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 merchant‑level changes can dramatically shift consumer payment preferences and overall market dynamics. Results highlight the delicate trade‑off between encouraging digital payment adoption and preserving financial inclusion. The framework gives policymakers a sandbox for testing acceptance policies before implementation.
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...
Deloitte's Rakesh Rajagopal Leads Predictive Insurance Automation Push
Deloitte Consulting’s Rakesh Rajagopal is steering AI‑driven predictive automation across major U.S. insurers, embedding intelligence into SAP financial platforms to replace manual, fragmented processes. The initiative promises faster claims handling, tighter compliance and a scalable architecture for multi‑country insurers.
New Vanguard AI Tool Aims to Scale Investment Advice
Vanguard has launched "Expert Insights," an AI‑driven add‑on to its Portfolio Analytics platform that generates real‑time, client‑ready portfolio analysis for financial advisors. The tool, currently in a pilot with a select group of advisors, uses generative AI to translate complex...
Congressional Probe Targets Polymarket Over Pre‑Ceasefire Bets Worth Hundreds of Thousands
Lawmakers have sent letters to the CFTC and Polymarket after analysis showed at least 50 newly created accounts placed substantial "Yes" bets on a U.S.-Iran ceasefire hours before President Trump announced the deal, netting hundreds of thousands of dollars in...
Making Zelle Work Better for Users—And Banks
Zelle processed $1.2 trillion in 2024, a 20% year‑over‑year increase that dwarfs rivals Venmo and Cash App. Despite this scale, the service still lacks core peer‑to‑peer features such as recurring payments, favorite payees, and group splits. Because Zelle is accessed through...
ICYMI Fintech Funding Round-Up: Trent AI, Kulipa, Octostar and More
FinTech Futures’ weekly ICYMI roundup highlights six recent funding events across AI security, crypto payments, and digital identity. UK‑based Trent AI emerged from stealth with a $13 million seed to develop autonomous security agents, while European AI‑security firm Octostar closed a...
Payment Limits and Top-Ups Under SDRP
The USDA’s Staged Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) is closing its Stage 1 and 2 sign‑up period at the end of April 2026, after which it will calculate funds for a potential top‑up. Initially, the agency will cover about 35 percent of verified crop losses,...
Inside the Prediction Markets: Who Controls the Trade
Prediction markets are caught in a federal‑state showdown as regulators vie for jurisdiction. A U.S. Third Circuit court ruled that Kalshi’s sports contracts are derivatives, not gambling, giving the CFTC a foothold. The CFTC and DOJ have sued Arizona, Connecticut...
Longford County Council Launches MyCoCo Online Payments Platform for Housing Rents
Longford County Council has launched MyCoCo, a secure online payments platform that lets local authority housing tenants pay rent digitally. The service joins existing options such as standing orders, telephone payments and cash‑desk transactions, giving tenants flexibility to pay anytime,...
New VantageScore RiskRatio™ Digital Release Enables Mortgage Lenders, Auto Lenders and ABS Investors to Strengthen Consumer Credit Risk Benchmarking
VantageScore unveiled a digital upgrade to its RiskRatio™ analytics platform, targeting mortgage lenders, auto financiers and asset‑backed securities (ABS) investors. The new suite, which also includes CreditGauge™ and Inclusion360®, delivers interactive, open‑access credit insights across models, industries and consumer lifecycle...
Checkout.com Integrates with SAP Commerce Cloud’s Open Payment Framework to Simplify Enterprise Payment Deployments
Checkout.com has linked its Flow checkout platform to SAP Commerce Cloud’s Open Payment Framework (OPF), offering enterprises a plug‑and‑play payment layer. Flow’s pre‑built components support global cards and local methods, delivering up to a 5% lift in acceptance rates and...
Fintech Startups Globally Raise More Money In Far Fewer Deals In Q1 2026
Global venture capital poured $12 billion into fintech startups in Q1 2026, but the number of deals fell 31.5% to 751, indicating larger checks per transaction. Late‑stage and growth rounds surged to $6.9 billion, an 8% year‑over‑year rise, even as total funding slipped...
