January 7, 2026 @ 12:28 pm By JD Alois  |  

We need banking services; we just don’t necessarily need banks.  The advent of digital assets and the potential for disintermediation pose both threats and opportunities for traditional banks. Stablecoins may upend traditional financial rails, and the GENIUS Act provided a federal path for firms to… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 11:53 am By Omar Faridi  |  

xAI has reportedly closed a $20 billion Series E funding round. Announced on January 7, 2026, this infusion of capital is set to propel the company’s ambitious goals, focusing on enhancing its flagship AI model, Grok, and establishing what could become the planet’s most extensive… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 11:33 am By JD Alois  |  

Netcapital, best known for its online capital formation services, has announced that it has acquired the assets of Iverson Design, LLC, a developer of AI-powered design and visualization tools The deal terms involved Netcapital issuing 80,000 shares of its common stock for the purchase of… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 11:23 am By JD Alois  |  

RedStone CEO and co-founder Marcin Kaźmierczak is critiquing the recent report of a bet on Polymarket that presciently anticipated the raid on Venezuela which saw dictator Nicolas Maduro bundled up and transferred to a US prison. As was reported, a new account on the prediction… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 9:06 am By JD Alois  |  

The American Fintech Council (AFC) has issued a statement on the regulation of banks and non-banks. In a letter submitted to the FDIC, the CFPB, the FTC, the OCC, and the Federal Reserve, the group stated that “banks are banks, and non-banks are non-banks” and… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 8:46 am By JD Alois  |  

Digital Asset reports that JPM Coin (JPMD) is now on its Canton Network, an enterprise-friendly blockchain. Digital Asset is working with JP Morgan’s Kinesys vertical to enable the offering. The project is said to be taking a “phased approach” throughout 2026. Payment tokens, or stablecoins, received an important… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 8:06 am By Omar Faridi  |  

UK Finance noted in a blog post that as the new year begins, the prospect of a retail Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), referred to as the ‘Digital Pound,’ continues to linger in the UK’s financial landscape without a definitive green light. Initiated by the… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 8:00 am By JD Alois  |  

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has received approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer the ACS Triparty Service within its existing Fixed Income Clearing Corporation’s (FICC’s) Agent Clearing Service (ACS) offering. The ACS Triparty Service aims to improve access to central… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 3:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Grayscale Investments‘ latest market update paints a picture of subdued cryptocurrency activity in December, contrasted by early signs of revival in 2026. While prices and fund flows remained largely range-bound amid holiday-season lethargy, underlying fundamentals accelerated, offering optimism for the year ahead. Grayscale also mentioned… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 2:44 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a significant move signaling its business expansion plans beyond the Asia-Pacific region, Australian fintech Airwallex has unveiled plans to pour approximately 200 million euros—equivalent to about $233.64 million—into the Netherlands over the coming five years. This investment marks a pivotal step in the company’s… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 2:25 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a yet another move signaling the ongoing convergence of traditional finance and digital assets, Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) has submitted applications to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focused on Bitcoin (BTC) and Solana (SOL). This development represents an expansion… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 2:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

As 2o26 begins, global markets exhibited a blend of equity gains, stabilizing debt conditions, as well as uneven real estate performance, according to PitchBook‘s December 2025 Global Markets Snapshot report. Released on January 5, 2026, with data through December 31, 2025, the report underscores a… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 1:55 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Regtech Prove explained that in an era where cyber threats evolve unpredictably, traditional multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods are increasingly falling short. Solutions now relying on SMS-delivered one-time passcodes (OTPs) have become vulnerable to sophisticated attacks like SIM swapping and phishing, while also creating unnecessary hurdles… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 1:17 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In the wake of recent geopolitical shifts, reports have emerged suggesting that Venezuela could possess a substantial, undisclosed stash of Bitcoin, potentially valued in the tens of billions of dollars. This new claim / revelation comes amid heightened tensions following US military actions that led… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 1:07 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Bank of England‘s latest Money and Credit statistics for November 2025 reveal a mixed but modestly improving picture of the UK economy, with increases in mortgage lending and consumer borrowing amid ongoing uncertainties. According to the data, net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 12:45 am By Omar Faridi  |  

As 2026 unfolds, the US economy stands at a crossroads of opportunity and uncertainty, with projections varying amid global shifts and domestic policies. Economists anticipate modest growth, ranging from 0.4% to 2.2% in real GDP, influenced by factors like fiscal stimulus, monetary easing, and potential… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 12:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

As the new year begins, the economic landscape is immediately dominated by a surge of employment-related indicators, offering fresh insights into the labor market’s trajectory. This week promises a packed schedule of reports that could shape perceptions of the US economy, particularly amid concerns over… Read More

January 6, 2026 @ 4:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

Global securities lending rocketed to $15.3 billion in 2025, up 26% year over year. This is according to a report from EquiLend, a Fintech offering trading, data & analytics, as well as Regtech. The big number is 13% higher than the previous high set in… Read More

January 6, 2026 @ 3:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

While there are a lot of things that California is great at, think beautiful weather, beaches, and mountains, when it comes to serving the residents, it seems the Golden State is further down the list. The annual UHAUL report on one-way customers using their service indicates… Read More

January 6, 2026 @ 2:53 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In an online environment where personal data has become quite a valuable commodity, California is said to now be leading the charge with a range of digital tools to enable individuals in managing their digital footprints. On January 1, 2026, the state introduced the Delete… Read More