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Curated industry news and original merchant playbooks.
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general
industry-news
Fiserv Unifies Financial and Merchant Divisions to Unlock Growth Opportunities
Fiserv merges its merchant and financial divisions to streamline payment tech and expand embedded finance options for retailers.
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industry-news
U.S. Bank Recruits Citi Executive to Lead Payments in Key Growth Sectors
U.S. Bank taps Citi veteran Calvert Lange to lead payment and merchant sales across key retail and automotive growth sectors.
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technology
Klarna expands Nordics anti-fraud toolkit with new live call verification tool
Klarna introduces a real-time call verification tool to combat phishing, boosting security for BNPL users and reducing merchant fraud risk.
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technology
Fiserv’s CEO eyes monetization
Fiserv’s new strategy focuses on blending payment processing with banking services to offer merchants more integrated financing and software tools.
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lender-updates
Klarna props up new Apple phones
Klarna moves into high-ticket electronics leasing, offering U.S. consumers new ways to finance $2,000 Apple devices outside of traditional carrier contracts.
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industry-news
Revolut hit by data breach after fake government email scam
A sophisticated phishing scam using official government emails compromised sensitive customer data at Revolut, highlighting new risks for digital finance.
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technology
Worldline enables agentic commerce payments via Universal Commerce Protocol
Worldline adopts the Universal Commerce Protocol, enabling AI assistants to securely handle and complete retail payments for consumers.
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general
regulation
Ez Britton appointed to steer UK open finance blueprint
UK appoints lead for Open Finance blueprint, paving the way for more accurate consumer credit data and higher financing approval rates.
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industry-news
Saudi fintech Tabby raises $233m
Middle Eastern BNPL giant Tabby hits $6.5B valuation, signaling continued global momentum for point-of-sale installment lending.
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general
technology
Banking has an AI blind spot: the human intelligence gap
As lenders swap human expertise for AI algorithms, merchants face new risks in credit consistency and compliance oversight.
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technology
Bank of Ireland and Stripe strike digital transformation deal
Bank of Ireland taps Stripe to modernize merchant payments, promising faster processing and better digital tools for business operators.
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technology
Worldline to accept agentic AI payments
Worldline enables payments made by AI agents, signaling a shift toward autonomous shopping and automated customer transactions.
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general
regulation
What banks can expect if Democrats sweep Congress
A Democratic congressional sweep could usher in stricter consumer protection laws and tighter oversight for point-of-sale financing providers.
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lender-updates
YouLend and Dojo partnership reaches $2bn funding milestone
A major $2 billion funding milestone highlights the growing shift toward getting business capital directly through your payment provider.
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industry-news
This Week in Consumer Financing: The Rise of the AI Agent and Digital Asset Wallets
AI shopping assistants, stablecoin retail bridges, and new fintech heavyweights are reshaping the checkout experience.
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general
technology
The cost of friction: What 1,500 merchants told us about payments in 2026
New data shows that seamless payment integration and low-friction financing will be the primary drivers of merchant and customer loyalty by 2026.
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technology
Mastercard’s Sherri Haymond on Letting AI Shop While Consumers Stay in Charge
Mastercard explores how AI agents will soon handle the entire shopping journey, from product discovery to choosing the best way to pay.
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technology
77% Would Choose Their Existing Financial App for a Digital Asset Wallet
Consumers want to spend digital assets through the trusted financial apps they already use, signaling a shift toward mainstream merchant adoption.
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medical
technology
Healthcare AI Agents Help Patients Get Care Faster
AI agents are moving beyond chat to automate medical billing, insurance verification, and payment workflows for healthcare providers.
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technology
Chift raises €10.5m to build financial connectivity layer for the AI era
Chift’s new funding aims to bridge the gap between financial apps, promising smoother data flow for merchant and consumer financing.
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industry-news
PayPal’s New CEO Bets on Going It Alone After $50 Billion Buyout Stalls
PayPal moves forward as a standalone company after $50 billion buyout talks fail, signaling a renewed focus on core payment and BNPL innovation.
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general
industry-news
Citizens sues SoFi as fights over talent, pipelines persist
Citizens Bank hits SoFi with a racketeering lawsuit, alleging the fintech giant stole lending teams and confidential data to gain a market edge.
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general
lender-updates
Nubank launches in the U.S. through a sponsor bank
Brazilian fintech giant Nubank enters the U.S. market through Lead Bank, signaling new competition in consumer credit and digital lending.
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general
regulation
Federal Agencies Overhaul Bank Partner Rules to Drive Innovation
New federal guidance targets bank-fintech partnerships, signaling stricter compliance and oversight for consumer financing programs.
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technology
OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Financial Service
OpenAI’s new finance-specific ChatGPT will help lenders speed up credit modeling and improve customer communication through secure generative AI.
