July 16, 2025 @ 9:49 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Smart Pension, one of the UK’s workplace pension providers, has appointed Raj Mody as a Trustee Director of the Smart Pension Master Trust Board, taking on the role of Chairman from 1 September 2025. Raj brings  a wealth of experience in “the pensions industry, spanning… Read More

July 16, 2025 @ 9:40 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In an evolving financial services ecosystem, payment modernization has emerged as a critical focus for banks across the EMEA region. According to the latest Volante Technologies research report, The Big Survey 2025: Modernising Payments, an overwhelming 99% of EMEA banks plan to implement new payment… Read More

July 16, 2025 @ 9:31 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK Office for National Statistics reported today that the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 3.6% in the 12 months to June 2025, up from 3.4% in the 12 months to May.  Expectations had been for the rate to remain unchanged. Core CPI (CPI… Read More

July 16, 2025 @ 8:59 am By Omar Faridi  |  

OakNorth, a digital bank for entrepreneurs, has provided a $53m loan to DAC Developments and Melrose Ascension Capital. Founded in 2016, DAC Developments is a Chicago-based real estate development company “with a focus on multifamily residential and mixed-use ground up developments.” With 85 projects completed… Read More

July 16, 2025 @ 8:56 am By Omar Faridi  |  

PensionBee, a Fintech in the consumer retirement market, is calling again for the urgent introduction of a legally mandated 10-day pension switch guarantee, as new consumer research “reveals the UK’s pension transfer system is failing millions of savers.” Ending Pension Purgatory builds on this year’s… Read More

July 16, 2025 @ 8:51 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Deloitte announced a series of new artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities within Omnia, Deloitte’s global cloud-based Audit & Assurance platform, designed to evolve the audit and assurance experience, “advancing Deloitte’s effort to drive innovation with enhanced technology.” As the external landscape and client businesses transform, these… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 10:12 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

ZBD, a Fintech creating a payment experience for interactive entertainment, and ClearBank, an enabler of real-time clearing and embedded banking, have announced a new partnership, coming on the heels of ZBD being granted an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license in the Netherlands. ZBD was one… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 10:06 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In line with its commitment to offer clients safe, trusted and efficient digital assets solutions and following the successful launch of its digital assets custody service, Standard Chartered has launched “a fully integrated digital assets trading service for institutional clients.” The offering includes spot trading… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 3:53 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tether Holdings SA, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, USDT, has revealed it holds an $8 billion in gold reserves, stored in a private vault in Switzerland. This strategic decision, announced on July 8, 2025, positions Tether as one of the largest non-state gold… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 3:47 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) has introduced legislation aimed at overhauling the tax treatment of digital assets, addressing long-standing grievances within the cryptocurrency community. The bill aims to eliminate the practice of double taxation on digital assets, a significant barrier that currently taxes cryptocurrencies both… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 3:25 pm By JD Alois  |  

The package of crypto bills sitting in the House of Representatives hit a speed bump today as multiple Republicans voted against a procedural measure to advance the legislation. A Resolution (HR 580) which impacted the CLARITY Act (HR 3633), the GENIUS Act (S 1582), the… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 12:57 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Canada is taking significant steps to regulate the stablecoin market, with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) collaborating with the Department of Finance and the Bank of Canada to develop a comprehensive legislative framework. Announced recently, this initiative aims to establish clear… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 12:26 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

A long-simmering legal battle between veteran Chicago floor traders and CME Group, the world’s largest derivatives marketplace, finally reached the courtroom. Nearly 4,000 traders, once the lifeblood of Chicago’s iconic trading pits, are seeking over $2 billion in damages in a class-action lawsuit that accuses… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 11:11 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Circle Internet Financial (NYSE:CRCL), the issuer of the world’s second-largest stablecoin, USDC, is making moves to redefine its role in the global financial ecosystem. With a market cap of over $63 billion and a recent blockbuster IPO, Circle is focused on becoming the leading stablecoins… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 11:07 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In an address that underscores growing concerns over the evolving landscape of digital finance, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has issued a stern warning to commercial banks considering the issuance of their own stablecoins. As reported by the Times, Bailey says he prefers tokenized… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 10:24 am By JD Alois  |  

Dakota, a Fintech described as a “crypto-integrated business banking platform,” has announced a $12.5 million Series A funding round. The funding was led by CoinFund, with participation from 6th Man Ventures (6MV) and Triton Ventures. The new money is expected to be used for accelerating… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 9:33 am By JD Alois  |  

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics released June CPI numbers today, revealing an inline report for the month at 0.3%. The annualized rate stands at 2.7% – substantially higher than the US Federal Reserve’s target rate of 2%. At the same time, real average hourly… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 9:07 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Panda, as described in a blog post from Crowdcube, is an upcoming Fintech platform for students & hospitality fans, aiming to blend “real-time discovery of restaurants, bars and venues with flexible credit” via Panda Credit. The company aims to streamline “how people find & pay… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 8:31 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Uncertainty over the business outlook and budget constraints led companies to reduce their hiring activity again in June, according to the latest KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs survey, compiled by S&P Global. Permanent staff appointments fell at the steepest rate “for nearly two… Read More

July 15, 2025 @ 8:28 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Ireland is positioning itself as a global Fintech hub, with the Department of Finance unveiling a strategy to create 8,000 to 10,000 new jobs in the sector over the coming years. In an interview with FinTech Magazine, Minister of State for Finance, Robert Troy, outlined… Read More