Thunes has partnered with Canadian payout provider Trolley to expand international payment options for businesses in the creator economy. Through the integration, Trolley will use the Thunes network to offer its enterprise clients a wider range of local payment methods and instant transfer capabilities. Trolley provides payout infrastructure for platforms including SoundCloud, Canva, and Epic Games. The collaboration is designed to bypass complex regional banking setups, giving Trolley customers direct access to mobile wallets and real-time payment systems. This is particularly relevant for businesses making cross-border payouts to Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where recipients often prefer mobile wallets and real-time payment systems over traditional bank transfers. Retaining talent in the freelance and creator markets increasingly depends on payment speed. According to Trolley, the majority of gig workers prioritise quick access to their funds when choosing a payout system. Kyle Rosen “Businesses today need to provide specialised, local payment options to attract and keep global talent,” said Kyle Rosen, Head of North America at Thunes. “By welcoming Trolley into our network, we are helping platforms deliver the payout flexibility and speed that modern recipients demand.” Trolley Founder and CEO Tim Nixon said the partnership allows the company to offer access to local wallets and payment rails that were previously difficult to reach. Tim Nixon “Trolley customers can access Thunes’ trusted and expansive network while delivering on-demand pay to gig workers and creators exactly when and where they need it,” Nixon added. Thunes reports that its direct global network currently reaches 12 billion mobile wallets and bank accounts across 140 countries, supporting transactions in 90 currencies and more than 220 local payment methods through a single integration.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by freepik via Magnific The post Thunes Partners With Trolley to Expand Creator Economy Payouts appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Digital real-world assets (RWAs) are projected to reach US$88 trillion by 2035, accounting for approximately 16% of all investable assets, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The research, released in May 2026, shares different scenarios for the evolution of digital assets, highlighting that in progressive scenarios (#1 and #3), global digital RWAs could reach this peak valuation. Scenario 1 envisions privately led growth where private actors and consumers drive digital asset adoption faster than public coordination efforts. In Scenario 3, growth would be driven by institutions, with digital assets becoming a deep but largely invisible upgrade of the current financial system. Scenario 2 projects growth across multiple, partially incompatible tracks within a fragmented landscape. This fragmented, multitrack system, characterized by prolonged regulatory fragmentation, would slow adoption and limits interoperability. Under this scenario, estimated RWAs would stand at US$46 trillion, accounting for 9% of investable assets. Finally, Scenario 4 represents a backlash in which digital assets are constrained, serving as a base case for a world without digital assets. In this scenario, digital RWA and stablecoin volumes would be negligible. Digital RWA projection (in USD trillion), Source: BCG scenario analysis, May 2026 Penetration rates by asset class Commodity funds are projected to experience the highest impact from tokenization, with penetration rates expected to reach 40-50% by 2035. This growth will be driven by tokenized precious metals, especially among crypto-savvy customers. Tokenized money market instruments are set to follow closely, with a projected penetration rate of 25-40% by 2035. Their operationally intensive, balance-sheet-heavy, and short-dated nature makes them prime candidates for on-chain issuance. By 2035, tokenized money market instruments are forecast to constitute 14% of the digital RWA market, valued at US$12.4 trillion in progressive scenarios. Alternative assets, including private credit, and real estate, represent another significant growth era. For this asset class, tokenization penetration is expected to range between 25% and 35% by 2035, fueled by a drive to broaden client accessibility and tokenize new asset types. Alternatives are projected to hold the largest share of the digital RWA market at 27%, totaling US$23.5 trillion by 2035. Securitized debt is similarly positioned for strong adoption, with estimated tokenization penetration between 20% and 30%. This asset class faces hurdles including structuring complexity, lifecycle events, and opacity, making it a strong candidate for tokenization. By 2035, tokenized securitized debt is projected to make up 21% of the digital RWA market, amounting to US$18.9 trillion. Asset class tokenization potential by 2035 (estimates), Source: BCG scenario analysis, May 2026 Impact on banks The rise of digital assets is expected to significantly impact banking revenue streams, expanding opportunities in asset and wealth management, while introducing new dynamics in capital markets. Conversely, transaction banking revenues will face the most significant pressure, followed by net interest income (NII) businesses. In personal banking, the biggest opportunity lies in recapturing client assets currently held in non-bank wallets. The most immediate defensive move involves wallet and custody provision, with bank-issued or bank-controlled wallets. These wallets would enable clients to hold cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, deposit tokens, and tokenized securities within a regulated environment. By integrating these assets into the existing mobile banking interface, banks can reposition themselves as the trusted aggregation layer for all client wealth. Beyond defense, digital assets expand the product shelf. Tokenization lowers operational friction in distributing alternatives, private credit, infrastructure, or real estate to a broader client base through fractionalization and greater reach, opening up new revenue opportunities. Operating models can also benefit. In particular, tokenized life cycle management reduces manual reconciliation, automates corporate actions, and embeds compliance into programmable rails, lowering cost-to-serve per position and enabling scalable servicing of smaller tickets. On liquidity management and cross-border payments, the report identifies treasury solutions and programmable liquidity as the primarily growth areas. Banks can monetize these opportunities by offering real-time cash visibility, automated sweeping, and conditional payments, alongside stablecoin-enabled cross-border payments. This is particularly valuable for developed-to-emerging-market corridors where revenue can be generated through payment orchestration, currency conversion, compliance, and connectivity fees. The core opportunity, therefore, lies in proactively capturing of future rails and treasury economics before clients move to non-banking players. Impact on asset managers For asset managers, the core effect of tokenization will be an expansion of the addressable assets under management (AUM) base and a higher share of assets captured in scalable, fee-bearing structures. First, tokenization will drive structural growth in investable RWA volumes. By improving settlement speed, reducing prefunding and collateral buffers, and lowering life cycle friction in issuance and transfer, tokenization will release previously locked capital. Second, tokenization will enhance productization and accessibility, especially in alternatives. Tokenization enables fractionalization, lower minimum subscription sizes, and more systematic life cycle management. Lower operational friction makes it economically viable to distribute private credit, infrastructure, real estate, or structured exposures into discretionary mandates, model portfolios, and standardized fund vehicles, supporting deeper penetration of higher-fee asset classes across both institutional and wealth segments and thus expanding AUM without fundamentally changing investment strategy. Third, tokenization will expand the service stack. Tokenized share classes can embed eligibility rules, jurisdictional transfer restrictions, reporting logic, and potentially settlement connectivity directly into the instrument. Economically, this shifts the manager’s role from pure product manufacturer toward platform operator, owning not only the investment strategy but also a greater share of the operational and distribution plumbing. The benefit here is higher wallet share, greater asset stickiness, and improved bargaining power in distribution relationships. Impact on capital markets In capital markets, aggregate trading revenue pools are expected to remain broadly stable as higher trading frequency and improved capital velocity are offset by tighter spreads and more transparency. The value creation therefore does not stem from top-line expansion, but rather from efficiency gains, capital intensity effects, and liquidity mechanics. For banks, the revenue effects will be two-sided. New fee pools will emerge in tokenized issuance, digital custody, smart-contract life cycle management, and collateral mobility. At the same time, legacy post-trade revenues will compress as reconciliation intensity falls, servicing spreads narrow, and pricing power declines on standardized rails. Key scenario assumptions: Details, Source: BCG scenario analysis, May 2026 The state of digital assets in Europe In Europe, digital assets have moved from the periphery to being deeply embedded in many client portfolios. A 2025 survey by Boerse Stuttgart Digital found that 25% of investors in Germany, Italy, Spain, and France have already invested in cryptocurrencies, with adoption highest in Spain at 28%, and Germany at 25%. 