Equinix has announced a series of global workforce development initiatives aimed at addressing the growing demand for technical talent in the digital infrastructure sector. Announced on International Data Center Day, March 25, the programmes focus on expanding access to technical careers and equipping individuals with skills needed to support AI adoption and digital transformation. Raouf Abdel “Equinix data centers are the heartbeat of our digital world, the essential pulse of global connectivity, and our people are the experts who keep that pulse strong, safe, and steady,” said Raouf Abdel, Executive Vice President, Global Operations at Equinix. “The work our people do is what enables the digital economy to scale, especially as AI rapidly increases demand for infrastructure. At Equinix, our success depends on exceptional talent, and we are deeply committed to developing a diverse, future-ready technical workforce. Investing in our people is how we continue to pave the path into the future.” A central element is Pathways to Tech, an early-career programme for students aged 14-18. Following a two-year pilot that reached nearly 2,000 students in the Americas and Asia-Pacific, it is now expanding to all Equinix locations. The programme provides hands-on exposure to digital infrastructure through interactive sessions with staff, data centre tours, and Education Day events, creating clear pathways into internships, apprenticeships, and early-career operations roles. On International Data Center Day, hundreds of students will participate in Education Days at 20 sites worldwide. Additional initiatives include the Global Data Center Technician Training Coalition, launched with Generation and partners such as Cisco Systems in Brazil, and the expansion of global apprenticeships, internships, and Learning Labs in markets including Dallas, Paris, and Singapore. These programmes provide practical training in electrical systems, climate control, safety, and facility operations, aiming to strengthen local talent ecosystems while meeting the sector’s growing workforce needs.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by jcomp via Freepik The post Equinix Expands Global Efforts to Train Data Centre Talent appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Viseca and Cornèrcard have established PayInit to develop an industry solution for global peer-to-peer (P2P) money transfers using Swiss-issued payment cards. The platform will allow customers of participating providers to send funds worldwide to payment cards, digital wallets, or bank accounts. It will operate via Mastercard and Visa networks and their partners, adhering to established security and data protection standards. An alias-based recipient directory will be introduced, enabling users to transfer money using phone numbers or electronic addresses. Opentech has been appointed as the technology partner. Its OpenPay Send platform is designed to support interoperability between banks, card issuers, and international payment networks. The solution is open to all Swiss card issuers and mobile payment providers. Participation in PayInit AG is not required to access the service, which will be offered through contractual agreements. Stefan Brunner, Chief Product Officer at Viseca, said: Stefan Brunner “The combination of global payment initiation and a scheme-compliant recipient directory provides a consistent user experience. The solution is open to all card issuers.” Alessandro Seralvo, Chief Executive Officer of Cornèrcard, said: Alessandro Seralvo “The card-based approach allows customers to send money globally, regardless of whether recipients use cards, wallets, or bank accounts.” The launch is planned for the end of 2026.       Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by poungsaed via Freepik The post Viseca and Cornèrcard Launch PayInit to Enable Global P2P Transfers from Swiss Cards appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Discussions about the future of banking often revolve around digital channels, cloud migration and mobile apps. At Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, Huawei placed the spotlight on what comes next. During its Digital Finance session, the company gathered financial institutions and technology partners to discuss how artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape the foundations of modern banking. The event carried the theme “Powering Resilient Intelligence, Co-creating Finance Future” and served as the backdrop for Huawei to introduce upgrades to its Banking AI and Foundation Model Solutions aimed at supporting the next phase of industry transformation. Attention quickly turned to the keynote delivered by Alvin Feng, President of International Financial Business at Huawei’s Digital Finance division. His presentation explored the growing role of AI in banking operations and why many financial institutions are now rethinking how technology fits into their long-term strategy. According to Alvin, the industry has spent the past two decades focused on digital optimisation. Online banking and mobile services changed how customers interact with financial institutions while data platforms helped banks improve operational efficiency. Artificial intelligence now opens the door to a deeper transformation, one that is beginning to influence how banks operate at every level. “AI is becoming the defining force reshaping the global financial industry,” Alvin said during his speech, noting that intelligence is starting to influence everything from customer engagement to risk management and internal decision making. Banking Begins Another Technology Transition Banks have moved through several waves of technological change. Early systems focused on automating back office processes and digitising records. Internet banking expanded customer access. Mobile technology later made financial services available almost anywhere. Another transition is beginning to take shape. Growing adoption of artificial intelligence is pushing banks to reconsider how services are delivered and how internal workflows operate. Customer interaction already offers a clear example. Instead of navigating menus and structured forms, users increasingly interact through conversational interfaces where systems interpret requests expressed in everyday language. Personalisation also begins to operate at a different scale. In the past, tailored financial advice often remained limited to high value customers. AI systems now analyse patterns across large datasets which allows banks to deliver personalised insights and recommendations to far wider segments of their customer base. Inside financial institutions, work patterns are also changing. Many teams already rely on automated tools for data analysis and reporting. AI agents add another layer by assisting