Nasdaq has entered a strategic partnership with Seturion, the pan-European settlement platform for tokenised assets launched by Boerse Stuttgart Group, to support the modernisation of Europe’s post-trade infrastructure. Boerse Stuttgart Group recently introduced Seturion as a settlement platform open to market participants across Europe and plans to connect its own trading venues to the platform. Seturion supports multiple asset classes on both public and private distributed ledger technologies (DLTs), and enables cash settlement against central bank money as well as on-chain cash. Under the partnership, Nasdaq’s European trading venues will connect to Seturion to support the trading of tokenised securities settled through the platform. The initial focus will be on structured products, with both parties aiming to expand participation among issuers, brokers, and other financial institutions across Europe. The collaboration seeks to address inefficiencies in Europe’s fragmented post-trade environment by using DLT to streamline settlement processes while maintaining existing regulatory and operational frameworks. The partners said the initiative aims to enable faster and more cost-efficient settlement of tokenised assets while maintaining established market structures and client workflows. Europe’s capital markets remain fragmented, with multiple post-trade infrastructure providers and differing legal frameworks across the European Union. This has contributed to higher costs, longer settlement cycles, and operational complexity. The companies said the platform is designed to support a unified settlement environment while aligning with existing regulations, including MiFID II and the DLT Pilot Regime. Roland Chai, President of European Market Services and Head of Digital Assets at Nasdaq, said: Roland Chai “European capital markets face fragmentation and efficiency challenges that limit the region’s competitive potential. Tokenisation presents a transformative opportunity to address inefficiencies in settlement and securities processing workflows, while preserving the trust, stability, and regulatory rigor that underpin well-functioning markets.” Matthias Voelkel, Chief Executive Officer of Boerse Stuttgart Group, said: Matthias Voelkel “As an open industry solution, Seturion contributes to overcome current national settlement infrastructure silos and to turn a unified European capital market into reality. We are delighted to welcome Nasdaq, an absolute leader in its field, as Seturion’s first partner and look forward to scaling Seturion across Europe.”       Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by escapejaja via Freepik The post Nasdaq Partners Boerse Stuttgart’s Seturion to Enable Tokenised Securities Settlement in Europe appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Zepz, the company behind WorldRemit and Sendwave, has announced that Chief Executive Officer and Board Director Mark Lenhard will step down over the coming weeks. The Board has appointed Barrie Morris, currently Chief Financial Officer, as Interim CEO while it searches for a permanent successor. Morris has more than 25 years of experience in financial services and has served as Zepz’s CFO since 2023, overseeing the company’s financial strategy and operational foundations. Barrie Morris “Zepz enters this next phase from a position of financial strength and operational discipline,” he said. “As Interim CEO, my focus will be to execute our strategy at pace, expand our global reach and invest in the products and infrastructure that drive long-term growth for our customers.” In 2025, Zepz transferred over US$17 billion for customers, processed more than 120 million transactions across 130 countries, and achieved cash flow profitability. Q4 revenue grew 25%, and the company expects around 20% revenue growth in 2026.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by mangpor2004 via Freepik The post Zepz CEO Mark Lenhard to Step Down, CFO Barrie Morris Named Interim appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Zippay, a new person-to-person mobile payment service, is being launched this week by AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB. The service, accessible through the banks’ existing mobile banking apps, will roll out in phases from tomorrow and could reach more than 5 million eligible customer accounts. Customers will be able to send, request, and split payments instantly using the mobile numbers of contacts who also use Zippay. The service is delivered by European paytech company Nexi and will be made available to all financial institutions in Ireland offering IBAN account services with a mobile app. Brian Hayes, Chief Executive of BPFI, said: Brian Hayes “Eligible customers will begin to see Zippay appear automatically in their personal banking apps on a phased basis from tomorrow. Zippay will provide a quick and easy way to send and receive money or split payments or bills with friends, family and contacts who are also Zippay users. Customers will be able to send up to €1,000 per day and request up to €500 per transaction.” Hayes added that the service benefits from the security and protections of existing banking apps, avoiding the need for separate wallets or apps. Renato Martini, Digital Banking Solutions Director of Nexi Group, highlighted the service’s scalability: Renato Martini “Built on an API-based architecture, Zippay is designed for scalability and future growth. Following this initial launch, Zippay is being offered on a non-discriminatory basis to all financial institutions that provide IBAN account services and a mobile app to Irish consumers.”       Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik The post AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB Roll Out Zippay for Instant Mobile Payments Across Ireland appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Advisory firm Gartner has released a market research on decision intelligence platforms (DIPs), ranking vendors based on their positioning as leaders, challengers, visionaries, and niche players. IBM, FICO, and SAS were recognized among the industry leaders in this list. DIPs are software designed to create decision-centric solutions that support, augment and automate decision making of humans or machines. These platforms combine data, analytics, knowledge and artificial intelligence (AI) to enable enterprises to collaboratively create and model decisions, orchestrate decision flow during execution at scale, and monitor and govern decision quality, while continuously learn from actions and outcomes. Typical use cases include loan approvals, fraud detection, supply chain management, pricing optimization, and resource allocation. Gartner’s ranking of DIP vendors uses its Magic Quadrant framework, which assesses providers on their ability to deliver decision-centric architectures that combine explicit decision modeling, AI-driven augmentation