36% of crypto investors say they are likely to invest again within the next five years, demonstrating sustained interest despite market volatility. This growing engagement is reshaping customer expectations toward traditional banking. Nearly one in five investors expect their bank to offer access to crypto within the next three years, with demand strongest in Germany, where 22% of investors expect this service, followed by Spain at 19%, and Italy at 18%. Potential switching behavior underscores the strategic relevance of crypto. 35% of respondents across Europe could imagine changing their bank if another institution offered better crypto investment opportunities. This pattern is consistent across markets, with Spain leading at 40%, followed by Italy at 35% and France at 33%, highlighting crypto services as a key differentiator for financial institutions.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by DC Studio via Magnific The post Digital Real-World Assets Could Account for 16% of All Investable Assets by 2035 appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Over the past decade, fintech festivals and “fintech weeks” have proliferated around the world, expanding the traditional conference format into living ecosystems and immersive experiences. These events transform entire cities or districts into dynamic stages, offering participants access to a dense network of stakeholders, and blending formal sessions with cultural immersion, informal networking, and real-world demonstrations. One major attraction of fintech festivals is the density of interaction. During these week-long events, banks, startups, regulators, venture capital (VC) firms, payment companies, crypto firms, and infrastructure providers all host their own side events simultaneously, allowing participants to move through dozens of overlapping events tailored to their specific interests. Another appeal is that fintech festivals often blur the boundary between business, culture, and technology. While traditional conferences can feel transactional and highly scripted, festivals incorporate startup showcases, hackathons, investor dinners, product demos, nightlife, live media, and informal gatherings, making networking feel more natural and less forced. Finally, fintech festivals generate network effects that continue after the event ends. Since many organizations coordinate announcements, fundraises, partnerships, and launches around the same week, the event becomes a focal point for media attention and industry momentum. Among the dozens of such events that have emerged over the past years, the following eight stand out as the most prominent. Each year, they convene thousands of top decision-makers and innovators to shape the future of the sector, discuss the most promising issues, and close the industry’s most significant deals. Singapore Fintech Festival Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF) is one of the largest fintech festivals in the world, serving as a significant global convergence point where the worlds of policy, finance, and technology intersect. Organized by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Global Finance and Technology Network (GFTN), and Constellar, in collaboration with The Association of Banks in Singapore, the event is designed not merely as a conference, but as an immersive platform for discovering the future trajectories of financial services. Through a mix of insightful sessions, roundtables, workshops, and exhibitions, it facilitates dialogue on how cutting-edge financial solutions, evolving regulatory landscapes, and technological innovations are reshaping global economies. In 2025, the event set a new benchmark, uniting over 65,000 participants from 134 countries. With more than 900 global speakers across approximately 300 sessions, the festival highlighted the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI), tokenization, and quantum technologies in shaping the future of finance. In 2026, SFF will take place from November 18 to 20, at the Singapore EXPO. The program will feature six thematic stages dedicated to emerging trends, including blockchain, AI, and next-generation financial technologies. SFF 2026 will also offer a variety of exhibition options, including standard and premium booths, international pavilions, dedicated startup and technology zones, and bespoke activations for demonstrations, workshops, or private events, as well as opportunities for business development and collaboration. Hong Kong Fintech Week x StartmeupHK Every year, Hong Kong Fintech Week x StartmeupHK brings together the brightest minds to shape the future of technology. From the main conference to exhibitions and community events across various venues, attendees gain exclusive access to transformative insights, and experience the pulse of innovation in Hong Kong. The event also offers a unique opportunity to connect with influencers across the finance, tech, and startup ecosystems while hearing from over 1,000 world-class speakers. Furthermore, it serves as a critical hub for networking, securing a place where the industry’s most important deals are discussed. The 2026 edition of Hong Kong Fintech Week x StartmeupHK will take place from November 02 to 06. The event is expected to convene over 45,000 global leaders from more than 120 economies, featuring a roster of more than 1,000 world-class speakers, 800 sponsors, exhibitors, and startups, alongside 30 delegations. The main conference will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on November 02 and 03, complemented by a week-long schedule of community and networking events hosted across multiple venues throughout the city and the Greater Bay Area. The 2025 edition attracted a record high of over 45,000 visitors from over 120 economies and featured over 1 000 distinguished speakers, over 800 exhibitors and more than 30 Chinese Mainland and international delegations. The event was organized by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), and the Insurance Authority (IA), and the appointed event organiser, Finoverse. Swiss Fintech Week Swiss Fintech Week happening for the first time and aims to serve as the premier convergence point for the global financial technology landscape. Over the course of seven days, the festival brings together leading Swiss fintech events, connecting the brightest minds, the most promising startups, and the industry’s most influential players. A joint-initiative by Swiss Fintech ecosystem players and in collaboration with the Global Finance and Technology Network (GFTN), Swiss Fintech Week seeks to act as a launchpad for ideas, partnerships, and game-changing innovation. It is designed specifically for entrepreneurs driving the next generation of financial breakthroughs, investors seeking transformative opportunities, and regulators shaping the future of the sector. The 2026 edition of Swiss Fintech Week will take place from June 19 to 25, with the Kongresshaus Zurich as its central venue in addition to diverse locations across the city. The week will focus on industry’s most pressing technological developments, including next-generation banking, the impact of AI on efficiency and customer experiences, tokenization and digital assets, and the integration of financial services into the digital everyday lives of businesses and consumers. Nordic Fintech Week Nordic Fintech Week is the yearly conference where the Nordic and global financial industry converge to connect, reflect, and collaboratively build the future of fintech. The event began in 2017 as Copenhagen Fintech Week, a modest gathering in Copenhagen harbor during a time before industry hype. Since then, the event