Global

May 7, 2025 @ 7:52 am By Omar Faridi  |  

OakNorth, the digital bank for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs, has surpassed $1bn of lending in the US since it began lending there in July 2023, marking another major milestone in its US expansion. With a focus on supporting lower mid-market businesses with revenues between $1m and… Read More

May 6, 2025 @ 5:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital assets firm OKX continues to expand its role in the Web3 space with a series of updates, including enhancements to its DEX aggregator, the introduction of OKX Pay, a new digital wallet app, and the appointment of Jonathan Brockmeier as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)…. Read More

May 6, 2025 @ 2:27 pm By JD Alois  |  

The UK is racing to create new rules to regulate the stablecoin sector. Stablecoins are typically tied to another asset, like fiat currency. There have also been algorithmic stablecoins issued, with one failing spectacularly. While stablecoins are frequently affiliated with crypto as stablecoin usage is… Read More

May 6, 2025 @ 2:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a key move for the UK’s financial ecosystem, Open Banking Limited has announced that 31 organizations, including fintech TrueLayer, have committed to funding the establishment of an operator to advance commercial variable recurring payments (cVRPs). This collaborative effort, encompassing high street banks, challenger banks,… Read More

May 6, 2025 @ 12:53 pm By JD Alois  |  

Digital asset bank Syngum is reporting a “surge” in utilization of its off exchange custody service in regards to institutions using Binance. Sygnum is regulated in various jurisdictions. In Switzerland, the company holds a banking license and holds a CMS and Major Payments Institution approval… Read More

May 6, 2025 @ 11:29 am By JD Alois  |  

Latin American crypto firm Bitso has posted the list of participants in its global stablecoin startup accelerator, Push. Bitso said that over 300 companies applied to participate in the accelerator, with nine being approved as the first group in the Push Stablecoin Startup Accelerator. The… Read More

May 6, 2025 @ 7:43 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The artificial intelligence (AI) sector is experiencing an unprecedented boom, as detailed in a recent CB Insights report analyzing Q1’25 trends. The research report noted that AI funding surged to a record $66.6 billion, a 51% increase quarter-over-quarter (QoQ), driven by massive investments in infrastructure… Read More

May 6, 2025 @ 7:41 am By Omar Faridi  |  

As of April 2025, governments worldwide hold 463,741 BTC, roughly 2.3% of Bitcoin’s total supply, valued at approximately $42.9 billion, according to CoinGecko’s research. This figure reflects a decline from 529,591 BTC in July 2024, underscoring the dynamic nature of government involvement in cryptocurrencies. Meanwhile,… Read More

May 6, 2025 @ 7:37 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Hercle, a European digital asset liquidity provider, announced its integration with Talos, the provider of institutional trading and portfolio technology for digital assets. This integration brings Hercle’s institutional-grade liquidity and advanced settlement capabilities to the Talos Provider Network, “enhancing execution opportunities for institutions trading digital… Read More

May 6, 2025 @ 7:36 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

Last week, Visa used its Global Product Drop to highlight how it is using AI to improve the consumer shopping experience. “As new ways to pay emerge, they need to run on a network that is always on – that is safe, secure, scalable and… Read More

May 5, 2025 @ 3:00 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Brex’s recently published The CFO Imperative – How Finance Leaders Are Staying Ahead In a Volatile World provides a concise roadmap for finance executives navigating a business environment that has dramatically changed over the past four months. More than 500 finance executives were polled in… Read More

May 5, 2025 @ 10:30 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Tokenization is no longer just an emerging digital technology trend. It’s becoming more widely adopted, and its ecosystem is expanding steadily. Many more companies, including Polymath, are now focused on the regulated side of this transformative shift. We sat down with Vincent Kadar, CEO of… Read More

May 5, 2025 @ 9:25 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The European Union’s framework for systemically important payment systems (PSs) and central securities depositories/securities settlement systems (CSDs/SSSs) has been deemed complete and consistent with the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures (PFMI), according to a recent report by the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI)… Read More

May 5, 2025 @ 7:47 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The rise of bitcoin treasury companies is reshaping capital markets, with firms like Twenty One behind a seemingly transformative wave. Greg Cipolaro, Global Head of Research at NYDIG, recently highlighted the significant “dry powder” these companies possess, capable of driving bitcoin prices higher. This trend,… Read More

May 5, 2025 @ 7:45 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Ryan Breslow, Founder and CEO of Bolt, has unveiled the Bolt Finance & Crypto Super App, now accessible from the Apple and Google Play Stores. With a vision to emulate the transformative impact of WeChat in China, Breslow’s latest venture aims to consolidate and simplify… Read More

May 5, 2025 @ 7:43 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Chainalysis has unveiled Sentinel, an ecosystem monitoring solution designed to enable crypto token issuers with tools to manage compliance risks and support / participate in safer, more transparent markets. As stablecoins and tokenized assets become more widely adopted, Sentinel arrives at an important juncture, addressing… Read More

May 4, 2025 @ 11:57 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Estateguru, a European investment and financing platform for relatively small loans, continues to focus on the crowdfunding space. Estateguru has reported substantial repayments and a notable interest payout milestone, along with other key updates. In March, Estateguru reported €9.6 million in repayments to its investors, … Read More

May 4, 2025 @ 10:11 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The financial services landscape in the European Union and the United Kingdom has undergone significant transformation since the UK’s departure from the EU, marking the end of a harmonized regulatory framework that once relied on passporting rights across EU Member States. This divergence, coupled with… Read More

May 4, 2025 @ 10:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Crypto exchange Kraken recently uncovered a sophisticated attempt by a North Korean hacker to infiltrate its operations through a seemingly innocuous job application. The incident, detailed by Kraken on May 1, 2025, highlights the evolving tactics of state-sponsored cyber threats targeting the crypto industry, with… Read More

May 4, 2025 @ 9:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Klarna, the AI-powered payments and commerce network, crossed 11 million active customers and has doubled its merchant base in a year “to 60,000, launching with names like Argos, eBay, Eurostar and John Lewis.” The UK is now Klarna’s third-biggest market globally, “with revenue up 30%… Read More