Riyadh Prepares to Host the World’s Tech Ecosystem as LEAP 5 Targets Global Expansion and Billions in Investment
LEAP 5, the flagship Saudi tech conference, returns to Riyadh from April 13‑16, 2026, aiming to cement the Kingdom’s role as a global innovation hub under Vision 2030. Organised by the MCIT, SAFCSP, and Tahaluf, the event builds on a 2025 edition that sparked $14.9 billion in deals. Anticipating over 201,000 visitors, 600 startups, 1,800 tech brands and 1,900 investors, LEAP 5 will feature more than 1,000 speakers including CEOs from AWS, Google and Cisco. New zones such as DeepFest AI, GameX Creative and a Sports Tech Hub broaden the agenda and matchmaking opportunities.
ADX and Al Ramz Capital Launch Stock Trading Competition Offering 1 Million Etihad Guest Miles
The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and Al Ramz Capital have launched the Al Ramz Investment and Trading Competition, the region’s first hands‑on stock market contest. Participants compete monthly for up to 1 million Etihad Guest Miles, with runner‑up prizes ranging...
Visa Targets North Africa Growth with New Egypt, Libya and Sudan Sub-Region
Visa announced a new sub‑regional structure covering Egypt, Libya and Sudan, part of its broader North Africa, Levant and Pakistan growth strategy. The reorganisation appoints Malak El Baba as country manager for the three markets and moves veteran Ahmed Mohey...
NoCFO Taps Salt Edge to Deliver In-App ‘Pay by Bank’ for SMEs in Finland and Germany
NoCFO, the AI‑native financial management platform, has partnered with open‑banking specialist Salt Edge to embed a Pay‑by‑Bank payment‑initiation service directly into its app. The new feature lets Finnish SMEs approve and pay invoices without leaving the platform, currently serving more than...
Rentify Launches UAE’s First AI-Native Rent Infrastructure with ‘Rentify Pay’
Dubai fintech Rentify unveiled Rentify Pay, the UAE’s first AI‑native rent‑infrastructure platform. The service expands beyond its original "Rent Now, Pay Later" model to digitise the entire rental lifecycle for tenants, landlords and property managers. Leveraging AI automation, the platform...
EBay Introduces ‘Pay by Bank’ for UK Shoppers and Backs TrueLayer with Strategic Investment
eBay has partnered with TrueLayer to introduce a Pay by Bank option for UK shoppers, allowing payments directly from bank accounts at checkout. The integration promises instant, secure transactions without sharing bank login details, and all eligible purchases remain covered...
Fintech Firms Are Losing Out on Media Coverage by Overcomplicating Press Releases
Fintech companies in the UK have raised £2.6 billion, yet many are sabotaging their own growth with overly technical press releases. JournoLink’s analysis shows 74 percent of founders use AI for internal efficiency, but external communications remain cluttered with jargon. This complexity...
Aria CEO Warns Against ‘Black Box’ AI in High-Stakes B2B Credit Decisions
Aria CEO Clément Carrier warns that opaque, black‑box AI models are unsuitable for high‑stakes B2B credit decisions, where a single error can erase profits. He notes that B2B lending differs from consumer credit because of larger ticket sizes, infrequent purchases,...
Botim Money Adds Digital Silver to Its Fractional Investing Suite From AED 10
Botim Money, the fintech arm of UAE messaging platform botim, has launched a digital silver investing option within its in‑app “Invest” feature. Eligible users can buy, sell and hold fractional silver starting at AED 10, extending the company’s precious‑metal suite that...
Souhoola Gains Approval for New Prepaid Card in Partnership with Banque Misr, Visa, and Modupay
Egyptian fintech Souhoola has secured initial regulatory approval to launch a reloadable prepaid card in collaboration with Banque Misr, Visa, and payment‑technology firm Modupay. The card will be instantly activatable via an app, allowing real‑time balance tracking, cash withdrawals and...
UK’s First Online Fintech Platform Launched to Help SMEs Manage Debt and Avoid Borrowing Pitfalls
Leeds‑based fintech Debeo has launched what it calls the UK’s first purpose‑built online platform to help small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) understand and manage their debt. The service aggregates loans, overdrafts and asset‑finance agreements into a single, real‑time view, enabling...
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Wakam UK launched in April 2024 as a fully authorised digital insurer built to serve MGAs, insurtechs and embedded insurance platforms. Leveraging an API‑driven, AI‑native core, the firm can design, underwrite and launch bespoke products in weeks rather than months....
