Figure Partners Moomoo and Keplr to Expand Access to On-Chain Public Equity Network
Figure’s On‑Chain Public Equity Network (OPEN) has added two new partners: moomoo, the first retail brokerage to trade OPEN‑registered equities, and Keplr, the first self‑custodied wallet to hold them. The integrations let investors buy U.S. public stocks on a blockchain, settle in real time and access DeFi borrowing and lending. Figure also announced it will issue its own stock on OPEN within weeks, marking the first native equity on the platform. These moves aim to modernize equity market infrastructure and broaden investor participation.
Senate Bill Would Require Online Platforms to Prevent Fraudulent Ads
Senators Ruben Gallego and Bernie Moreno introduced the Safeguarding Consumers from Advertising Misconduct Act (SCAM Act) on Feb. 4, requiring online platforms to take reasonable steps to block fraudulent and deceptive ads. The bill expands the Federal Trade Commission’s and...
AT&T Turns to Autonomous AI Agents to Slash Fraud and Customer Wait Times
AT&T is rolling out autonomous AI agents to combat spam and fraud calls while streamlining internal processes. The network‑integrated digital receptionist, ActiveArmor, engages unknown callers in real time, disconnecting suspicious interactions or taking messages. Internally, the company’s partnership with Microsoft...
Losses Top $17 Billion at Crypto Treasury Companies
Digital asset treasuries (DATs) that surged in 2025 have collectively posted $17 billion in unrealized losses as of February 2026. The 20 largest DATs are down $17 billion, driven largely by Bitmine Immersion’s $7.5 billion ETH loss and Michael Saylor’s $2.2 billion BTC decline....
U.S. Regulator Declares Do-Over on Prediction Markets, Throwing Out Biden Era 'Frolic'
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, led by newly confirmed Chairman Mike Selig, has formally withdrawn the 2024 proposal that would have banned political event‑contracts and rescinded a September advisory that confused market participants. The move restores regulatory certainty for...
The Great Migration: How Bitcoin’s Halving Cycle Is Rewriting the Safe-Haven Playbook
The article argues that Bitcoin’s halving cycle is reshaping the safe‑haven playbook, with institutions increasingly treating the cryptocurrency as a digital counterpart to gold. It highlights Bitcoin’s 24/7 trading, rapid settlement, and transparent scarcity as advantages over physical gold. The...
France : AMF Releases Insights on Enhancing Clarity in Structured Products for Retail Investors
France’s Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) released a working‑group report aimed at making structured products more transparent for retail investors. The guidance focuses on improving brochure language, using precise terminology, and adding performance simulations and clear fee disclosures. It also...
Payments Protocol by Coinbase, Shopify Processes Just $1.2M USDC Since June: Growthepie
Shopify, Coinbase and Stripe launched an open‑source Commerce Payments Protocol that lets merchants accept USDC on Base. Since the June 2025 rollout, growthepie reports only $1.2 million in USDC transactions across roughly 5,700 merchants and 3,200 customers. The bulk of that...
US Won't 'Bail Out' Bitcoin, Says Treasury Secretary Bessent
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Congress the government will not bail out Bitcoin or direct banks to buy it, confirming he lacks authority. He noted the seized Bitcoin reserve grew from $500 million to over $15 billion. The strategic reserve, created...
What Can Businesses Do to Cover Payroll During a Financial Slowdown?
Businesses facing a slowdown must keep payroll flowing to protect morale and productivity. The article advises firms to tighten cash‑flow forecasts, cut non‑essential spend, and accelerate collections before turning to short‑term financing. It stresses using credit lines or invoice factoring...
Equifax Says AI Tools Help Drive New Product Innovation to Record High
Equifax reported that AI tools and its cloud platform powered a record‑high Vitality Index in 2025, with 90% of employees using AI and 1,900 developers leveraging AI coding assistants. The firm added 40 AI patents, bringing its total to over...
Bessent Offers Deregulatory Vision, but Few Specifics
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a campaign to deregulate the smallest banks but offered no concrete policy details. He blamed Biden‑era rules and "regulation by reflex" for the Silicon Valley Bank fallout, while urging the Financial Stability Oversight Council to...