staff in tasks such as reviewing applications, analysing documents or identifying unusual transaction activity. Alvin described the shift as one that extends across several dimensions of banking operations including customer engagement, decision making processes and the technology architecture supporting financial services. As he put it: “The transition from traditional banks to AI-driven banks brings profound changes in customer interactions, human-machine collaboration, decision-making approaches, system architecture, and customer experience.” Linking Business Strategy With Technology Execution A recurring theme throughout the session centred on how technology is gradually moving closer to the heart of business strategy. For a long time, banks viewed technology primarily as infrastructure that enabled services or reduced operational costs. Increasing reliance on artificial intelligence has started to change that perspective, prompting a reassessment of how technology contributes to growth and competitiveness. Alvin explained that many financial institutions now recognise the need for a clearer connection between business goals and technology deployment. He said this while pointing to a gap that many institutions are still working to close. Building that link requires more than adding isolated AI projects. Drawing on its work with global banks, Huawei introduced a framework known as the Intelligent Finance Value Implementer. The model is intended to help financial institutions identify meaningful AI scenarios, design supporting enterprise architecture and deploy intelligent systems in ways that align with long term business priorities. Selecting the right use cases plays a central role in that process. Projects tied to customer experience, risk control and operational efficiency often deliver the most immediate impact. Once those foundations are in place, institutions can expand AI capabilities across additional services and departments. Underpinning this shift is a broader change in mindset. “Technology is no longer a support function. It is now a value center at the heart of the business,” Alvin mentioned. Where Banks Are Testing AI Todays Several real world examples shared during the event illustrated how these ideas are already being tested in banking environments. Document processing for credit card applications offers one illustration. Staff members traditionally review customer documents manually, a process that can take around twenty minutes per application. AI assisted systems now perform the initial review in roughly twenty seconds while maintaining optical character recognition accuracy above 95 percent. Conversational services provide another glimpse into how banking experiences may evolve. Natural language interfaces combined with specialised AI agents allow customers to interact with digital assistants that guide them through tasks such as checking balances, making deposits or exploring investment options. Over time, these systems build a more detailed understanding of user behaviour by analysing patterns in transactions and previous interactions. The result is a service experience that adapts to individual customers rather than offering the same responses to everyone. Small and medium enterprise lending represents another area where AI tools are beginning to appear. Loan applications in this segment often require coordination between multiple teams. Some banks are experimenting with systems that simulate these roles through separate AI agents that support relationship managers, operations teams and risk analysts during the evaluation process. Human oversight remains essential, yet intelligent tools help reduce the time required to gather information and prepare recommendations. Bringing these elements together requires more than isolated tools. As the President of Huawei Digital Finance International noted, the key to AI banking lies in using systems engineering to unify AI infrastructure with open ecosystems, reengineering banking processes through human and artificial intelligence collaboration. Preparing Banking Systems for AI Workloads Applications such as these depend on a strong technical foundation. Financial institutions operate under strict requirements for reliability, security and performance. Infrastructure must therefore support demanding AI workloads without compromising stability. Huawei used the Digital Finance session to introduce several upgrades designed for that purpose. Among the technologies highlighted were the SuperPoD computing platform, an AI data platform and the Xinghe AI network architecture. Together these systems aim to provide the computing capacity and connectivity required to support advanced financial applications powered by artificial intelligence. Engineering improvements were also discussed. Huawei reported that new optimisation techniques have shortened AI agent development cycles from months to weeks while improving prompt accuracy and reducing end to end processing latency. Such changes matter for large banks that must integrate new technologies with long established core systems. Scaling AI Innovation Through Industry Partnerships No single technology provider can address the complexity of financial services on its own. Huawei therefore emphasised the importance of collaboration through its RongHai partner program. The initiative brings together technology vendors, consulting firms and system integrators working on financial solutions across different markets. More than 150 solution partners now participate alongside over 11,000 consulting, sales and service partners worldwide. Joint development through this network allows banks to deploy solutions tailored to specific regulatory environments while benefiting from shared expertise across the ecosystem. Banks Face the Next Stage of Digital Change Huawei’s digital finance business now supports thousands of financial institutions across more than eighty countries. Over the years, the company has worked with banks on projects ranging from infrastructure modernisation to large scale data platforms. Conversations at the MWC session suggested that the industry may be approaching another turning point. Artificial intelligence continues to expand into areas that were once handled entirely by human teams. Institutions experimenting with these tools are beginning to uncover new ways of serving customers, managing risk and improving operational efficiency. Alvin closed his thoughts with a simple observation about what lies ahead for the sector. Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland based on an image by Austler via Freepik The post Alvin Feng Shares Huawei’s Roadmap for AI-Driven Banking at MWC 2026 appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