and automation, and governance at scale. It recognizes six industry leaders that combine strong execution with a clear, forward-looking vision for decision-centric architectures. These companies deliver comprehensive capabilities across the decision lifecycle, modeling, orchestration, monitoring, and governance, while integrating advanced AI techniques such as generative AI (genAI) and agentic AI. Crucially, they invest heavily in innovation, embedding optimization, simulation, and explainability to support trusted automation at scale. DIP leaders FICO A notable leader is FICO, a public American company serving large and midsize organizations in banking and investment services primarily in North America and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The FICO DIP demonstrates key strengths. These include strong financial health through consistent profitability, enabling sustained investment in research and development (R&D) investment. The company operates a well-defined, forward-looking business model that emphasizes ecosystem growth through a platform-led strategy and strategic partnerships. Additionally, it offers advanced real-time decisioning and simulation capabilities supported by a foundation model that enables domain-specific genAI and AI automation for regulated environments. Looking ahead in 2026, FICO plans to introduce dynamic profiling to maintain a real-time digital twin of decision data, decision agents that can self-test and monitor performance against business goals, and a marketplace that makes it easier for customers and partners to create and share decision-centric solutions. However, the FICO DIP also faces certain challenges, including a consumption-based pricing model that can become complex as usage scales across dimensions such as transactions, storage, and add-on features. Furthermore, FICO heavily concentrates in banking and credit risk, with other industries addressed mainly through contract frameworks and partner-led solutions rather than differentiated platform capabilities. SAS Another industry leader is SAS, an American software firm serving large and midsize organizations in banking and investment services, insurance, healthcare, and government. Like the FICO platform, the SAS DIP benefits from strong financial health, ensuring continued investment in R&D. It also maintains an extensive global footprint, and a strong commitment to industry alignment. In 2026, SAS plans to expand its focus on trust and transparency to make AI-powered decisions more explainable, auditable, and reliable. This includes implementing a model governance framework, industry-specific AI agents, and enhanced simulation, monitoring, analytics, and compliance features, for responsible and regulated AI deployment. However, the SAS DIP also faces challenges including non flexible pricing and contract negotiations, moderate prioritization of decision intelligence, and still maturing DI capabilities including genAI-driven decision modeling, agentic AI frameworks, and enhanced governance. Aera Technology Another DIP leader is Aera Technology, an American firm with operations primarily in North America and EMEA that serves large organizations in manufacturing and natural resources, and oil and gas. Strengths of this platform include flexible pricing and contract terms, combined with proofs of concept (PoCs) and trials, a deep awareness of enterprise needs and competitive dynamics, and significant marketing investment, focus on large enterprises, and the ability to quantify business benefits. In 2026, Aera Technology is planning innovations including autonomous agent teams that self-assemble for decisions, learning and governance agents to optimize policies and enforce compliance, and multidimensional simulation integrated with agentic AI. Despite these strengths, Aera faces challenges including a lack of profitability that’s raising concerns about long-term financial stability. Furthermore, it has a strong concentration of customers in manufacturing and natural resources, and oil and gas, limited regional focus, and limited differentiation, underscoring significant strategic vulnerabilities that could limit long-term growth. Other leaders Beyond FICO, SAS and Aera Technology, other leaders spotlighted by Gartner include IBM from the US, ACTICO from Germany, and Quantexa from the UK. ACTICO and Quantexa are particularly strong in regulated industries like financial services. Their strengths lie in strong execution of product roadmaps and explainable AI governance capabilities. However, challenges include inconsistent customer experience, lower market visibility and weaker marketing execution. IBM, on the other hand, offers a broad enterprise decision intelligence platform integrated with its data, AI, and automation ecosystem, enabling complex decision workflows at scale. However, challenges include complex pricing and sales processes, and the lack of a primary strategic focus within IBM’s broader portfolio, creating uncertainty about long-term investment and innovation for its DIP capabilities. Magic Quadrant for Decision Intelligence Platforms, Source: Gartner, Jan 2026 Rising market demand Demand for DIPs is growing alongside the increasing complexity of decision making. According the 2024 Gartner CDAO Agenda Survey, 33% of the organizations surveyed had already decision intelligence. An additional 17% had committed to have deployed within six months, 19% were considering deployment in six to 12 months, 25% were investigating doing so in 12 to 24 months. Only 7% reported having no interest in deploying it. One industry research estimates that the global decision intelligence market was valued at US$16.34 billion in 2025. Through 2035, the market is projected to expand at an annual growth rate of 15.36% to reach US$68.2 billion.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Beautiful_white via Freepik The post Top Decision Intelligence Platforms of 2026, According to Gartner appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

