Global

April 4, 2025 @ 8:07 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Ctrl Alt will explore tokenization in the Bank of England’s Digital Securities Sandbox, analyzing how digital ledger technology can improve efficiencies whilst working with the FCA to “integrate these innovative models into new frameworks.” As confirmed in the announcement, Ctrl Alt has been officially admitted… Read More

April 3, 2025 @ 2:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), the post-trade market infrastructure for the global financial services industry, today announced a digital collateral management platform. Collateral is an essential risk mitigation tool “that helps support overall financial stability.” DTCC also noted that as the markets grow… Read More

April 3, 2025 @ 2:15 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ripple, a provider of digital asset infrastructure for financial institutions, today announced that Ripple USD (RLUSD) has been integrated into Ripple’s  payments solution, Ripple Payments, driving enterprise “utility and demand for the asset.” RLUSD is described as an “enterprise-grade,” USD-denominated stablecoin created with utility, and… Read More

April 3, 2025 @ 10:02 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, President Donald Trump outlined his plan to impose tariffs on most of the world. With a few exceptions, just about every country will be impacted by the White House’s decision. Markets reacted as expected, tanking as the anticipation of trade disruptions and price increases… Read More

April 3, 2025 @ 8:37 am By JD Alois  |  

Fuse, founded by TrueLayer veterans, has raised $6.6 million in a funding round led by Northzone. Other investors include Flourish Ventures, Alter Global, and angel investors. Fuse is a payments Fintech targeting the MENA region. The company says it is focusing on the “payments bottlenecks”… Read More

April 3, 2025 @ 8:05 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Sweden’s central bank, the Riksbank, is embracing a transformative shift in economic forecasting, as recent findings from its Monetary Policy Department reveal that artificial intelligence (AI)-based models are outperforming traditional time series models in predicting Swedish GDP and inflation. This development marks a significant leap… Read More

April 3, 2025 @ 8:04 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Quantoz Payments, a “regulated” issuer of electronic money tokens that are designed to be compliant with MiCA, announced the expansion of its stablecoins EURQ and USDQ to the Algorand (ALGO) blockchain. Algorand-based DeFi platform Folks Finance will offer trading pairs for EURQ and USDQ, providing… Read More

April 3, 2025 @ 8:03 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The European Central Bank (ECB) released the results of its Consumer Expectations Survey (CES) for February 2025, offering a look into how euro area households perceive inflation, economic growth, and their financial prospects. Conducted monthly across 11 euro area countries with around 19,000 adult participants,… Read More

April 3, 2025 @ 8:02 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Plaid, the San Francisco-based fintech infrastructure company, announced a significant milestone: a $575 million funding round that values the firm at $6.1 billion. This round, led by Franklin Templeton and joined by Fidelity, BlackRock, NEA, and Ribbit Capital, marks a pivotal moment for Plaid as… Read More

April 3, 2025 @ 12:31 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Business confidence in the United Kingdom remained robust at 49% in March, maintaining its highest level since August 2024, according to Lloyds Business Barometer. This sustained high was driven by a significant boost in confidence among retail firms, which saw “a seven-point rise to 58%,… Read More

April 3, 2025 @ 12:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Adyen (ADYEN:AMS), the financial technology platform for various companies, announced its expanded partnership with Temu, the global e-commerce platform that connects consumers with various merchandise partners, manufacturers and brands. Adyen helped Temu go live in the U.S. in 2022, and has since partnered with the… Read More

April 2, 2025 @ 11:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Allfunds (AMS: ALLFG), the WealthTech partner for the wealth and asset management industries with more than €1.5 trillion assets under administration across Mutual Funds, Alternative Assets and ETPs, announces the launch of Nextportfolio 4, the latest version of its flagship portfolio management tool, “strengthening Allfunds’… Read More

April 2, 2025 @ 6:51 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Klarna, the AI-powered payments and commerce network, announced the relaunch of Laybuy in New Zealand. The launch combines a Kiwi brand with the expertise of BNPL Fintech Klarna. With over 93 million active users and 675,000 retailers across 26 markets, Klarna’s platform will aim to… Read More

April 2, 2025 @ 4:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

A PitchBook update indicates that the venture capital ecosystem is grappling with a growing Distributed to Paid-In Capital (DPI) crisis, as exits remain elusive and liquidity pressures mount. Secondary markets, where investors buy and sell stakes in existing VC funds or companies, have been touted… Read More

April 2, 2025 @ 10:59 am By JD Alois  |  

Big UK banks and big tech have joined together to commit to battling the ongoing fraud challenge which is impacting the financial services sector. Amazon, Barclays, BT, Google, HSBC, Lloyds, Nationwide, NatWest, Match Group, Meta, Monzo, Santander, and Three joined in signing a statement to… Read More

April 2, 2025 @ 10:33 am By JD Alois  |  

Ayan Capital says it has raised £25 million in Shariah-compliant financing from institutional debt provider Partners for Growth (PFG). Ayan says the commitment reflects the rising demand for Islamic financial products in the UK. Ayan Capital already provides halal business car financing, serving private hire… Read More

April 2, 2025 @ 10:21 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Payhawk, the spend management platform, today announced the launch of “AI Office of the CFO,” a suite of AI agents that solve finance’s AI challenge: increasing finance teams’ productivity while “maintaining complete control over their operations.” With its platform managing companies’ transactions, policies, workflows, and… Read More

April 2, 2025 @ 8:38 am By Omar Faridi  |  

BitPay, a cryptocurrency payments platform and wallet provider, has officially launched its UK website and wallet app in compliance with the Financial Promotions Regime. The launch gives the UK crypto community access to a “range of consumer crypto solutions, solidifying BitPay’s commitment to a growing… Read More

April 2, 2025 @ 8:37 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The PwC Global Crypto Regulation Report 2025 offers a comprehensive analysis of the evolving regulatory environment for digital assets across more than 50 jurisdictions. The PwC research report underscores significant policy shifts and emerging trends, reflecting a global push to balance innovation with financial stability… Read More

April 2, 2025 @ 8:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Fireblocks, a digital asset security and infrastructure provider, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC Group), one of Japan’s largest banks, alongside Ava Labs and TIS Inc. This collaboration aims to explore the potential of stablecoins for wholesale payments,… Read More