Who Needs $6 Million in Cash? Asks Thai Central Bank Governor
The Bank of Thailand announced stricter cash‑withdrawal rules after investigators uncovered two large cash transactions totalling roughly $12 million just days before the national election. Governor Vitai Ratanakorn highlighted a 250 million‑baht withdrawal and a separate 200 million‑baht pull of 100‑baht notes, questioning the purpose of such cash. Effective next month, banks will be required to apply enhanced due‑diligence and flag withdrawals above a 3‑5 million‑baht threshold. The policy shift aims to deter vote‑buying and improve traceability of illicit funds.
Upvest Partners with Boerse Stuttgart to Bring Securitised Derivatives Trading to EU Banks
Boerse Stuttgart and Upvest have formed a partnership that lets European financial institutions offer securitised derivatives through the exchange’s platform. The exchange provides over 2.5 million derivative contracts and handles regulatory, settlement and risk functions, while Upvest supplies an Investment API...
TerraPay Launches Payouts for Content Creators and the Gig Economy
TerraPay announced a partnership with MilX, the payments division of Air Media Tech, to launch instant cross‑border payouts for content creators and gig workers. The service will deliver earnings in local currencies across more than 70 markets via bank accounts, wallets...
EuroCTP Selects Equinix to Provide Consolidated Tape for EU Equities
EuroCTP has chosen Equinix to host its EU equity Consolidated Tape, using the FR2 data centre in Frankfurt as the digital backbone. The tape will aggregate real‑time pre‑ and post‑trade data from every EU venue, targeting a Q3 2026 launch and...
Plumery Taps Lokalise to Embed Enterprise-Grade Localisation Functionality
Plumery, a digital banking development platform, has partnered with localisation specialist Lokalise to embed enterprise‑grade translation and market adaptation capabilities directly into its platform. The integration enables financial institutions to launch multilingual digital banking journeys faster, with AI‑driven orchestration, compliance...
ADCB Egypt Goes Live with Temenos
ADCB Egypt, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, has launched Temenos Payments Hub to modernize its payments infrastructure. The new hub processes SWIFT payments using the ISO 20022 MX standard, delivering richer data and higher straight‑through‑processing rates. Integrated with the...
Revolut Launches Full Banking Operations in Mexico
Fintech giant Revolut has launched full banking operations in Mexico, marking its first bank outside Europe. The company obtained a Mexican multiple‑bank licence through a direct application and has funded the venture with over $100 million, well above the regulatory minimum....
Experian and Fincentive Join Forces to Launch Pension Data Platform
Experian has partnered with Fincentive to launch a pension data platform that digitises the traditional annual pension payslip into up to twelve monthly digital updates. The solution leverages Experian’s data‑enrichment and PayDashboard infrastructure combined with Fincentive’s pension‑specific intelligence to provide...
Concourse Raises $12 Million Series A to Build AI for Finance Teams
Concourse announced the general availability of its enterprise‑grade AI agent platform for finance teams and closed a $12 million Series A round led by Standard Capital, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, CRV and Y Combinator. The platform now lets any finance team connect...
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Arrives on AWS European Sovereign Cloud
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is now offered on the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, a new EU‑resident‑operated infrastructure designed for highly regulated sectors. The sovereign cloud ensures data residency and compliance under EU law, targeting finance, healthcare, and public‑sector customers....
Bolt Picks Affirm as Embedded BNPL Partner
Bolt announced a strategic partnership with Affirm, making the BNPL provider the default financing option across Bolt's U.S. checkout experience. The integration will appear alongside card payments for both logged‑in and guest shoppers without extra merchant development. Rollout begins with...
OBook Holdings and Arta Global Markets Team on Digital Assets On/Off Ramp
OBook Holdings (NASDAQ: OWLS) and Hong Kong‑based Arta Global Markets have partnered to launch OwlPay, a digital‑asset on/off‑ramp and cross‑currency payment platform. The solution combines OwlTing’s payment, trading, settlement and custody infrastructure with AGML’s SFC‑regulated network of over ten banks...