ClearToken, an FCA-authorised digital financial market infrastructure provider, has partnered with Canton Network to deploy three Daml-based Digital Asset Platforms (DAPs) on Canton’s blockchain: CT Register, CT Pay, and CT Settle. The partnership introduces settlement infrastructure for stablecoin FX and tokenised cash flows on a privacy-enabled institutional blockchain, integrating ClearToken’s regulated framework with Canton’s atomic composability architecture. CT Register enables tokenisation and de-tokenisation of fiat, stablecoins and, in future, securities. Positions are reflected on Canton as data tokens, allowing programmable and auditable settlement workflows within ClearToken’s FMI perimeter. CT Pay supports single-sided payments and Payment versus Payment (PvP) settlement, discharging cross-currency payment obligations atomically and eliminating Herstatt risk. CT Settle provides Delivery versus Payment (DvP) net settlement across fiat. It also supports DvP and net settlement for cryptoassets and stablecoins. Canton’s atomic composability ensures all settlement legs complete simultaneously or not at all. The global FX market trades US$9.6 trillion daily. CLS settles US$22.9 trillion in gross FX payments in a single day. By contrast, the stablecoin market, with a capitalisation exceeding US$315 billion, lacks comparable post-trade infrastructure. ClearToken is deploying on Canton. Canton’s institutional network includes DTCC, Goldman Sachs, Euroclear, LSEG, and Tradeweb. This positions ClearToken at the intersection of regulated FMI and institutional blockchain standards. Benjamin Santos-Stephens, CEO of ClearToken, said: Benjamin Santos-Stephens “CT Register, CT Pay and CT Settle deployed on Canton give institutions the regulated end-to-end settlement stack they need to unlock tokenisation, by providing PvP payment certainty and DvP finality of settlement across every form of digital money.” ClearToken is developing an integrated post-trade stack spanning tokenisation, payments, settlement, and clearing, with all services operated by FCA-authorised or Bank of England-supervised entities.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by LensMastersCollection via Freepik The post ClearToken Launches Regulated Settlement Platforms on Canton Blockchain appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

zerohash has applied for a National Trust Bank Charter with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in the US. If approved, the charter would allow the company to operate as a federally regulated national trust bank, expanding its regulatory framework and product offering. zerohash submitted the application to complement its existing licences in multiple jurisdictions. Founded in 2017, zerohash provides infrastructure for companies to offer digital asset and stablecoin services to their customers. Its partners include Morgan Stanley, Interactive Brokers, Stripe and Franklin Templeton. The proposed charter comes as regulatory frameworks for stablecoins and digital assets in the United States continue to evolve. According to the company, obtaining a National Trust Bank Charter would enable zerohash to expand certain services under a federal regulatory structure, including activities that may fall under the GENIUS Act. Stephen Gardner “Stablecoins and digital assets are increasingly becoming part of the core financial system,” said Stephen Gardner, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at zerohash. “Applying for a National Trust Bank Charter is a natural next step in offering robust global licensing coverage and continuing to expand our product offering.”     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by freepik The post zerohash Applies for US National Trust Bank Charter appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Broadridge has appointed Allen Weinberg as Chief Growth and Strategy Officer, effective immediately. In this newly created role, Weinberg will work with the leadership team to implement Broadridge’s strategic priorities, including growth acceleration, profitability enhancement, and competitive positioning. He will also identify and assess new market and product opportunities. Weinberg will join Broadridge’s Executive Leadership Team and report to Chief Executive Officer Tim Gokey. Weinberg joins Broadridge from McKinsey & Company, where he was a Senior Partner leading the North American Banking Tech and Operations Practice and the Outsourcing and Offshoring practice. Allen Weinberg “Broadridge has built an exceptional reputation for its trusted expertise and delivering transformative technology solutions to clients globally,” said Weinberg. “I look forward to working closely with the leadership team to execute on our strategic priorities, identify new avenues for growth, and help position the company for continued long-term success.” With Weinberg’s appointment, Germán Soto Sanchez, previously Chief Strategy Officer, will focus exclusively on his role as Chief Product and Digital Assets Officer, overseeing Broadridge’s product and enterprise platforms and tokenisation initiatives. Weinberg has actively supported the Robin Hood Foundation, the New York Museum of Natural History, and Girls Who Code, and has served on the board of NYC FIRST.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by leungchopan via Freepik The post Broadridge Names Allen Weinberg as Chief Growth and Strategy Officer appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Revolut has applied to the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for a national bank charter, which would operate as Revolut Bank US. Revolut is expanding into North America. The company has appointed Cetin Duransoy as US CEO, replacing Sid Jajodia, who will continue as Global Chief Banking Officer. Duransoy brings over 20 years of experience in technology, payments, and finance, having led Raisin as US CEO and held senior roles at Capital One and Visa. Revolut co-founder and CEO, Nik Storonsky, said: Nikolay Storonsky “The US is a key pillar of our global growth strategy. Filing for a national bank charter is a major milestone toward our vision of building the world’s first truly global banking platform. This charter will give us the direct control needed to innovate faster and deliver the Revolut experience to millions more Americans as we move toward our goal of 100 million customers.” A US national bank charter would allow Revolut to fully control the customer experience. It would let the company operate across all 50 states under a single federal framework. The charter would also give Revolut direct access to payment systems such as Fedwire and ACH. The charter would enable Revolut to offer insured deposits. It would also allow the company to provide personal loans and credit cards, creating new revenue opportunities through net interest margin. As of March 2026, Revolut operates in 40 markets, offering services including money transfers and currency exchange. Recent developments include launching banking operations in Mexico, obtaining a payments license in India, securing an in-principle license in the UAE, and opening a new global headquarters in London. In November 2025, a secondary share offering raised Revolut’s valuation to US$75 billion, making it one of the most valuable privately held tech companies.