Wio Bank and Kibsons Partner to Bolster UAE Food Supply Chains and Reward Grocery Shoppers
Wio Bank PJSC has teamed up with UAE fresh‑food retailer Kibsons to embed digital banking services into the grocery ecosystem. The deal provides supply‑chain finance that improves liquidity and cash‑flow visibility across Kibsons’ import, distribution and e‑commerce operations. From now...
Emirates NBD Brings Carbon Tracking to ENBD X App to Drive Sustainable Spending
Emirates NBD has integrated a carbon‑tracking feature, the ENBD X Carbon Calculator, into its ENBD X mobile banking app, targeting roughly two million active users. The tool automatically analyses transaction data to estimate associated CO₂ emissions and presents monthly breakdowns,...
Quantoz Partners with Visa to Unlock Stablecoin Spending at the Checkout
Quantoz Payments has become a direct Visa principal member, allowing it to issue virtual Visa debit cards and act as a BIN sponsor for fintechs. The partnership lets customers spend regulated e‑money and stablecoins on any Visa‑accepted merchant, including online,...
Penny Software Expands Global Footprint with New UK Office to Drive AI Procurement
Penny Software, the Saudi‑based AI procurement platform, has opened a new office in Derby, UK, to serve as a regional hub for its growing European client base. The move follows rapid adoption of its cloud‑native solution across more than 75...
ENovate and Cobi Partner to Launch AI-Powered Digital Payment Infrastructure in Egypt
eNovate, a subsidiary of eFinance Investment Group, has teamed with UAE‑based AI platform Cobi under Mastercard’s Engage programme to embed artificial intelligence across Egypt’s digital payment landscape. The partnership will debut in Q1 2026 on eNovate’s Rize digital wallet, delivering real‑time...
Milo Hits $100million Milestone in Crypto Mortgages Following Record $12million Deal
Fintech firm Milo announced it has originated over $100 million in crypto‑backed mortgages, highlighted by a record $12 million single transaction. The company attributes its growth to AI‑enhanced underwriting, real‑time collateral monitoring, and a zero‑margin‑call track record. Interest rates average...
NPTN by LMS Joins Bank of England Synchronisation Lab to Tackle Remortgage Friction
LMS, through its NPTN network, has entered the Bank of England’s Synchronisation Lab to pilot a synchronized settlement model for remortgages. The eight‑week test will run in a simulated Real‑Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) environment, splitting payments into earmark and settle...
BVNK Secures MiCA Licence in Malta to Expand European Stablecoin Operations
BVNK, an enterprise stablecoin infrastructure provider, secured a Crypto‑Asset Services Provider (CASP) licence from Malta’s Financial Services Authority, aligning it with the EU’s MiCA framework. The licence allows BVNK to passport MiCA‑regulated digital‑asset services across all European Economic Area members....
Mashreq Launches First-of-Its-Kind Digital Cross-Border Accounts for Non-Resident Pakistanis in the UAE
Mashreq Bank has introduced a fully digital cross‑border account service that lets UAE‑based Pakistani expatriates open a Mashreq Pakistan account through the UAE mobile app. The offering replaces manual paperwork with a seamless, end‑to‑end digital experience and integrates a unified...
FCA Chief Nikhil Rathi Confirms Regulatory Shift Away From New Rules in Candid Podcast Interview
FCA chief Nikhil Rathi told the inaugural Fairer Finance podcast that the regulator is moving away from drafting new rules, opting instead to lean on the existing Consumer Duty and supervisory tools. He framed the shift as an outcomes‑based approach,...
Ari10 Parent Morphic Financial Group Secures Dutch MiCA License for EU Expansion
Morphic Financial Group, the London‑based parent of digital payments platform Ari10, has obtained a Markets in Crypto‑Assets (MiCA) licence through its Dutch subsidiary WEB3 Holding B.V. The Dutch regulator’s approval makes Morphic one of the first Central and Eastern European...
Exploring the Future of Crypto and Stablecoins
Fintech Times podcast featured Yap Global founder Samantha Yap discussing the rapid expansion of digital assets and Web3. The conversation highlighted stablecoins as a catalyst for faster, cheaper cross‑border payments and examined the UAE’s proactive regulatory sandbox. Yap noted that...
