UK Insurtech Startups Continue to Secure Funding Despite Broader Slowdown in VC Activity : Analysis
A new CB Insights report identifies the 25 most active investors in UK insurtech, who together completed 97 equity deals between 2021 and 2025. Despite a broader slowdown in venture capital, 11% of UK insurtech equity deals involved companies ranked in the global top‑1% by Mosaic Score, double the rate for the overall startup ecosystem. Companies backed by these elite investors are 15 percentage points more likely to reach scaling or established status, with median headcount growth of 18% among scaling firms. The report warns that early‑stage funding sizes are shrinking, prompting investors to concentrate on startups with proven product‑market fit.
London in Second Place After NYC as Top Global Financial Centre Ranking
Z/Yen’s Global Financial Centres Index 39 confirms New York City as the top financial hub, with London holding a close second. The top five cities are separated by just one rating point, while Dubai and Tokyo break into the top ten, pushing...
Robinhood Markets Now Offers Banking Services, Gold Card to Streamline Spending, Trading, Investing
Robinhood has launched the Gold Card, a no‑annual‑fee credit card that delivers a flat 3% cash back, and expanded its banking suite with high‑yield savings accounts paying up to 4.25% APR. The premium Gold tier costs $5 per month and...
Private Stablecoin Platform Payy Network Raises $6 Million Seed Round
Payy Network announced a $6 million seed round led by FirstMark Capital, with participation from Robot Ventures and DBA Crypto. The private‑by‑default stablecoin platform uses zero‑knowledge proofs to conceal transaction details, addressing transparency concerns that deter enterprise adoption. Payy’s services, including...
Polymarket to Impose Taker Fees on Nearly All Trading Categories
Polymarket will begin charging taker fees on almost every trading category starting March 30, with rates that peak at 1.8 percent for crypto‑related contracts and lower tiers for sports, finance, culture, and other markets. Geopolitics remains the sole fee‑free category. Makers continue...
European Businesses Now Struggling to Expand Operations, Reach Potential : Analysis
The IMF warns that Europe’s productivity gap with the United States is widening as firms struggle to scale. Young European companies are valued at just $5 trillion compared with $42.9 trillion for their U.S. peers, and the average EU firm employs only...
Bernstein Calls Bitcoin (BTC) Bottom, Sticks to $150K 2026 Year-End Target
Bernstein analysts say Bitcoin's recent decline is likely over, maintaining a $150,000 price target for the end of 2026. The cryptocurrency trades around $71,000, roughly a 40‑50% correction from its $126,000 peak last October. The firm cites strong inflows into...
BitMine’s Ethereum (ETH) Accumulation Strategy Signals Steady Institutional Adoption
BitMine Immersion Technologies (NYSE: BMNR) allocated roughly $145 million to purchase Ethereum, pushing its stash to about 4.66 million ETH – roughly 3.86% of the circulating supply – as part of its “Alchemy of 5%” initiative. The buying spree came as ETH...
AI and Tokenization Highlight Crypto Market Resilience Amid Q1 2026 Turmoil : Analysis
The first quarter of 2026 saw every major crypto sector post losses amid geopolitical tension and global rate‑repricing, but artificial‑intelligence and tokenization niches outperformed the broader market. Grayscale’s sector framework reports a 14 percent rise in daily transactions and a 20 percent...
ECB Prepares for Digital Transformation, Anticipating Impact of AI, Tokenized Finance, Payment System Advancements
The European Central Bank is intensifying its focus on AI, tokenised finance, and cross‑border payment integration to boost euro‑area productivity and market efficiency. ECB officials estimate AI could raise total‑factor productivity by 0.2‑0.4 percentage points per year, with employee adoption...
UK Finance Outlines Strategy to Secure London’s Status as Global Financial Hub
UK Finance has issued a forward‑looking roadmap urging the financial sector to move beyond narrow regulatory compliance toward a holistic strategy that safeguards London’s global hub status. It stresses that competitiveness now hinges on the UK’s unified common‑law framework, talent...