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by mrsiraphol via Freepik The post Revolut Files for US Bank Charter, Appoints Cetin Duransoy as CEO appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Avaloq, the Zurich-based wealth management technology and services provider, highlighted India’s growing strategic importance to its global expansion at the Avaloq India Community Connect 2026 conference in Pune. The event brought together decision-makers from financial institutions, technology firms and advisory companies, including partners Accenture, HCLTech, Oracle, Synpulse, TecFinics, Vine InfoTech and Yashicaa Technology. Discussions focused on India’s evolving wealth management landscape, driven by economic growth, rising affluence and increasing digital adoption. India is increasingly seen as a significant next-generation market for wealth management. Growing competition and expanding affluent segments are driving demand for more sophisticated financial products and advisory services. According to the World Bank, India remains the world’s largest recipient of remittances. More than 35.4 million Indians live overseas, generating substantial cross-border wealth flows. Many of these investors are seeking compliant, digitally enabled financial services in India. This creates an opportunity for domestic banks and wealth managers to capture assets previously managed offshore. The country’s mass-affluent segment is also expanding rapidly. This group is typically defined as individuals with investable assets between ₹50 lakh and ₹5 crore. Higher incomes and improved financial literacy are contributing to this growth. At the same time, many investors are moving away from traditional savings products towards more diversified investments. These trends are increasing demand for personalised advisory services and advanced portfolio management tools. Cloud adoption across India’s financial sector is accelerating as institutions seek scalability, efficiency and improved system agility. Financial institutions are also exploring the use of artificial intelligence to improve operational processes. One example discussed at the event was the automation of corporate actions processing, developed jointly with NEC Corporation, which aims to reduce manual workloads and operational risks. Akash Anand, Regional Head for Middle East, Africa and Subcontinent India at Avaloq, said: Akash Anand “India’s financial landscape is changing at extraordinary speed, with the rise of affluent investors driving demand for more advanced wealth services and personalised advice. These clients expect sophisticated advisory and discretionary models, tailored portfolios and seamless digital journeys, which require specialised wealth platforms rather than relying on legacy retail systems.” Many of these investors are seeking compliant, digitally enabled financial services in India, creating opportunities for domestic banks and wealth managers to capture assets previously managed offshore. The trend also reflects broader industry activity, as institutions such as UBS have recently outsourced certain roles to India to expand operational capacity and strengthen technology capabilities.     Featured image credit: Avaloq The post Avaloq Highlights India’s Rising Role in Global Wealth Management Expansion appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

TCS Blockchain, a transportation trade finance provider, and PayPal USD are working together to improve payment processes for trucking and transportation companies. The collaboration aims to allow carriers to settle freight invoices faster and more cost-effectively using digital assets on blockchain. For decades, carriers have often sold invoices to factoring companies to avoid 30-180 day payment terms, sometimes losing 30% or more of net revenues. TCS Blockchain and PayPal USD aim to address these cash flow challenges in North American supply chains. TCS Blockchain settled the world’s first freight invoice on-chain in 2022 and has since processed nearly 30,000,000 TCS Tokens in B2B settlements. TCS offers same-day funding with non-exclusive agreements, no reserve fees, and costs up to 90% lower than traditional invoice factoring. May Zabaneh “If we were designing B2B payments from scratch, we wouldn’t accept months‑long settlement and layers of fees. We’d expect speed, transparency, and 24/7 availability,” said May Zabaneh, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Crypto at PayPal. “The engagement with TCS Blockchain demonstrates how on‑chain settlement can upgrade legacy payment flows in cash‑critical industries, proving that digital assets can drive real economic activity.” “TCS is on pace for over one-billion in annual freight invoice flows in 2026. Those flows will first move through TCS Token, on the INX-Republic exchange, and then through the PYUSD stablecoin,” said Todd Ziegler, TCS Blockchain CEO. “With PayPal USD, TCS can offer greater savings on invoice settlement and access to the best fuel card on the market. The engagement is a significant development for truckers, freight brokerages, and large carriers.” Carriers onboarded with TCS can set up an INX-Republic account to settle invoices, converting TCS Tokens to US dollars. PYUSD will serve as the back-end settlement currency. Blockchain and digital assets are increasingly influencing the US$3 trillion transport industry. They offer lower costs, faster settlement, and transparent, immutable transaction records.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by mohammadhridoy_11 via Freepik The post TCS Blockchain and PayPal USD Partner to Streamline Freight Invoice Payments appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Forbes has released its annual Fintech 50 2026 list, highlighting the most promising private companies reinventing finance through technology in the US. This year’s selected firms have continued to innovate and grow rapidly despite a tough market, subdued valuations, and a constrained funding environment. They have demonstrated strong revenue growth, impactful product innovation, and high‑quality leadership. In 2026 again, business-to-business (B2B) banking dominates the Fintech 50 list with eleven entries. Almost every B2B banking firm that appeared in the previous edition returned for 2026, indicating sustained growth and continued innovation. Notable examples include Mercury, a neobanking platform serving more than 200,000 companies and entrepreneurs; and Ramp, a corporate credit card startup with annualized revenue of US$1 billion. Following B2B banking, software providers serving Wall Street firms and large enterprises are the second largest category in the Fintech 50 list with nine companies. These include Antithesis, a Virginia-based autonomous software‑testing company serving trading firms like Jane Street; and Maybern, a New York-based fund management infrastructure for private equity, private credit, and real estate firms. Collectively, the 2026 Fintech 50 have secured US$19.6 billion in funding, according to Forbes, with individual totals ranging from US$2.3 billion for Ramp and Polymarket, to companies that have yet to raise external capital, such as Increase and Hyperliquid. This illustrates a wide spectrum of growth stages. Among these ventures, the following 10 are the most heavily funded US fintech startups on the list. These companies, which have secured a combined US$12.7 billion, are all unicorns valued at US$1 billion or more, and are transforming verticals including digital banking, payments, real estate and insurance.   