Tune Protect Malaysia Selects Akur8 to Enhance P&C Pricing
Tune Protect Malaysia, the general insurance arm of Tune Protect Group, has partnered with Akur8 to deploy its AI‑driven actuarial pricing platform across its property‑and‑casualty portfolio. The solution leverages machine‑learning models to accelerate model development, provide transparent, explainable outputs, and...
Stripe Already Offers Free FX Quotes API in Beta
I was going to tweet @stripe should add a free exchange rates API after my OpenExchangeRates API started rate limiting me aggressively Then I searched and it already exists and is in beta called the Stripe FX Quotes API I'll try it...
47 TPAP Wallets Command 97% of UPI Volume
Unstoppable https://t.co/oDDWykTjkX "Overall, there are 47 TPAP wallets accounting for 97.1% of UPI volume and 44 bank wallets accounting for just 2.9% of volume." Nice data point from Jeremy. https://t.co/Lz96XQDV8M
How Trump-Linked WLFI Set up a Lending Model Where Lenders Pay the Price of Failure
World Liberty Financial (WLFI) launched WLFI Markets as a branded interface that routes all lending, borrowing and liquidation functions to Dolomite’s underlying smart‑contract protocol. The model lets WLFI earn integration and marketing fees while the Trump‑linked venture claims up to...
Insurtech Trio Thrives Amid Record Industry Profitability
how has the #insurtech trio performed in a year of spectacular profitability for the insurance sector? https://t.co/9v9qlzrsRL via @LinkedIn @jeffroth77 @GalenDShaffer @JimMarous @FGraillot @nigelwalsh @SpirosMargaris @jblefevre60 @robgalb @RonnoArnold @hedgequote @Nick_Lamparelli @antgrasso @hugues_bertin @globaliqx @psb_dc @an_battista
Defining Liability for Autonomous Finance Errors Now
When the Agent Gets It Wrong, Who Pays? The rails for autonomous finance are live. The liability architecture for those rails is being written right now, by the institutions and regulators willing to commit to an answer. https://t.co/fHnMD6byH6 https://t.co/ejtLZek5s3
Enhanced Labs Secures $1 Million Pre‑Seed to Launch On‑Chain Structured Options
Enhanced Labs Inc. closed a $1 million strategic pre‑seed round led by Maximum Frequency Ventures, with participation from GSR, Selini, Flowdesk and angels. The funding will back a multi‑chain platform that packages sophisticated options and derivatives strategies into retail‑friendly products, expanding...
EU Laws Open Data Markets to New Entrants
Initiatives like the Data Act, the Digital Markets Act, and the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) reflect a broader shift towards opening up data-driven markets to new entrants https://t.co/3koMS2B5Ui
AI and Open Banking Recover $14K Tax Overpayment
AI and Open Banking just saved a guy $14k on his taxes. @perplexity_ai computer and @plaid found double-taxing errors in @abcdabcd987's accounts That a $2,000 CPA missed. Correct to the cents. Personal Finance Agents are ALMOST here.
MercadoLibre Boosts AI Spending as Revenue Jumps 47% YoY
MercadoLibre said its AI investments are accelerating revenue, delivering a 47% year‑over‑year Q4 growth on a constant‑currency basis. The e‑commerce leader is expanding AI across logistics, payments and seller tools while grappling with short‑term margin pressure and a 35% stock...
Circle’s USDC Revenue Model Stressed by Falling Interest Rates
Circle Internet Group’s fourth‑quarter 2025 revenue of $770 million, 95% of which came from reserve income on USDC holdings, is being squeezed by a declining reserve return rate. The macro‑sensitive model forces the firm to accelerate diversification as interest‑rate headwinds threaten...
Tokenization Hits Mainstream as Real‑World Assets Flood Blockchain in 2026
Tokenized real‑world assets are moving from concept to core market infrastructure in 2026, propelled by institutional demand and the advocacy of Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire and Digital Currency Group founder Barry Silbert. The shift promises to embed tangible value on...
