Profile: The Danish Fintech Boss Who Says “No” A Lot
Flatpay’s CEO Sander Janca‑Jensen champions a disciplined "no" culture, refusing many opportunities to keep the Danish payment unicorn focused. The company hit unicorn status last year after a $170 million round that valued it at $1.7 billion, and now serves about 70,000 merchants across eight European markets. Flatpay adds 10‑15% new customers each month, employs 1,500 staff and is hiring roughly 200 people monthly to fuel its push toward €400 million ARR by 2026. New "light" banking services are slated to diversify revenue beyond its flat‑fee payment hardware and software.
Revolut Drops U.S. Bank Merger Plan to Seek Standalone License: FT
Fintech giant Revolut has scrapped its plan to acquire a U.S. bank, opting instead to seek a de novo banking license from the OCC. The move follows internal assessments that an acquisition would be slower, more complex, and would force the...
U.S. Bitcoin ETF Weekly Outflows Largest Since November May Signal BTC Price Bottom
U.S. bitcoin exchange‑traded funds recorded a net outflow of $1.22 billion over the four‑day week ending Thursday, the largest since November 2025. The withdrawals, driven by $479.7 million on Tuesday and $708.7 million on Wednesday, coincided with a 5 % slide in Bitcoin, which...
UK CFOs Facing ‘Automation Deficit’ as Fragmented Systems Stall Progress
Corpay’s new research of 150 UK CFOs uncovers an "automation deficit" – while 99% plan to automate finance by 2025, fragmented legacy systems stall progress. Integration challenges top the list, cited by 47% of respondents, followed by resistance to change...
Top Reasons Why Fintech Companies Struggle to Succeed in the Competitive Digital Landscape
Fintech firms face mounting obstacles that impede growth in an increasingly crowded digital arena. Tight regulatory regimes, persistent cash‑flow constraints for SME clients, and fierce competition for talent and technology stack integration are among the primary culprits. Recent moves—Qonto’s credit‑card...
Binance Applies for MiCA License in Greece as EU Deadlines Loom
Binance has filed a Markets in Crypto‑Assets Regulation (MiCA) licence application with Greece’s Hellenic Capital Market Commission as EU compliance deadlines approach. The exchange, the world’s largest crypto‑trading platform, seeks early authorisation to operate across the bloc before the June 30, 2025...
Eight in 10 Small Businesses Want Credit and on Their Terms
A PYMNTS Intelligence survey of 514 U.S. small‑to‑medium business leaders shows that 83% are confident they will be approved for a new business credit card, shifting the market focus from basic access to product flexibility. More than half of card...
Leadership Meets Innovation: PhilSocial Expands the Crypto for Good Movement Through Landmark Ethiopian Partnership with Former Ethiopian Prime Minister
PhilSocial, a blockchain‑powered social platform, announced a partnership with former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to launch its Give‑to‑Earn model in Ethiopia. The initiative rewards users for time and engagement, allowing them to fund community‑driven projects through a peer‑to‑peer crypto‑for‑good mechanism....
Why Revenue Leakage Became a Finance Problem in 2026
Revenue leakage now costs 3‑7% of earned revenue each year, driven by the rise of subscription, usage‑based and hybrid pricing models. The loss originates from mismatches in contracts, usage data, and billing logic, not from weak demand. Finance teams are...
How to Read Crypto Markets With Data, Not Narratives
Crypto markets are fragmented, with prices differing across exchanges, chains, and liquidity pools. Traders must look beyond a single price tag and assess where the deepest order books and most stable flow reside. Liquidity depth, spread, order‑flow dynamics, and leverage...
Qatar Cryptocurrency Guide for Beginners: From Wallets to Payments
The guide offers Qatar’s newcomers a practical roadmap to cryptocurrency, covering fundamentals such as blockchain, wallet selection, and transaction basics. It outlines how hot and cold wallets differ in security and usability, and explains how to acquire digital assets through...
The Future of Cardano Web3: How Lace Wallet Empowers Crypto Ownership
Lace Wallet, a non‑custodial browser‑based solution built by Input Output Global, is positioned as the flagship wallet for Cardano’s expanding Web3 ecosystem. It enables users to manage ADA, native tokens, NFTs, and DeFi interactions without relying on centralized intermediaries. The...