UK Economy Could Struggle Due to Rising Energy Costs and Inflation Concerns : Analysis
KPMG UK’s latest Economic Outlook warns that Britain’s GDP growth will slow sharply to 0.7% in 2026, half the pace expected for 2025, as rising energy prices and a weaker jobs market bite. A fresh shock to wholesale energy costs,...
Anthropic, Solana, Bitcoin Miners, SpaceX : FTX’s Visionary Bets That Bankruptcy Liquidated
FTX’s bankruptcy liquidated a $500 million Anthropic stake for $1.3 billion, far below the $30‑$70 billion valuation some social media posts claimed. The exchange also held sizable positions in Solana, Robinhood, Sui, Genesis Digital Assets, and a SpaceX‑linked fund, which together would be...
Crypto Firm Rhino.fi Targets Stablecoin Spreads with 1:1 Conversion Product
Rhino.fi has introduced a “Stablecoin 1:1” product that guarantees a fixed one‑to‑one conversion rate for USD‑pegged stablecoins such as USDT and USDC across more than 25 blockchain networks. The service eliminates hidden spreads and routing inefficiencies, offering transparent fees for neobanks...
Figure Launches Figure Forge to Transform Illiquid Loans Into Tradable DeFi Collateral
Figure (NASDAQ: FIGR) launched Figure Forge, a service that converts blockchain‑native loans and other real‑world assets into uniform, infinitely divisible participation tokens. The tokens are immediately tradable on Figure’s Democratized Prime DeFi marketplace, supported by a self‑funded limit order book...
Kenya Seeks Public Comment on Draft Rules for Crypto Firms
Kenya has launched a public consultation on its draft Virtual Asset Service Providers Regulations for 2026, aiming to operationalise the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act of 2025. The proposals require crypto firms to obtain licences, disclose ownership, meet capital and...
Quorus Closes $5M Seed Round
Quorus, a technology‑driven asset manager, closed a $5 million seed round led by WisdomTree with participation from Connecticut Innovations, Nassau Financial Group, and other strategic investors. The funding will fuel expansion of portfolio strategies, enhance advisor‑facing interfaces, broaden platform integrations, and...
CFTC Issues Update to Guide Crypto Integration in Derivatives Markets
The CFTC released FAQs on March 20, 2026 clarifying how registered firms can use cryptocurrency as collateral in futures, swaps and clearing activities. FCMs may accept qualified non‑security crypto—primarily Bitcoin, Ether and payment stablecoins—subject to haircuts, a three‑month limitation, and weekly WinJammer...
Trojan Now Impacting Brazilian Financial Institution Clients, Malware Employs Advanced Stealth Tactics : Analysis
Kaspersky’s GReAT team has detailed the GoPix banking Trojan, a Brazilian‑origin threat that has logged roughly 90,000 infection attempts since 2023. The malware spreads through sophisticated malvertising on Google Ads, impersonating services like WhatsApp and Correios to lure high‑value victims....
While LeakBase Is Gone, Data Remains At Risk
The FBI and Europol have taken down LeakBase, a dark‑web forum that facilitated large‑scale trading of stolen credentials. The takedown ends the forum’s operations but the data posted there—over 200,000 posts and millions of compromised accounts—likely persists across other underground...
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...
AI Serving Key Role in Crypto Crime Investigations but Human Judgment Still Impacts Outcomes : Research
TRM Labs reports that artificial intelligence dramatically accelerates crypto‑crime investigations, turning weeks of data analysis into minutes, yet human expertise remains essential for establishing intent and legal accountability. In 2025 illicit crypto activity hit $158 billion, with AI tools clustering addresses,...
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...
Global Fintech Thunes Launches Stablecoin Payouts for Banks via Swift Connectivity
Thunes announced that its Pay‑to‑Stablecoin‑Wallets service now reaches roughly 11,500 banks through existing SWIFT connections, allowing instant payouts to stablecoin wallets without new technical integration. The offering supports major stablecoins such as USDC and USDT across more than 140 countries...
