World Liberty Financial Launches Toolkit to Let AI Agents Spend USD1
World Liberty Financial unveiled the open‑source AgentPay SDK, enabling AI agents to autonomously hold, send, and receive its USD1 stablecoin on Ethereum‑compatible blockchains. The toolkit’s four‑layer architecture keeps private keys and transaction signing on the operator’s machine, ensuring no data is transmitted to WLFI. Transactions exceeding preset limits trigger a human‑approval pause, while insufficient‑fund errors include a QR code for quick wallet replenishment. Integrated Bitrefill support lets agents buy gift cards and mobile top‑ups with a single USD1.
Why Mercury's CEO Isn't Afraid of Giving His Product to AI
Mercury’s CEO Immad Akhund says the fintech will embed AI throughout its platform, launching an AI‑powered chat tool called Insights and an MCP connector that streams banking data into large‑language models. The company, now valued at $3.5 billion, reports $650 million in...
Ripple Redefines Enterprise Payments with Unified Stablecoin Platform and Global Adoption
Ripple announced a major upgrade to its Ripple Payments platform, delivering a unified solution that moves both fiat and stablecoins across traditional and digital rails. The expansion incorporates the Palisade custody suite and Rail virtual‑account technology, enabling end‑to‑end collection, exchange,...
Banks Are Increasingly Moving From Conceptual to Actual Stablecoin Deployment Plans : Analysis
Chainalysis reports that banks are moving beyond theoretical discussions to concrete stablecoin deployments. Executives have settled on three primary models: issuing proprietary tokens, partnering with existing providers, or embedding stablecoins into current payment and treasury systems. The critical hurdle now...
What Are the Best AI SMS Platforms for Mortgage Lenders?
Mortgage borrowers choose lenders who respond fastest; SMS offers rapid, non‑intrusive follow‑up. AI‑driven SMS platforms can instantly reply, qualify, and route leads, reducing manual effort and compliance risk. The guide highlights Meera as the top purpose‑built solution, while Twilio, Salesforce,...
The EU Invites Turkey to Join SEPA
The European Union has formally invited Turkey to join the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), a move that could tighten economic ties and lower cross‑border transaction costs. Over the past year, Albania, Moldova, Montenegro and North Macedonia joined, bringing SEPA...
What Is This 600-Strong Bank Network Using Tokenized Deposits For?
U.S. banks Custodia and Vantage have launched tokenized deposits that will be used in Participate, a loan‑participation network spanning roughly 600 financial institutions. The SEC also approved Nasdaq’s plan to settle trades of major equities and ETFs with tokenized securities,...
Ontop Partners with BVNK
Ontop, a Colombian payroll platform, has teamed up with stablecoin infrastructure provider BVNK to introduce USD‑denominated stablecoin accounts for contractors and remote workers globally. The embedded accounts let users hold, receive, and transfer digital dollars with near‑instant settlement while shielding...
How Community Banks Can Get in on Stablecoins
Bank of North Dakota is launching Roughrider Coin, a stablecoin designed for wholesale, bank‑to‑bank payments, in partnership with Fiserv’s digital‑asset platform. The initiative demonstrates how a state‑owned, mid‑tier bank can create an instant payment rail without building the technology from scratch....
Top 10 Fintech Startups in Brazil (2026): Ranked by Users and Profitability
A new ranking of Brazil’s top ten fintech startups for 2026 highlights firms that excel in user base and profitability. The list spotlights innovators such as Stripe‑backed Tempo, which launched an AI‑driven payments protocol, and Valores a Receber, a platform...
Stripe Launches Tempo Blockchain to Power AI-Driven Payments
Stripe has launched Tempo, a new blockchain platform designed to power autonomous AI‑driven payments. Built with digital‑asset firm Paradigm, Tempo’s mainnet already supports over 100 integrated services and aims to handle high‑volume cross‑border payouts, remittances, and tokenized deposits using stablecoins....
Pismo and Visa Launch AI-Native Payments Solution With Vivi Money in Australia
Global cloud banking platform Pismo and payments giant Visa have partnered with Australian fintech Vivi Money to launch an AI‑native payments solution in Australia. Built from the ground up with artificial intelligence, the platform delivers adaptive, real‑time services such as...
