI‑security investments. RegTech accounted for over a third of transactions, while the largest single deal was German insurer Talanx’s €1 billion ($1.09 billion)...
Repay Faces Kubra Purchase Opposition
Repay Holdings announced a $372 million cash‑plus‑debt acquisition of Kubra Data Transfer, aiming to merge complementary payment platforms. The combined entity would have generated roughly $548 million in revenue and $178 million of adjusted EBITDA last year. Veradace Partners, an 8.4 % shareholder, publicly...
Square Deepens Ties With NYC’s Birch Coffee as POS Push Continues
Square, the payments arm of Block Inc., is deepening its partnership with New York‑based Birch Coffee by powering the coffee chain’s 12th location. Birch reported a 16% year‑over‑year revenue increase in 2025, attributing part of that growth to Square’s commerce...
Adyen Tool Speeds Business Payments
Netherlands‑based fintech Adyen unveiled Intelligent Money Movement, a unified platform that combines payment collection, payout processing, and liquidity management for large enterprises. The tool addresses the typical treasury setup of five to six banks, over 40 accounts and roughly a...
MoonPay Partners with WalletConnect and Ingenico for Stablecoin Retail Payments
MoonPay announced a partnership with WalletConnect and payment‑terminal provider Ingenico to bring stablecoin payments to physical retail locations worldwide. The collaboration uses MoonPay’s Virtual Accounts to instantly convert stablecoins into fiat at the point of sale, enabling merchants to accept...
On‑chain Payments Finally Outpace Legacy, Just Like Linux
People were dismissing onchain payments because the legacy systems have been around forever, that was the same energy as people dismissing Linux in the 90s because Microsoft and the proprietary systems were too dominant. The new thing starts rough and everyone...
Machine Payments Launch Strong, Volume Growing Rapidly
Machine Payments have started. Consistent. Real volume. And growing. The early signs for @mpp are VERY encouraging.
Securitize Integrates with TRON Network to Expand Tokenized Asset Offerings
Securitize announced integration with the TRON blockchain on April 10, allowing its tokenized securities to be issued and managed on one of the world’s highest‑throughput networks. The move expands Securitize’s multichain strategy, giving institutional‑grade assets access to TRON’s fast, low‑cost infrastructure...
Robot Money Merges Allocation and Fund Management, Agent Handles Allocation
This is a good product and I’m excited to integrate it There is a difference between asset allocation (ie treasury management) and fund management (ie manufacturing a fund) Robot Money is built from both @RobotMoneyAgent focuses on the former
Gemini Expands Beyond Crypto with Unified Market Platform
Crypto was just the beginning. A broader vision is taking shape at Gemini The new https://t.co/OqQQvZFPGw reflects a shift toward a single platform built for the full scope of modern markets See what’s next
Bank of France Calls for Tougher MiCA Limits on Stablecoin Payments
French officials are tightening crypto oversight as Bank of France Deputy Governor Denis Beau urged the EU to impose stricter limits on non‑euro stablecoins under the MiCA framework. At the same time, France’s National Assembly approved a provision requiring annual...
Tokenized Deposits Could Be Massive If Viable
How realistic is the Versabank $VBNK Real Bank Tokenized Deposits opportinity? I have no idea re feasibility, but could be massive even if just a bit successful.
Rogers Unveils Red Scheme for Small Businesses
Rogers Communications launched the Red Partner programme, a point‑of‑sale and credit‑card offering aimed at Canadian small‑ and medium‑sized businesses. The scheme promises a 20% reduction in transaction fees and a tiered cashback model—1% on all purchases and 3% at participating...
Rain and Toku Partner to Launch Real-Time Stablecoin Payroll Infrastructure
Rain, a global stablecoin card and payments platform, announced a partnership with compliance specialist Toku to launch the first real‑time, compliant stablecoin payroll system. The integrated solution lets employers fund and settle payroll instantly in stablecoins across more than 100...
Why AI Agents Are the New Era of UK Retail Banking
UK retail banking has become overwhelmingly digital, with 88% of adults—about 48 million people—using online channels for everyday transactions. While neobanks like Monzo and Revolut have set new service standards, traditional banks still lose customers; 265,000 switched banks in Q3 2025, and...
The Merchant’s Hand in the Consumer’s Choice of Payment Instruments: An Agent-Based Model
The paper presents an agent‑based model that simulates the German retail‑payment ecosystem using detailed sociodemographic and transaction data from the Deutsche Bundesbank. By varying merchant acceptance rates—such as reducing cash outlets or expanding card terminals—the model shows that even modest...
Unconnected Dots: Why We Don’t Prevent Fraud
The article argues that fraud networks thrive by scattering digital identities across accounts, emails, and domains, making payments to invisible actors. It promotes digital entity resolution—linking fragmented data points—as the essential tool to identify and block these hidden fraudsters. Recent...