
Tether has frozen $3.5 billion of USDT linked to illicit activity since 2023, bringing the total frozen amount to $4.2 billion since the stablecoin’s launch. The company, which now has over $180 billion of USDT in circulation, can remotely lock tokens at law‑enforcement request. Recent cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice helped seize $61 million of USDT tied to a fraud scheme. Tether says it works with more than 310 agencies across 64 countries to block funds tied to terrorism, money‑laundering, pig‑butchering scams and sanctioned exchanges.

Morgan Stanley has filed an application with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to create a new federally chartered entity, Morgan Stanley Digital Trust, National Association, under a national trust bank charter. The charter would focus on...

Finance leaders face a “year-two problem” where B2B payments upgrades fail to deliver expected gains without refined data and processes. The article argues that execution velocity—how quickly firms turn standardized transactional data into actionable decisions—will be the decisive KPI. CFOs...

The Senate introduced the Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development (AFFORD) Act, aiming to strengthen the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. The bill would let smaller CDFIs join the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program, reauthorize a liquidity‑enhancement...

Figure Technology Solutions reported a 131% year‑over‑year surge in its Consumer Loan Marketplace, reaching $2.7 billion in Q4 2025. More than half of that volume, $1.5 billion, flowed through its newly launched Figure Connect platform, marking a rapid shift toward a capital‑light...

The OCC’s comptroller, Jonathan Gould, indicated he will consider providing Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tim Scott with the unredacted bank charter application of World Liberty Financial, a Trump‑family‑linked DeFi firm. The application, submitted in January, seeks a national trust bank...

Brink’s announced a $6.6 billion cash‑and‑stock acquisition of NCR Atleos, aiming to create a leading financial‑technology infrastructure company. The deal, slated to close in the first quarter of 2027, merges Brink’s global cash‑management and route‑based network with Atleos’ owned ATM fleet...

Tools for Humanity, the iris‑scanning startup co‑founded by Sam Altman, is rolling out its World ID platform with high‑profile brand partners. A Gap store in San Francisco now hosts an Orb device that captures facial and eye data, while Tinder...

Credential‑based fraud and login friction are eroding conversion for high‑value e‑commerce shoppers, prompting merchants to seek stronger, lower‑friction authentication. Passkeys, built on FIDO public‑key cryptography and unlocked via biometrics or PIN, promise to eliminate password reuse and phishing risk. PayPal...

The Brink's Company announced a cash-and-stock acquisition of NCR Atleos for $6.6 billion, creating a leading financial‑technology infrastructure firm. The definitive agreement was signed on Feb. 26, 2026, with closing expected in the first quarter of 2027. The combined entity will generate...

JPMorgan Chase disclosed a $19‑$20 billion annual technology budget, earmarked for AI, cloud infrastructure, and data integration. More than 80% of its applications now run on modern platforms, with over 70% in public or private clouds, enabling real‑time processing and automated...

The Clearing House’s Real‑Time Payments (RTP) network set two historic milestones, processing 2.05 million transactions in a single day on Feb. 13 and reaching a daily value peak of $8.36 billion on Feb. 18. The surge reflects accelerating adoption among retail users, digital‑wallet transfers,...

Truist’s private‑wealth division is now offering spot Bitcoin exchange‑traded funds from Fidelity and BlackRock, both SEC‑registered. The ETFs give high‑net‑worth clients regulated crypto exposure through advisors or the self‑directed Truist Trade platform. The launch follows regulatory clarity from the GENIUS...

A Visa‑PYMNTS Working Capital Index shows nearly 50% of Asia‑Pacific growth‑stage firms (revenues $50 M‑$1 B) lack usable working‑capital tools, citing mismatched product design. CFOs demand flexible, sector‑specific digital financing, especially virtual and commercial cards that act as short‑term funding sources. High‑performing...

The Clearing House’s chief strategy officer, Sal Karakaplan, declared “trust” the 2026 word of the year for payments, arguing it is the functional prerequisite for new players, technologies, and flows to gain lasting adoption. He highlighted the RTP® network’s expansion—now reaching...

The 2025 Global Digital Shopping Index, commissioned by Visa Acceptance Solutions, found that 48% of shoppers used a mobile device for their most recent retail purchase, with usage exceeding 60% in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Mobile browsing frequency is...

Bedrock Robotics announced a $270 million fundraising round to expand its AI-driven autonomous construction equipment, aiming to address labor shortages and improve safety. The capital will be used to retrofit traditional machinery with AI systems for earthwork tasks. The raise...

Equal Parts, a platform that acquires independent insurance agencies, announced a $23 million Series A round led by Inspired Capital. The funding will fuel its growth network, supporting plans to acquire 25 agencies this year and target $1 billion in premiums within two...