Wall Street Giant CME Group Is Eyeing Its Own 'CME Coin,' CEO Says
CME Group’s CEO Terry Duffy confirmed the firm is evaluating a proprietary cryptocurrency, potentially deployed on a decentralized network. The move follows CME’s ongoing tokenized‑cash project with Google, slated for launch later this year, and aligns with its broader push...
Bitnomial Launches First US-Regulated Tezos Futures, Allowing Retail Exposure to XTZ
Chicago‑based Bitnomial has introduced the first CFTC‑regulated futures contracts for Tezos (XTZ), allowing both institutional and retail traders to gain price exposure using crypto or U.S. dollar margin. The launch marks the inaugural futures market for XTZ in the United...
Top 10 Best Crypto Marketing Agencies for Web3 Growth – MEXC 2026 Rankings
MEXC’s 2026 ranking spotlights the ten leading crypto marketing agencies, placing Bond Finance at the top followed by Coinbound, NinjaPromo, ICODA and others. The agencies were evaluated on ROI, Web3 expertise, regulatory compliance, community building, client portfolio, innovation, market presence...
Japan Retreats From Chinese Payment Apps Amid Money Laundering Concerns
Japanese retailers are pulling WeChat Pay and Alipay from their checkout systems amid rising political tension with China and intensified anti‑money‑laundering (AML) enforcement. The move reflects concerns that Chinese criminal groups are exploiting these platforms to launder funds by buying...
Why Every Early-Stage Startup Needs a Spend Culture, Not Just a Spend Limit
Early‑stage founders often focus on spend limits, but hidden, recurring costs—like SaaS subscriptions and over‑provisioned cloud resources—quickly erode runway. The article argues that cultivating a spend culture, where every dollar is tied to product velocity, is more effective than imposing...
After Having Over 100,000 Downloads In Record Time Remittix Rewards Users With Massive 300% Bonus
Remittix PayFi has surpassed 100,000 wallet downloads in a short span, prompting the launch of a 300% token bonus for early adopters. The protocol, built on Ethereum, offers crypto‑to‑fiat conversions across more than 30 jurisdictions and is set for a...
Cardano Price Drops, Solana News Today & Remittix 300% Bonus Goes Live For Early Investors
The crypto market remains volatile as Cardano slipped below $0.27 and Solana’s volume fell 47%, underscoring pressure on altcoins. Amid the turbulence, utility‑focused Remittix (RTX) is attracting attention with a limited‑time 300% bonus for early investors. Over 93% of its...
Fireblocks to Integrate Stacks for Institutional-Grade Bitcoin DeFi
Fireblocks announced it will integrate the Stacks layer‑2 protocol to give institutional clients access to Bitcoin‑based DeFi lending and yield products. Stacks processes transactions in roughly five seconds, sidestepping Bitcoin’s ten‑minute block time while still anchoring finality on the Bitcoin...
Europe’s Role in the Next Wave of Tokenisation
The tokenisation of real‑world assets surged 260% in H1 2025, reaching $23 billion on‑chain, cementing its role as a cornerstone of institutional blockchain adoption. Major banks such as BlackRock, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs are actively exploring tokenised products, yet growth is hampered...
What Dubai’s Ban on Monero and Zcash Signals for Regulated Crypto
Dubai's DFSA prohibited licensed firms in the DIFC from trading, marketing or packaging privacy‑focused tokens such as Monero and Zcash, though private ownership remains allowed. The rule reflects growing global AML pressure, aligning Dubai with upcoming EU restrictions and US...
Embedded Payments Give SaaS a Lifeline as AI Reshapes Workflows
AI-driven agentic systems are unsettling traditional SaaS subscription models, prompting a sharp sell‑off that saw software indexes tumble over 14% and marquee names like Thomson Reuters and Salesforce plunge double‑digit percentages. Investors fear that conversational AI could bypass entire application...
EnFi Secures $15m Series A to Scale AI Credit Workforce
EnFi, an AI-native platform that supplies virtual agents for commercial lending, announced a $15 million Series A round, bringing its total capital to $22.5 million. The round was led by FINTOP with participation from Patriot Financial Partners, Commerce Ventures, Unusual Ventures and Boston...
Kingscrowd Offers Fund of More Mature, Profitable Private Firms
Kingscrowd has launched the Capital Profitability Fund, a $5 million vehicle aimed at mature private companies that are already profitable. The fund will invest in 25‑30 firms with revenues above $1 million and revenue multiples under 7.5×, targeting exits within three to...