has grown, eventually rebranding to Nordic Fintech Week in 2022 to better reflect its status as a leading community-driven conference that fosters “Nordic Innovation, Global Scale” by facilitating global networks, partnerships, and knowledge sharing. Today, Nordic Fintech Week serves as a vital hub for gaining local and global perspectives, creating the connections and partnerships necessary to lead the financial industry of tomorrow. This year, the event will take place from September 21 to 25, at TAP1 in Copenhagen, Denmark, gathering more than 2,000 participants, over 225 speakers, 200 fintech startups and 150 financial institutions across roughly 100 sessions. The event promises a fresh approach to engaging with the ecosystem, delving into emerging trends, and actively helping shape what comes next. Fintech Week London Fintech Week London is one of the UK’s largest event dedicated to scaling fintech companies, offering a week of curated content, smart matchmaking, and nonstop buzz. The event is specifically designed for CEOs, founders, managing directors, country managers, and C-suite leaders involved in international expansion, serving as a vital platform for UK-based fintech scaleups seeking the expertise and support needed to fuel their next phase of growth, as well as overseas scaleups assessing the UK as a key market for international expansion. The 2026 edition will take place from September 07 to 11, and is expected to welcome 1,500 attendees, continuing its trajectory of year-on-year growth. This five-day celebration of scale, growth, and innovation will be centrally located at the Old Sessions House in Clerkenwell. The festival twill transform the neighborhood into a buzzing ecosystem with brand activations in local pubs, churches, and hotels, while the beating heart of the conference remains at FinClub within the Old Sessions House. Every session, ranging from scaling strategies to investor readiness, will be meticulously crafted to help fintech startups accelerate their growth. The 2025 edition delivered two days packed with energy, connection, and real-world insights that featured three content stages, showcases, workshops, and live demos, alongside after-hours networking, debates, and live music. It hosted over 150 speakers from the fintech, investment, and enterprise sectors and attracted more than 1,000 attendees. UK Fintech Week UK Fintech Week is a major annual event series in the UK focused on fintech. It brings together startups, banks, investors, regulators, policymakers, and technology companies to discuss trends and innovation in financial services. The week is typically centered in London and organized around conferences, networking events, product showcases, and policy discussions. One of its flagship events is the Innovate Finance Global Summit (IFGS), hosted by Innovate Finance, the UK fintech industry body. Each year, fintech founders, entrepreneurs, investors, former bank executives, regulators, policymakers, academics and media representations from around the world come together to learn, discuss, debate and network. The event offers ample networking opportunities across the week at its flagship events and the UK Fintech Week campus. Attendees gain access to a dedicated app that facilitates connections with other participants and allows them to schedule one-on-one meetings at their convenience. The 2026 edition was held from April 20 to 24, with the flagship IFGS event kick-starting a week-long program of events. This program delivered world-class content, thought leadership, and extensive networking opportunities for the entire UK fintech ecosystem. New York Fintech Week New York Fintech Week 2026, Source: New York Fintech Week New York Fintech Week is a large annual fintech event ecosystem held across New York City that brings together startups, banks, investors, regulators, and technology companies working in financial services. Unlike a single conference in one venue, it operates as a decentralized week of events hosted by many organizations throughout the city. New York Fintech Week annually draws in an audience of 6,000 attendees with over 65 events attended by top founders and senior leaders from Citi, JPMorgan, U.S. Bank, Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, Brex, SoFi, and more. Its flagship event, the Official New York Fintech Week Conference, takes over Manhattan for three days of bold ideas, real conversations, and the decision-makers actually building the future of finance. The 2026 edition of New York Fintech Week took place from April 27 to May 01. This year’s main conference brought together three cornerstone summits – the Fintech Summit, the Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit, and the Fintech Security Summit – with each summit gathering an audience of approximately 200 senior decision-makers, enabling deeper dialogue, stronger connections, and measurable business outcomes. Abu Dhabi Finance Week Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) is a premier international festival dedicated to finance and fintech, held annually in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It brings together banks, fintech startups, investors, regulators, sovereign wealth funds, technology companies, and policymakers from around the world. The event is organized mainly by the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), which is Abu Dhabi’s international financial center, and aims to position the emirate as a major global hub for finance, investment, fintech, and innovation. The 2025 edition brought together more than 35,000 attendees representing 175 nationalities, across 68 events and 394 thematic sessions. The event convened 819 influential speakers and over 69 global and regional partners, including Hanwha as a Strategic Partner. This year’s edition will take place from December 07 to 10. Dubai Future Finance Week Dubai Future Finance Week is a landmark initiative organized by the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) to convene global financial leaders, innovators, regulators, and investors. Anchored by Dubai Fintech Summit, the week features a curated series of events that explore the future of finance across technology, capital, sustainability, and governance. DFFW 2026 will take place from November 02 to 06, in Dubai. This year’s edition is expected to convene more than 40,000 global attendees, 1,000 international speakers, and 1,000 sponsors and exhibitors from over 120 countries, across more than ten global events. Under the theme “Shaping the Next Era of Global Finance”, DFFW 2026 will explore the forces redefining the global financial landscape, with discussions focusing on technology, capital, sustainability, governance, and the future of interconnected finance. The week will also feature platforms that examine the systems and standards underpinning the future of financial services, including the Future Tokenization Forum, the Dubai Fintech Summit, the Future Sustainability Forum, and the Future Islamic Finance Forum.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by shyam lal via Magnific The post Must-Attend Fintech Festivals Around the Globe appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Mastercard announced its recent participation in a Eurosystem-led pilot, which was conducted in collaboration with Danmarks Nationalbank and Sveriges Riksbank on the TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS) platform. The Mastercard cross-border payments pilot tested instant cross-currency payments (TIPS X-CCY). Mastercard Move is said to be among the first participants to process transactions using the cross-currency pilot function. Payments were settled atomically between Euros and Danish kroner, which meant that both currency legs were completed at the same time, decreasing settlement risk. Pratik Khowala, the Global Head of Transfer Solutions at Mastercard, shared that the pilot showcased a new model where payments could move across borders and currencies with fewer intermediaries and better predictability. He added, Pratik Khowala “For Mastercard Move, this is a critical step in building direct connectivity to payment infrastructures that our bank, fintech and public sector partners can rely on. It also sets a clear path forward as we expand to additional schemes, currencies and corridors.” Mastercard Move is the company’s global money movement platform, which allows banks, corporates, fintechs and other payment providers to send and receive funds through Mastercard’s card and non-card networks. The pilot included the successful execution of inbound as well as outbound transaction flows under the One Leg Out Instant Credit Transfer (OCT Inst) scheme, with Mastercard performing both entry-leg and exit-leg Payment Service Provider roles in a cross-currency