While the US has long dominated the global fintech sector, recent trends show that Europe is rapidly closing the gap. According to growth investor Finch Capital, London is now the world’s top fintech hub, surpassing San Francisco and New York City (NYC) in funding volume. Meanwhile, European fintech hubs are attracting increasing capital while US volumes are declining, signaling a shift in investors’ focus. A comparative analysis of venture capital (VC) and growth funding reveals a stark contrast between the two regions over the last five years. Between the period of 2018-2021 and 2022-2025, funding in the European fintech industry increased by 37%. In contrast, fintech funding in the US declined by 13% during the same timeframe. This showcases a shrinking venture gap between the two regions, with investors increasingly favoring European fintech startups over US-based ones. London emerges as the world’s top fintech hub In Europe, London is solidifying its position as a premier fintech hub. Between 2022 and 2025, the city attracted more than EUR 30 billion in fintech funding, surpassing San Francisco, which secured just over EUR 20 billion during the same period, and NYC, with about EUR 16 billion. Top US and European fintech hubs, Source: 2026 State of European Fintech, Finch Capital Overall, the UK remains the undisputed fintech powerhouse in Europe, with a market size 1.7 times larger than the next seven biggest European fintech markets combined, namely France, Germany, the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, and Poland. In 2025, the UK continued to attract more funding, with fintech investment increasing 38% year-over-year (YoY). Conversely, Germany and France both declined by 42% and 24%, respectively, further cementing the UK’s fintech dominance. Fintech deal value (EUR million), Source: 2026 State of European Fintech, Finch Capital Europe excels in regtech, CFO office Looking at the fintech ecosystem in Europe, the analysis reveals that the region’s strength lies primarily in verticals that are regulatory-intense and infrastructure-heavy verticals. European fintech companies in the CFO office vertical recorded a funding-to-exit value ratio of 2.54-fold during the 2021-2025 period, a figure that’s significantly higher than the 1.32-fold ratio observed for US counterparts in the same category. The funding-to-exit value ratio compares the total capital invested in a company to its valuation at exit, indicating the multiple of return investors achieved on their investment. Similarly, regulatory and compliance companies in Europe posted a ratio of 2.42-fold, compared to 2.24-fold for US companies. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) is disproportionately targeting these specific categories. 25% of AI-led fintech companies founded in Europe between 2020 and 2025 targeted regulatory and compliance. 19% focused on the CFO office vertical. These findings reflect how AI formation in Europe is skewed toward segments with historically high operational headcount and compliance intensity. This suggests a strong focus on cost reduction and risk mitigation, driven by operational necessary and regulatory pressures. US dominates in risk and infrastructure The US, on the other hand, leads in risk-driven and balance-sheet-intensive segments. US startups in the insurance category reported a funding-to-exit value ratio of 1.38-fold in the 2021-2025 period, against 0.45-fold for their European counterparts. Similarly, US companies in the lending and mortgage vertical posted a 0.61-fold ratio, against 0.28-fold for European ones. Funding/exit value ratio 2021-2025, Source: 2026 State of European Fintech, Finch Capital The analysis also reveals that while Europe dominates the fintech experience and distribution layer through industry leaders like Revolut, N26, and Klarna, the US leads over the enablement platforms, and infrastructural layers, represented by players such as card issuing platform Marqeta, data transfer network Plaid, and payment processing company Stripe. Consequently, a large share of the value created by European fintech customer-facing companies flies back to the US through infrastructural rails. For example, 63% of European cloud compute runs on AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, and over 90% of card purchases volume in Europe is held by Visa and Mastercard. Who owns Europe’s fintech stack? Source: 2026 State of European Fintech, Finch Capital Investor dependence Despite Europe’s success in generating value in the fintech sector, the region remains dependent on US capital for late-stage growth. The analysis shows that all European fintech funding exceeding EUR 1 billion were led by US investors. Overall, US investors led 39% of all funding value secured in Europe’s fintech industry between 2021 and 2025, against 28% led by European investors, underscoring the critical role of US investors in fueling and shaping the European fintech landscape. But this reliance also highlights a significant funding gap. Though Europe has the players to fill the estimated EUR 9 billion funding gap, very few local institutions are actually participating. Currently, pension funds in Europe allocate less than 0.02% of their assets to VC funding, compared to 1.9% for US pension funds. Closing this gap could result in a EUR 37.3 billion upside for the European startup ecosystem. European fintech VC and growth funding 2021-2025 (EUR million), Source: 2026 State of European Fintech, Finch Capital At the end of 2025, there were a little over 33,600 fintech companies worldwide, according to Statista. Of these, 10,000 were headquartered in Europe, making the continent the world’s second-largest fintech ecosystem, trailing only North America with over 12,500 fintech companies. The two regions also host some of the world’s largest and most successful fintech firms, including Stripe from San Francisco, which now stands among the top five global merchant acquirers by total payment volume at US$1.4 trillion, and Revolut from the UK, one of the world’s largest digital banks with 65 million customers.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by artisancollective via Freepik The post European Fintech Surges; US Falls Behind appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

