OpenPayd to Go Public via $276M SPAC Deal, Targets Nasdaq Listing
OpenPayd will become a publicly listed company on Nasdaq through a definitive business combination with Titan Acquisition Corp, raising up to $276 million from the SPAC. The fintech offers embedded finance infrastructure—including FX, cross‑border payments, open banking and stablecoin on‑ramps—to more than 1,100 customers in 180 countries, counting eToro, Kraken, OKX and B2C2 among its users. It reported $85 million in annualised recurring revenue and processed $240 billion in annualised transaction volume. The capital will fund U.S. expansion, technology upgrades, compliance and licensing, with the deal slated to close in Q4 2026.
Wise Under Belgian Investigation Over €500 Million in Suspicious Transactions
Wise, the London‑listed cross‑border payment firm, is under investigation by Belgian prosecutors over roughly €500 million (about $540 million) in transactions flagged for fraud, corruption and drug‑trafficking ties across more than 30 European nations. The probe centers on possible anti‑money‑laundering (AML) non‑compliance,...
Inside the Prediction Markets: DraftKings Bets on the CFTC Model
DraftKings submitted its first CFTC event‑contract templates, positioning its DKeX exchange under federal derivatives oversight rather than a patchwork of state licences. Simultaneously, a Google employee was charged with insider trading on Polymarket after earning roughly $1.2 million from non‑public Year‑in‑Search...
DraftKings Moves Deeper Into Prediction Markets With DKeX CFTC Filings
DraftKings has filed its inaugural event‑contract templates with the CFTC through its DKeX exchange, covering the GAMEPROPERTY and GAMEWIN product families. The contracts are binary, $1 notional, trade 24/7 and are capped at 125,000 contracts per market. By operating as...
"Frustration With Uncertainty, Cost": FMA Chief Barrass on the Sandbox That Produced One Launch
New Zealand's Financial Markets Authority released a 15‑page report on its fintech sandbox pilot, which began in December 2024 with 24 applicants but admitted only six firms. Only one participant, Easy Crypto subsidiary ECDD Holdings, launched a product – the...
US Congress Opens Formal Probe Into Kalshi and Polymarket, Targeting KYC and Trade Surveillance
On May 22, the House Oversight Committee issued formal information requests to prediction‑market operators Kalshi and Polymarket, demanding internal records on identity verification and trade‑surveillance practices. The companies must submit documentation by June 5, less than two weeks away. The probe...
Cinkciarz.pl CEO Detained in US as Polish Fintech Fraud Probe Tops $50 Million
Polish prosecutors announced the arrest of Marcin Pióro, CEO of Cinkciarz.pl, by U.S. authorities, ending a year‑long international hunt. The fintech’s collapse has now been linked to customer losses exceeding 185 million zloty (about $50 million) and over 5,000 victims. A bankruptcy...
Casino Lobby Calls CFTC a “Rogue Agency” Over Prediction Markets
American Gaming Association CEO Bill Miller testified before a Senate subcommittee, branding the CFTC a “rogue agency” for treating prediction markets as back‑door sports betting. The CFTC has responded by suing several states—including Minnesota, Arizona, Connecticut and Illinois—to block statutes...
ASIC Warns of "Lost Generation" Risk if Australia Falls Behind on Fintech and AI
ASIC warned that Australia could create a "lost generation" of citizens with lower living standards if the nation falls behind in fintech and AI, releasing a Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre review that benchmarks the country against six leading jurisdictions....
Nasdaq Private Market Becomes Data Provider for Polymarket’s Private Company Markets
Polymarket has launched prediction markets for private companies, partnering exclusively with Nasdaq Private Market (NPM) as the data source for market resolutions. The collaboration provides a live pricing signal for roughly 1,600 unicorns worth an estimated $5 trillion, assets that have...
Revolut Hires Coinbase Risk Chief to Drive Global Crypto Expansion
Revolut has named Michael Schroeder, former Coinbase chief risk officer for Europe, as its Global Head of Crypto Expansion. Schroeder will steer licensing, regulatory readiness, operations and market launches, underscoring a compliance‑first growth model. The hire follows similar moves by...
Bunq Files for Mexican Banking License, Trailing Revolut and Nubank Into the Local Market
Dutch neobank Bunq has filed for a full banking license in Mexico, adding a third regulatory front after its recent US charter re‑filing and its existing European permit. The license would enable Bunx to offer multi‑currency accounts, protected deposits and...
Revolut Steps Up Israel Hiring as It Pushes for “Lean Bank” License
Revolut is launching a hiring drive in Israel, adding a Strategy and Operations Manager to support its push for a lean bank licence. The lean‑bank framework would let Revolut accept deposits and extend credit under lighter regulation, complementing its full...
Inside the Prediction Markets: Kalshi Raises $1B as Regulatory Tensions Escalate
Kalshi closed a $1 billion Series F round, lifting its valuation to $22 billion and cementing its control of more than 90% of U.S. prediction‑market activity. The funding will fuel block‑trading capabilities, institutional integrations and deeper ties with professional trading firms. Simultaneously, the...
Kalshi Surges to $22 Billion as Wall Street Scoops Up Crypto Talent
Kalshi, a U.S. prediction‑market platform, closed a $1 billion Series F round that lifts its valuation to $22 billion. Institutional trading on the exchange has surged, with volume up roughly 800% and annualized turnover climbing from $52 billion to $178 billion in six months. The...