Faster Settlement May Make for Poorer Markets
Settlement cycles are accelerating worldwide, with the U.S. shifting equities to T+1 in 2024 and other regions targeting similar timelines by 2027. Blockchain‑enabled atomic settlement promises instant finality, already driving over $1.8 trillion in stablecoin transfers. Yet, the removal of settlement delays forces every trade to be fully funded, collapsing net‑ting efficiencies and raising capital requirements. This “atomic settlement paradox” could widen spreads, pressure hedge‑fund liquidity, and re‑centralize market access around large institutions.
Ant Digital Shows Fintech Can Match Hyperscalers with Full‑Stack AI
Ant Digital Unveils Full-Stack AGI Architecture at IDC Question: Can fintech giants compete with hyperscalers on full-stack AI? Ant Digital positioning with complete vertical integration: → proprietary foundation models (Ling-1T trillion params) → finance-grade agent platform (Agentar-Fin-R1) → specialized infrastructure (ZOLOZ...
New PhD Tackles GenAI Governance in Finance
Generative AI is moving fast into financial services, but model management, explainability, and governance are still catching up. The teams at Nationwide and Cardiff shared this funded PhD with me, and I wanted to share it with my network. The...
Brickken Secures €3M to Expand Tokenisation Infrastructure
Barcelona‑based Brickken, a tokenisation infrastructure provider for financial institutions, closed a €3 million (≈$3.3 million) pre‑Series A round. The round attracted strategic European investors, including Dedagroup founder Marco Podini and venture firm GRX. Brickken’s platform enables banks, asset managers and issuers to tokenise equity,...
Calculated Ambition: ChangeNOW Defies Market Uncertainty with New Dubai Headquarters.
ChangeNOW, a nine‑year‑old non‑custodial crypto exchange, has launched its regional headquarters in Dubai’s Convention Tower at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The move signals a shift from a purely digital service model to a physical presence aimed at deepening ties...
Pepkor Eyes 2027 for the Rollout of a New South African Bank
Pepkor Holdings, Africa’s largest clothing and mobile phone retailer, has hired Merwe Scholtz to lead a new banking division, aiming to launch an independent lender by 2027 and possibly as early as next year. The initiative will add deposit services...
In the World of Stripe: Acquisitions, Agentic AI, and Stablecoins
Stripe, now valued at roughly $159 billion after a 74% jump from the prior year, is reportedly in early‑stage talks to acquire PayPal. The potential deal would give Stripe immediate access to PayPal’s 439 million active consumer and merchant accounts and its...
Why Plug-and-Play Should Be the New Standard for Embedded Finance
Embedded finance is merging financial services with digital platforms, unlocking new revenue streams for software providers and expanding credit access for SMEs and underserved consumers. Bain & Company projects the U.S. market to exceed $51 billion in revenue and $7 trillion in...
Swift Advances Blockchain Shared Ledger to Pilot Phase for 24/7 Global Payments
Swift has moved its blockchain‑based shared ledger from planning to full‑scale development, creating a minimum viable product that will pilot live tokenized deposits in 2026. The platform extends Swift’s existing payment standards with an open‑source, EVM‑compatible layer built on Hyperledger...
Lentra Appoints Rajesh Kumar Rathanchand as CEO
Lentra has named Rajesh Kumar Rathanchand as its new chief executive officer, succeeding his tenure as managing director and CEO of TransUnion CIBIL. Rathanchand brings more than three decades of experience in retail credit, risk management and analytics, previously leading...
From Gen Z to Retirees: Digital Wallets’ Cross-Generational Rise Will Unlock £453 Bn of UK Spend by 2030
Global Payments’ latest report projects UK digital‑wallet transactions to surge from $342 bn in 2025 to $575 bn by 2030, a 68% increase. Adoption spans generations, with two‑thirds of 18‑24‑year‑olds and nearly a third of 55‑64‑year‑olds naming wallets their preferred method. While...