10x Banking and HassemPrag Partner to Drive Core Banking Modernisation Across Africa
10x Banking, a cloud‑native core banking provider, has teamed up with South African digital platform HassemPrag to offer African banks a low‑risk path to replace legacy systems. The joint solution combines 10x’s modular, cloud infrastructure with HassemPrag’s regional integration expertise,...
Embedded Card Programmes Gain Momentum as European Firms Move Beyond Banks for Issuing
European firms are rapidly adopting embedded card programmes, bypassing traditional banks thanks to API‑driven platforms. Wallester’s recent webinar with Visa and GF Money shows launch times shrinking from a year to as little as 28 days. Regulatory clarity under PSD2 is...
Lunar Teams Up with Wolt on Subscription Benefit Expansion
Lunar, the Nordic challenger bank, has signed a strategic partnership with delivery platform Wolt across Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The deal embeds Wolt+ unlimited delivery into Lunar’s top‑tier Unlimited (personal) and Limitless (business) subscription plans, while lower‑tier customers can redeem...
Criminals Outpacing Banks as Firms Struggle with AI Defence, Report Warns
A new State of Financial Crime 2026 report from ComplyAdvantage reveals that financial institutions are falling behind AI‑enabled criminal networks. Over 600 senior compliance leaders reported 99% detection weaknesses, with only 33% employing AI for core AML functions and manual...
Paytently Strengthens Regulatory Compliance and Fraud Defence with SEON Partnership
Paytently, a Malta‑licensed payment institution, announced a partnership with fraud‑prevention specialist SEON to embed the latter’s command‑centre technology into its orchestration platform. The integration brings real‑time AML screening, risk scoring, device intelligence and centralized case management to the core of...
Shahbandr and Tabby Partner to Bring BNPL to 20,000 Online Stores
Shahbandr, a Saudi e‑commerce enablement platform, has teamed up with fintech app Tabby to embed its Buy‑Now‑Pay‑Later solution across the network. The integration will cover more than 20,000 online stores in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, allowing shoppers to split purchases...
Zodia Custody and LMAX Group Launch ‘Zodia Switch’ to Streamline Institutional Asset Swaps
Zodia Custody and LMAX Group have introduced Zodia Switch, a custody‑native trading feature that lets institutional clients swap ERC‑20 tokens directly from their secure wallets. The solution leverages LMAX’s execution venues, eliminating the need to pre‑fund external trading accounts and...
Juspay Opens Dubai Headquarters to Drive Middle East Expansion
Juspay, the global payments‑infrastructure provider, has opened a regional headquarters in the Dubai International Financial Centre. The new hub will focus on serving enterprise merchants, banks and fintech partners across the Middle East and North Africa. By situating itself in...
Standard Chartered Partners with B2C2 to Enhance Institutional Crypto Access
Standard Chartered has teamed up with digital‑asset liquidity provider B2C2 to create a seamless bridge between traditional banking infrastructure and crypto markets. The alliance will give institutional investors—such as asset managers, hedge funds, corporates and family offices—direct access to spot...
Ripple Prime Adds Hyperliquid Support to Bridge DeFi and Institutional Trading
Ripple Prime, the institutional brokerage arm of Ripple, announced integration with Hyperliquid, a high‑performance decentralized derivatives protocol. The partnership lets institutional clients trade on‑chain derivatives while keeping the capital‑efficiency and risk controls of a traditional prime broker. Clients can now...
Fintech Treyd Targets Doubling UK Customer Base as It Hits £200m Lending Milestone
Swedish fintech Treyd has surpassed £200 million in UK lending since its 2022 launch, making Britain its biggest market with more than 500 customers. The company plans to double its UK client base by 2027, targeting underserved SMEs that need rapid...
FINTECH Circle Partners with JournoLink to Bring AI-Powered PR Tools to Fintechs
FINTECH Circle has struck a strategic partnership with JournoLink to deliver its Volt AI‑powered public‑relations and competitor‑intelligence suite to the Circle’s fintech community. The collaboration gives members automated press‑release distribution, continuous media monitoring and real‑time competitor analysis. By bundling enterprise‑grade...
EToro Launches Shareholder Engagement Initiative in Partnership with Stockperks
eToro has launched a shareholder engagement initiative in partnership with Stockperks, a loyalty‑rewards marketplace for public companies. The program invites eligible eToro shareholders to receive exclusive educational content, event invitations, and direct access to company leaders and market experts. By...