Wero Payment Service Expands Pan-EU Availability Through Banking Circle
Wero, the European mobile payment solution developed by the European Payments Initiative, is now accessible through Banking Circle, extending its pan‑EU footprint. The integration enables businesses and fintechs to tap Wero’s real‑time, account‑to‑account transfers via Banking Circle’s APIs, complementing existing...
The Evolution of POS: From Terminals to Touchpoints
The point‑of‑sale has shifted from a simple card‑reading box to a cloud‑connected, software‑defined hub that drives payments, loyalty, inventory and analytics in real time. SoftPOS enables any NFC‑enabled smartphone to act as a full‑service terminal, expanding acceptance to micro‑merchants and...
Switzerland’s SIX Stock Exchange Reports Steady YoY Trading Volume
Switzerland’s SIX Group posted CHF 149.1 billion combined turnover for its Swiss and Spanish exchanges in January 2026, a 13.2% rise from December 2025 and 16.5% versus January 2025. Trading on the SIX Swiss Exchange grew 23.1% month‑over‑month, driven by an 86.6% jump in structured‑product...
The Global Wallet War: Who Will Own the Customer?
Digital wallets have evolved from simple payment tools into comprehensive consumer interfaces that combine payments, identity, loyalty, and credit. Big Tech, banks, and fintechs are racing to own this hub, each leveraging distinct strengths—device ecosystems, trust, and agility. Ownership of...
Indian Investors Are Buying the Bitcoin Price Dip, CoinDCX Says
Indian investors are shifting from speculative trading to disciplined Bitcoin buying, using systematic investment plans and strategic market orders. CoinDCX reports rising volumes, with trading up 15% from December to January, as investors diversify into Ether, Solana and XRP. The...
Mastercard Offers Agentic AI Tools
Mastercard announced it will roll out a new suite of agentic AI tools for business customers in the second quarter of 2026. The platform lets firms build, test and deploy AI‑powered agents to enhance security, payments processing and customer‑experience functions....
Spanish Lender BBVA Joins EU Banks' Stablecoin Venture to Challenge Digital Dollars
BBVA, Spain's second‑largest bank with $800 billion in assets, has become the 12th member of the Amsterdam‑based Qivalis consortium, which aims to launch a euro‑pegged stablecoin. The initiative seeks to provide a regulated, bank‑backed alternative to crypto‑native stablecoins that are dominated...
Case Study: Citi
Citi is using its Austin hub as a testing ground for a tech‑first banking model, shifting from experimental AI pilots to enterprise‑scale execution in early 2026. The bank deployed agentic AI for real‑time fraud mitigation, migrated its North American loan...
Mastercard Debuts Fleet Management Tools in Asia Pacific
Mastercard introduced a new portfolio called Mastercard Fleet: Next Gen across the Asia‑Pacific region, bundling payments, data capture and control tools for fuel, electric‑vehicle charging, maintenance, tolls and other fleet expenses. The solution offers globally accepted digital fleet cards, point‑of‑sale data...
Bitcoin-Native USDT Protocol Joins CTDG Dev Hub
Utexo, a Bitcoin-native USDT protocol, has been added to the Cointelegraph Decentralization Guardians (CTDG) Dev Hub. The project combines the Lightning Network’s fast, low‑fee payment channels with the RGB protocol’s client‑side asset model to issue and transfer USDT directly on...
Euro Stablecoin Boom Will Be Driven by RWA Tokenization, Not Payments: S& P Global
S&P Global Ratings forecasts that euro‑pegged stablecoins will expand dramatically, growing between 800‑ and 1,600‑fold by 2030 to a market size of €25 billion‑€1.1 trillion. The surge will be powered chiefly by tokenized real‑world‑asset (RWA) investments rather than everyday payments. Currently, the...
Ripple’s Prime Brokerage Platform Adds Support for Decentralized Exchange Hyperliquid
Ripple announced that its institutional prime brokerage platform, Ripple Prime, now integrates the decentralized derivatives exchange Hyperliquid. The link gives clients on‑chain perpetual liquidity while keeping margin and risk controls inside Ripple Prime, enabling cross‑margining of DeFi derivatives with traditional...