FNZ Select Launches Premium Service with AI‑Driven Innovation
Pleased to see the launch of FNZ Select, our new premium service proposition. It builds on the progress we have made to strengthen our global service model and platform capabilities, raising the baseline of service delivered to all clients and...
Fintech Parity Levels the Playing Field for Small Banks
The playing field is shifting. Smaller banks and credit unions now have access to the same innovation through solution providers and fintech partners. That changes everything. https://t.co/cBR5eKzmzK
Dynamic Adds Embedded Wallet Infrastructure to TON for Telegram Apps
Dynamic, now part of Fireblocks, has launched embedded wallet infrastructure for The Open Network (TON) within Telegram Mini Apps. The solution lets developers automatically generate and manage TON wallets, eliminating the need to build custom wallet, contract, and transaction layers....
Russia Moves to Narrow Crypto Trading to Regulated Intermediaries
Russia’s government approved draft bills that force all domestic crypto trades through licensed exchanges, custodians or approved banks, capping retail purchases at 300,000 rubles (about $3,700) per year and requiring a competency test. Qualified investors receive broader access, while residents...
Russia’s Sanctions-Busting Cryptocurrency Empire
Russia’s state‑backed fintech A7 has built a crypto‑based sanctions‑evasion network centered on the ruble‑linked token A7A5. Backed by Promsvyazbank and the Kyrgyz firm Old Vector, the platform lets Russian firms swap rubles for A7A5 and instantly convert to dollar‑pegged stablecoins...
On the Journey with 9fin From Day One to Their $1.3 Billion Valuation.
9fin announced a $170 million Series C round that lifts its valuation to $1.3 billion, bringing total capital raised since its 2017 launch to over $250 million. The AI‑native platform tackles the decades‑old data fragmentation in debt capital markets by centralising documents, emails and...
IHC Invests $1 Billion for Majority Stake in India's Sammaan Capital
International Holding Company (IHC) has received regulatory clearance to buy a 41.5% stake in Sammaan Capital Limited for roughly $1 billion. The deal, executed in stages, will make IHC a promoter with board control, signaling a major private‑equity‑style entry into India's...
Franklin Templeton Launches Tokenised Bond ETFs as Investors Chase Fixed‑income Amid Volatile Yields
Franklin Templeton announced a partnership with Ondo Finance to issue five tokenised exchange‑traded funds, among them a high‑yield corporate bond ETF. The move comes as bond yields climb and investors seek fixed‑income exposure through blockchain‑based products.
FTC Warns Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, Stripe Over Steam NSFW Game Restrictions
The Federal Trade Commission has mailed warning letters to the CEOs of Mastercard, Visa, PayPal and Stripe, telling them to stop blocking payments for adult‑oriented games on Steam. The move follows a 2025 dispute in which Mastercard‑linked processors forced Valve...
SoFi Shares Slide 35% YTD to $16.90 as Macro Headwinds Stall Digital‑Bank Growth
SoFi Technologies' shares have tumbled 35% year‑to‑date, trading at $16.90 after the digital bank reported record Q4 revenue but warned that inflation, oil price spikes and the lingering Iran conflict are dampening borrowing and spending. The decline highlights the clash...
SEC Issues 68‑Page Crypto‑Friendly Blueprint to Shield Digital Assets
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission released a 68‑page policy package that insulates cryptocurrencies from a range of existing regulations. The move follows a wave of enforcement dismissals and signals a coordinated shift with the CFTC, prompting both industry optimism...
Swipe Fees Hit Record-Setting $198.25B
U.S. merchants paid a record $198.25 billion in credit and debit card swipe fees in 2025, according to the Merchants Payments Coalition. The total represents a 5.9% jump from 2024 and an 80% increase since the pandemic, with fees climbing 219%...
5 App Entry Moments Engagement Teams in Finance Can’t Afford to Break
Finance and fintech engagement teams must treat app entry as a continuation of user intent, not a simple link. When deep‑linking fails—whether during account activation, secure messages, re‑engagement, offline prompts, or post‑login verification—customers often disappear without retrying. These silent failures...