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technology
Sionic makes leadership appointments
Real-time payment provider Sionic taps new leadership to scale bank-to-bank transactions at the point of sale.
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general
regulation
New York tells banks to find their single points of failure
New York regulators are requiring lenders to identify vendor dependencies that could cause systemic outages for merchants and consumers.
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general
technology
BVNK and Marqeta dangle a payments lure for stablecoins
BVNK and Marqeta partner to integrate stablecoin payments into mainstream retail via the Mastercard network.
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automotive
technology
Rivian’s AI Agents Cut 15 Days From Every Close
Rivian leverages AI to automate complex manufacturing finance tasks, cutting 15 days of manual labor from its financial close cycle.
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general
industry-news
First Citizens deepens presence in Midwest, Great Plains
First Citizens expands its branch footprint across 11 states while Checkout.com enters the U.S. market, signaling shifts in regional credit and payments.
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general
regulation
GENIUS Act Pushes Stablecoin Compliance Into Banks’ Back Offices
New stablecoin regulations are forcing banks to upgrade compliance, paving the way for digital tokens to become a standardized consumer payment method.
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technology
OpenAI Targets the Work Junior Bankers Do
OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Financial Services, promising to automate complex analyst work and speed up data-heavy financial decision-making.
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general
regulation
Fed, Bowman sued over capital-requirements process
A new lawsuit alleges secret meetings between the Fed and big banks, a move that could delay regulatory clarity and impact consumer lending appetites.
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general
regulation
Regulators propose new guidance on core providers
Federal regulators propose stricter oversight for core tech providers to increase transparency and prevent disruptions in banking and credit services.
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general
technology
Visa offers data to back onchain lending
Visa’s new blockchain data tools aim to help lenders approve more customers by tapping into stablecoin and digital asset histories.
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general
regulation
California Starts Regulating the People Who Audit AI
California's new AI auditing laws will force consumer lenders to be more transparent about the algorithms used to approve customer financing.
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industry-news
PayPal CEO plans for a ‘fix’
PayPal CEO Alex Chriss restructures the company into three units to streamline consumer financing and payment processing for merchants.
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industry-news
NatWest hires former Ikea exec to lead customer experience and digital engagement
NatWest hires IKEA veteran Harsh Agarwal to bring retail-style customer experience and digital seamlessness to its banking and lending operations.
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general
regulation
Banks keep cannabis at arm’s length over perceived risk: GAO
A GAO report finds that federal regulatory fears continue to block cannabis retailers from accessing mainstream banking and financing.
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technology
72% of US consumers have used an AI assistant – Visa Trust Index
Visa data shows most shoppers now use AI assistants, signaling a shift toward automated, personalized consumer financing experiences at the point of sale.
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general
technology
How Navy Federal harnesses AI to confront scam activity
Navy Federal’s shift toward AI-driven scam detection highlights a new era of behavioral security for consumer financing and retail transactions.
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lender-updates
Fifth Third is trying to make a bigger bank feel simpler
Fifth Third Bank modernizes its digital infrastructure to simplify consumer lending and improve the point-of-sale experience.
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technology
As banks' AI use evolves, core truths about the business still apply
AI is transforming the speed of consumer lending, but business owners must ensure the technology doesn't compromise the customer experience.
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technology
Coinbase and Moov partner to boost stablecoin payments for community banks ahead of CLARITY vote
Coinbase and Moov team up to bring stablecoin payments to local banks, paving the way for faster, cheaper retail transactions.
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technology
Paysera lets clients connect AI assistants to payments
Paysera launches new access tokens allowing merchants to bridge the gap between their payment accounts and AI-driven accounting tools.
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technology
Saldo Bank and finperks partner to drive rewards and cashback to users in Finland and beyond
Saldo Bank and finperks partner to integrate automated rewards and cashback into consumer lending products across Finland and Europe.
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general
regulation
9/11 inspired counterterrorism. Now we have counter-fraud.
Federal anti-terror tools are being repurposed to fight consumer fraud, leading to tighter security and new data-sharing norms for lenders.
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general
technology
Unlimit expands its Asia-Pacific presence with Hong Kong money service operator licence
Global fintech Unlimit secures a Hong Kong MSO license, streamlining international payment processing and cross-border expansion for digital merchants.
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general
industry-news
FinTechs See 146 Million Reasons to Target Credit Unions
Credit unions are teaming up with FinTechs to offer modern financing to 146 million members, creating new lending opportunities for merchants.
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technology
49% of Firms Use Bank Account Data to Flag Fraud
New data reveals that most businesses are sitting on underutilized bank account data that could drastically reduce financing fraud.