Top 10 Fintech Startups in the US Ramp Ramp platform and offerings, Source: Ramp Founded in 2019 and headquartered in New York City, Ramp operates a finance operations platform that integrates corporate cards, expense management, bill payments, accounting automation, procurement, travel, treasury, and more. The company serves more than 50,000 companies across over 200 countries including Webflow, Applied Intuition, and Stanley Steemer, and has raised US$2.3 billion in funding to date, making it the most well-funded US fintech company in the Fintech 50 2026 list. Its valued at US$32 billion. Polymarket Polymarket illustration, Source: Polymarket Based in New York, Polymarket is a prediction market platform that allows people to speculate on the outcomes of various events such as political elections, sports games, and cryptocurrency prices. Its recent milestones include a strategic investment of up to US$2 billion from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and the acquisitions of QCEX, an exchange and clearinghouse, and Dome, a Y Combinator-backed startup building unified infrastructure for prediction markets. Polymarket is valued at US$9 billion, and has secured about US$2.3 billion in funding to date. Stripe Stripe checkout, Source: Stripe Stripe builds economic infrastructure for the Internet, providing businesses with software to accept payments and manage their businesses online. The firm serves more than 5 million businesses directly or via platforms, with companies running on Stripe generating US$1.9 trillion in total volume in 2025, equivalent to roughly 1.6% of global GDP. With dual headquarters in San Francisco and Dublin and additional offices worldwide, Stripe was valued at staggering US$159 billion in its tender offer for employees and shareholders in February 2026, making it one of the valuable fintech startup in the world. It has raised US$2.2 billion in funding to date. Kalshi Kalshi banner, Source: Kalshi Founded in 2019 and based in New York, Kalshi is a prediction market platform that allows investors to trade  on almost anything with economic relevance from inflation, to fed rates, to unemployment, to will the government shut down across over 3,500 markets. The platform records weekly trading volumes surpassing US$1 billion, underscoring soaring activity. Kalshi has raised about US$1.6 billion in funding, including a US$1 billion Series E secured in December 2025. The startup is valued at US$11 billion. Bilt Bilt platform, Source: Bilt Launched in 2021 and based in New York, Bilt is a membership and loyalty program for renters that allows members to earn rewards on rent and homeowner association (HOA) payments while building a path to homeownership. The Bilt Alliance, developed in partnership with some of the nation’s largest residential owners and operators, now encompasses over 5.5 million homes and 45,000 merchants. In 2025, Bilt processed more than US$100 million in housing spend, and is expected to cross US$1 billion in revenue by Q1 2026. The startup is valued at US$10.75 billion, and has secured about US$850 million in funding, including a US$250 million round in July 2025. Coalition Coalition mockup, Source: Coalition Founded in 2017 and based in California, Coalition is an insurance provider designed to help prevent digital risk. The company combines comprehensive insurance coverage and cybersecurity tools, helping businesses manage and mitigate potential cyber attacks. It offers its insurance products to policyholders in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia. Coalition also provides automated cyber alerts, expert guidance and advice, and third-party risk management to businesses worldwide through its cyber risk management platform, Coalition Control. Coalition has raised US$800 million in funding to date, including a US$30 million equity investment in March 2025. It is valued at US$5 billion. Plaid Plaid Link, Source: Plaid Founded in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, Plaid operates a data network that allows consumers to connect their financial accounts to the apps and services they want to use. Plaid works with thousands of fintech companies like Venmo and SoFi, several of the Fortune 500, and many of the largest banks, allowing these businesses’ customers to interact with their bank accounts, check balances, and make payments through different financial technology applications. Plaid has raised US$735 million in funding to date, including a US$575 million round in April 2025. The startup was valued at US$8 billion in its last employee share sale in February 2026. Human Interest Human Interest mockup, Source: Human Interest Founded in 2015 and based in San Francisco, Human Interest offers an embedded retirement technology platform that allows payroll providers, financial institutions, accountants, and other financial services providers to embed retirement plans into their products. The company is transforming the way these plans should work, eliminating transaction fees, offering a cash-back incentive program for plan participants, and offering the first-of-its-kind money-back customer experience guarantee. Human Interest claims it serves nearly 50,000 companies, covering roughly 2 million employees. The startup has secured US$725 million in funding, including a US$50 million investment in August 2025. It is valued at US$1.33 billion. Socure Socure RiskOS, Source: Socure Founded in 2012 and based in Nevada, Socure is a platform for digital identity verification, compliance, and fraud prevention solutions powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning. Serving more than 3,000 customers in 190 countries across financial services, government, gaming, healthcare, telecom, and e-commerce, Socure’s customer base includes 18 of the top 20 banks, the largest HR payroll and workforce providers, the largest sportsbook and prediction market operators, over 130 public sector organizations, and more than 600 fintech companies. In 2025, Socure generated US$315 million in annual recurring revenue and completed over 5 billion identity verifications. The company also launched RiskOS following the successful acquisition of Effectiv, extending its platform into real-time risk monitoring, and expanded its view into real-time buy now, pay later (BNPL) monitoring through the acquisition of Qlarifi. Socure has raised US$650 million in funding to date, and is valued at US$4.5 billion. Mercury Mercury for accountants, Source: Mercury Founded in 2017 and headquartered in San Francisco, Mercury provides a banking platform for startups, entrepreneurs and individuals, offering tools for cash management, payments and financing. It serves more than 200,000 customers with US$650 million in annualized revenue. Mercury has raised US$500 million in funding to date, including a US$300 million Series C in March 2025. It’s valued at US$3.5 billion. In December 2025, Mercury applied for a national bank charter, aiming to become a fully regulated bank.