Fintech

Klarna is seeking a U.S. bank charter as part of its expansion beyond buy now, pay later services. The company joins other fintech and crypto firms aiming to enter the traditional banking system.

BTG, Brazil's largest investment bank, led an $85 million growth-equity round in Colombian fintech Addi, marking its first investment outside Brazil. The deal represents BTG's expansion into international markets through a fintech partnership.

Airwallex secured a $320 million funding round, achieving an $11 billion valuation, to develop financial infrastructure for a system where AI agents manage business payments and finance.

Garth Howat, a fintech leader, is working on connecting traditional finance with digital assets. The article highlights the infrastructure behind modern finance.

Femi Pedro has assumed his role as Nigeria's envoy to Australia. He emphasized expanding cooperation in critical minerals, agricultural innovation, education, and fintech between the two countries.

African startups raised $1.3 billion in 2026, with fintech leading the funding and debt surpassing equity as the primary funding source across the continent.

Meta has appointed Indian fintech founder Kunal Shah as the new head of WhatsApp and is leading a $900 million funding round in his consumer finance firm CRED. Shah, known for building CRED into a major Indian tech company, will focus on expanding WhatsApp's revenue streams beyond advertising.

Nigerian fintech OPay is preparing a US listing that could value it at $4 billion, marking the largest tech IPO ever from Nigeria.

Meta is appointing Kunal Shah, founder of Cred, as the new global head of WhatsApp, replacing Will Cathcart. This move is part of Meta's strategy to expand its presence in India.

Nathan Bennett sought advice from his 91-year-old grandfather, who has run a business with his brother for 70 years, before co-founding a fintech startup with his brother Jacob. The grandfather emphasized avoiding ego and respecting each other's strengths to maintain their sibling relationship while working together.

Stablecoin compliance startup Range has raised $8.3 million from fintech and crypto venture capital firms. The company's CEO, Andres Monteoliva, stated that stablecoins and fiat are converging, necessitating a unified platform to manage both safely and at scale.

Tencent-backed fintech company Uzum plans to launch a new funding round by the end of the year. The company is focused on financial technology innovations.

PicPay's Nasdaq IPO marks the first major Brazilian fintech listing since Nubank in 2021, reopening the tech-IPO window on Wall Street after years of inactivity. The event signifies renewed interest in Brazilian fintechs in the U.S. market.

Barclay, a former Microsoft chief, has joined Zilch, a British fintech unicorn. The article mentions a picture of Zilch.

Puerto Rico’s Evertec is acquiring Brazil’s Dimensa, a financial-software provider, for R$950m ($181m). The deal, announced in February, is expected to close in Q2 2026 after regulatory approval and marks Evertec’s second major Brazil fintech acquisition.

Revolut's fintech model demonstrates effectiveness in international scaling, contrasting with the outdated systems of traditional competitors. The article highlights lessons from Ireland's experience with Revolut's approach.

In the first half of 2025, Singapore captured 92% of all startup funding in Southeast Asia, a region with nearly 700 million people. By January 2026, Singapore's share of the funding exceeded 96%, with fintech accounting for 88% of the region's funding.

The European Central Bank (ECB) ordered Revolut, Europe’s most valuable fintech, to address deficiencies in oversight. The company faced scrutiny over staff being encouraged to rapidly launch new financial products.

Ramp has raised $750 million in funding, achieving a $44 billion valuation as investors seek fintech startups leveraging AI. The company's valuation has nearly tripled over the past year.

Revolut, a British fintech, has begun rolling out services to thousands of users in India and has built a waitlist of approximately 450,000 users ahead of a broader launch.

Hedge funds are supporting Futu, a fintech company, but the firm is facing challenges due to a Chinese government crackdown. The article highlights a Futu Securities store in Hong Kong, emphasizing the regulatory pressures impacting the industry.

Fintech stocks Futu and Up Fintech experienced significant surges in their options trading before regulatory crackdowns caused a sharp decline. The article highlights how regulatory actions impacted these companies' stock performance and investor sentiment in the fintech sector.

Kazakhstan's fintech sector, driven by super-apps, is operating ahead of regulatory frameworks designed to govern traditional Western financial systems. The article highlights how these platforms function differently after service suspension, revealing gaps between technological innovation and legal oversight in the region.

The US Federal Reserve has proposed a limited 'skinny' payment account framework designed for fintech and cryptocurrency firms, following a Trump order. The Fed is seeking input on this new framework while also calling for a temporary pause on Tier 3 applications.

Monzo's profit increases by 44% as the company expands into lending. This growth indicates a successful fintech movement. Monzo Bank's financial performance is improving.

Y Combinator will host interviews in New York City, focusing on fintech and crypto startups. This is the first time Y Combinator has held such interviews in NYC. The event aims to support emerging companies in these fields.

Western Union has launched a stablecoin on the Solana platform for remittances, allowing for faster and more secure transactions. This move is expected to improve the remittance experience for users. Western Union's stablecoin launch is a significant development in the fintech space.

Revolut, a global fintech firm, aims to achieve a $200 billion valuation through an IPO, but the company plans to delay the offering until 2028. The Financial Times reported the development, highlighting Revolut's long-term strategy for its public market debut.

Edge & Node announced at Money20/20 Asia that their Amp platform now supports Solana, enabling structured SQL querying of Solana's high-volume blockchain data. This addresses challenges like high-frequency slot production and gaps in block creation, offering real-time and historical data access for fintech, payment, and AI applications.

The article highlights the author's enthusiasm for stablecoins and Coinbase's role in building infrastructure for this technology. It praises Coinbase's partnerships with JP Morgan, Shopify, and Stripe, positioning the company as a key player in the evolving fintech landscape.

Collide Capital, founded by Brian Hollins and Aaron Samuels, has closed its $95 million Fund II to invest in fintech and future-of-work startups. The fund focuses on supporting innovation in financial technology and evolving work environments.

PayPal's stock has declined due to a slowdown in branded checkout and increased competition from Apple and Google. The company faces challenges as it transitions under a new chief executive.