Payments Canada Welcomes Five Payment Service Providers as Members
Payments Canada announced the admission of five new payment service providers—Wise, Float, KOHO, Paramount Commerce and Brim—following legislative changes to the Canadian Payments Act. The reform expands eligibility to registered PSPs, credit‑union locals and designated clearing houses, aiming to boost...
Intellect Brings AI-First Payments Platform to US Market
Intellect Design Arena announced an accelerated push into the United States with its AI‑first payments platform, targeting a real‑time payments market projected to reach $2 billion by 2030. The solution embeds artificial intelligence across the entire payment lifecycle and offers a...
FCA Launches Review Into Implications of Advanced AI
The UK Financial Conduct Authority has launched a comprehensive review of advanced artificial intelligence’s impact on consumers, retail financial markets and regulators. Led by Sheldon Mills, the initiative builds on the FCA’s AI Discussion Paper, AI Sprint, AI Lab and...
ECB Paves the Way for the Use of DLT-Based Assets as Eligible Collateral
The European Central Bank announced that, starting 30 March 2026, the Eurosystem will accept marketable assets issued by central securities depositories (CSDs) using distributed‑ledger‑technology (DLT) as eligible collateral for its credit operations. This marks the first formal recognition of tokenised securities as...
Barclays Axpands Demo Directory for Startups
Barclays has launched the second phase of its Demo Directory, a digital platform that matches UK‑based startups with corporate investors and partners. The expansion widens eligibility to a broader range of sectors and adds new tools for pitch preparation, due‑diligence,...
Brazilian Financial Infrastructure Startup Lerian Raises R$30 Million in Seed Round
Lerian, a Brazilian open‑source financial‑infrastructure startup, closed a R$30 million seed round led by MAYA Capital, surpassing its original US$3 million target. The oversubscribed round follows a prior R$18 million raise that funded its core banking platform. The new capital will fuel AI‑driven...
Ant International Signs MoU with Indonesia's Artajasa Pembayaran Elektronis
Indonesia’s leading payment infrastructure firm Artajasa has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ant International, the global fintech arm of Alipay+. The partnership will integrate cross‑border payment capabilities, AI‑driven mobile solutions, and SME digitalisation tools into Artajasa’s extensive network of...
Loomis Pay to Deploy POS and Payments Services From Castles Technology
Loomis Pay announced a partnership with Castles Technology to deploy its POS and payment services on Castles' Android‑based terminals, including the portable S1F4 Pro, PINPAD S1P2 and unattended S1U2M4. The collaboration, developed with Finnish specialist Seitatech, delivered a full software...
Binq Integrates with Iwoca
Binq, the UK business marketplace, has integrated with fintech lender iwoca, leveraging open‑banking data to streamline credit decisions. The partnership offers the nation’s 5.5 million small‑and‑medium enterprises funding options from £1,000 up to £1,000,000. Borrowers benefit from a digital application process...
Institutional Real Estate Investment Platform GoCanopy Raises £2.1 Million
GoCanopy, an AI‑driven platform for institutional real‑estate investors, closed a €2.1 million seed round led by ISAI with participation from BNP Paribas Développement, Yellow and prominent angels. The solution consolidates fragmented deal, tenant and financial documents into a single searchable knowledge base, enhancing...
MoneyHash Aligns with Tap Payments
MoneyHash, a leading payment orchestration platform, announced a partnership with Tap Payments, integrating Tap’s gateway across nine MENA markets. The integration lets merchants route, monitor, and optimize payments through a single control layer while accessing Tap’s extensive local payment methods...
Major Security Flaws Found in UK Retailer Websites
A recent Ethiack study of 1,722 European retailers uncovered that 19.7% of SSL certificates on UK retailer websites are invalid, expired, or misconfigured, exposing customer data to interception. Additionally, 19.6% of UK web servers reveal software type and version in...