setup. The Mastercard cross-border payments pilot is said to support public sector efforts to modernise cross-border payments and has also showcased that regulated non-bank payment service providers are able to operate in alignment with ECB governance, EPC scheme rules, and ISO 20022 standards. Featured image edited by Fintech News Switzerland based on image by wahyu_t on Magnific The post Mastercard Joins TIPS Cross-Currency Pilot For Instant Cross-Border Payments appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Cryptocurrency exchange OKX is formally incorporating AI proficiency into its staff evaluations, reflecting a growing push among digital asset firms to integrate AI into daily operations. The company plans to assess how well employees use AI tools during its upcoming mid-year reviews in September, according to a report by Bloomberg. The decision follows an internal campaign that began earlier this year, encouraging OKX’s 5,000-strong workforce to adopt AI in their daily routines. The company cut hundreds of jobs over the past year, although the performance review changes are not directly tied to immediate job cuts. OKX recently designated Malta as its regional hub for Europe, part of its broader push to streamline global operations and compliance. OKX has provided its employees with access to enterprise versions of OpenAI‘s ChatGPT and Anthropic‘s Claude. Token consumption on these platforms, which indicates how much data an employee processes through the AI, could serve as a metric in the upcoming appraisals. Managers may also require staff to document the time they save through AI assistance. “We’re committed to staying at the forefront of AI so we can continue to build the best possible products and compete at the highest level,” an OKX spokesperson said. Following an industry trend The drive to measure AI competency extends beyond OKX. Several competing crypto exchanges have reduced their workforces this year while simultaneously urging remaining staff to increase their use of automation. Coinbase and Gemini are among the firms that have cut jobs recently as trading activity slowed. Coinbase Chief Executive Officer Brian Armstrong noted earlier this month that AI is altering work processes across the company, allowing engineers to complete tasks in days rather than weeks. At OKX, the push for AI integration has strongly affected customer service operations. The exchange recently launched an AI-powered knowledge base that allows bots to retrieve information and handle client inquiries. Training and quality assurance teams are currently embedding similar tools into their workflows. Managers design performance evaluations that include AI usage metrics to compel staff to learn the technology.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by wahyu_t via Magnific The post OKX to Factor AI Usage into Staff Performance Reviews Amid Industry Shift appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

The world’s largest fintech companies are operating at record profitability, with 74% of major public players turning a profit in 2025, according to a joint report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and FT Partners. The Global Fintech Report 2026 indicates that global fintech revenues have passed the half-trillion-dollar mark, growing at 22%. This growth rate is more than four times faster than that of incumbent financial institutions. Equity funding in the sector reached US$58 billion, a 53% increase year on year. Average EBITDA margins rose by 400 basis points to 20% in 2025. The sector now accounts for about 4% of total global financial services revenue. The report attributes this rebound to operating performance rather than cheap capital or speculative optimism. Exit markets are also recovering. Fintech initial public offerings (IPOs) increased by 50% year on year to 42 deals in 2025. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) volumes accelerated, reaching US$251 billion in 2025 compared to US$184 billion the previous year. Inderpreet Batra “Fintech has not simply bounced back from the reset years, it has come out the other side as a fundamentally more mature industry,” said Inderpreet Batra, Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG. “The firms leading today are profitable, disciplined, and expanding into new products and geographies with a seriousness that was not always present in the boom years.” Regulatory shifts and acquisition trends Regulatory changes are narrowing the gap between banks and fintech firms. In the European Union, the UK, and the US, charter and licensing pathways are becoming more accessible. Major fintechs are increasingly applying for banking charters to lower funding costs and gain direct ownership of the customer relationship. For the first time on record outside of 2023, scaled fintech companies acquired more businesses than banks did. Fintechs completed 659 deals in 2025, compared to 589 by incumbents. M&A is increasingly being used to build capabilities in AI, digital assets, and compliance, as building these organically is often deemed too slow. Neobanks expanding into financial platforms Neobanks are moving beyond basic payments and low-friction onboarding to become broader financial platforms. Leading players are diversifying into lending, investing, insurance, cross-border transfers, and mass-affluent wealth management. Consumer credit represents a major growth area. Unsecured lending allows neobanks to deepen customer relationships using alternative underwriting models. European neobanks in particular have expanded their wealth and trading offerings and moved into mortgage products. AI driving productivity AI continues to reshape sector competition. BCG data shows that fintechs using AI effectively achieve up to five times greater developer productivity. The strongest near-term gains are seen in engineering, underwriting, compliance, and customer support. Steve McLaughlin “Large, established companies are pouring capital into AI, but capital alone hasn’t produced breakout capability,” said Steve McLaughlin, CEO and Managing Partner at FT Partners. “The difference comes down to management, engineering talent, and the drive to actually rewire the organisation.” The findings suggest the sector has transitioned into a more mature landscape. The basis of competition has shifted from digital nativity and category creation to profitable scale and regulatory readiness.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Pixelid via Magnific The post Global Fintech Revenues Hit US$504 Billion as Profitability Reaches Record Highs appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Workday is expanding its partnership with Google Cloud to embed AI agents directly into enterprise finance applications. The integration allows finance teams to automate tasks like spend management, data analytics, and monthly reporting without leaving their existing daily workflows. The collaboration brings Workday’s Sana Self-Service Agent into Gemini Enterprise. This setup enables employees to query financial policies, check corporate card eligibility, and generate expense requests through conversational prompts. Operationally, Gemini is now the default AI model for the Sana assistant. Workday stated that this infrastructure gives users access to advanced reasoning and multilingual support while maintaining existing enterprise security permissions and approval chains. The system supports multiple integration approaches, allowing AI agents to share information and hand off tasks autonomously in real time. Zero-copy data integration The partnership also links Workday Data Cloud with Google Cloud’s BigQuery using zero-copy data-sharing technology. This method allows both platforms to query data exactly where it resides, removing the need to move or duplicate sensitive financial records for analysis. This seamless connection is designed to help organisations analyse financial risks and business trends faster without compromising data security. Gerrit Kazmaier “Our customers want HR and finance at their fingertips, not scattered across a dozen applications,” said Gerrit Kazmaier, President of Product and Technology at Workday. Kazmaier added that the Google Cloud partnership places necessary answers and actions where people already work, supported by Workday’s built-in security and approvals. Karthik Narain “This partnership significantly expands integrations between Google Cloud and Workday in order to make AI agents more useful and accessible across the enterprise,” said Karthik Narain, Chief Product and Business Officer at Google Cloud. Deployment with system integrators Workday and Google Cloud are working with global system integrators, including KPMG, Deloitte, and Accenture, to deploy the technology for enterprise clients. These partners will help organisations identify high-impact use cases for agentic AI. The Sana Self-Service Agent in Gemini Enterprise is currently in early access for eligible Workday customers. The Workday Data Cloud connection will reach general availability later this year.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Pixelid via Magnific The post Workday and Google Cloud Expand AI Agent Partnership for HR and Finance appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