PayPal Introduces Stablecoin PYUSD to Users Across 70 Markets
PayPal has launched its dollar‑backed stablecoin, PayPal USD (PYUSD), in 70 international markets, allowing users to buy, hold, send and receive the token directly within their PayPal accounts. The stablecoin is issued by Paxos Trust Company and fully collateralized with U.S....
Digital Bank OakNorth Reports YoY Increase in Gross Originations with Considerable US Activity
OakNorth reported a pre‑tax profit of £223 million for 2025 and saw new loan originations jump 33% to £2.8 billion. The United States contributed 40% of fresh lending, underscoring rapid market penetration since its 2023 entry. Credit quality remained exceptional, with cumulative...
Binance Introduces Loans to Support Bitcoin Mining Operations
Binance has revamped its loan offering with a Flexible Loan product that allows users to borrow as little as $1 worth of crypto while keeping their collateral fully active in earning rewards. The loan is over‑collateralized, fee‑free, and features interest...
Web3 Thoughts of the Week: Bitcoin, Legislation, Stablecoins and More
Bitcoin suffered a $110 billion market‑cap wipeout this week, underscoring that even robust institutional infrastructure—BNY Mellon custody services, Kraken’s Fed access, and ICE’s $25 billion OKX investment—cannot shield the asset from macro‑risk‑off flows triggered by the Iran‑related geopolitical shock. Analysts liken the...
Instant Checkout in ChatGPT Reflects Enormous Challenge
OpenAI announced its Instant Checkout feature for ChatGPT in late 2025, but in March 2026 the company said it is scaling back the rollout to focus on merchant‑site integrations. The pause reflects the difficulty of embedding AI agents in e‑commerce,...
Rogo Acquires AI Agent Company Offset
Rogo, an AI platform serving over 25,000 finance professionals, announced the acquisition of Offset, a startup that builds AI agents for financial workflows. The deal integrates Offset’s agentic technology, which can understand and update complex financial models, directly into Rogo’s...
KPMG Law Strengthens UK Real Estate Market Operations with Tech Advancements
KPMG Law has expanded its UK real‑estate legal practice to 15 specialists across London and Manchester, adding senior partners in real estate, construction and finance. The team has already executed about £3 billion of transactions in 2024 across diverse asset classes...
Yellow Launches Trading Platform, $YELLOW Token
Yellow announced the launch of its proprietary, non‑custodial cross‑chain trading platform, accompanied by the native $YELLOW utility token. The platform leverages state‑channel technology to execute orders off‑chain with instant peer‑to‑peer matching, while settlement occurs on‑chain for finality. Collateral is cryptographically...
Saudi AI Startup Infobrim Secures Angel Funding at $3.5m Valuation
Infobrim, a Riyadh‑based artificial intelligence startup, has closed its first strategic angel investment at a $3.5 million valuation. While the round size and investor identities remain undisclosed, the capital will accelerate development of its AI‑native business intelligence lakehouse. The platform aims...
Switzerland’s PostFinance Reports Latest Financial Results, Expands Digital Assets Offering
Swiss Post’s 2024 results showed a resilient operating profit of CHF 332 million despite a CHF 20 million drop in group profit, with PostFinance contributing CHF 290 million. Parcel volumes rose 3.7% to a record 186.6 million, while digital services surged, adding 360 000 new...
Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo Joins Other Banks to Provide Credit Facility to BolognaFiere
Intesa Sanpaolo’s IMI Corporate & Investment Banking division joined a syndicate to provide BolognaFiere with a €134.5 million secured credit facility. The financing allocates €55 million for a new multifunctional pavilion, €71.5 million to refinance existing debt, and €8 million for a revolving credit...
Elizabeth Warren Slams SEC Over Justin Sun Settlement, Demands Crypto Laws Confront Trump’s ‘Crypto Corruption’
Senator Elizabeth Warren publicly rebuked the SEC for ending enforcement actions against crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun and related Tron entities, after a $10 million civil fine was imposed on Rainberry. The settlement dismissed core allegations without any admission of wrongdoing, prompting...