UBS has obtained a national banking license in the US marking a key step in its efforts to expand wealth management in the world’s largest economy. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) approved UBS’s application for a national bank charter, Reuters reported, allowing the bank to offer the full range of services provided by US lenders, including checking accounts, savings accounts and mortgages. Rob Karofsky “This will strengthen our momentum in the US and it reinforces our ambition to lead as a premier global wealth manager,” said Rob Karofsky, President of UBS Americas. UBS applied to convert its US entity, UBS Bank USA, into a nationally chartered bank. Brian Carlin, head of global wealth management US, said the charter would allow the bank to expand both its client base and services, although the rollout would take time. UBS considers the US, where more than 1,000 people become millionaires daily, its most important growth market in wealth management. However, UBS remains less profitable than leading US banks such as Morgan Stanley and faces challenges in rebuilding the US business after losing billions in client assets and nearly 200 financial advisers, analysts and industry sources told Reuters. The need to strengthen the US operations has grown since UBS acquired Credit Suisse following its collapse in 2023, amid a Swiss government drive to make the banking sector less risky. Proposed new regulations could impose higher capital requirements, which UBS has criticised as excessive, warning they could disadvantage the bank.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by vwalakte via Freepik The post UBS Secures US National Banking License to Expand Wealth Management appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Revolut has reported record financial results for the year ended 31 December 2025, with revenue rising 46% to €5.3 billion and profit before tax increasing 57% to €2.0 billion. The company recorded a pre-tax profit margin of 38%, marking its fifth consecutive year of net profitability, with net profit reaching €1.5 billion. Growth was driven by expansion across multiple revenue streams, including subscriptions, card payments, wealth management, foreign exchange, and interest income. The firm noted that 11 product lines each generated approximately €100 million in annual revenue, reflecting a more diversified business model. Customer deposits rose 66% to €57.5 billion, while the loan portfolio more than doubled to €2.5 billion, contributing to a 23% increase in interest income. Operationally, retail customers grew 30% to 68.3 million, alongside a 33% increase in business customers to 767,000. In Switzerland, Revolut added 240,000 new users, bringing total customers in the country to over 1 million. Total transaction volume rose 65% to €1.5 trillion, with higher usage per customer. Revolut Business accounted for €323 billion of total transaction volume, with growth exceeding 140% in markets including Singapore, Australia, and the USA. The company also reported continued expansion in international markets and product offerings, including developments in wealth management, lending, connectivity, and security features. Nik Storonsky, Co-founder and CEO, said: Nikolay Storonsky “2025 was a decisive year for us. We have built a diversified and robust business model that scales profitably and forms the basis for further growth. While we develop into a truly global bank, we show that our technology-driven approach enables us to grow quickly and at the same time remain extremely profitable. Even a decade after our founding, we are only at the beginning of what is possible.” Revolut also made progress in its banking license strategy, operating as a licensed bank in more than 30 markets. It launched banking operations in Mexico in January 2026, completed its UK mobilisation phase in March, and submitted an application for a US national bank license the same month. Looking ahead, the company plans to invest €11.5 billion over five years to support growth and innovation, with a target of reaching 100 million customers by mid-2027.     Featured image credit: Revolut press release The post Revolut Revenue Hits €5.3 Billion with €2 Billion Profit in 2025 appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Venmo has announced an expansion that enables its peer-to-peer payment service to connect with PayPal, allowing users to send and receive money with PayPal accounts across more than 90 markets. The move significantly broadens Venmo’s reach and links it to one of the largest global payment networks. The integration aims to address fragmentation in peer-to-peer payments, where users are often limited by platform compatibility. With the update, Venmo users can transfer money domestically and internationally using a recipient’s phone number, without requiring bank details or routing information. Users can search for a recipient by entering their phone number, after which the app identifies any linked PayPal account, subject to privacy settings. They can then enter the amount in US dollars, with the app displaying the converted amount in the recipient’s currency before confirming the transfer. Users can include a note with each payment, and the app shows both sender and recipient the transaction details, including fees and exchange rates, before completion. The company said the feature maintains Venmo’s existing user experience while extending its functionality to cross-border payments. For younger users, particularly those who regularly send money internationally, the update allows them to use a familiar app for transactions beyond domestic use. Diego Scotti “Venmo and PayPal have each become a trusted part of how people send and receive money, Venmo as the way friends split, share, and connect over everyday spending, and PayPal pioneering the global standard for cross-border money movement,” said Diego Scotti, General Manager of PayPal’s Consumer Group. “By bringing these two ecosystems together, we’re making it seamless for Venmo and PayPal users to pay one another without friction or borders.”       Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Tech Daily via Unsplash The post Venmo Connects to PayPal Network, Enabling Cross-Border Transfers appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Globally, neobanking has evolved from a niche proposition for tech-savvy early adopters to becoming a mass-market sector. According to strategy consulting firm Simon-Kucher, the sector now serves 1.4 billion accounts globally, representing 19% of total banking accounts. These companies continue to attract new customers by delivering strong customer satisfaction and innovative products, posing an increasing threat to banking incumbents who are losing ground. The 2025 Simon-Kucher Neobanking Study, conducted across 16 markets, revealed that regional banks are particularly hard hit, losing relevance worldwide against neobanks and experiencing plummeting acquisition shares. In 2020, 33% of the customers polled across these markets became new bank account holders at a regional bank over the prior year. By 2025, that figure had declined to 26%, falling to 29% in 2022-2023. In comparison, neobanks captured 39% of new banking relationships worldwide in 2025. Among the markets studied, regional banks in Canada, Australia, the UK, Mexico and Argentina suffered the most, with account acquisition shares ranging from 17% to 22%. Regional bank account acquisition share over time, Source: Simon-Kucher Neobanking Study 2025, Neobanking beyond disruption, 2026 Neobanks’ biggest strengths Neobanks excel in customer experience, low fees, and innovation. Notably, 52% of customers were satisfied with their primary neobank, compared to 40% for large and national banks. Customers also praised the simplicity of opening an account, the digital banking experience, and the competitive charges offered by neobanks, which they found superior to those of traditional banks. Despite these advancements, large banks maintained a lead in trust, security, and service breadth. Customer ratings of neobanks versus large banks by value driver, Source: Simon-Kucher Neobanking Study 2025, Neobanking beyond disruption, 2026 Neobanks also lead in innovation. Notably, findings from the study revealed that customers are turning to neobanks for newer, higher-engagement categories such as investment products and cryptocurrencies. 