ClearBank Europe has launched its Digital Asset Rails capability to provide programmable liquidity for cross-border settlements. The service is live and being used by clients for cross-border payment flows, with USDC to be offered later in the year. The capability allows regulated institutions, including electronic money institutions, payment institutions, and banks, to use stablecoin-based transfers with fiat payouts via SEPA Instant through established banking rails. The system functions as a programmable liquidity capability. It enables clients to convert fiat funds into EURC, a MiCA-compliant euro-denominated stablecoin issued by Circle’s regulated e-money institution in the European Union. Value moves through the network, returns to fiat, and ClearBank executes real-time payouts via SEPA Instant. ClearBank provides the underlying regulated banking layer, which includes fiat account infrastructure and access to SEPA Instant. This model aims to bring improved liquidity efficiency and reductions in the need for prefunding across multiple markets. MiCA-regulated firms with non-retail use cases will also be able to transfer funds through the digital asset infrastructure. The initiative builds on the status of ClearBank Europe as the first Dutch credit institution to complete the MiCA notification process to offer digital asset services. While the service targets European clients initially, the bank has the scope to expand the opportunity internationally over time. Mark Fairless “This launch is a further step forward in how we deliver on our purpose to unlock our clients’ potential,” said Mark Fairless, Group CEO, ClearBank. “By combining our cloud-native platform with regulated banking, we are removing friction from cross-border flows and giving clients a more effective way to control and deploy liquidity.”     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by brilian via Magnific The post ClearBank Europe Launches Digital Asset Rails for Cross-Border Settlement appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Orbital is partnering with Banking Circle to expand its multi-currency payment infrastructure, with plans to introduce CHF capabilities for its enterprise clients in Switzerland. The payment orchestration platform connects digital asset rails, including stablecoins, with traditional payment networks. Through its agreement with the Luxembourg-regulated credit institution, Orbital has launched client-named virtual IBANs in DKK, SEK, and HUF. The companies stated that capabilities for CHF and AUD will follow soon. These additions will allow businesses operating in Switzerland, the Nordics, Central Europe, and Australia to hold and settle funds under their own names. This approach replaces the need for pooled virtual accounts, which can complicate the reconciliation of incoming funds and regulatory reporting. Chris Mason “Enterprises are increasingly thinking in multi-currency terms,” said Chris Mason, CEO at Orbital. “They want to hold and settle in those currencies under their own name, not via pooled wallets or opaque structures.” Banking Circle will provide the safeguarding of client funds in line with Orbital’s regulatory obligations. Nischa Us-Moynihan “Working with Orbital brings together client-named multi-currency accounts and access to clearing schemes with a platform designed for both fiat and stablecoin flows,” said Nischa Us-Moynihan, Chief Sales Officer at Banking Circle. The new currency corridors build on Orbital’s existing EUR, GBP, and USD banking infrastructure, extending its third-party local payment capabilities.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by FestArt via Magnific The post Orbital Partners With Banking Circle to Expand Multi-Currency Payment Infrastructure appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Robinhood has launched features that enable AI agents to execute equity trades and make credit card purchases with varying levels of user oversight and approval settings. The platform introduced Agentic Trading and the Agentic Credit Card to help users manage their investments and spending. Instead of allowing unrestricted external control, users can connect their AI agents via Model Context Protocol integration directly into Robinhood systems. Vlad Tenev “Our mission has always been to democratise finance for all, and now, that mission extends to AI agents,” said Vlad Tenev, CEO of Robinhood. Agentic trading and portfolio management The Agentic Trading feature allows users to open a dedicated account separate from the rest of their portfolio, limiting agent access only to deposited funds. Source: Robinhood The platform sends push notifications for every trade. It also provides a real-time activity feed. In addition, it offers profit-and-loss tracking specifically for the agentic trading account inside the application. Investors can use these agents to analyse portfolios for concentration risk, build thematic portfolios, or deploy backtested mean reversion strategies. The trading feature is currently in beta and supports equities only, with plans to add options, cryptocurrency, event contracts, and futures in the future. Virtual cards and spending controls For spending, the Agentic Credit Card connects agents to the banking servers to make purchases through a dedicated virtual Gold Card. Source: Robinhood Customers maintain control by setting specific spending limits. They can choose whether to require manual approvals for purchases and also have the ability to delete the virtual card instantly. As illustrative use cases, the company said agents could scan for the best prices. They could also purchase items such as retail drops, restaurant reservations, or business inventory. The system includes built-in safety controls and fraud detection. These allow the support team to review agent instructions and resolve disputes if a transaction appears unusual. Existing Gold Card customers can access the feature immediately. Support for the upcoming Platinum Card is planned for later this year.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by watercolor_vect via Magnific The post Robinhood Launches AI Agent Trading and Credit Card Tools with User Controls appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Sequence SA has secured a fintech license from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), becoming one of only five institutions in Switzerland to hold the regulatory approval. Swiss law firm Kellerhals Carrard, which advised the company on the application, announced the regulatory milestone on Wednesday (May 27). The firm’s legal team handled the structuring, documentation, and regulatory liaison required to secure the final approval. The FINMA fintech license, granted under Article 1b of the Banking Act, allows institutions to accept public deposits of up to CHF 100 million or crypto-based assets. Under the framework, firms cannot invest these funds or pay interest on them, creating a tailored regulatory path for digital and financial innovators outside the traditional banking system. Blas Pegenaute “Securing the fintech license is a key moment for Sequence and for the Swiss fintech ecosystem,” said Blas Pegenaute, CEO of Sequence. He added that the legal advisory team provided a combination of regulatory insight and pragmatic guidance throughout the process. Sequence joins four other Swiss companies that currently hold the specific fintech authorisation, highlighting the rigorous requirements of the application framework.