Coinbase Prime Introduces Unified Cross-Margin Trading Across Spot, Derivatives, Perps
Coinbase Prime has launched a unified cross‑margin trading layer that combines spot, traditional derivatives and regulated perpetual futures into a single capital framework. The upgrade lets institutional traders view and manage exposure across more than 90 assets with one margin...
Digital Assets Firm Circle Achieves Key Compliance Milestone
Circle announced that its Circle Mint platform received a SOC 1 Type 2 examination report, confirming the design and operating effectiveness of its internal controls. The audit, conducted by Deloitte for the fiscal year October 2024‑September 2025, covered transaction processing, system reliability, security, change...
Sybilion Closes $4.2M Seed Round to Build Exposure Engine
Sybilion announced a $4.2 million seed round, co‑led by VentureFriends and Semapa Next, to develop a decision‑layer platform for industrial manufacturers. The solution aims to surface the most material external risk signals—weather, freight rates, commodity prices, and macro indicators—and link them directly...
Ireland Aims to Leverage AI to Boost Economic Growth : Analysis
KPMG warns that artificial intelligence is advancing faster than any prior innovation and urges Ireland to build sovereign AI capabilities. The island nation, a hub for data centres and a vibrant tech ecosystem, faces grid constraints and regulatory pressure as...
NatWest Group to Support Vital Businesses Across UK Economy with New Initiatives
NatWest Group announced a nationwide rollout of Mid‑Market Champions, assigning a dedicated advocate to each of the UK’s 12 nations and regions. The move follows research showing 90% of midsized firms desire regional leadership to accelerate growth and influence policy....
Hong Kong’s Wealth Management Sector Poised for Growth : Research
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s research arm released a study highlighting rapid growth in Hong Kong’s family‑office sector. Ninety‑one percent of surveyed offices have already invested locally, citing the city’s flexible supervision, free capital flows, sophisticated markets and tax advantages....
DeFi Protocol Developer Aave Labs Launches Protocol with Security Focus and App for Mainstream Crypto Adoption
Aave Labs unveiled Aave V4, a security‑by‑design upgrade, alongside a newly redesigned app aimed at mainstream crypto adoption. The V4 security program allocated $1.5 million, delivered 345 days of expert review, and involved top auditors and a public contest that found...
Global Citizen Solutions’ Report Examines 22 Countries’ Crypto Friendliness
Global Citizen Solutions released a briefing titled "Crypto Secure Jurisdictions: Where Crypto Actually Works" that evaluates how 22 countries are embedding digital assets into tax, licensing and banking systems. The report shifts investor focus from asset selection to the legal...
Broadridge Teams Up with Crypto.com to Streamline Crypto Order Routing via NYFIX
Broadridge Financial Solutions has partnered with Crypto.com to embed cryptocurrency trading into its NYFIX order‑routing platform, extending the service to over 2,200 buy‑side and sell‑side firms worldwide. The integration uses the industry‑standard FIX protocol, allowing institutional brokers to send crypto...
German Consumers Trust Banks More than Government to Safeguard Personal Data From AI Algorithms : Research
Solaris' poll of 4,000 German online‑banking users finds banks are the most trusted institution for safeguarding AI‑processed personal data, with 45.4% preferring banks over insurers and government. Trust is strongest among 18‑29‑year‑olds, where 51.5% rank banks highest. One‑third of respondents...
Venture Capital Firms Continue to Demonstrate Interest in Emerging Tech : Research
Venture capital firms deployed a record $33.1 billion across 874 early‑stage deals in 2025, signaling a shift toward larger, high‑conviction bets. Artificial intelligence dominated the landscape, accounting for 51.6% of Q4 activity and $14.2 billion annually, while healthtech, fintech and climate tech...
Insurtech Akur8 and RSM Extend Partnership to Enable Data-Driven Regulatory Intelligence Solutions
Insurtech Akur8 has expanded its strategic alliance with RSM US LLP, deploying the Akur8 Discover module across the consulting firm’s entire North American practice. The AI‑powered solution converts unstructured regulatory filings from SERFF and state departments into searchable, actionable data,...