Sygnum Protect Tops $1B in Assets, Unlocking Crypto Volatility for TradFi Institutions
Sygnum’s off‑exchange custody platform, Sygnum Protect, has crossed the $1 billion asset threshold, reflecting a 900% year‑on‑year surge driven by institutional appetite for secure crypto exposure. Launched with Binance and later expanded to Deribit and Bybit, the service links users to...
Ripple Focuses on Brazilian Markets with Expanded Payments Offering
Ripple is deepening its footprint in Brazil by launching a broader suite of enterprise blockchain solutions and seeking a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) licence from the Central Bank. The move adds major banks and fintechs such as Banco Genial,...
Propiteer Capital PLC – Financial Conduct Authority | FCA
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a public notice concerning Propiteer Capital PLC, highlighting the firm’s regulatory status and recent compliance actions. The posting, shared via Crowdfund Insider on March 20, 2026, links directly to the FCA’s official website for...
Credit Unions Join Forces with Metamo to Launch Strategic IT Platform CU-Tech
Metamo has launched CU-Tech, a centralized, scalable IT platform aimed at fast‑tracking digital transformation across Ireland’s credit union sector. The initiative is built on insights from the ‘Winning Ways Research Programme’, which surveyed over 14,000 members and highlighted a strong...
Visa, PayPal Execs React to K-Shaped Economy
Visa’s product chief says processed‑transaction volume remains stable and resilient, downplaying a K‑shaped split. PayPal’s CFO notes a 1% deceleration in branded checkout growth, attributing it to divergent spending among middle‑ and lower‑income consumers. Shift4’s CFO points to lodging and...
Stablecoin Use Surges
Stablecoin transaction volume more than doubled in the past year, climbing from $668 billion in February 2025 to $1.78 trillion last month, according to Macquarie Group. The market capitalization of the 13 largest stablecoins rose to $311.81 billion, up from $196.61 billion a year earlier....
Remitian Raises $7 Million, Unveils Tax Payment API
Remitian announced a $7 million seed round and the launch of its Tax Payment API, aimed at streamlining the final mile of tax remittance for accounting firms and fintech partners. The API embeds payment initiation, validation, and real‑time tracking directly into...
Zimperium Report: Banking Malware Targets 1,200+ Apps
Zimperium’s 2026 Banking Heist Report reveals that 34 active malware families are targeting 1,243 mobile banking apps across 90 countries. Android‑based financial fraud surged 67% year‑over‑year in 2025, with sophisticated campaigns that can fully control devices and bypass traditional defenses....
The 19th Century Banking Problem that AI Hasn’t Solved Yet
Salesforce researchers argue that while technical protocols for AI‑to‑AI communication are emerging, the trust architecture that enabled 19th‑century bank clearing houses is still missing for autonomous agents. They highlight four pillars—registered identity, reputation infrastructure, boundary‑based governance, and structured accountability with...
Over $1.1bn Raised Across Funding Raises in Red-Letter Week for FinTech
FinTech saw a record week in 2026, raising over $1.1 billion across 23 deals. Consumer‑first privacy firm Cloaked led the pack with a $375 million Series B and growth financing round. CyberTech dominated the deal count with nine transactions, while the United States...
What Banking Customers Want—And Don’t Want—From Chatbots
Banks increasingly rely on mobile apps as the main customer interface, but chatbot satisfaction remains low. Research from Javelin Strategy shows bots often serve as complex call‑routing tools that frustrate users, especially younger consumers who expect swift human assistance. Institutions...
Starling Bank Rolls Out “UK’s First Agentic AI Financial Assistant”
Starling Bank announced the launch of the UK’s first agentic AI financial assistant, dubbed Starling Assistant, to automate everyday banking tasks. The voice‑enabled tool can set up savings goals, allocate funds across dedicated spaces, and schedule bill payments through natural...
Why Real-Time Intelligence Sharing Is Now a Legal Must
Regulators across Europe are turning real‑time financial‑crime intelligence sharing from a voluntary practice into a legal requirement, with the Payment Services Regulation (PSR) Article 83 and AMLR Article 75 mandating connections to domestic and international networks from 2027. Salv Bridge, a four‑year‑old...