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by freepik via Freepik The post Top 10 Fintech Startups in the US in 2026 appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Consumers and small businesses in multiple countries, including five of the world’s largest remittance markets, will be among the first to benefit from a new Swift framework aimed at improving cross-border retail payments. Payments to Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Germany, India, Pakistan, Spain, Thailand, the UK and the US will offer cost certainty, full-value delivery, end-to-end traceability, and faster settlement, including instant transfers where possible. An initial group of more than 25 banks is expected to go live by the end of June, with additional routes becoming available later in the year. Bangladesh, China, Germany, Pakistan and India are among the top ten countries for remittance inflows. Swift announced in September 2025 that it would develop the new network rules with a voluntary group of early-adopter banks to advance the G20’s objectives for consumer payments. While Swift already delivers 75% of payments to destination banks within 10 minutes or less, the industry must improve the front-end and domestic processes to enhance the end-to-end experience. Nasir Ahmed, Head of Payments Scheme at Swift, said: Nasir Ahmed “The financial community has made strong collective progress to improve the speed and transparency of cross-border payments, but there is room to go further. Everyone should be able to transact internationally at pace, safe in the knowledge that the full value will arrive with the recipient and that the fees will be affordable and fixed from the start.” The framework forms one part of Swift’s strategy to facilitate fast and seamless cross-border transactions. In parallel, Swift is introducing a blockchain-based shared ledger to enable 24/7 real-time cross-border payments, supporting the movement of regulated tokenised value across its network of 11,500 banks and financial institutions in more than 200 countries and territories. More than 50 banks from around the world are supporting the framework, including: The global financial community has continued to show support for Swift’s framework.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by motionfox via Freepik The post Swift Launches Framework to Speed Up Global Retail Payments appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Payward, the platform behind Kraken, said the Federal Reserve has granted Kraken Financial, its Wyoming-chartered bank, a master account, making it the first digital asset bank in US history to gain direct access to the Federal Reserve’s payment infrastructure. The approval follows more than five years of regulatory engagement, operational review, and coordination with US and Wyoming authorities. It allows Kraken Financial to connect directly to core US payment rails, including Fedwire, without relying on intermediary banks, enabling faster fiat transfers for institutional clients and reducing operational complexity. Arjun Sethi “This milestone marks the convergence of crypto infrastructure and sovereign financial rails. With a Federal Reserve master account, we can operate not as a peripheral participant in the US banking system, but as a directly connected financial institution,” said Arjun Sethi, co-CEO of Payward and Kraken. “For a Wyoming SPDI structured on a full-reserve model, this creates a uniquely resilient foundation. It gives us the ability to settle directly on Fedwire, reduce dependency on correspondent banks, and integrate regulated fiat liquidity directly into digital asset markets.” Sethi added that over time, the architecture could enable atomic settlement between fiat and crypto, institutional-grade cash management integrated with digital asset custody, and programmable financial products within a regulated framework. Kraken Financial will begin a phased rollout, initially supporting institutional client activity at Kraken, with broader integration into Payward’s platform over time. As a Wyoming Special Purpose Depository Institution (SPDI), it operates on a full-reserve basis, holding liquid assets equal to or exceeding client deposits. The bank will continue to work with the Federal Reserve and Wyoming regulators as it expands payment capabilities, aiming to provide a regulated bridge between digital assets and traditional finance.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by wahyu_t via Freepik The post Kraken Financial Becomes First US Crypto Bank with Federal Reserve Master Account appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

NatWest has appointed Adeel Hyder as Managing Director of Business Banking, where he will lead the bank’s strategy to strengthen support for small and micro-businesses across the UK. Hyder will join the bank on 1 June 2026 from Starling Bank. He previously held roles at McKinsey & Company and TSB Bank, and most recently worked at Starling, where he contributed to the development and expansion of its digital business banking services. In the new role, Hyder will report to Robert Begbie, CEO of Commercial & Institutional at NatWest, and will join the division’s Executive Committee. Hyder said: Adeel Hyder “I’m delighted to join NatWest and excited to lead its Business Banking business at such a pivotal moment. Small business entrepreneurs are the fundamental drivers and barometer of the health of the UK economy, and I look forward to working with colleagues across the bank to ensure entrepreneurs can focus on doing what they love while we save them time and help them stay in control of their finances through our solutions.” Supporting SMEs remains a core part of NatWest’s strategy. The bank’s Business Banking arm serves more than one million SMEs, including start-ups, small firms, high-growth businesses and community organisations. The division also plays a role in the group’s funding base and is part of a wider digital transformation and growth programme planned for 2026. NatWest has also announced plans to expand its NatWest Accelerator programme for entrepreneurs to a community of 50,000 participants in 2026. The initiative forms part of the bank’s “Growing Together” plan, which focuses on regional growth, support for mid-market firms, infrastructure and housing, financial confidence, and innovation across the UK economy.