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by leungchopan via Magnific The post Sequence Secures FINMA Fintech License in Switzerland appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Citi and BlackRock‘s HPS Investment Partners have launched a €15 billion private capital programme to expand private financing access for corporate and sponsor-owned borrowers. The initiative aims to finance €15 billion of debt opportunities over an initial five-year term. It targets borrowers with principal businesses based in Continental Europe and the UK, with plans to eventually include the Middle East. Under the agreement, Citi will use its investment, corporate, and commercial banking networks to source investment opportunities. Eligible transactions will include a broad range of sub-investment grade debt instruments. John McAuley “To meet the increasing demand from our corporate and sponsor clients for tailored private credit solutions, we are excited to announce this collaboration with HPS,” said John McAuley, Co-Head of Debt Capital Markets, Citi. “This programme is designed to directly support our clients’ strategic objectives across the EMEA region by combining Citi’s deep client relationships and origination strength with their significant capital and structuring expertise,” McAuley added. Matthieu Boulanger “We are pleased to collaborate with Citi to bring expanded direct lending solutions to the EMEA market,” said Matthieu Boulanger, Partner and Head of Europe, HPS. “This collaboration will enable us to draw on Citi’s extensive network and origination pipeline, further strengthening our ability to deliver tailored financing options to a broad range of borrowers,” Boulanger said.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by ghiska via Magnific The post Citi and HPS Launch €15 Billion Private Debt Initiative Across EMEA appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Swiss venture capital firm FiveT Fintech has rebranded to Groundshift, continuing its focus on European financial infrastructure and frontier technology. The firm was founded in 2019 as the venture arm of Avaloq. It became fully independent following Avaloq’s acquisition by NEC, initially operating under the FiveT Fintech name. Groundshift targets companies operating at the intersection of finance and emerging technologies. The firm’s current investment thesis covers artificial intelligence in financial services, stablecoins, and the tokenisation of real-world assets. It also focuses on compliance infrastructure driven by accelerating European regulations, including the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework. Alexander Christen “We started this firm with the conviction that the best fintech investments come from understanding how financial institutions actually work,” said Alexander Christen, CEO and Partner, Groundshift. The Zurich-based firm evaluates opportunities using a demand-driven approach, drawing on a network of banks and established financial technology companies to identify off-market investments. Groundshift participates in primary funding rounds, secondary transactions, and carve-outs. Its previous investments have resulted in exits including the acquisition of digital asset custodian Metaco by Ripple and the sale of wealth management platform Assetmax to Infront. The company stated that its investment strategy, portfolio, and team will remain unchanged following the rebrand.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Groundshift The post FiveT Fintech Rebrands to Groundshift appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Since the beginning of 2026, the artificial intelligence (AI) frenzy has sent the software industry into turmoil, causing public markets to plunge. Yet, fintech has emerged as a resilient outlier, facing considerably less disruption from AI compared to its peers in the wider software and technology sectors, according to new research by European buyout and growth investor Finch Capital. Since January 2026, Finch Capital’s Fintech Index has been down 19%. In contrast, a comparable basket of software-as-a-service (SaaS) firms has fallen 32%, representing a sell-off three times more severe than the index’s previous worst point. The State of AI in Fintech Finch Capital’s Fintech Index comprises 66 publicly-traded companies across insurance, payments, banking and cryptocurrency, wealth and capital markets, lending and mortgages, the CFO office, and regulatory and compliance. Key constituents include PolicyBazaar, Adyen, Visa, Coinbase, and Thomson Reuters. Conversely, the SaaS Index comprises 62 firms snapping enterprise SaaS and business software, cybersecurity, data and AI and analytics, marketing and customer experience, and developer tools and IT infrastructure. These companies include Adobe, CrowdStrike, Oracle, Palo Alto Networks, and Shopify. While the Fintech Index has already bounced back 11% from its March 2026 low, the SaaS Index continues to hit new lows, down as much as 33% from its December 2025 peak. Index performance – Indexed to 100 with AI release events, Source: 2026 State of AI in Financial Tech, Finch Capital, May 2026 Claude Cowork as the catalyst According to the report, the 2026 sell-off was triggered by remarkable changes in frontier model capabilities, notably visible with the release from Anthropic. Anthropic debuted at the end of January Claude Cowork in a research preview. Claude Cowork is a general-purpose AI agent designed to automate file management and document processing tasks. The tool extends Claude’s capabilities beyond conversational interfaces to enable autonomous execution of multi-step workflows within designated local directories. In February, Anthropic launched a wider release of Claude Cowork, introducing a suite of connectors and plugins targeting enterprises and sparking what some have termed the “SaaS-pocalypse”. Companies can now connect Claude Cowork to Google Drive, Gmail, DocuSign, and FactSet, allowing to model to autonomously navigate Google Drive, synthesize project data, draft emails based on that data, and even flag contradictory clauses in DocuSign agreements. Early enterprise deployments of Claude Cowork have yielded significant results. At audio streaming firm Spotify, engineers reported up to a 90% reduction in engineering time for complex code migrations, with over 650 AI-generated code changes shipped monthly. At Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical firm, Claude reduces the time required to produce clinical study documentation from more than ten weeks to just ten minutes, while cutting the resources needed for device verification protocols by 95%. Reasons behind the resilience of fintech Finch Capital attributes the fintech sector’s resilience to three primary factors: legal and reputational advantages, proprietary data and approved networks, and the fact that human judgment and oversight remain critical in high-stakes finance. First, fintech companies operate within a heavily regulated environment where years of licensing, constant supervision, and massive investments in compliance are mandatory. While AI can speed up specific compliance tasks like updating customer records, monitoring transactions, or drafting regulatory reports, an AI model cannot fabricate a years-long audit trail, or replicate the trusted relationships a firm has built with regulators over time. Second, fintech companies own unique, high-quality datasets, including real-world transaction histories, fraud patterns, and credit performance metrics, and have access to approved payment networks and banking infrastructure. These assets are the result of decades of actual business operations and show how deeply some of these firms are embedded in the financial ecosystem. Finally, although AI models are becoming increasingly capable at complex tasks, there is still a significant gap between their ability to handle coding versus the nuanced, regulated decision-making required in finance. These critical, judgment-heavy decisions are at the core of financial services, leaving the most valuable part of the fintech business model secure. Efficiency gains and future outlook In the fintech sector, AI is bringing between 30% to 60% efficiency gains across support, fraud, onboarding, and collections, according to Finch Capital. Klarna, for example, reports that AI is handling around two-thirds of its customer support queries, allowing customers to resolve their issues in less than two minutes compared to 11 minutes previously. Online trading platform Robinhood, meanwhile, launched in December 2025 Robinhood Cortex, an AI-powered investing assistant embedded directly into the app. This assistant can analyze market news in real time, explain why stocks or portfolios are moving, summarize analyst reports and financial data, and personalize insights based on a user’s holdings. By 2030, Finch Capital estimates that AI will cut 15% to 50% of operating costs across fintech verticals. Those savings will largely be captured in company margins for companies in insurance and regtech. AI OPEX cuts by 2030, Source: 2026 State of AI in Financial Tech, Finch Capital, May 2026   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Magnific The post Fintech Shows Resilience As SaaS Plummets Amid AI Turmoil appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