Spotware Rolls Out cTrader Mobile 5.8
Fintech firm Spotware Systems launched cTrader Mobile 5.8 for iOS, delivering a suite of usability upgrades. The update revamps in‑app notifications with actionable taps, adds an audible order‑filled alert, and redesigns chart‑control bottom sheets for faster tool access. An enhanced crosshair...
Exclusive: Fintech Startup Fintake Launches Cloud-Native Trading Platform Helio
Cyprus‑based fintech startup Fintake has launched Helio, a cloud‑native, multi‑asset trading platform aimed at margin and CFD brokers. After 18 months of development, Helio is now live with early partners, offering active‑active multi‑region architecture, zero‑downtime deployments, and AI‑ready infrastructure. The...
AI Agent Oversight Gap Prompts Aveni to Form Industry Council
Aveni has launched the Agent Assurance Expert Council (AAEC) to tackle governance challenges posed by autonomous AI agents in financial services. The council, convened first in Edinburgh, brings senior risk, compliance and advisory leaders together to craft practical oversight frameworks....
Sunstate Bank Adds Investing to Online Banking with InvestiFi
Sunstate Bank announced a partnership with InvestiFi to embed stock, ETF and digital‑asset investing directly into its online banking platform. The integration lets account holders trade and allocate funds from their checking accounts while accessing InvestiFi’s Guided Investing robo‑advisor and...
Finfluencers Drive Inclusion but Expose Consumers to Risks
At the FSCA Conference 2026 regulators warned that South Africa’s booming finfluencer market is a double‑edged sword. While creators are making finance more accessible and boosting financial literacy, many operate without licences and provide weak or hidden disclosures. The FSCA...
Regional Central Banks Sign Landmark MoU to Implement PSP License Passporting Framework
The Central Bank of Kenya and the National Bank of Rwanda have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a licence‑passporting framework for payment‑service providers operating across both countries. The arrangement will allow mutual recognition of PSP licences, eliminating duplicate...
Matrixport Rebrands as BIT in Strategic Repositioning
Matrixport has rebranded as BIT, signaling its evolution in digital‑asset financial infrastructure. The firm released a BIT 2026 Trust Whitepaper that details its governance, risk‑management and operational frameworks amid growing institutional demand. BIT, a Singapore‑headquartered unicorn valued over $1 billion, manages...
Is the Future Digital Identity Your Heartbeat?
The article envisions a near‑term shift to heartbeat‑based digital identity for financial transactions, replacing cumbersome fingerprint, facial scans and OTPs with a ring‑mounted sensor. It argues that a unique cardiac signature can authenticate trades on platforms like Coinbase or IG...
Payaza CEO: Infrastructure Directness Is the Ultimate Moat
Payaza has become the only Visa‑certified payment processor headquartered in Sub‑Saharan Africa, choosing to bypass traditional aggregators and secure direct access to card schemes. This infrastructure‑first strategy cuts intermediary fees, improves margins and enables reinvestment in product development. The firm...
Quick Fire 🔥 with Ibukun Adedeji
Ibukun Adedeji, a product leader at Moniepoint, shares insights from his fintech career across Africa. He emphasizes that reliability, not just features, builds user trust and that operations knowledge is essential for product success. Adedeji highlights the rapid user‑driven adaptations...
Why Global AI and SaaS Startups Are Rethinking Cross-Border Payments
Global AI and SaaS startups are feeling the strain of outdated cross‑border payment rails, especially when moving funds from the US to India. Traditional bank wires can take three to five days and often deliver FX rates that differ from...
Perseus Android Malware Targets Mobile Banking Users via Fake IPTV Apps
Researchers at ThreatFabric have uncovered a new Perseus Android malware variant that masquerades as IPTV streaming apps to infiltrate smartphones. The strain builds on Cerberus and Phoenix code, leveraging Accessibility Services to stealthily control devices, scan note‑taking apps, and overlay...
AvidXchange Expands AppFolio Partnership with Embedded AP Automation Solution for Property Management
AvidXchange has launched an embedded accounts‑payable‑as‑a‑service (APaaS) solution for the AppFolio Property Manager platform, now listed in the AppFolio Stack Marketplace. The integration lets property‑management teams initiate and approve supplier payments directly within AppFolio, eliminating the need for separate finance...