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Trend2023 via Freepik The post NatWest Appoints Adeel Hyder as Managing Director of Business Banking appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Clearstream, The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), and Euroclear, in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), have published a white paper titled “Building the Path Towards Digital Asset Securities Interoperability”. The paper examines the challenges of achieving interoperability within the decentralised finance (DeFi) ecosystem. It also proposes a framework for industry collaboration on data standardisation, process harmonisation, and consistent role allocation. It identifies five foundational areas necessary for interoperability in digital asset securities. These are: assets and liabilities, ownership recognition, asset lifecycle and movement protocols, ledgers, and legal and regulatory compliance. The paper highlights that industry participants must address fragmentation across distributed ledger technology (DLT) networks. The paper notes that achieving interoperability could simplify use cases and enable new business models. It could also help preserve asset mobility, liquidity, security, and fungibility. The framework builds on a 2024 joint publication, “Building the Digital Asset Ecosystem”. The publication established the Digital Asset Securities Control Principles (DASCPs), which cover legal certainty, regulatory compliance, resilience and security, safeguarding customers’ assets, connectivity, interoperability, and operational stability. Jens Hachmeister, Head of Issuer Services and New Digital Markets at Clearstream, added: Jens Hachmeister “The framework presented in this white paper is testament to our ongoing engagement for interoperability, enabling harmonisation, driving adoption, and unlocking value.” Isabelle Delorme, Head of Product Strategy and Innovation at Euroclear, said: Isabelle Delorme “Through shared collaboration and deep market expertise, we can provide the intelligence and practical solutions needed to unlock real value, accelerate adoption of DLT rails, and support seamless, global participation at scale.” The authors encourage industry participants to consider the framework in their strategy roadmaps to support issuers and investors while maintaining the safeguards that underpin trust in global financial markets.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by topntp26 via Freepik The post Clearstream, DTCC and Euroclear Propose Framework for Digital Asset Interoperability appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Temenos has announced that BEA International Bank, the newly established French subsidiary of Banque Extérieure d’Algérie (BEA), has gone live with Temenos Core Banking and Financial Crime Mitigation (FCM) as a cloud-based SaaS solution. The deployment provides a scalable platform to support BEA International Bank’s operations and growth in France. BEA International Bank has opened branches in Paris, Marseille and Saint-Denis, and the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) and the European Central Bank (ECB) have approved it. The bank offers a full range of services, including current and savings accounts, mortgage financing, and support for businesses and professionals. The implementation included Temenos Core Banking and FCM, delivered as SaaS, alongside regulatory reporting tools adapted to local requirements. Temenos Country Model Bank accelerators, which provide pre-configured products and compliance templates, supported a faster deployment. Mohammed-Lamine Lebbou, Managing Director of BEA International Bank, said: Mohammed-Lamine Lebbou “Launching BEA International Bank in France is a major milestone for us. Temenos SaaS simplified the deployment of the core banking functionality for our new operations and gives us the flexibility and scalability to deliver innovative services to our customers while supporting our long-term growth ambitions.” Santhosh Rao, Managing Director – MEA at Temenos, said: Santhosh Rao “We are proud to support BEA International Bank in its launch in France. This go-live highlights Temenos’ experience in enabling banks across Europe to implement cloud core banking technology.” Temenos and delivery partner LTIMindtree collaborated to deliver the project.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by freepik The post BEA International Bank Launches Operations in France with Temenos Cloud Core appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

In Switzerland, firms are bullish about the prospects of artificial intelligence (AI) for improving efficiencies and driving innovation. A new study by the IBM Institute for Business Value, in collaboration with Oxford Economics, found that planned AI investments will increase over the next four years. The survey, which polled more than 2,000 executives, including 40 from Switzerland and 100 from Germany, in H2 2025, revealed that 73% of Swiss respondents expect AI to make a significant contribution to their revenue by 2030. German respondents were even more optimistic, with 81% sharing the same expectation. These figures represent a sharp rise from the current situation, where 30% of Swiss and 43% of German executives say AI already drives revenue at their organization. Both Swiss and German leaders believe that AI will become critical driver of business growth by 2030. Accordingly, Swiss executives expect that AI investment will surge by approximatively 156%, compared with 148 % for their German counterparts. Today, 45% of AI spending in German and Swiss organizations focuses on efficiency improvements. By 2030, Swiss executives anticipate that 63% of AI spending will be dedicated to product and service and business model innovation, on par with German executives at 62%. This shift underscores a move towards new revenue streams and opportunities, and beyond mere operational efficiency. Finally, 55% of the Swiss and 61% of the German executives surveyed believe that competitive advantages in 2030 will be achieved more through innovation than through resource optimization. Despite enthusiasm, AI adoption in the financial services industry remains largely at the early stage. A 2025 survey by Swiss Fintech Innovations and Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences polled 24 institutions in Switzerland and revealed that only 17% had reached the deployment phase while an even smaller proportion, 11%, were at the scaling phase. Most institutions (40%) were still at the ideation and small pilot phase. Quantum technology outlook Looking ahead to 2030, a majority of executives anticipate that quantum technology will profoundly affect their industries. 