How UK Accounting Firms Can Prepare for Busy Season With Automated Workflows
UK accounting firms are turning to workflow automation to tame the chaos of busy season. By automating client intake, document collection, and deadline alerts, firms reduce repetitive admin tasks and gain real‑time visibility into work progress. Smaller practices can adopt...
AI Tools for Business Made Simple for Solopreneurs and Small Teams
Halper is an AI‑powered communication and scheduling platform designed for solopreneurs and small teams. It operates inside Instagram Direct and WhatsApp, automatically reading voice messages, answering queries, and booking appointments without any setup. The tool consolidates multi‑channel conversations into a...
ADIB Names Winners of UAE Cybersecurity Innovation Challenge to Drive Digital Resilience
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) announced the three winners of its UAE Cybersecurity Innovation Challenge—Corgea, Nothreat and DTEX Systems—selected from more than 50 global applicants. The competition, run with the UAE Cyber Security Council and DIFC Innovation Hub, featured 10...
Bitcoin and Yen Hold Steady as Japan's Inflation Eases and BOJ Keeps Interest Rates Unchanged
Japan’s December consumer price index slowed to 2.1% YoY, the first dip in four months, while core‑core inflation stayed near 2.9%. The Bank of Japan kept its benchmark rate at 0.75% and raised its 2025‑26 growth and inflation forecasts. Bitcoin...
Razorpay Secures RBI PA-P Licence, Expanding Fully Regulated In-Store Payments Across India
Razorpay has been granted the Reserve Bank of India’s Payment Aggregator‑Physical (PA‑P) licence, allowing its point‑of‑sale solution to function as a fully regulated aggregator for in‑store transactions. The approval comes as physical retail remains the dominant purchase channel in India,...
Coinbase Lets Users Borrow up to $1 Million Against Staked Ether without Selling
Coinbase has introduced a borrowing product that lets eligible U.S. users take out up to $1 million in USDC by pledging cbETH, its tokenized staked ether, as collateral. The loan is over‑collateralized, with a required loan‑to‑value ratio below 86 % and variable...
Is Your Attitude to Money Shaped by Your Genes or Your Learning?
The article revisits the classic nature‑versus‑nurture debate, highlighting landmark twin studies such as the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart and the controversial Louise Wise Services experiment, which underscore strong genetic contributions to behavior and IQ. It contrasts these findings with...
Finextra & ACI Worldwide Release New Survey Report on the Global State of Fraud and Financial Crime
Finextra and ACI Worldwide released the "AI in Action" global survey, analyzing responses from 154 industry leaders on AI‑driven fraud prevention. Over half of organisations (51%) already run AI solutions, with another 47% planning deployments within two years. The study...
Banking’s Empty Raincoat
The article revisits Charles Handy’s "empty raincoat" metaphor to critique the current wave of AI adoption in banking. While banks have digitised operations, the addition of intelligence often creates hollow processes staffed by people whose roles lack purpose. The author...
The Case for Evoxum: Why Utility Tokens Are Back in Focus for 2026
Crypto markets cycle between hype and fundamentals, bringing utility tokens back into focus as investors seek lasting value. Utility tokens gain relevance when platform activity drives token demand, a pattern that reemerges in mature market phases. Evoxum’s ecosystem centers on...
Why the Future of Crypto Is Boring—And Why That’s a Good Thing
The crypto market has entered a quiet phase, with price stagnation and fewer headlines. Behind the calm, institutions are integrating blockchain, stablecoins are gaining traction, and regulators are clarifying rules. Builders focus on durable infrastructure rather than hype, shifting the...
London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) Partners with AWS, Launches Digital Settlement House
London Stock Exchange Group unveiled its Digital Settlement House (DiSH), a 24/7 platform that merges blockchain‑based and traditional payment rails for real‑time cash and asset settlement. In parallel, LSEG partnered with Amazon Web Services to migrate its market‑data feed to...
Affirm and Esusu to Launch Flexible Payment Option for Renters
Affirm and fintech platform Esusu are piloting a rent‑payment option that splits monthly rent into two interest‑free installments with no late fees. The service will be available to Esusu members, adding to the recently launched Esusu Pay tool. Esusu’s platform...