Why Strong Foundations Are an Imperative Part of Jethur Story
Jethur was created to address the chronic fragmentation of governance, risk, compliance, cybersecurity, and audit tools by offering a single, unified operating platform called RootX. The API‑first, microservice‑based architecture supports both cloud and on‑premises deployments, enabling regulated enterprises to maintain...
BOXX Unveils Complete Cyber and Tech E&O Coverage
BOXX Insurance launched Tech E&O by BOXX, a comprehensive errors‑and‑omissions policy tailored for technology firms ranging from startups to enterprises. The product combines traditional E&O with integrated cyber coverage, 24/7 incident response, and a risk‑management platform. It introduces novel protections...
Top 10 Investment Management Software Providers
The investment‑management software market is projected to grow from $8.5 billion in 2025 to $25.95 billion by 2035, reflecting an 11.8% CAGR. Regulatory pressure, rapid market swings, and client demand for transparent reporting have turned these platforms into core infrastructure. The article...
Oracle Releases New Agentic Platform for the Banking and Finance Space
Oracle Financial Services unveiled an enterprise‑class, AI‑infused platform designed for banks and finance firms. The suite bundles pre‑built AI agents, design tools, and decisioning frameworks that deliver conversational, hyper‑personalized experiences across digital and branch channels. Oracle emphasizes a "human‑in‑the‑loop" model...
The Payment Facilitator Model as a Growth Strategy for ISVs
The episode explores how the payment facilitator (PayFac) model is becoming a key growth engine for independent software vendors (ISVs) amid the rise of SaaS, AI, and embedded finance. It highlights the superior merchant experience PayFacs deliver—simplified onboarding, ongoing risk...
Essential Practices for Keeping Business Technology Fully Secure
Businesses face escalating cyber threats, making comprehensive technology security essential. The article outlines a layered strategy that starts with regular risk assessments to pinpoint vulnerabilities and allocate defenses. It emphasizes strong password policies, multi‑factor authentication, and automated software patching as...
Q2 Holdings Releases 2026 Retail Banking Trends Report
Q2 Holdings released its 2026 Retail Banking Trends and Priorities report, revealing a decisive shift from external disruption to internal execution, data, and modernization. The study shows advanced technology adoption rising to 49% of banks’ priorities, while fewer than 10%...
ClearBank and Volt Partner to Bring Open Banking Closer to ‘Card Parity’
ClearBank has teamed up with real‑time payments platform Volt to launch GBP and EUR merchant accounts powered by ClearBank’s cloud‑native infrastructure. The new accounts provide virtual IBANs, named accounts and full lifecycle features such as automated reconciliation, fund attribution and...
MomentProof Deploys Patented Digital Asset Protection
MomentProof, Inc. has deployed its patented MomentProof Enterprise platform for AXA, enabling cryptographically sealed, AI‑resilient digital assets in the insurer's claims process. The technology certifies images, video, audio and metadata at capture, providing deterministic authenticity verification. AXA reports eliminated probabilistic...
Banks Are Not Prepared for the Industrialization of Crypto Theft
Drainer‑as‑a‑Service (DaaS) platforms are industrializing crypto theft, letting low‑skill actors launch high‑value heists at scale. Traditional bank compliance, reliant on static blacklists, cannot keep pace with the real‑time, multi‑domain attacks these services enable. The author urges banks to shift from...
Noah Taps Sumsub for Reusable KYC
Financial infrastructure firm Noah has teamed up with identity‑verification specialist Sumsub to embed a reusable KYC framework across its platform. The integration enables users verified by any of Sumsub’s 4,000+ partner institutions to onboard on Noah‑powered wallets, exchanges and payment...
U.S. Crypto Media Attention Now Mirrors Venture Capital, Leaving Most Visibility to a Small Tier
Outset PR’s Q4 2025 analysis shows U.S. crypto‑media traffic collapsed while a tiny elite captured almost all attention. Visits fell from roughly 148 million to 106 million, yet the 53 tier‑1 publishers (over 400 k monthly visits) generated more than 95 % of the remaining...
Kreios and BVI Bring AI-Driven Compliance to German Funds
Kreios and the German fund association BVI have formed a strategic cooperation to embed regulatory expertise into operational compliance using AI and rules‑based automation. Kreios will supply its REGMATIX platform, which automates document checks and applies digital validation rules, while...