May 1, 2025 @ 10:48 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is spearheading transformative initiatives in global finance, leveraging various technologies to enhance efficiency and interoperability in financial systems. Two recent projects, Project Meridian FX and Project Promissa, exemplify this commitment, addressing critical challenges in foreign exchange (FX) transactions and… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 8:37 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The cryptocurrency ecosystem continues to face relentless challenges from hacks, scams, and sophisticated laundering operations, with 2025 already marking a grim milestone in crypto crime. According to detailed research reports from Immunefi, Elliptic, and Chainalysis, the scale of financial losses and illicit activity in the… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 8:32 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Circle has announced that Sonic, a so-called “high-performance” EVM Layer-1 blockchain, will transition from the Bridged USDC Standard to native USDC while integrating support for Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol V2 (CCTP V2). This upgrade, set to commence with a bridging pause on May 6, 2025,… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 8:29 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), the world’s derivatives and securities exchange network, announced it has begun to offer trading in its new Cboe FTSE Bitcoin Index futures. These cash-settled futures, reportedly based on the FTSE Bitcoin Reduced Value Index (Ticker: XBTF), are the latest… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 12:01 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Janus Henderson Investors has become issuer of actively managed Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) on SIX Swiss Exchange. This addition aims to provide further choice to investors. With Janus Henderson Investors, SIX welcomes its “18th issuer of active ETFs and 30th ETF issuer overall on the… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 11:56 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Edward Jones is expanding its offerings to include alternative investments available to eligible clients in Edward Jones Generations, the firm’s private client service for U.S. high net worth investors (HNWIs). This move underscores the firm’s commitment to “providing sophisticated financial products, solutions and personalized experiences… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 11:02 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Experian announced the expansion of its Experian Marketplace portfolio with the addition of Root Insurance, a technology company powering insurance solutions. This partnership gives consumers another carrier option “for affordable and personalized car insurance with a streamlined shopping experience.” Consumers who choose Root Insurance will… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 11:00 am By Omar Faridi  |  

  Bill Zielke, Chief Revenue Officer at BitPay, the world’s provider of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payment services, has shared key insights with CI on how stablecoins are gaining traction and how they can be leveraged to enhance operations. While stablecoins are typically affiliated with the broader… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 10:52 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Phixius by Nacha—a peer-to-peer payment information network—announced that ValidiFI is live on the Phixius network as an additional provider of bank account validation. Phixius now offers multiple providers of account validation, “expanding the coverage of account validation data for Phixius users.” Rob Unger, Managing Director… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 7:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

After a strong first quarter, business confidence fell by 10 points in April to 39%, according to the Lloyds Business Barometer, though it remains higher than “levels seen in first quarter and above the long-term average of 29%.” The decline was driven mainly by “a… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 7:04 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Payments processing Fintech Stripe has recently announced two significant updates that underscore its objective to advancing financial technology and enhancing user experience. The company has partnered with Visa through its newly acquired stablecoin platform, Bridge, to launch a card-issuing product, and has expanded its AI-powered… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 7:00 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The United Kingdom is taking decisive steps toward regulating the evolving crypto-asset sector with the release of its draft crypto regime, a move that integrates key activities such as trading, custody, lending, and staking into the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) framework. Laura Talvitie,… Read More

May 1, 2025 @ 2:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) financial landscape in 2025 is poised for transformative shifts, driven by evolving regulatory frameworks and the rapid adoption of blockchain-based digital currencies. Citigroup’s recent reports offer critical insights into these trends, highlighting the interplay between regulatory developments and technological breakthroughs. As financial… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 9:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a significant development for India’s startup ecosystem, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) reportedly detained Puneet Singh Jaggi, co-founder of BluSmart, from a Delhi hotel on April 25, 2025. The detention is said to be linked to an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities at Gensol… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 9:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In its 2025 Pay by Bank report, TrueLayer, Europe’s open banking payments provider, outlines a transformative vision for ecommerce payments, positioning Pay by Bank as a key innovation in the competitive checkout landscape. Authored by CEO Francesco Simoneschi and VP Jack Wilson, the report details… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 3:15 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The global financial landscape is undergoing a shift, with central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) projected to facilitate $213 billion in transactions by 2030. As central banks worldwide race to design the future of public money, a new report, Hyperledger in Action: Central Bank Digital Currencies… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 12:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Alex Mashinsky, the former CEO of crypto firm Celsius Network, has pleaded guilty to fraud charges, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal scrutiny of the collapsed crypto lending platform. The U.S. Department of Justice is said to be seeking a 20-year prison sentence… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 10:37 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The corporate venture capital (CVC) landscape in Q1 2025 reflects a strategic shift toward selective, high-impact investments, as detailed in CB Insights’ State of CVC Q1’25 Report. With global CVC-backed deal volume dropping to a seven-year low, corporations are prioritizing quality over quantity, channeling larger… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 8:39 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The European Crypto Initiative (EUCI) has ushered in a transformative phase for cryptocurrency regulation with the release of The AML Handbook: A Guide for Crypto Activities. This comprehensive guide introduces 13 pivotal compliance pillars that crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) must adopt to align with the… Read More

April 30, 2025 @ 8:18 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The UK’s capital markets, a key part of its financial ecosystem, are undergoing a digital transformation driven by distributed ledger technology (DLT) and securities tokenization. A report by TheCityUK and Hogan Lovells, titled “The Digitalisation of UK Capital Markets: Digitalised Financial Market Infrastructure and Tokenised Bonds,”… Read More