The Case for Modern Client Lifecycle Management in Banking
Modern client lifecycle management (CLM) software is emerging as a solution to the fragmented, multi‑system processes that banks use for prospecting, onboarding, compliance and ongoing relationship management. By unifying these stages on a single platform, CLM reduces the months‑long onboarding...
Wealthtech Startup Bachatt Raises $12 Mn in Series A Led by Accel
Bachatt, an AI‑driven savings and wealth platform focused on India’s self‑employed, closed a $12 million Series A round led by Accel, with Lightspeed and Info Edge Ventures also participating. The funding follows a $4 million seed raise last year and will be used...
The New Gold Rush to Become a US Bank
The OCC has seen a surge in U.S. bank charter applications, receiving more in the last six months than in the previous four years combined. Major foreign neobanks such as Brazil's Nubank, Europe's Revolut, and the Dutch Bunq are among...
Credit Unions Want FinTechs on Speed Dial
FinTech partnerships with credit unions surged nearly 20% last year, shifting from a supplemental tactic to a core modernization strategy. Credit unions favor these alliances for speed, with 56% crediting FinTechs for faster, larger‑scale innovation. Payments and data analytics dominate...
Virtual Cards Bring Flexibility to SMB Payments Stuck in the Past
A February PYMNTS Intelligence report, conducted with Mastercard and surveying 412 U.S. SMB owners in December 2025, finds that nearly half of small and medium‑sized businesses are eager to cut reliance on cash and checks. Cash still dominates daily transactions,...
EMEA in Conversation | Eyes on Europe
In this inaugural episode of JPMorgan’s EMEA in Conversation, Stu Cofer and Alison Livesey discuss how Europe’s payments landscape is rapidly accelerating, driven by instant payments, evolving regulations like PSD3, and a push toward interoperability and programmable finance. They highlight...
Razorpay Introduces RBI-Compliant Biometric Authentication Solution ‘Passkey’
Razorpay has launched “Passkey,” an RBI‑compliant biometric authentication solution for online card payments, developed with Mastercard and slated to integrate Visa soon. The technology leverages device‑bound fingerprints or facial scans, removing the need for one‑time passwords that cause roughly 35%...
KYC Approval Doesn't Ensure Payouts: AML Flags Matter
This highlights a key issue many don't realize - passing KYC ≠ guaranteed payouts. Payment processors have separate AML databases that can flag accounts even after firm approval. @AJLucidTrading being transparent about the process. Compare firm policies at https://t.co/1I4O2dByrK ⚠️
5 Crypto Wallet Models Fintech Leaders Should Know
Fintech executives are being urged to move beyond a one‑size‑fits‑all approach to digital‑asset storage as transaction volumes surge to half a million Bitcoin moves daily. The article outlines five distinct crypto‑wallet models—custodial, non‑custodial, hot, cold, and multi‑signature—that differ in control,...
#277 How CFOs Scale to $100M+ Without Leaving Xero, David Tuck, Founder, Mayday and Kate Hayward, Managing Director UK, Xero
In this episode, Kevin Appleby talks with Kate Hayward, Managing Director of Xero UK, and David Tuck, founder of Mayday, about how finance teams can scale beyond $100 million in revenue while staying on Xero instead of migrating to a traditional...
What Happens to My Crypto when I Die?
A recent panel of regulators, crypto technologists, legal experts and bank executives debated the looming inheritance crisis in digital assets. Participants highlighted that lost private keys can render cryptocurrency permanently inaccessible, leaving heirs unable to claim rightful wealth. While self‑sovereignty...
A Chat with Wio Bank, a Fully Digital, Platform-Based Bank
Wio Bank, launched in Abu Dhabi in 2022, is the region’s first fully digital, platform‑based bank backed by ADQ and FAB. It began with a focus on SME and creator banking and now serves over 400,000 customers, achieving profitability in...