COLIBRIX ONE, a payments infrastructure platform for global ecommerce, and BitGN, a technology innovation organisation advancing agentic AI for commerce and payments, today announced the launch of the Agentic Ecommerce Challenge, a global developer competition opening 30 May 2026. Data from Capital One Shopping Research indicates that 80% of digital retailers have integrated AI into their infrastructure, with 69% realising measurable revenue gains and 72% achieving significant operational cost reductions. As agentic AI evolves from basic automation toward autonomous decision-making, digital retailers are increasingly delegating core workflows, from product discovery to fraud prevention, to autonomous agents. For these businesses, the primary barrier is no longer adoption, but rather the identification of agent solutions sufficiently reliable to be entrusted with live commercial operations. Bridging Builders and Businesses COLIBRIX ONE’s clients are growing ecommerce businesses seeking to expand into global markets. While demand for AI-driven infrastructure is rising, most businesses face the same practical barrier: there is no safe environment to evaluate how an agent performs under real commercial pressure before deployment. The Agentic Ecommerce Challenge addresses this directly. As lead partner, COLIBRIX ONE supports a sandbox environment where developers build and stress-test autonomous agents against scenarios drawn from live payment and retail operations. Businesses gain access to evaluated agent solutions at no cost, before committing to deployment. Developers gain exposure to real commercial requirements and the opportunity to connect with potential partners. Arturs Kononovs “AI agents are beginning to take over the workflows at the core of ecommerce: checkout decisions, dispute resolution, authentication recovery, routing optimisation. For COLIBRIX ONE, supporting the infrastructure that enables this transition is not a side initiative. It is directly relevant to what our clients need today,” said Arturs Kononovs, Deputy Head of Sales.     Featured image credit: Vienna HQ Hub of BitGN PAC1 Challenge by AIM – AI Impact Mission at AI Factory Austria The post COLIBRIX ONE and BitGN Launch Global Agentic Ecommerce Challenge for Developers appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Börsenmedien is acquiring a majority stake in financial education and comparison platform Finanzwissen, effective 1 June 2026. The acquisition brings the finanzwissen.de portal into the wider publishing group. The move is designed to expand the digital reach of Börsenmedien in the retail investing sector, bundle its affiliate activities, and expand its platform for financial product comparisons. Bernd Förtsch “We are pleased to have found an ideal digital complement to our traditional monthly magazine Euro in Finanzwissen,” said Bernd Förtsch, Founder and Owner, Börsenmedien. He added that the deal prepares the company for the growing focus on retirement planning through equity savings plans. The transaction aims to provide private investors with easier access to high-quality information and suitable financial solutions across the German-speaking market. Sebastian Rau “Our goal is to provide investors with an even more comprehensive and high-quality offering around financial education and financial products,” said Sebastian Rau, Managing Director, Finanzwissen. Rau will continue to lead the operational business following the merger. As part of the acquisition, Finanzwissen will relocate its headquarters to Kulmbach, Germany.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Borin via Magnific The post Börsenmedien Takes Majority Stake in Finanzwissen to Expand Investing Platform appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Sygnum has tested an AI agent for live digital asset transactions, allowing clients to execute complex blockchain trades through plain text commands while retaining control of their private keys. The Swiss regulated bank used the tool to plan actions on the blockchain, review smart contracts, and flag potential risks before asking the client for final approval. The transaction is only signed through a self custodial wallet on the user’s device. The system can handle stablecoin transfers, asset swaps, lending positions, token wrapping, and liquidity provisioning. Sygnum built the pilot using Anthropic’s Claude and a Model Context Protocol server, an open standard enabling data sharing between AI systems and financial platforms. Thomas Frei “Connecting AI agents to wallets is foundational to where finance is heading,” said Thomas Frei, Head of AI and Data Analytics at Sygnum Bank. He noted that the challenge for the coming decade is enabling automated execution without compromising custody and trust. Unlike setups where AI agents transact autonomously from their own wallets, the Sygnum architecture requires direct human involvement. The bank highlighted that regulators increasingly view autonomous AI agents as a risk for financial institutions. Sygnum designed the system to meet strict regulatory standards by keeping consent and custody with the client. The pilot aligns with the broader AI strategy at Sygnum, which focuses on augmenting client experiences and improving operational efficiency rather than replacing human decisions. The bank confirmed the agent is currently in a controlled testing phase and not yet available to clients.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by tahantanha10 via Magnific The post Sygnum Tests AI Agent for Live Digital Asset Transactions appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Swiss businesses now have expanded infrastructure to access the digital asset market, following a rollout of PostFinance crypto services for corporate clients. The expansion allows companies to trade 22 cryptocurrencies and participate in Ethereum staking directly from their standard bank accounts. The B2B offering is integrated directly into the bank’s e-finance platform and mobile app. It operates as an execution-only service, mirroring the existing setup for individual retail users but catering to institutional and corporate needs. As part of this expanded service, corporate users can participate in Ethereum staking. This mechanism allows businesses to earn rewards on their digital asset holdings by participating in network validation. PostFinance securely stores all digital assets in Switzerland. This meets the strict regulatory and audit standards required of a systemically important Swiss bank. An internal survey by PostFinance found that only 14% of Swiss companies have practical experience with digital assets. However, demand is increasing across institutional segments. Alexander Thoma “Institutional corporate customers, such as financial institutions, insurance companies, administrations, pension funds and corporations, have a particularly high need,” said Alexander Thoma, Head of Digital Assets, PostFinance. “These corporate customers already manage their finances professionally and expect the same standard for digital assets.” Alongside the corporate rollout, PostFinance has extended its digital asset services to private customers with joint partner accounts. This allows couples or shared account holders to build a digital asset portfolio together as part of their combined financial planning. Retail customers using partner accounts can also automate their investments through a savings plan feature. This automated investment option requires a minimum deposit of US$50.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by rawpixel.com via Magnific The post PostFinance Expands Crypto Services to Swiss Businesses and Joint Accounts appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