Revolut Business Moves Into Revenue Operations with Recurring Billing Tool
Revolut Business has launched a native recurring billing tool that lets merchants automate subscription payments without paying for separate billing software. The feature is built into the existing Revolut Business platform, so users incur no additional subscription fees. It integrates...
AI and Digital Finance Raise Financial Stability Implications - BIS
AI and digital finance, especially tokenisation, are reshaping financial services and raising systemic stability concerns, warned BIS chief representative Tao Zhang. Rapid AI‑driven trading can strain liquidity and heighten volatility, while tokenised platforms create complex inter‑dependencies across markets. Both rely...
Australian Digital Lender In1bank Shuts Down
Australian digital lender in1bank announced it will shut down, closing all customer accounts within weeks. The bank cited operational challenges and an inability to secure further funding. Customers have been urged to withdraw or transfer their balances promptly. The closure...
Europe's Payment Sovereignty Depends on Pay by Bank - ETTPA
European leaders have accelerated the digital euro agenda amid geopolitical tensions, yet the earliest launch is projected for 2029, raising cost concerns. The European Trade Association of Third‑Party Providers (ETTPA) argues that a private‑sector alternative—Pay by Bank—already exists, linking directly...
US Bank Lobby Scaremongers in Face of Credit Card Cap
A coalition of major banking associations sent a joint letter to Congress opposing the Credit Card Competition Act and any expansion of the Durbin amendment. The groups argue that government‑mandated routing and fee caps would hurt small businesses, community banks,...
Falcon Finance Provides Fiat Off-Ramp for USDf
Falcon Finance announced that its synthetic dollar USDf can now be converted to fiat through Altery’s crypto‑to‑fiat infrastructure, powered by Synterra Connect. Holders transfer USDf to a Synterra address and receive fiat in their Altery accounts, with SEPA, SWIFT, local...
S&W Selects 1fs Wealth for Tech Upgrade
Wealth intelligence firm 1fs Wealth has partnered with professional services group S&W to deliver AI‑driven digital wealth management tools to the firm’s family office, trust and ultra‑high‑net‑worth clients. The London‑based platform consolidates assets, manages risk, and provides AI insights for...
Riyad Bank Tech Unit Jeel Explores Blockchain Payments with Ripple
Jeel, the innovation arm of Riyad Bank, has entered a strategic partnership with Ripple to explore blockchain‑based payment solutions in Saudi Arabia. The collaboration will pilot use cases such as cross‑border remittances and real‑time domestic settlements, aiming to deliver faster,...
NCR Atleos Appoints New CIO
NCR Atleos (NYSE: NATL) announced Rohan Pal as its new chief information officer, reinforcing the firm’s focus on innovation and growth. Pal brings over 25 years of experience in technology strategy, cybersecurity, cloud solutions, and digital transformation. His prior roles...
Wells Fargo Hires Faraz Shafiq as Head of AI
Wells Fargo announced Faraz Shafiq as Head of AI Products and Solutions, effective Feb. 9. Shafiq will report to AI Co‑CEO Saul Van Beurden and operate from San Francisco. He brings more than 15 years of leadership at Amazon Web Services, Google, Verizon and...
Monex Appoints Kyle Falconi as Head of Sales
Monex USA announced Kyle Falconi as its new Head of Sales, adding him to the executive leadership team. Falconi arrives from a long tenure as Managing Director at Citi, where he delivered record FX sales and launched a Salesforce‑based CRM...
Nationwide Signs New Contract with AWS
Nationwide Building Society has signed an expanded agreement with Amazon Web Services to deepen its cloud footprint and accelerate digital transformation for its 17 million members. The partnership builds on existing use of Amazon Connect, which powers the new Call Checker...
SEB Analysts Say 2026 Marks Shift From Virtual to Physical AI
SEB analysts forecast that 2026 will mark a decisive shift from purely virtual AI to AI embedded in physical capital goods such as autonomous vehicles, drones and humanoid robots. The steep drop in AI usage costs in 2025 has broadened...