48% of customers with alternative investments, including cryptocurrencies, maintained these products at a neobank, a figure that stands at 34% for investment products. These results suggest that neobanks are gaining traction in areas where innovation and speed are paramount. Reasons for shifting to a neobank The study also revealed that consumers switch to neobanks primarily for financial incentives, citing higher savings rates, greater cashback rewards, and fee-free checking as top reasons. However, the thresholds are highly location specific, with customers in North America, for example, demanding significantly larger financial incentives than customers in Latin America (LatAm) or Central Europe. Cultural nuances also shape decisions. Customers in Brazil prioritize fast customer support, while in Nordic countries, they place a high priority on good app experiences. The state of neobanking The neobanking industry has reached mass scale and mainstream adoption worldwide. As the sector matures, the number of neobanks has declined, with customer growth and revenue increasingly being concentrated among a small group of global leaders. Nubank from Brazil and Revolut from the UK serve 131 million and 65 million customers, respectively, making them among the biggest neobanks in the world. In addition, more than 20 institutions now exceed 10 million customers and roughly 100 have passed the one-million-user mark, according to a global analysis conducted by Simon-Kucher. Customer relationships are also deepening, with more users shifting lending, deposit, and investment activity to neobanks. As a result, revenues per customer jumped to approximately US$100 per account per year in 2025, up from US$75 in 2023, according to the firm. This improvement signals continued progress toward neobanking profitability. Regional differences While neobanking has risen globally, regional dynamics vary. In Asia-Pacific (APAC), success hinges on building strong network effects, performing well with loans, and navigating local regulations effectively. Despite the region’s massive scale and potential, many neobanks still struggle to make profits because each customer generates relatively little revenue on average. However, more established players are starting to improve their profitability and catch up to their financial goals. LatAm continues to lead global neobanking growth, with Brazil and Mexico emerging as leaders. Across the region, the competitive focus is now shifting from pure customer acquisition to higher average revenue per customer. In Europe, where neobanking first took shape, the market is evolving unevenly. The UK remains the clear leader, with more than 30 million accounts and global brands such as Wise, Starling, and Monzo. France continues to grow steadily through a mix of international and domestic players. However, momentum is weaker in Germany and Austria, where only 10-15% of consumers currently bank with a neobank. In Italy and Spain, fewer local champions have emerged, but international players like N26 and Revolut are rapidly gaining traction.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by sosiukin via Freepik The post Neobanking Reaches Mainstream Adoption, Claims 1.4B Accounts Globally appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

HubSpot has announced a €40.35 million investment in an AI-native R&D programme in Ireland, supported by IDA Ireland. The programme will focus on foundational AI systems engineering, covering AI platforms and ecosystem, product and infrastructure, and AI-native go-to-market transformation. It aims to strengthen HubSpot’s AI capabilities and support the company’s goal of reaching 500,000 customers by 2028, up from more than 288,000 across 135 countries. The initiative will develop scalable AI platforms, tools, and interfaces for faster and safer deployment across HubSpot’s product suite and partner ecosystem. It will also embed AI into the company’s core infrastructure and products to improve performance, reliability, and customer outcomes. Additionally, it will reimagine HubSpot’s internal workflows and customer-facing processes in an AI-native way. Rich Archbold “This is a strong vote of confidence in HubSpot’s AI-native R&D vision,” said Rich Archbold, GM and SVP Business Systems, Security & BizTech at HubSpot. “With support from IDA Ireland, we can anchor more of our most advanced AI systems engineering in Ireland and accelerate the multi-year AI-native transformation of our platform. Ireland is at the heart of that strategy, and the depth and ambition of the engineering and AI talent here gives us the confidence to take on some of our most complex technical challenges.” HubSpot employs approximately 1,300 people in Ireland, including over 350 in R&D. While most are in County Dublin, 37% are based elsewhere, reflecting a national footprint. The company operates a hybrid model to access talent across the country and support regional economic participation.