GoCab Secures $45million Seed Round to Drive Mobility Fintech in Emerging Markets
GoCab, a London‑based mobility fintech, closed a $45 million seed round comprising $15 million in equity and $30 million in debt, led by E3 Capital and Janngo VC. The funding supports its drive‑to‑own model that provides vehicle and BNPL financing to gig workers...
Qatar Development Bank Expands Investment Program to QAR 1 Billion as Demand Surges
Qatar Development Bank announced an expansion of its Startup Qatar Investment Program to QAR 1 billion (≈$275 million) by 2030, an eight‑fold increase in capital allocation. The surge follows more than 6,000 startup applications in the past three years, reflecting strong regional...
Zand and Ripple Partner to Power UAE Digital Economy with Stablecoin Innovations
UAE‑based digital bank Zand has signed a strategic partnership with Ripple to accelerate the nation’s digital economy through stablecoin and blockchain solutions. The collaboration will integrate Ripple’s USD‑backed stablecoin (RLUSD) into Zand’s regulated custody platform and explore a direct liquidity...
SumUp Launches ‘Solo Lite’ Card Reader to Target Mobile Merchants in the UK
SumUp has introduced the Solo Lite card reader in the UK, pricing the hardware at a one‑time £25 fee. The device is built for mobile merchants, featuring a Corning Gorilla Glass screen and a battery that can handle over 1,000...
DLocal Partners with DHL Express Brazil to Automate Pix Payments and Speed up Deliveries
Cross‑border payments specialist dLocal has partnered with DHL Express Brazil to embed Brazil’s instant payment rail Pix directly into DHL’s checkout and CRM workflow. The integration replaces manual bank reconciliation with real‑time confirmation, allowing parcels to be released within minutes....
Klarna Backs Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol to Power the Future of ‘Agentic’ Shopping
Klarna announced its support for Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a framework designed to standardise AI‑driven, “agentic” shopping experiences. The move extends Klarna’s multi‑year partnership with Google, building on prior collaborations such as the Agent Payments Protocol and Google Pay....
Revolut Secures First Banking License Outside Europe as Full Operations Launch in Mexico
Revolut has launched full banking operations in Mexico, becoming the first digital‑only bank to secure a banking licence outside Europe. The new entity, Revolut Bank S.A. Institución de Banca Múltiple, entered the market with over $100 million of capital, delivering a...
N26 Launches ‘N26 for Under 18s’ in Strategic Push for Family Banking Market
N26 has introduced “N26 for under 18s,” a debit‑card and account product for children aged 7‑17. The service launches in Germany and Austria and is embedded as a dedicated “Space” with its own IBAN inside the parent’s existing N26 app....
Exploring the Future of Stablecoins and Digital Transformation
In a Fintech Times podcast, MoneyGram CEO Anthony Soohoo discusses stablecoins, digital transformation, and AI's role in financial services. He outlines MoneyGram’s strategy to integrate stablecoins for faster, lower‑cost cross‑border transfers and highlights ongoing regulatory challenges. Soohoo also emphasizes how...
Sumsub Launches ‘Risk Intolerant’ Registry to Spotlight Crypto and Fintech Safety Champions
Sumsub, a global verification and fraud‑prevention platform, has unveiled a public "Risk Intolerant" registry that awards badges to fintech, crypto, gaming, edtech and mobility firms demonstrating strong KYC, AML and fraud‑mitigation controls. The highest "Titan" badge has been granted to...
PayPal and NEO PAY Strike Strategic Alliance to Fuel UAE’s $21B E-Commerce Ambition
PayPal has formed a strategic alliance with UAE‑based digital payments firm NEO PAY. The deal embeds PayPal’s checkout into NEO PAY’s acquiring infrastructure, allowing merchants across the Emirates to accept PayPal. The partnership targets the rapidly expanding UAE e‑commerce market, forecast to...
TerraPay Enters Creator Economy with MilX Partnership to Power Global Payouts
TerraPay has launched a cross‑border payout solution for digital creators through a partnership with MilX, the YouTube‑focused financial service. The integrated platform enables creators to receive earnings instantly in local currencies across more than 70 markets, supporting bank accounts, digital...
Fipto Becomes Europe’s First Dual-Licenced Stablecoin Payment Institution
Fipto has secured a Crypto‑Asset Service Provider (CASP) licence from France’s AMF, joining its existing Payment Institution licence from the ACPR. This makes it the first European stablecoin payment provider to hold both licences, creating a unified regulatory framework for...