Brazilian fintech Agibank announced on Feb. 10 that it is reducing its U.S. IPO size from 43.6 million to 20 million shares and lowering the price range to $12‑$13, down from $15‑$18. The adjustment follows a 20% decline in competitor PicPay’s shares after...

U.K. banking group NatWest announced it will acquire wealth manager Evelyn Partners for about $3.6 billion (£2.7 billion). The acquisition, disclosed on Feb. 9, 2026, aims to expand NatWest's savings and investment services. Evelyn Partners is being bought from private-equity...

Creator-driven platform Beast Industries announced the acquisition of financial‑literacy app Step on Feb. 9, 2026. The deal combines Step’s technology and 7 million‑user base with Beast Industries’ audience reach to deliver financial wellness solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Databricks announced a $7 billion financing round on Feb 7, 2026, comprising $5 billion in equity and $2 billion in debt, lifting its valuation to $134 billion. The capital will be used to expand its Lakebase serverless Postgres database for AI agents and its Genie conversational...

Boston-based fintech EnFi announced a $15 million fundraising round led by Fintop, with participation from Patriot Financial Partners, Commerce Ventures, Unusual Ventures and Boston Seed Capital. The capital will be used to deploy AI agents that automate credit analysis and...

Resolve AI announced a $125 million Series A round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, taking its total funding above $150 million and valuing the startup at $1 billion. The capital will accelerate development of its AI agents that act as site‑reliability engineers, helping enterprises...

Experian announced it will acquire Own Up, an AI-powered mortgage shopping platform, to expand its mortgage offerings within the Experian Marketplace. The acquisition was announced in a Feb. 3 press release and is expected to close within 90 days pending...

Fifth Third Bancorp and Comerica Incorporated closed their merger on Feb. 2, creating a $294 billion institution that becomes the ninth‑largest U.S. bank. The deal combines Fifth Third’s consumer digital platform with Comerica’s commercial franchise, expanding digital banking and embedded‑finance capabilities across...

Varo Bank, the all‑digital nationally chartered bank, announced a $123.9 million Series G round led by existing investor Warburg Pincus and new investor Coliseum Capital Management. The funding will support Varo’s next growth phase, including expansion of its AI‑driven lending products. The round...

Loop AI announced a $14 million Series A round led by Nyca Partners to expand its AI-driven platform for restaurant and retail back offices. The funding will be used to broaden its product suite and increase headcount, as detailed in...

Google-owned autonomous vehicle startup Waymo is close to finalizing a $16 billion funding round that would value the company at $110 billion. Google will contribute more than 75% of the capital, and the round is reported to be three times oversubscribed, underscoring...

TransUnion announced a definitive agreement to acquire the mobile division of RealNetworks, aiming to boost its communications solutions and fraud‑prevention portfolio. The deal, disclosed in a Feb. 2 press release, will bring AI, machine‑learning and real‑time analytics capabilities to TransUnion, with...

Crypto payments network Mesh announced a $75 million funding round that values the company at $1 billion. The round was led by Dragonfly Capital and will fund Mesh’s expansion into Asian, European and Latin American FinTech markets. The company previously raised...

Anthropic, the AI startup, is close to finalizing a new fundraising round that would raise $20B and value the company at $350B, according to the Financial Times on Jan. 27, 2026. The round follows a $13B Series F raise in...

TikTok and its parent ByteDance have signed agreements with Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX to create a new TikTok U.S. joint venture, slated to close on Jan. 22, 2026. The partnership will secure TikTok’s continued operations in the United States and...

India’s largest digital payments firm PhonePe, backed by Walmart, has received SEBI approval for its upcoming Indian IPO. The offering could raise up to $1.5 billion, valuing the company at roughly $15 billion, with existing shareholders Walmart, Microsoft and Tiger Global expected...

BlackRock announced that its AI partnership with Microsoft has raised $12.5 billion, bringing the collaboration closer to its $30 billion target. The partnership, which also includes Nvidia, xAi and UAE‑based MGX, aims to fund data‑center infrastructure for AI workloads. The capital raise...

Anthropic announced plans to raise $10 billion in a new funding round that would value the AI startup at $350 billion, nearly double its September 2025 valuation. The round is separate from its partnership with Microsoft and Nvidia, who have pledged a combined...

Consumer payments platform Zilch announced plans to acquire Lithuanian challenger bank Fjord Bank, securing a European banking licence and establishing a new headquarters in Lithuania. The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory...

Ripple’s GTreasury announced the acquisition of Solvexia, a no‑code financial automation platform, to broaden its treasury management suite with end‑to‑end reconciliation and regulatory reporting. The deal, disclosed on Jan. 6 2026, adds analytics and compliance tools for both fiat and digital‑asset transactions....