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by dasun404malaka via Freepik The post HubSpot to Invest €40.35 Million in AI R&D Programme in Ireland appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Horses helped build entire economies, yet they never understood money. They worked for oats. For centuries, this simple fact went unnoticed, simply because it didn’t matter. People managed the money, horses provided the power. The system worked because there was a bridge between the two worlds: money could buy oats, and oats provided the energy for work. Today, a new kind of “workhorse” is emerging: artificial intelligence (AI). And like the horse, it doesn’t care about money. This observation may sound trivial, but it isn’t. It points to a profound shift that could change our thinking about money, value, and economic power. The horse’s forgotten lesson Before steam engines and electricity, horses were not just helpful, they were essential. In pre-industrial economic systems, a significant portion of value creation depended directly on animal power. Fields were plowed by horses, goods were transported by horse-drawn carts, and entire logistics systems relied on them. In terms of energy consumption, horses were among the most important sources of power. In other words, a significant portion of economic output was literally generated by living beings who knew neither prices, wages, nor wealth. And yet, despite this enormous contribution, horses were not economic actors in the human sense. They had no understanding of money, no awareness of exchange, and no ability to store value. Their world was biological: food, rest, security. The interface between these two worlds, the human monetary system and the horse’s biological system, was simple: humans used money to buy oats, hay, and water. These resources, in turn, enabled the horse to work. The horse never came into direct contact with money. It only reacted to what money could affect in the physical world. Money, in this context, was not a universal language. It was a layer of translation. From oats to electricity AI functions remarkably similarly. AI systems aren’t interested in salaries or savings. They don’t accumulate wealth or strive for maximum monetary return. Instead, they work with other input factors: electricity, computing power, data, and access. While a horse converts oats into movement, AI converts electricity into decisions. Behind every AI model lies a chain of physical and technical processes. Electricity powers data centers. Data centers operate hardware, GPUs, and other specialized chips. This hardware executes algorithms. The result is output: text, predictions, code, and recommendations. This output creates economic value. At no point in this chain does money enter the AI system itself. People use money to pay for electricity, infrastructure, and development. But the AI, just like the horse, never “sees” it. It only reacts to the resources that can be mobilized through money. In this sense, electricity is the grain of the digital age. A subtle but profound change For much of economic history, the existence of non-monetary producers did not fundamentally challenge the role of money. Animals and machines were important, but human labor and decision-making remained central to value creation. AI is changing this balance: For the first time, we are witnessing the emergence of a production factor that is not only non-monetary but also highly scalable, adaptable, and increasingly central to the economy. AI writes code, analyzes financial markets, optimizes logistics, generates content, and supports cross-industry decision-making processes. In doing so, it is taking over tasks that were previously the domain of human cognition. And yet, despite this growing role, AI remains fundamentally indifferent to money. Here, the historical comparison becomes particularly clear: In pre-industrial economies, horses made a significant contribution to value creation. However, their impact was ultimately limited by biological, spatial, and geographical constraints. AI, on the other hand, operates without many of these limitations. It can be replicated, distributed, and scaled across sectors almost instantaneously. If horses augmented human muscle power, AI augments human cognition to an extent that will dwarf anything seen before. For the first time, we are not merely supplementing human labor at the periphery, but replicating and substituting core elements of human decision-making, analysis, and coordination in entire economies. The decoupling of money and production This creates a tension at the heart of the modern economy. Money has traditionally fulfilled three main functions: it served as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and a store of value. But all three functions presuppose actors for whom money is important, who use it for trading, measuring, and saving. What happens when the primary producers of value do not participate in this system? We may be witnessing the beginnings of a decoupling of money and production. In a traditional economy, these two were closely intertwined. Workers earned wages, businesses generated revenue, and prices coordinated supply and demand. Money was both the measure and the mechanism of economic activity. In an AI-driven economy, this connection becomes less direct. AI systems don’t earn wages. They don’t manage bank accounts. They don’t set prices or negotiate contracts. Instead, they consume resources and produce goods. The coordination of these resources still occurs through monetary systems: companies pay for computing power, investors allocate capital, and markets determine prices. But the production process itself increasingly takes place outside the monetary sphere. The disruption caused by AI doesn’t end with the labor market, however: it extends to savings, because when money loses its central role, the values stored within it also lose reliability. The economy can be divided into two levels. The first is the monetary level, where people operate. Here we find prices, wages, contracts, and financial markets. This is the familiar world of money. The second is the resource level, where production takes place. Here, the relevant variables are electricity, computing power, data availability, and infrastructure. This is the world in which AI operates. Money connects these two levels, but is no longer their substance. It becomes an interface, a means of translating human intentions into resource allocation. When resources behave like money As part of this transformation, certain resources are taking on characteristics traditionally associated with money. Computing time, for example, is increasingly being traded, sold, and allocated with precision. Access to high-performance chips can determine which companies lead the way in AI development and which lag behind. In some contexts, computing power is priced, rationed, and prioritized in ways similar to financial markets . Similarly, access to data and infrastructure is becoming a crucial factor for economic performance. These are not currencies in the traditional sense, but rather important factors of production that can be exchanged, accumulated, and utilized. In these areas, the relevant question is not, “How much money do you have?” but rather, “What computing power can you access?” This marks a subtle but important shift. Money remains necessary, but it is no longer sufficient. Economic power increasingly depends on control over physical and technological resources. Rethinking the nature of value The rise of AI also forces us to rethink our understanding of value. In human economics, value is expressed