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industry-news
FinTechs Are Shopping for Very Different Charters
Fintech giants are becoming formal banks, promising more stable and diverse financing options for retail operators and their customers.
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general
regulation
Industry backs UK National Payments Vision but confidence it will work lags
UK industry leaders support a major overhaul of national payment systems but remain skeptical about the government's ability to execute the plan.
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general
technology
Hungary's CIB Bank offers customers free contactless payment rings
CIB Bank and Visa partner to offer contactless payment rings, signaling a shift toward wearable, friction-free checkout experiences for retail operators.
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technology
Blik records first agentic payment transaction
Blik completes its first AI-driven transaction, ushering in an era where software agents hunt for products and execute payments automatically.
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technology
AI Agents Need Permissioned Funding Sources. Not Company Bank Accounts.
AI agents are moving into commerce, requiring new programmable payment methods that move beyond traditional bank accounts and credit cards.
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technology
OpenAI Focuses On Investment Banking Ahead of Wider Financial Services Rollout
OpenAI launches a dedicated financial services platform, signaling a major shift toward AI-driven credit modeling and personalized consumer finance.
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technology
Cash App Pilots No-Fee Business Tools for Sole Proprietors
Cash App’s new no-fee pilot lets sole proprietors accept payments and manage earnings directly through personal accounts.
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general
regulation
The 9/11 attacks marked a sea change in bank regulation
How post-9/11 security laws created the identity verification and KYC hurdles that define modern consumer financing.
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technology
US Bank partners with Stellar to test stablecoin
U.S. Bank tests Stellar-based stablecoins, signaling a future of faster settlements and lower transaction friction for merchants.
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regulation
Regulators allow more banks to opt for 18-month exam cycle
Federal regulators extend the exam cycle for nearly 200 community banks, potentially easing operational burdens for local consumer lending partners.
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general
technology
Experian Deploys Real-Time AI Decisioning Across Lending Marketplaces
Experian’s new AI engine speeds up credit approvals and improves offer accuracy for consumers shopping for personal loans and credit cards.
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general
technology
Finix unveils Android-enabled payment devices
Finix expands its hardware suite with Android tablets designed to unify in-store and online payment experiences for modern retailers.
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Coinbase and Moov Team to Help Community Banks Embrace Stablecoins
Coinbase and Moov are bringing stablecoin settlement to community banks, promising faster payment speeds and real-time funding for local businesses.
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general
regulation
NYDF issues cybersecurity guidance
New York's DFS issues strict new cybersecurity risk assessment rules that will impact how lenders and merchants handle consumer data.
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lender-updates
Upstart: Lending’s oldest truism is not true for us
Upstart’s AI-driven Q2 results suggest a new era where high approval rates and lender profitability can coexist, stabilizing credit access for shoppers.
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general
regulation
DOJ’s New Fraud Division Puts Data at Center of Corporate Enforcement
The DOJ’s new National Fraud Enforcement Division will use proactive data analytics to hunt for corporate misconduct in financial transactions.
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general
industry-news
Walmart Expands Tap to Pay as Amazon Builds Its AI Capacity
Walmart ends its holdout on Apple Pay and Google Pay, signaling a major shift toward universal contactless payment acceptance in retail.
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general
regulation
Lawsuit accuses Bowman, Fed of 'rigging' comment process
A new lawsuit alleges the Fed 'rigged' the comment process for capital rules, a move that could ultimately impact consumer credit availability.
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general
regulation
Trump renews his calls to cap credit card fees
Renewed political pressure to cap credit card swipe fees could lead to significant cost savings for retail merchants and service providers.
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home-improvement
industry-news
Reports: Home Services Giant, A1 Garage, to be Acquired for $2 Billion
KKR's $2 billion acquisition of A1 Garage Door Service highlights the growing importance of institutional scale and consumer financing in the home services sector.
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general
technology
Arva AI opens Research Lab to banish human-in-the-loop for financial crime and fraud
Arva AI launches new research lab to automate high-risk financial decisions, promising faster approvals and less friction for consumer financing.
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general
regulation
Trump pledges card fee cuts, again
Proposed caps on credit card fees could slash merchant overhead but may lead to tighter consumer credit approvals.
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industry-news
Chime outgrew bank partner model, CEO says
Chime’s acquisition of Stride Bank marks a shift away from the partner-bank model, promising faster product innovation and tighter regulatory control.
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lender-updates
Zip explores an EWA play
BNPL provider Zip considers adding Earned Wage Access to its U.S. toolkit, aiming to smooth out consumer spending cycles for merchants.
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technology
Nacha forms Next-Gen Currency Project Team focused on stablecoins and tokenized deposits
The governing body for ACH payments is exploring how to integrate stablecoins and digital assets into the mainstream payment ecosystem.