Express Wages Brings Earned Wage Access to Good Hands Home Care
Express Wages has teamed up with Good Hands Home Care to offer caregivers and staff on‑demand access to earned wages, allowing advances of up to $200 per day. The service uses a no‑fee Visa prepaid card, ACH, or instant debit...
Wise Appoints Former ICE CFO Scott Hill to Board of Directors as Cross-Border Ambitions Grow
Wise has appointed former Intercontinental Exchange CFO Scott Hill as an independent non‑executive director. Hill brings 14 years as ICE CFO and prior leadership roles at IBM, CS Disco, and Cardlytics. Wise aims to leverage his public‑company and U.S. market...
EtherFi to Tap Plume's Nest Vaults for Real-World Asset Yield
EtherFi, a crypto neobank with roughly $6 billion TVL, is integrating Plume Network’s Nest Vault infrastructure to offer tokenized real‑world asset yield via the nBASIS vault powered by Superstate’s USCC fund. The partnership will initially re‑allocate capital to the vault, followed...
As Credit Card Balances Hit Record Highs, Is a Rate Cap the Answer?
A record 111 million U.S. consumers carried credit‑card balances at year‑end, pushing total debt past $1 trillion. The average annual percentage rate slipped to 22.3% in Q4 2025, down from 22.8% a year earlier. Policy advocates propose a 10% interest‑rate cap, arguing it...
Why Treasurers Must Prepare for the BNPL “Regulatory Cliff-Edge”
The FCA will bring the £13 billion UK BNPL market under full regulatory oversight starting 15 July 2026, requiring lenders to conduct mandatory affordability assessments and provide standardized pre‑contract disclosures. A Temporary Permissions Regime opens from 15 May to 1 July 2026, after which firms must...
How Gradient Labs Is Thinking About the Shift to Agentic Banking
At FinovateEurope 2026, Gradient Labs CEO Dimitri Masin outlined the industry’s move from mobile‑first interfaces to "agentic banking," where AI agents execute complex, judgment‑heavy tasks. He argued that traditional fintech apps still rely on large human back‑offices, creating friction for...
Robinhood Launches Social Platform For Trading, Markets Discussion
Robinhood has begun beta‑testing Robinhood Social, a social‑media platform for traders that lets users post trades in stocks, single‑leg options, crypto and prediction markets. The initial rollout reaches 1,000 carefully selected customers, with a plan to add 10,000 more in...
Now Available: 2026 Directory of U.S. Merchant Acquirers
TSG has launched its 2026 Directory of U.S. Merchant Acquirers, a subscription‑only research tool sponsored by Deluxe Merchant Services. The guide profiles more than 300 merchant acquirers, representing over $13.5 trillion in processing volume, 550+ sponsor‑bank ties, and 55+ proprietary processing...
Amex Soups up Cards for Concur
American Express announced integration of its virtual‑card solution into SAP’s Concur expense management platform. The new capability lets corporate users generate single‑use card numbers, set spending limits and automatically reconcile transactions, initially rolling out to select U.S. customers with a...
27th Connected Banking Summit – North Africa, Egypt 2026 Powering Inclusive Digital Banking and Technology-Enabled Financial Infrastructure in North Africa
The 27th Connected Banking Summit convenes in Egypt in 2026, targeting inclusive digital banking and technology‑enabled financial infrastructure across North Africa. The agenda spotlights AI‑native payment solutions, exemplified by Pismo and Visa’s partnership with Vivi Money in Australia, and the...
Affirm Outlines Options if Economic Stress Rises
Affirm's CFO Rob O’Hare said the buy‑now, pay‑later lender could tighten its underwriting if U.S. economic stress intensifies, including dropping low‑margin loans, requiring down payments, and asking for more financial information. He emphasized these measures are hypothetical and that the...
Cleavr Raises €1M to Develop an AI Solution for Accounts Receivable
Cleavr announced a €1 million funding round led by Kima Ventures and other investors to accelerate its AI‑driven accounts‑receivable platform. The solution automates reminders, reconciliation, dispute handling and multi‑channel communication, aiming to cut late‑payment losses for finance teams. Already deployed with...