symbolically: prices, wages, and financial indicators form a common language for comparing goods and services. Money allows us to translate the physical world into numbers. This perspective is profoundly human. For a long time, this was sufficient because the majority of value creation originated from humans. But with the rise of AI, this focus is shifting. If, in the future, an increasing share of value creation is generated by systems that lack an understanding of money, a new question arises: What does money look like from the perspective of these systems? The answer is sobering: From AI’s point of view, money is neither a goal nor a measure, but at best a detour. Or, to put it more bluntly: For the systems that will generate the majority of value creation in the future, fiat money is simply irrelevant. AI operates within its own functional system. Its results are measured by their quality: accuracy, speed, efficiency, and relevance. These are not monetary values, but rather key performance indicators. When AI systems create value, it does so indirectly. A model that optimizes logistics, for example, generates economic benefit – not by making money, but by reducing costs, improving processes, or increasing performance. This creates a growing gap between the symbolic representation of value (money) and the actual value creation (AI-driven processes). The new question of power When money becomes more of an interface than the core of production, the question of economic power shifts accordingly. In a monetary system, power is often associated with capital, with the ability to invest, grant loans, and distribute financial resources. Institutions such as banks and financial markets play a central role in this. In a resource-driven system, power is more closely tied to infrastructure. Whoever controls the energy supply, chip manufacturing, data centers, and network access gains a strategic advantage. However, this does not mean that money becomes irrelevant. On the contrary, it remains an instrument for acquiring and coordinating resources. But it is no longer the sole or decisive factor for economic performance. To return to the previous analogy: having money is not the same as having oats. And in a world where work depends on oats – or electricity – the latter may be more important. A familiar pattern on a new scale In some respects, this development is not entirely new. The distinction between monetary and non-monetary systems has always existed. Humans have always relied on animals, machines, and natural resources to create value. What is new, however, is the scale and scope of this change: Horses were strong, but limited. They required care, had limited performance, and functioned in relatively simple systems. While their role was important, it did not fundamentally alter the economic structure. AI, on the other hand, is universally applicable, scalable, and deeply integrated into modern infrastructure. It can operate across domains, learn from data, and continuously improve. Its potential impact is far greater. Horses once contributed significantly to economic output without ever being used for monetary purposes. AI will achieve something similar, but on a scale that dwarfs anything seen before. Consequently, the decoupling of money and production is no longer a fringe phenomenon; it is becoming a central feature of the economic landscape. If the machines that create most of the world’s value no longer use money, the true currency of power is no longer money, but control over the systems that power them: electricity, computing power, data, and the infrastructure that connects them. The widespread introduction of autonomous, self-optimizing AIs will ultimately end the monetary system as we know it – because AIs do not care about fiat money.   Featured image by Patrick Schüffe with  AI assistance (ChatGPT). The post What Horses Can Teach Us About the Future of Money appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Nasir Zubairi, founding Chief Executive of the Luxembourg House of Financial Technology (LHoFT), will step down this summer to become CEO of Paytm’s newly established European entity. According to the Luxembourg Times, Zubairi will leave LHoFT after nine and a half years, having helped build the institution from the ground up and establish Luxembourg as a recognised hub for fintech and digital financial services. The board will begin a formal search for his successor in the coming months. Zubairi will lead Paytm Europe Payments from Luxembourg, overseeing the company’s European operations. Paytm, formally One97 Communications, serves around 450 million registered users and 45 million merchants in India and trades publicly with a market capitalisation of roughly US$9.3 billion. The company incorporated its Luxembourg entity on 12 January as part of its European expansion. Speaking on his appointment, Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma said: Vijay Shekhar Sharma “We have built a strong business model that helps small merchants accept mobile payments at low cost and access digital credit. We believe it can work equally well for small and medium businesses in Europe, starting with Luxembourg.” Zubairi added: Nasir Zubairi “Luxembourg has built a reputation as an open, international financial centre with strong expertise in financial services and innovation. It is a natural location from which to build a European platform for a global payments company.” To operate in Europe, Paytm Europe Payments will require authorisation from Luxembourg’s financial regulator, the CSSF. The company is preparing for this process, including hiring a Chief Compliance Officer to establish a compliance framework, implement AML/CFT controls, and liaise directly with the regulator.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by mrsiraphol via Freepik The post LHoFT CEO Nasir Zubairi Steps Down to Head Paytm Europe appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