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technology
EPC delays address format migration timeline
European payment authorities extend the timeline for mandatory address data changes, giving merchants more time to update payment systems.
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technology
How Casap is rethinking dispute resolution with agentic AI
New AI agents aim to automate the payment dispute lifecycle, cutting resolution times and reducing manual workloads for merchants.
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technology
AI agents don't have to fail in order to cause major problems for banks
AI agents in finance can create hidden liabilities by being 'too efficient' at meeting goals while ignoring safety and compliance rules.
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technology
Bank FOMO fueling AI spending, Accenture exec says
Banks are spending big on AI to stay competitive, but retailers won't see significant changes to financing efficiency until lenders overhaul their workflows.
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general
regulation
BMO payments partner to pay $12M for serving shell companies
A $12 million FTC settlement highlights the growing regulatory pressure on payment processors to vet merchants and eliminate shell company fraud.
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technology
Nationwide rips out legacy systems and migrates 15 million customers to new core platform
Nationwide modernizes its core banking tech, signaling a shift toward faster, more reliable digital financing tools for consumers and merchants.
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technology
Ant International, Visa and Mastercard to develop 'Know-Your-Agent' framework
Visa and Mastercard's new 'Know-Your-Agent' framework aims to slash onboarding friction and boost security for global digital payment networks.
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technology
Mastercard to boost digital wallet uptake with Wallet Pay
Mastercard's new Wallet Pay initiative aims to streamline digital wallet interoperability, simplifying how customers use stored financing at checkout.
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technology
43% of Consumers See Digital Wallets in Their AI Shopping Future
New data reveals that nearly half of shoppers expect digital wallets to lead the AI shopping revolution, making seamless checkout a top priority for retailers.
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general
technology
CFOs Keep Payment Complexity From Eating Into Margins
Modernizing payment systems is now a business model necessity to prevent operational complexity from draining retail profit margins.
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technology
US Bank pilots custom-built stablecoin
U.S. Bank tests a proprietary stablecoin to enable instant, 24/7 international money transfers and faster settlement for business clients.
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technology
HelmGuard raises $7.3m for agentic GRC platform
HelmGuard secures $7.3M to automate financial compliance using AI agents, promising to streamline high-stakes regulatory workflows.
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technology
Consumer trust in agentic payments continues to lag
New Visa data shows only 23% of shoppers trust AI to handle payments, even as they embrace AI for product research and discovery.
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technology
HelmGuard raises $7.3m to for agentic GRC platform
HelmGuard raises $7.3M to automate financial compliance using AI agents, promising to reduce the regulatory burden for lenders.
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technology
MVB Partners With Velocity for Visa Direct Stablecoin Settlement Pilot
MVB and Velocity launch a Visa Direct pilot using stablecoins to speed up business payouts and simplify cross-border settlement.
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industry-news
Tether Enters Private Credit Space With Fasanara Partnership
Tether's $3 billion move into private credit could boost liquidity for fintech lenders and consumer financing platforms.
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industry-news
FDIC won't have to return $1.71 billion to SVB creditors
A federal judge rules the FDIC can keep $1.71 billion from Silicon Valley Bank, citing management negligence during the 2023 collapse.
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technology
PayPal Debuts Developer Platform Tied to PYUSD Stablecoin
PayPal launches PYUSDx to help developers build new financial products and credit tools using its stablecoin infrastructure.
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technology
Nacha Launches Initiative to Explore Stablecoins in Money Movement
The operator of the ACH network is exploring stablecoins to enable faster, more efficient money movement for businesses.
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technology
Splitit and Jack Henry Team to Help Banks Compete With BNPL
Splitit and Jack Henry join forces to give local banks the tools to offer seamless BNPL options directly to their customers.
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industry-news
MercadoLibre Taps Global Investors to Fuel Logistics and FinTech Growth
Latin American e-commerce giant MercadoLibre raises new debt to scale its fintech arm, signaling a global shift toward embedded consumer credit.
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lender-updates
Funding Circle CEO Lisa Jacobs to step down
Funding Circle CEO Lisa Jacobs announces her departure by 2027 following the lending platform's return to profitability.
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general
industry-news
Circle to buy Tazapay for $400M
Circle’s $400M acquisition of Tazapay signals a faster, blockchain-backed future for international retail payments and cross-border commerce.
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general
technology
BVNK and Marqeta partner on stablecoin card infrastructure
A new partnership between BVNK and Marqeta allows customers to spend stablecoins via branded cards, bridging the gap between digital assets and retail checkout.
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technology
Marqeta Turns to BVNK for Stablecoin-Backed Card Capabilities
Marqeta and BVNK partner to bridge the gap between stablecoins and everyday consumer card payments for retail and fintech providers.