Revolut Secures Key Regulatory Approval in Peru, Moving to Formally Incorporate as a Bank
Revolut, the fintech with over 70 million users, has secured an Organisation Authorisation from Peru’s Superintendency of Banking, Insurance and AFP. The licence permits the company to formally incorporate as a bank and move toward a mandatory supervisory inspection for a...
HSBC and Standard Chartered-Led Group Land Hong Kong’s First Stablecoin Licenses
Hong Kong’s monetary authority granted its first two stablecoin issuer licences to HSBC and Anchorpoint Financial, a Standard Chartered‑led joint venture. The licences are the inaugural approvals under the Stablecoins Ordinance that took effect in August 2025, following an assessment...
Embedded Finance vs Banking as a Service in 2026: Key Differences Explained
Embedded finance embeds payments, lending and banking features directly within the software platforms businesses already use, while Banking as a Service (BaaS) provides the API‑driven infrastructure that connects those features to regulated banks. The article explains that the former is...
Digital Bank Revolut Introduces AI Tools to Streamline Money Management
Revolut has rolled out an AI-powered assistant called AI by Revolut (AIR) to UK customers, embedding spending insights, portfolio checks, subscription control and travel budgeting into its app. The feature, launched on April 9, 2026, uses natural‑language conversation to act as a...
Automating Financial Operations for Faster, Safer Financial Reporting
South African firms are adopting MoData’s integrated Record‑to‑Report suite—Accurate, Adra and Cadency—to automate reconciliation and accelerate the financial close. The automation cuts manual reconciliations by up to 90% and reduces month‑end close time from 10‑11 days to 5‑7 days. The...
Tornado Cash Dev Roman Storm’s Case Raises Technical and Ethical Questions
Roman Storm, a developer of the Tornado Cash privacy mixer, returned to a New York federal courtroom on April 9, 2026 to argue that his prior unlawful‑money‑transmitting conviction should be set aside. The judge, Katherine Polk Failla, focused on whether...
Designing for Complexity: Lessons From Building a Digital Wallet Integration
The integration of digital wallets like Apple Pay forced banks to abandon traditional, siloed software projects and adopt an ecosystem‑first approach. By 2025 Apple Pay alone handled roughly $9‑9.5 trillion in transactions for over 800 million users, illustrating the massive scale and...
How to Set Up Payment Links to Receive Customer Payments Quickly
Payment links turn traditional invoices into a single, clickable URL that lets customers pay instantly with their preferred method. The technology streamlines collection, provides real‑time confirmation, and feeds every transaction into a centralized dashboard for easy tracking and reconciliation. AvadaPay,...
Ethio Telecom Launches RFID ‘Non-Stop’ Expressway Toll System via Telebirr
Ethio telecom, together with the Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise, has rolled out an RFID‑based toll collection system on the Addis Ababa‑Adama Expressway that integrates directly with the telebirr mobile‑payment platform. The solution allows vehicles to pass toll gates without stopping, automatically...
Google Wallet Redesign Adds Favorites, Sorting, and Search
Google Wallet's big redesign starts rolling out gradually with features such as favorites, sorting and search The updated UI focuses on frequently used cards and passes ✅ More details with screenshots - https://t.co/k2FcpkbTlX https://t.co/KYaCmSQXRG
Chinese Payment Apps Raise Questions in Japan
Japanese lawmakers and the Financial Services Agency have raised alarms that Chinese mobile‑payment platforms such as Alipay and WeChat Pay can settle transactions outside Japan’s banking system. They fear the practice could hide revenue from tax authorities and create avenues...
Fiserv Helps Major U.S. Grocery Retailer Expand Card-Free Checkout Experience
Ahold Delhaize USA is extending its Pay by Bank card‑free checkout pilot to include Giant Food and Stop & Shop shoppers, adding new digital channels such as mobile apps and in‑store kiosks. The expansion is powered by fintech infrastructure provider...
Cosmos Ecosystem Focused Leap Wallet to Shut Down Operations
Leap Wallet, the Cosmos ecosystem’s flagship multi‑chain wallet, announced it will shut down on May 28, 2026, giving users roughly two months to move assets. Launched in 2022, the non‑custodial solution supported over 100 blockchains and offered staking, swaps, and...