68% of the German and 63% of the Swiss respondents surveyed by IBM expect quantum-based AI to transform their sectors. Banking, in particular, is projected to experience a pronounced transformation driven by quantum computing. According to the study, banking executives are 113% more likely than executives in other industries to expect quantum to deliver business value for their enterprise by 2030. Leading institutions are already exploring quantum solutions, with HSBC, for example, conducting a proof-of-concept experiment that combined quantum and classical computing resources for trade predictions. The experiment showed promising results, achieving as much as a 34% improvement in predicting how likely a trade would be filled at a quoted price, compared to common classical techniques used in the industry. Despite the optimism, only 30% of German and 23% of Swiss executives expect to be using quantum computing by then. This underscores a gap between expectations and near-term adoption. Quantum technology promises use cases beyond the capabilities of today’s most powerful high‑performance computers, pushing past current computational limits, including those of AI. However, realizing this potential will require building flexible operations, robust infrastructure, and partnerships with quantum research institutions and technology providers. It will also require developing talent pipelines that emphasize both classical and quantum approaches to problem-solving. Security considerations are also paramount as quantum computers introduce new risks and threatens to break widely used cryptography methods such as RSA and ECC. Threat actors are already using “harvest now, decrypt later” tactics, stealing encrypted data today to potentially unlock once quantum capabilities mature. A recent study by Entrust and Ponemon Institute polled more than 4,000 IT practitioners and revealed that only 38% of organizations are actively preparing for the quantum threat. In particular, organizations across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, also referred to as the DACH region, lead preparedness at 45%, surpassing the US at 40%. This reflects stricter privacy laws in Europe, creating added urgency to attain quantum resistance. Is your organization preparing for the post-quantum threat? Source: 2026 Global State of Post-Quantum and Cryptographic Security Trends, Ensure, 2026   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on images by dvoevnore and Frolopiaton Palm via Freepik The post Swiss Executives Anticipate AI Investment Surge appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Klarna has expanded its partnership with Stripe, enabling more businesses to offer flexible payment options to customers worldwide. Founded in 2005 in Sweden, Klarna now serves over 100 million active customers and more than 700,000 businesses, providing buy now, pay later, longer-term financing, and instant payment solutions. Victoria Watmough “We’re always thinking about the entire customer journey,” said Victoria Watmough, Klarna’s Head of Distribution Partnerships. Since 2019, Stripe has supported Klarna with global payment processing and virtual card issuing. The partnership was extended last year to allow Stripe-powered businesses in 25 countries to add Klarna instantly at checkout. This contributed to a doubling of new businesses offering Klarna in Q4 2024 compared with average quarterly adoption, with more than 200,000 businesses now enabled. Retailers report strong results. Customised apparel brand INDOCHINO saw a 16% increase in average order value, while OrderMyGear experienced a 67% rise, with Klarna paying businesses upfront and allowing customers to pay over time. The integration now spans retail, entertainment ticketing, travel, healthcare, and automotive services. The upgraded Klarna API on Stripe delivers full feature access, including Express checkout and on-site messaging. Stripe’s Optimized Checkout Suite uses AI to tailor payment methods for each shopper. Alexis Zhu, Head of Strategic Payment Methods at Stripe, said, Alexis Zhu “With this Klarna API upgrade, businesses get access to Klarna’s full feature offering and the fastest Klarna integration available anywhere.” Klarna, a fully licensed bank, also uses Stripe Issuing and Stripe Financial Connections to provide secure, flexible payment options. The partnership continues to support new markets and currencies, aiming for Klarna to be available wherever Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal are accepted. Watmough added, “Our teams are leveraging each other’s skills as we continue to innovate, grow, and jointly reach new markets, businesses, and consumers.”     Featured image credit: Stripe The post Klarna Expands Global Reach Through Stripe Partnership appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Worldline has processed its first Wero online payment in Belgium, making the country the second in Europe, after Germany, to enable eCommerce transactions with the system. The Belgian Red Cross-Flanders (Rode Kruis-Vlaanderen) completed the first Wero online transaction following Wero’s recent eCommerce launch in Belgium. Joachim Goyvaerts, CEO of Worldline Belgium, was the first to use Wero for an online donation to the Belgian Red Cross-Flanders. Several retailers have indicated plans to offer Wero as a payment option on their platforms. Joachim Goyvaerts “Our priority is to make new payment methods easy to activate and reliable at scale. With Wero for e-commerce, Worldline strengthens its digital payments proposition and enables merchants to offer European shoppers a seamless checkout experience… We’re proud to have enabled the first Belgian Wero online payment for the Red Cross,” said Goyvaerts. The announcement follows the European Payments Initiative’s press conference earlier on the launch of Wero for e-commerce in Belgium.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by RSplaneta via Freepik The post Belgium Completes First Wero Online Payment Transaction for Red Cross appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Revolut has unveiled the Official Card of the Audi Revolut F1 Team. The limited-edition card coincides with the team’s inaugural season. Revolut customers can join a waitlist to be notified when the card becomes available. The card features an aerodynamic design and is coated in the same high-grade titanium used in the R26 – Audi Revolut F1 Team’s 2026 car, which will be driven by Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. Antoine Le Nel, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at Revolut, said: Antoine Le Nel “Designed for racing enthusiasts, who value performance, precision and premium craftsmanship, it offers a tangible way to commemorate a new era of racing. Melbourne is set to be an unforgettable start to the season, both on and off the track and across the city. We couldn’t be more excited for lights out and kicking off the season in true Revolut style.” Stefano Battiston, Chief Commercial Officer of Audi Revolut F1 Team, added: Stefano Battiston “Seeing our design language translated onto the Revolut card is a strong expression of that alignment. The Audi Revolut F1 Team skin captures key elements of our visual identity, extending our philosophy beyond the car and into everyday life for our fans.”     Featured image credit: Revolut The post Audi Revolut F1 Team Launches Official Titanium Card for Fans appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.