February 18, 2026 @ 1:19 am By Omar Faridi  |  

KPMG has indicated that the global fintech sector experienced a notable recovery in 2025, with total investments climbing to $116 billion across approximately 4,700 deals, marking an increase from the previous year’s $95.5 billion. Research from KPMG  and other pointed out that this uptick, driven… Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 12:18 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a move impacting alternative investments, Banco Itaú International and Banco Itaú (Suisse) SA—collectively known as Banco Itaú—have deepened their alliance with Fintech platform iCapital. Announced recently, this enhanced partnership introduces various types of digital tools to streamline private markets investments for Banco Itaú’s affluent… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 10:19 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

A recent announcement impacting the insurance technology sector by Branch, an insurer based in Columbus, Ohio, aims to further strengthen an existing collaboration with Akur8 by integrating the latter’s Discover tool. This expansion, announced this month, now aims to enhance Branch’s access to real-time regulatory… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 9:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

As part of the ongoing global effort to effectively bridge traditional finance (TradFi) and the digital asset ecosystem, Binance has recently teamed up with investment firm Franklin Templeton to introduce a new institutional collateral program. This development, which went live recently, enables qualified institutional clients… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 9:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

SlowMist has indicated that in a recent surge of interest surrounding the open-source AI agent framework OpenClaw, its official plugin repository, ClawHub, has become a hotspot for developers. However, this rapid growth has drawn the attention of cybercriminals, leading to widespread supply chain attacks through… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 4:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital assets firm Circle has formally responded to the Bank of England‘s consultation on establishing a regulatory framework for systemic sterling-denominated stablecoins. This move underscores the UK’s efforts to balance financial stability with the promotion of various payment solutions. The debate over payment stablecoins, or… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 12:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

CertiK has indicated that in the advancing ecosystem of blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT), enterprises face significant obstacles in integrating real-world data with on-chain operations, while the broader crypto ecosystem grapples with sophisticated threats amplified by artificial intelligence. CertiK also pointed out that recent… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 12:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a recent interview on Bloomberg from Hong Kong, Joseph Lubin, the founder and CEO of Consensys as well as a co-founder of Ethereum, provided his perspective on the current state and future trajectory of cryptocurrency markets, with a particular focus on Ethereum’s role and… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 8:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The CB Insights State of Insurtech report indicated that the sector staged a clear rebound last year — not through a flood of speculative early bets, but through a decisive shift toward companies that have proved they can deliver scale, traction, and durable business models…. Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 8:04 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital assets platform OKX announced a regulatory milestone: it has obtained a Payment Institution (PI) license in Malta. This authorization strengthens the company’s foothold across the European Union and enables fully compliant stablecoin-based payment services just ahead of critical EU rules taking effect in March… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 8:00 am By Omar Faridi  |  

London-headquartered startup Tangible has successfully closed a $4.3 million seed funding round. This investment aims to propel the development of its innovative artificial intelligence platform, which is tailored to assist companies in the hardtech and climate hardware spaces in securing debt-based financing. The round was… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 7:20 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a recent milestone for alternative investments, Los Angeles-based Oaktree Capital Management has finalized $2.4 billion in investor commitments during the first closing of its newest fund dedicated to corporate special situations. This achievement not only marks a record for the firm’s strategy in this… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 6:46 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Investment Fund for Wales (IFW) has achieved a significant milestone as it enters its third year, announcing its largest single investment to date: a £3.5 million equity stake in Advantiv Limited, an industrial services and procurement company based in Merthyr Tydfil and Pembroke Dock…. Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 5:29 am By Omar Faridi  |  

French cryptocurrency hardware wallet maker Ledger has recently rolled out significant updates, targeting both institutional clients and everyday users. The announcements highlight the company’s ongoing push to combine ironclad security with greater flexibility in the crypto ecosystem. Recently, Ledger unveiled a new vision for its… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 12:44 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The United Kingdom has long grappled with a productivity shortfall compared to its G7 peers, such as France and Germany. A recent analysis from UK’s Starling Bank suggests that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) hold the key to bridging this divide. By embracing advanced financial… Read More

February 16, 2026 @ 7:52 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a recent development for the private credit sector, Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI) has successfully secured more than €1 billion in commitments for its latest infrastructure-focused fund. The Allianz Infrastructure Credit Opportunities Fund II (AICOF II) reached €1.007 billion at its third closing, marking a… Read More

February 16, 2026 @ 7:48 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Cyrus Nikou, Founder and Managing Partner of Atar Capital, has shared key insights focusing on the sale of Frontier Integrity Solutions (FIS) through a management buyout whole also commenting on the foreseeable future of energy infrastructure. Just this past month, Atar Capital, a Los Angeles-based global… Read More

February 16, 2026 @ 7:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In an effort to broaden investor access to specialized fixed-income strategies, Fidelity Investments has introduced actively managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) centered on collateralized loan obligations (CLOs). The Fidelity AAA CLO ETF (ticker: FAAA) and the Fidelity CLO ETF (ticker: FCLO) are designed to deliver steady… Read More

February 16, 2026 @ 5:30 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a move to significantly streamline operations, cryptocurrency exchange Gemini (NASDAQ:GEMI) has announced its withdrawal from several international markets, including the United Kingdom, European Union, and Australia. This decision, aimed at cutting costs and simplifying its global footprint, comes as the firm redirects its efforts… Read More

February 16, 2026 @ 8:38 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Credit rating agency Moody’s has highlighted potential challenges for Nuveen following its ambitious acquisition of British firm Schroders. The deal, valued at approximately $13.5 billion, is expected to burden Nuveen with substantial costs that could erode its profitability in the near term, according to Moody’s… Read More