Nigeria’s Fintech Regulatory Landscape: What Global Investors Should Know
Nigeria is rapidly reshaping its fintech regulatory framework through several landmark statutes. The Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 streamlines company registration, while the Investments and Securities Act 2025 expands the SEC’s authority over digital finance. New SEC rules bring crypto‑assets under securities law, imposing KYC, AML and licensing requirements. Together with the NIPC Act, FEMPA and the Nigeria Startup Act, these reforms lower entry barriers for foreign investors and align the market with global standards.
Emirates NBD Issues World’s Largest Dual-Tranche Blue-Green Bond by a Financial Institution
Emirates NBD has issued a $1 billion dual‑tranche sustainable bond, the world’s largest blue‑green bond from a financial institution. The offering comprises a $300 million blue tranche with a three‑year tenor and a $700 million green tranche with a five‑year tenor under its...
Zodia Custody Becomes First Global Custodian to Support Australia’s AUDM Stablecoin
Zodia Custody announced it will provide institutional‑grade custody for AUDM, the Australian dollar‑backed stablecoin issued by Macropod. This makes Zodia the first global custodian to support Australia’s first licensed stablecoin, integrating the token into its cold‑storage infrastructure. The partnership gives...
The Future of Stablecoins: A Global Financial Shift
Mark Walker and Aishwary Gupta explore how stablecoins are reshaping the global financial system, highlighting their role in bridging fiat and crypto markets. They examine the rapid growth of dollar‑pegged tokens, which now hold over $150 billion in circulation, and the...
Hub71 Strengthens UAE-Ireland Ties with Venturewave Capital Partnership
Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech hub, has signed a strategic partnership with Ireland’s Venturewave Capital, marking the first Irish venture‑capital partner for the ecosystem. The alliance targets reciprocal growth pathways for startups in both regions, emphasizing impact sectors such as...
FinTech Australia Welcomes Productivity Commission’s Call for Universal Open Banking
FinTech Australia welcomed the Productivity Commission’s final inquiry report on data and digital technology, which estimates the Consumer Data Right (CDR) could add up to $10 billion to Australia’s GDP each year. The report rejects a de‑minimis exemption for small banks,...
Maalexi to Launch World’s First Agricultural Asset Token Exchange on Avalanche
Maalexi, an Abu Dhabi‑based agri‑trade fintech, is launching MAATEX, the world’s first agricultural asset token exchange built on the Avalanche blockchain. The platform will issue Maalexi Agri Tokens (MATs) that represent insured, audited and legally owned commodities, enabling instant cross‑border...
Ziina Launches ‘Violet’ Lifestyle Membership to Cut Currency Fees and Boost Loyalty
Ziina, the UAE’s leading digital wallet, unveiled Ziina Violet, a subscription‑based lifestyle membership priced at AED 100 per month. The service promises over AED 850 in monthly value by eliminating foreign‑exchange fees on the Ziina Card and bundling discounts from partners such...
Nant Global Finance Launches Fully Integrated Blockchain-Enabled Capital Markets Platform
Nant Global Finance (NANT) unveiled a fully integrated blockchain‑enabled capital markets platform that combines U.S. broker‑dealer, exchange, and transfer‑agency capabilities. The rollout follows the acquisition of GlobexUS Holdings, BlockAgent, and Equity Stock Transfer, with pending purchases of AOS, Digital Offering...
Arab Financial Services Launches SoftPOS in Egypt Following Central Bank Approval
Arab Financial Services (AFS) has secured a Central Bank of Egypt license and launched its SoftPOS solution nationwide, turning any NFC‑enabled Android smartphone into a fully licensed tap‑to‑phone payment terminal. The technology eliminates the need for traditional point‑of‑sale hardware, offering...
Visa and Akamai Join Forces to Secure the Next Era of ‘Agentic Commerce’
Visa has teamed with cybersecurity leader Akamai to launch a trust layer for the fast‑growing “agentic commerce” market, where autonomous AI agents shop on behalf of users. The collaboration embeds Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol into Akamai’s behavioral‑intelligence platform to verify...
Payment Accessibility Is Now Business Critical: New Report Reveals Billions Excluded at the Checkout
Castles Technology’s new report warns that billions of consumers are excluded from modern point‑of‑sale systems due to visual, motor, hearing and cognitive impairments. The study estimates UK retailers lose £70 billion each year as disabled shoppers abandon purchases, and highlights the...
TON Foundation Taps OpenPayd for Global Fiat Infrastructure
The TON Foundation announced a partnership with OpenPayd to provide a single‑API global fiat infrastructure for its blockchain ecosystem. The integration will enable seamless multi‑currency treasury management and faster grant disbursements across borders. TON’s blockchain, embedded in Telegram’s Mini App...
DTCC Partners with Digital Asset to Tokenize U.S. Treasuries on Canton Network
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has teamed with Digital Asset and the Canton Network to launch a tokenized version of U.S. Treasury securities. The partnership follows a recent SEC no‑action letter that clears the regulatory path for real‑world...
Transparency Analytics Secures Second Funding Round to Transform Private Credit Ratings
Transparency Analytics announced its second funding round, led by Deciens Capital and joined by investors such as Allianz Life Ventures, Mouro Capital, FJ Labs, SUM Ventures, and Core Innovation Capital. The fintech aims to bring quantitative, real‑time ratings to the...
Solflare Debuts In-Wallet AI Assistant to Bring ‘Intent-Based’ Trading to Solana Users
Solflare, a leading non‑custodial Solana wallet, unveiled the alpha version of Solflare AI, an in‑wallet large‑language‑model assistant, at Solana Breakpoint 2025. The tool lets users issue plain‑language commands to execute trades, set price alerts, and pull live social‑sentiment data without...
Octopus Energy and GoCardless Complete £12bn Direct Debit Migration
Octopus Energy has completed one of the UK’s largest Direct Debit migrations, transferring 5.5 million customer mandates and £12 billion in payments to fintech platform GoCardless. The move accelerates refund processing, cutting typical times from five days to one‑two days via an...
Xsolla Expands MTN Mobile Money Support to Congo-Brazzaville and Zambia
Xsolla, the global video‑game commerce platform, has added MTN Mobile Money support for Congo‑Brazzaville and Zambia, extending its African payment footprint. Mobile money now accounts for over 5% of GDP across key African markets, generating roughly $14.5 billion in transaction volume...
Mastercard and LoanPro Partner to Launch ‘Loan on Card’ Solution
Mastercard and fintech lender LoanPro announced a partnership to introduce a “Loan on Card” solution, targeting a 2026 rollout. The service will embed fixed‑term installment loans onto Mastercard’s global network, allowing lenders to fund borrowers via virtual or physical cards...