XTransfer Reinforces Commitment to Africa’s SME Trade
XTransfer, the leading B2B cross‑border payment platform, highlighted its African SME focus by participating in Rwanda’s Inclusive FinTech Forum and Johannesburg’s Solar & Storage Live Africa 2026. The company leverages its partnership with Flutterwave to offer local‑currency payment solutions for...
Almost Half of the World’s Banks Aren’t Ready for ISO20022
RedCompass Labs reports that 44% of banks worldwide are off schedule for the ISO 20022 structured‑address migration deadline in November 2026. The lag is especially pronounced among large institutions, with one in five banks holding assets over $250 billion calling the deadline unrealistic....
RBI Proposes 1-Hour Delay for UPI, IMPS Transfers Above Rs 10,000
The Reserve Bank of India has floated a discussion paper proposing a mandatory one‑hour cooling period for person‑to‑person UPI and IMPS transfers exceeding ₹10,000 (about $120). The delay targets high‑value P2P payments while merchant transactions remain instant, and a whitelisting...
![[YMMV] PayPal Rewards: Make 2-3 Purchases Of $40-$50 & Earn 1,500-2,000 Points](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/paypal-deal-1.png)
[YMMV] PayPal Rewards: Make 2-3 Purchases Of $40-$50 & Earn 1,500-2,000 Points
PayPal Rewards is running a limited‑time promotion that lets users earn up to 2,000 points by spending $300 in 14 days, or by making two to three purchases of $40‑$50. Participants must enroll by May 17, 2026, and the offer expires on...
AI Meets Finance: Startup Redefines Investment Automation
This week on H1G we're featuring a startup who is integrating AI and finance. Very ambitious. The headline wraps up the value prop perfectly. Subscribe at https://t.co/HULd13ZpSd, an explanation for why this headline works will arrive fresh in your inbox tomorrow morning....
[YMMV] PayPal: 20% Back In Points When You Shop Apparel
PayPal has re‑launched a limited‑time promotion that awards users 20% back in rewards points on apparel purchases. The offer, active again as of April 9 2026, also applies when shoppers use PayPal’s Pay‑in‑4 financing at Target, and appears to trigger on non‑apparel...
Visa Inc. (V): Our Calculation of Intrinsic Value
A weekly DCF model values Visa Inc. at an enterprise value of $546.6 billion, translating to an equity value of $540.4 billion or $275‑$285 per share. The current market price sits near $302, suggesting the stock is about 7% overvalued. Visa’s asset‑light,...
AccuQuant Launches AI‑Powered Quant Trading Robot with Zero‑Latency Execution
AccuQuant introduced its Predictive-Neural 4.0 AI trading robot on April 8, 2026, promising zero‑latency execution, 24/7 market scanning and a $20 welcome bonus for new users. The platform aims to lower technical barriers for retail investors while delivering institutional‑grade risk...
Abound and NEAR AI Partner to Launch ‘Financial Autopilot’ for Non-Resident Indians
Abound, the Times of India‑backed super‑app for Indians abroad, announced a partnership with NEAR AI to launch an AI‑powered “Financial Autopilot.” The service will move beyond recommendations, automatically executing remittances, managing NRE/NRO accounts, paying bills and providing a real‑time net‑worth...
Cash Flow Underwriting Expands Economic Opportunity by Looking at Behavior in the Present, Not the Past
Cash flow underwriting replaces reliance on historical credit data with real‑time analysis of transactional accounts. By monitoring spending patterns, income streams, and debt management, lenders gain a dynamic view of a borrower’s current financial health. The approach complements traditional credit...
Brian Armstrong Backs Bipartisan Crypto Clarity Act Push
JUST IN: Brian Armstrong is pushing for the crypto Clarity Act to pass, crediting the bipartisan Senate work.
From Bingo to Melbourne Flower Show: Humanitix Uses Ticket Fees as ‘Engine for Good’
Humanitix, the Australian ticketing social enterprise, has scaled from charity bingo nights to handling 120,000 tickets for the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. Its revenue surged to $14 million in 2024, a more than three‑fold increase since 2021, while it...