Kast Introduces Stablecoin Yield Prroduct
Global fintech platform KAST has launched KAST Earn Vaults, a stablecoin yield product that lets users earn 5‑9% APY on USDC and USDT. The vaults are powered by Gauntlet, which provides institutional‑grade risk management and automatically reallocates capital across Base,...
PSA Prepares Issuing Support for Wero in Austria and Germany
PSA Payment Services Austria GmbH is rolling out issuing support services for the Wero digital wallet across Austrian and German banks. The move establishes the technical and operational framework needed for banks to connect to Wero, a real‑time, account‑based payment...
FCA Seeks Feedback on Further Rules for Cryptoasset Firms
The FCA has launched a consultation on extending its Consumer Duty and related conduct standards to crypto‑asset firms, marking the final phase of its crypto regulatory roadmap. The proposals cover redress, dispute resolution, conduct of business rules, credit usage, staff...
Finby Signs up for Wero
Finby, a European payment service provider and acquirer, has entered a partnership with the European Payments Initiative (EPI) to support its upcoming pan‑European digital wallet, Wero. The wallet already counts more than 48 million users and aims to enable fast, secure...
Barclays and FactSet Enter a Multiyear Strategic Agreement
Barclays announced a multiyear strategic agreement with FactSet to deepen its market‑data capabilities. FactSet will supply Barclays with its full suite of analytics, data, and technology solutions, enabling more data‑driven products for the bank’s global clients. The partnership also places...
Venre Closes Pre-Series A Funding Round, Raising $9.6 Million
Vennre, a platform that gives high‑earning, not‑yet‑rich (HENRY) individuals access to private‑market investments, closed its Pre‑Series A round with $9.6 million in new capital. The round combined equity and debt instruments, reflecting investor confidence in the hybrid financing model. The funding...
Nexi Joins Agentic Commerce Alliance
Nexi Group announced its membership in the Agentic Commerce Alliance, a global initiative focused on establishing open standards for autonomous, AI‑driven commerce. The alliance aims to create vendor‑neutral protocols that enable agents to operate securely and interoperably across platforms. Nexi...
Iplicit Appoints VP Finance
Iplicit, the UK‑focused cloud accounting SaaS, has promoted Andy Jackson to Vice President of Finance after two years as Financial Controller. Jackson brings 27 years of finance leadership, including extensive fast‑growth SaaS experience, to support CFO Rob Steele as the...
Quantum Tech in Banking and Fintech: The Next Big Thing
Quantum technology is transitioning from theory to proof‑of‑concept within finance, with banks and fintech firms launching pilots in portfolio optimisation, fraud detection, and quantum‑secure communications. Quantum computing's ability to solve large‑scale optimisation and accelerate Monte Carlo simulations promises faster risk...
Safeguarding Real-Time Payments: How to Leverage AI Through Back-Office Readiness
Payments firms are racing to meet the FCA's 7 May safeguarding deadline, prompting a sector‑wide audit of control frameworks and risk tolerances. Simultaneously, exploding real‑time payment volumes are exposing the limits of legacy reconciliation and reporting systems. Many organisations still rely...
Deep Dive: Unwrapping FIS’s Technology Stack and Architecture
FIS is rearchitecting its banking platform into a modular, cloud‑native stack that treats banks as a collection of interoperable services rather than a monolithic core. The architecture layers a universal ledger and orchestration core, componentized product services, risk and program...
Payoneer Receives In-Principle Authorisation as Cross-Border Payment Aggregator in India
Payoneer India Pvt Ltd received in‑principle authorization from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a cross‑border payment aggregator (PA‑CB). The licence enables the fintech to facilitate both inbound and outward transactions for Indian importers and exporters. The approval...
EbankIT Names Jerry Reese Senior Solutions Engineer, North America
EbankIT has appointed Jerry Reese as Senior Solutions Engineer for North America, bolstering its technical leadership as the firm expands across the United States and Canada. Reese will partner with banks and credit unions to design API‑first, omnichannel digital banking...