The Swiss crowdfunding market grew by 14% in 2025, driven by real estate developers turning to online platforms as new banking regulations tighten traditional credit. Total market volume reached 629 million Swiss francs, marking a return to growth after three consecutive years of decline. The market previously peaked at 792 million francs in 2021. Real estate crowdlending alone surged 38% to 275 million francs. This shift coincides with the implementation of the Basel III Final regulations on 1 January 2025. These rules require Swiss banks to hold higher capital reserves for riskier loans. This applies specifically to real estate development projects. Professor Dr Andreas Dietrich “This makes corresponding bank financing more expensive and leads to a more cautious lending in the real estate development sector,” said Professor Dr Andreas Dietrich, study leader at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU). Dietrich added that platforms are benefiting from this funding gap and positioning themselves as a viable alternative. The HSLU study projects another 30% growth in this segment for 2026. Concentration and traditional bank participation Beyond corporate lending, the crowdsupporting and donation sectors saw their first growth since 2020. These areas expanded by 30% to 35 million francs across 9,288 projects. Traditional banks are also participating in the market directly. Raiffeisen Switzerland recently began routing a portion of its sponsorship activities through its Lokalhelden platform. Members of 21 cooperative banks used the system to vote on sponsorship allocations. They also had the option to contribute additional funds to selected projects. The broader market remains highly consolidated. More than 80% of the donation and support volume is handled by just three platforms, driven by established network effects and brand trust. The HSLU Crowdfunding Monitor has tracked these developments annually since 2014 to increase transparency across the sector.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by lifeforstock via Magnific The post Swiss Crowdfunding Up 14% in 2025 on Surge in Real Estate Lending appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Anthropic, the company behind the range of large language models (LLMs) named Claude, has released ten ready-to-run agent templates for the financial services industry, the company said earlier this month. These templates aim to allow firms to deploy sophisticated AI tools in an easy and swift manner, bringing automation to some of the most time-consumer work in the space. These agent templates, which cover tasks like building pitchbooks, screening know-your-customer (KYC) files, and closing the books at month-end, comprise: The “Pitch Builder”, which creates target lists, runs comparables, and drafts pitchbooks for client meetings; The “Meeting Preparer”, which assembles client and counterparty briefs ahead of calls; The “Earnings Reviewer”, which reads transcripts and filings, updates models, and flags thesis-relevant changes; The “Model Builder”, which creates and maintains financial models from filings, data feeds, and analyst inputs; The “Market Researcher”, which tracks sector and issuer developments, synthesizes news, filings, and broker research, and flags items for credit and risk review; The “Valuation Reviewer”, which checks valuations against comparables, methodology, and the firm’s review standards; The “General Ledger”, which reconciler reconciles general ledger accounts and runs net asset value calculations against the books of record; The “Month-End Closer”, which runs the close checklist, prepares journal entries, and produces close reports; The “Statement Auditor”, which reviews financial statements for consistency, completeness, and audit-readiness; and The “KYC Screener”, which assembles entity files, reviews source documents, and packages escalations for compliance review. Each of these templates is a reference architecture that packages three elements: skills (instructions and domain knowledge for the task), connectors (governed access to the data the task runs on), and subagents (additional Claude models that are called upon by the main agent, for specific sub-tasks). Firms can adapt any of these templates to their own modeling conventions, risk policies, and approval flows. The agent templates ship as a plugin in Claude Cowork and Claude Code, and as a cookbook for Claude Managed Agents. They can be deployed for real financial world in just days rather than months, drastically reducing time-to-market and offering agility. As a plugin in Claude Cowork or Claude Code, the template runs alongside the analyst, using the software already on the user’s local computer. In this setup, the user provides a specific target and the system generates individual outputs. As a Claude Managed Agent, the template runs autonomously on the cloud-based Claude Platform rather than on a local desktop. This version is designed for large-scale operations, and comes equipped with enterprise-grade infrastructure, including long-running sessions, per-tool permissions, managed credential vaults, and a full audit log in the Claude Console. Claude’s integration with Microsoft 365 In addition to these new agent templates, Anthropic also announced that Claude now works across Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook through the Claude add-ins for Microsoft 365. In Outlook, the AI assistant can act as a chief of staff that triages inboxes, arranges meetings, and drafts responses. In Excel, it can build financial models from filings and data feeds, audit formulas, and run sensitivity analyses. In PowerPoint, it can draft decks that update automatically when the underlying numbers change, and in Word, it can edit credit memos against a firm’s own templates. For financial services professionals, the appeal lies in the ability to execute complex, multi-step workflows across the entire Microsoft Office ecosystem without leaving their native environment. This significantly automates routine administrative tasks, reduces manual data transfer errors, and accelerates turnaround times for time-sensitive market decisions. Broadening the ecosystem for financial services Finally, Anthropic said it was working on expanding its partner ecosystem, building connections to many different financial data sources to improve its ability to help with financial analysis and research. Claude is already connected to dozens of market data providers, research platforms, and financial companies’ internal systems, including established names like FactSet, S&P Capital IQ, MSCI, PitchBook, Morningstar, LSEG, and Daloopa, as well as organizations’ own data warehouses, research repositories, and customer relationship management systems. The platform is now adding new partners to its network, providing direct, real-time access to market and research data. These partners include: Dun & Bradstreet, which provides the global standard for verified business identity and helps enterprises connect systems of record and scale AI-enabled workflows; Fiscal AI, which extends real-time fundamentals coverage across public equities for deeper research and benchmarking; Financial Modeling Prep, which provides real-time quotes, fundamentals, statements, filings, and transcripts across equities, ETFs, crypto, forex, and commodities; Guidepoint, which searches more than 100,000 compliance-reviewed expert interview transcripts and provides verbatim excerpts linked to source; IBISWorld, which tracks industry-level revenue, financial ratios, risk scores, cost structures, and forecasts across thousands of sectors; SS&C Intralinks, which gives Claude access to DealCenter AI data rooms for document search, diligence Q&A, and deal-activity tracking; Third Bridge, which gives Claude access to primary-source expert interviews on companies, sectors, and value chains; and Verisk, which provides property, casualty, and specialty insurance data for underwriting, claims, and risk analysis. How the industry is using Claude Claude is already used by a number of banks, asset managers, and insurers to support various tasks across front, middle, and back offices. For example, FIS, a fintech company serving financial institutions, businesses and developers, is using Claude to build an agent that compresses AML investigations from days to minutes. Carlyle, an investment management firm, uses Claude as part of its AI technology stack, leveraging the system’s strong coding capabilities, and agentic reasoning, in particular. Finally, Citadel, a major hedge fund and financial services company, uses Claude to build and update coverage models, filter out noise to find key signals, and pressure-test investment professionals’ work, all with a step-change in efficiency. AI adoption in the financial services industry The release of Anthropic’s agent templates for the financial services industry comes as professionals in the sector are embracing AI rapidly. A new study by the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) at Cambridge Judge Business School, found that AI adoption has evolved into a mainstream standard, with 81% of industry players now adopting AI at some level and 40% reporting advanced AI adoption, including “Scaling” or “Transforming”. While adoption of agentic AI remains nascent, it is growing rapidly. According to a 2025 study by Wolters Kluwer, only 6% of finance leaders were employing agentic AI. However, 38% intended to adopt agentic AI in the next 12 months. With 44% of finance teams set to be using agentic AI in 2026, this represents an increase of over 600%. For financial services firms, AI is already generating measurable improvements. The CCAF study found the strongest gains in technology, data, and product functions, where 79% of respondents reported positive outcomes. Back office and operations followed closely at 75% overall.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by vector_corp via Magnific The post Anthropic Targets Financial Services with New Claude AI Agent Templates and Integrations appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.