Payments Canada Announces Integration of ISO 20022 Messaging Standard Into High-Value Payment Platform
Payments Canada has completed the integration of the ISO 20022 messaging standard into its Lynx high‑value payment platform, finalizing the transition on November 22, 2025. By October 2025, 98% of domestic payment messages had already migrated, demonstrating rapid industry adoption. The new data‑rich MX...
Flutterwave to Offer Stablecoin Wallets to Merchants in Africa
Flutterwave announced a partnership with blockchain infrastructure firm Turnkey and AI‑powered banking platform Nuvion to embed stable‑coin wallets into its merchant offering across Africa. The solution will initially allow a select group of merchants to receive and send USDC, USDT,...
Oportun CEO Vazquez to Step Down After Investor Pressure
Oportun Financial announced that long‑time CEO Raul Vazquez will step down by April 3, remaining as an advisor through July 3. The departure follows a two‑year campaign by activist investor Findell Capital, which accused Vazquez of costly acquisitions and a bloated cost...
Coinbase VP Says ‘Fatal Flaws’ in Senate Crypto Bill Forced Sudden Withdrawal of Support
Coinbase’s VP of U.S. Policy Kara Calvert announced that the exchange withdrew its backing for the Senate’s market‑structure crypto bill just hours before a scheduled markup. The decision stemmed from “fatal flaws” in the draft, chiefly a provision that would...
Nasdaq Moves to Remove Position Limits on Bitcoin, Ether ETF Options
Nasdaq filed a rule change that removes the 25,000‑contract limit on options tied to spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs, aligning them with other commodity‑based funds. The SEC waived the usual 30‑day waiting period, allowing the change to take effect immediately...
Huntington Eyes a Texas-Sized Growth Spurt in 2026
Huntington Bank closed its $12.7 billion Veritex deal and is finalizing the $53.5 billion Cadence acquisition, expanding its Texas footprint to 118 branches. The Texas moves are expected to lift 2026 loan growth to 11‑12% and deposit growth to 8‑9%, adding $34 billion...
SEPA Instant Payments Set to Surpass Traditional Transfers by 2030
New Celent‑Plaid research projects SEPA Instant Credit Transfers will overtake traditional credit transfers by 2030, reaching roughly 18% of euro‑zone transactions by 2035. The EU’s 2027 Instant Payments Regulation forces banks, EMIs and payment institutions to support instant euro payments,...
FreeAgent and Fathom Partner to Help SMEs Better Manage Finances
UK accounting software provider FreeAgent has announced a partnership with Australian reporting platform Fathom, integrating real‑time profit‑and‑loss reporting, cash‑flow forecasting and KPI dashboards into its ecosystem. The automatic data sync enables small‑business owners and their accountants to generate interactive management...
Brazil’s Central Bank Orders Liquidation of Fintech Firm Despite Mubadala’s Acquisition Attempt
Brazil’s central bank ordered the extrajudicial liquidation of Will Bank, a fintech formerly tied to the collapsed Banco Master. The decision came after failed attempts to sell the lender, including a bid from Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund Mubadala. Regulators...
Juniper Square Report Highlights Major Fundraisers Amid Evolving Private Markets Ecosystem
Juniper Square released its 2025 Fundraisers market update, adding private credit to the analysis of top capital raisers for the first time. The report spotlights GPs across private equity, real estate, venture capital and private credit that leveraged the firm’s...
IXOPAY Launches ‘Token-First’ Packages to Tackle Payment Stack Fragmentation
IXOPAY introduced three TokenEx tokenization packages—Core, Connect and Alternative Payments—to make token‑first payments the default for enterprise merchants. The bundles aim to curb payment‑stack fragmentation, lower PCI‑DSS scope and eliminate processor‑owned token lock‑in. Core provides universal tokens, Connect adds 20+...
Bitwise Launches Actively Managed ETF Pairing Bitcoin with Gold
Bitwise Asset Management launched the Bitwise Proficio Currency Debasement ETF (BPRO) on the NYSE, offering an actively managed mix of Bitcoin, precious metals and mining equities. The fund mandates a minimum 25% allocation to gold and carries a 0.96% expense...
Understanding Prepaid Solar Leases as a Long-Term Energy Option
Prepaid solar leases let homeowners pay a single upfront fee to use a solar system for many years, offering cost predictability after federal tax credits decline. The model blends ownership benefits—lower electricity rates and provider‑handled maintenance—with lease‑like simplicity, avoiding monthly...