Vetting Traders and Firms Essential After Processor Refusal
When even the payout processor says 'absolutely not' to a trader, that's next level sketchy 👀 @AJLucidTrading dealing with some serious due diligence issues. This is why vetting both firms AND traders matters. Full firm reviews at https://t.co/pKoy2KGz8x 🚩
CNS Modernization Client Testing Plan to Begin July 13, 2026
The National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) announced that client testing for its CNS modernization will commence on July 13, 2026 in the Production Simulation Environment (PSE). The testing covers Machine‑Readable Output (MRO) files, the Intraday ISO 15022 message, and the transition...
Over 47,000 Cabbies Adopt Octopus, Card Readers Ahead of E-Payment Regulations
More than 47,000 Hong Kong taxi drivers have installed the commercial Octopus app or mobile POS devices ahead of new e‑payment regulations that require each cab to offer at least two digital payment options. The Transport Department opened service stations...
Payment Processing Secrets: 13 Companies Merged Into One Platform
In this episode of FinTech Confidential, host Ted Huff talks with Niv Liren, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Unser, about the company’s ambitious effort to merge 13 acquired payment and commerce solutions into a single unified platform serving over...
MobiFone Digital Payments Launches to Build Vietnam’s Next-Generation Payment Infrastructure
MobiFone Digital Payments (MDP), a joint‑stock company backed by MobiFone Telecommunications, received a State Bank of Vietnam license on November 27, 2025 to offer financial switching, electronic clearing, payment gateway and collection services. The launch aims to build Vietnam’s fourth‑generation...
Master Apple Card: Move Money & Maximize Rewards
Just joining the complex Apple Card ecosystem? It's smart to learn how to move your money around, including funding your Apple Cash. Here's a primer that explains how everything interrelates and how to maximize your rewards: https://t.co/ZPP9OBmb9Y #applecard #applecash #banking...
AI Agents Are Democratizing Finance but Also Redefining Risk
AI agents are now moving capital autonomously, turning complex arbitrage strategies into simple commands and democratizing access to sophisticated finance. Users have seen outsized returns, such as a $300 investment growing to over $2.3 million in four months, thanks to rapid,...
Valinor Secures $25 Million Seed Round to Build Blockchain‑Based Private Credit Platform
Valinor, a fintech founded by former Blackstone private‑credit staff, closed a $25 million seed round led by Castle Island Ventures. The capital will fund a blockchain‑driven lending platform that seeks to automate private‑credit workflows and serve real‑economy borrowers. Investors see the...
1inch Launches AI‑agent API Suite, Letting Bots Execute DeFi Swaps Directly
1inch announced that AI agents can now access its full suite of 15 APIs via the 1inch MCP, enabling real‑time swap execution, portfolio analysis and on‑chain transactions. The move positions the DeFi platform as the backbone for the emerging “agent...
NCino Inc (NCNO) Q4 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
nCino reported second‑quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of $148.8 million, a 12% year‑over‑year increase, with subscription revenue climbing 15% to $130.8 million and organic growth of 10%. Mortgage and non‑U.S. subscription revenues surged 22% and 30% respectively, while platform pricing conversion reached 21%...
Review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging – Conclusions Paper
The Reserve Bank of Australia’s Payments System Board released a Conclusions Paper outlining sweeping reforms to the nation’s card‑payment system. It will remove mandatory surcharging on debit, prepaid and credit cards, lower interchange fee caps and boost fee‑transparency across eftpos,...
Demand Transparency: Test a Government CBDC for Tax Tracking
Americans do have the right to know exactly where our tax dollars are going. Test out a CBDC on the government https://t.co/670p3X4NoE
Tracking the Top Fintech Trends at FinovateSpring 2026
FinovateSpring 2026 will convene in San Diego May 5‑7, spotlighting eight fintech trends shaping the industry. Highlights include the rise of agentic AI, expanding stablecoin adoption, and banks leveraging embedded finance and hyper‑personalized customer experiences. Sessions also address US open‑banking...
Payment Fees Are a Business Cost, Not a Complaint
The people surprised by this have yet to learn of the cost of doing business and just how much a payment provider does for them. $17k on $600k revenue isn’t something you complain about out. You price it in.