5 Phrases That Should Make You Run From Any Investment Offer
Scammers targeting forex and cryptocurrency investors rely on five common phrases to lure victims into fraudulent schemes. The article breaks down each red flag—guaranteed returns, invincible AI algorithms, forced urgency, extra withdrawal fees, and recruitment commissions—explaining why they signal Ponzi...
Bitcoin (BTC) Price Prediction: BTC to $150,000 in Q1 2026, But Pepeto Could Deliver 100x Returns First
Analysts project Bitcoin could reach $150,000 in the first quarter of 2026 as institutional ETFs pour billions into the market, lifting the cryptocurrency’s valuation to roughly $1.8 trillion. While the upside represents a 67 % gain from current levels, seasoned investors view...
Treasury Prime Adds I3 Bank and Coastal to Network
Treasury Prime, the AI‑native embedded finance platform, announced the addition of i3 Bank and Coastal to its Bank Network, now exceeding 20 financial institutions. The two new members will use Treasury Prime’s AI Marketplace to locate fintech partners that match their...
UAE Group Pensions: Designing Digital-First Savings
Insurers, employers, and technology providers in the UAE are transitioning from discussion to deployment of digital‑first group pension programmes as recent gratuity reforms shift end‑of‑service benefits toward funded pensions. Kidbrooke’s analysis shows that flexibility, modularity and user‑friendly design are now...
Trump-Linked World Liberty Financial Partners with Spacecoin on Satellite-Powered DeFi
World Liberty Financial, the Trump‑family‑linked crypto firm, announced a strategic partnership with Spacecoin that includes a token swap linking their ecosystems. Spacecoin has launched three low‑Earth‑orbit satellites to deliver permissionless internet to remote, underserved communities. The collaboration aims to enable...
Hawk Launches Analytics Studio to Streamline AI Model Governance
Hawk has introduced Analytics Studio, an AI lifecycle management platform aimed at banks and payment firms tackling anti‑money laundering and fraud. The solution bundles pre‑built financial‑crime model templates, copilot‑guided creation, performance dashboards and automated documentation to speed regulator‑ready deployments. It...
NASAA Wants to Stop Non Exchange Secondary Trading Under Reg A
The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) has publicly opposed the Restoring the Secondary Trading Market Act, which seeks to pre‑empt state regulation of off‑exchange secondary trades for Regulation A and Regulation CF securities. The bill, currently in markup, aims to improve...
FDIC Adds Banker to Regulatory Appeals Board in Final Rule
The FDIC issued a final rule revamping its supervisory appeals process, mandating that the three‑member panel include at least one former banker alongside a supervisory‑experience member. The rule also broadens banks' appellate rights, allowing challenges to supervisory determinations that underpin...
Inside the Explosion of Banking Charter Applications
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) saw a surge of charter applications in 2025, matching the volume of the previous four years combined. Driven by fintechs and non‑bank firms seeking de novo, national‑trust, and industrial‑loan‑company charters, six applicants...
Stablecoins Could Reach 20% of Bank Deposits in Some Emerging Markets: S& P Global
S&P Global Ratings projects that foreign‑currency stablecoins could surge to $730 billion across 45 emerging‑market economies, up from roughly $70 billion today. In its most aggressive scenario, stablecoins would account for 10‑20% of bank deposits in the 15 countries where inflation erodes...
Bitcoin Hits Federal Reserve’s 2026 Stress Tests, Creating a Massive Capital Risk for Banks
The Federal Reserve’s 2026 supervisory stress‑test proposal still omits Bitcoin, but rising bank exposure through custody, ETFs, and derivatives could make the cryptocurrency a material risk factor. Pierre Rochard’s call to add Bitcoin highlights four criteria—materiality, repeatability, balance‑sheet mapping, and...
Pave Finance Integrates with Fidelity to Automate RIA Workflows
Pave Finance announced a direct integration with Fidelity, enabling registered investment advisors to link client accounts to Pave’s platform without moving assets. The connection automates portfolio construction, ongoing management and trade execution, leveraging Pave’s ten‑year‑tested Asset Intelligence Layer. Advisors can...