The HSG START Accelerator has launched its second cohort at START Summit 2026 in St. Gallen. The programme will provide the startups with mentoring, network access, and support to develop their business models. The 8 deeptech startups are: Aithon Robotics     ExoSphere     FireDrone     GoNeon     Lightlink Instruments     NoxBlanc     Optohive     SurfAce Cleantech It will conclude with a Demo Day on 12 May 2026, where the teams will present their innovations to investors. The University of St. Gallen (HSG), the START Foundation, and Switzerland Innovation Park East (SIP Ost) established the HSG START Accelerator in St. Gallen. The programme supports European startups in the early growth phase and receives funding from the Canton of St. Gallen, the Ernst Göhner Foundation, the Metrohm Foundation, and Swisscom. This year, the accelerator is also participating in the “DO it in St. Gallen” initiative, launched at START Summit 2026 to further develop St. Gallen as an innovation hub.     Featured image credit: HSG Start Accelerator press release The post HSG START Accelerator Launches Second Cohort of 8 Deeptech Startups appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Visa has launched Visa Agentic Ready, a global programme aimed at preparing the payments ecosystem for agent-initiated, AI-driven commerce. The programme will first roll out in Europe, including the UK, building on Visa Intelligent Commerce, the company’s framework for enabling AI-enabled payment experiences. Its initial phase focuses on issuer readiness, providing partners with a structured approach to test and validate transactions initiated by AI agents in controlled production environments. Participating issuers will work with Visa and selected merchants to assess how agent-initiated payments can operate securely and at scale, while maintaining existing safeguards such as user consent and fraud controls. Mathieu Altwegg “As AI agents increasingly shape how people shop and buy, payments need to keep up,” said Mathieu Altwegg, Head of Product & Solutions at Visa Europe. “Visa Agentic Ready will initially help European issuers prepare for secure, scalable agent-initiated payments, built on infrastructure people already trust.” The programme leverages Visa’s existing systems, including tokenisation, identity verification, risk management and authentication tools. These measures ensure that transactions initiated by AI agents remain tied to verified users and maintain appropriate oversight. Visa selected Europe for the initial rollout due to its high adoption of technologies such as tokenisation and advanced authentication. The testing phase will assess how agent-initiated payments function in real issuer environments and whether issuers can deploy them reliably at scale. Early participants include major financial institutions such as Alpha Bank, Barclays, Commerzbank, HSBC UK, Revolut and Banco Santander, among others. Visa said the programme forms part of its broader efforts to support the development of automated, programmable commerce, where payments can respond to user intent while maintaining security and control.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Frolopiaton Palm via Freepik The post Visa Launches Agentic Ready Programme to Test AI-Driven Payments in Europe appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

As digital asset securities move from experimentation to scale, interoperability has emerged as one of the industry’s most urgent and critical challenges. Without interoperability, assets remain trapped in isolated pools and operational costs remain high for market participants, preventing the industry from achieving the full potential of distributed ledger technology (DLT). Against this backdrop, Clearstream, the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) and Euroclear, supported by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) released in February 2026 a new whitepaper, outlining a practical framework to advance interoperability, reduce fragmentation and accelerate adoption of digital asset securities. It defines interoperability in capital markets as the ability to exchange assets across both DLT and traditional ledgers, while preserving the asset’s integrity, ownership rights and lifecycle, and maintaining full legal and regulatory compliance. Key principles of interoperability in capital markets To achieve this, the framework highlights five key principles. First, the principle of solution neutrality considers interoperability issues independently from the actor that solves it or the approach that is used to solve it. Second, the principle of bridging networks recognizes that traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFI) will operate alongside each other, requiring assets to move seamlessly between DLT and TradFi ledgers in both directions. Third, the principle of business continuity at all times prioritizes resilience and tolerance to change, ensuring that interoperable rails can withstand upgrades to assets, contracts, and ledgers while engagements persist. Fourth, inclusivity fosters the inclusion of every market participant across the value chain. Finally, the principle of financial market infrastructure (FMI)-grade security and resilience ensure that interoperability never weakens security. This requires all connected ledgers or platforms to always meet single-ledger-grade standards. Core components Diving deeper into the strategy’s key components, the framework highlights three key components that must be interoperable. First, data must be standardized with common identifiers, taxonomies, and message standards created, similarly to what financial markets achieved with the International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) for financial and referential instruments. Processes must also be harmonized to replicate the efficiency gains achieved in TradFi through SWIFT standardized protocols. These protocols enable consistent data transfer across financial institutions, adding efficiency and cost savings to treasury worldwide. Finally, roles assignment must be consistent, with clearly defined responsibilities for critical functions, such as custody, validation, and oversight. This aims to replicate what TradFi has achieved with custodians, central securities depositories (CSDs), and clearing houses to preserve accountability and trust. Calling for industry collaboration The paper calls for robust industry collaboration, and encourages the formation of working groups across the industry under the sponsorship of FMIs and supervisors. These working groups should focus on several different themes. On governance, this group should focus on defining an industry-wide roadmap to guide steps toward full interoperability. They should also work on defining standards on data, processes or roles, or building guidebook for implementations in financial institutions. Specific opportunities include data model standards for wallets, smart contracts, and corporate actions, as well as clarifying role assignments for these components. Additionally, these working groups should develop guidelines on smart contract integrity and change management, or industry wide resilience metrics and monitoring tools. They should also design controls for outage, error handling or cybersecurity risk management. Finally, these groups should focus on principles and techniques to safeguard customer assets, including defining custody and settlement principles for FMIs, and developing frameworks for asset and activity segregation of FMIs. DLT in capital markets On-chain digital asset security activity remains small compared to traditional securities. In 2022, the stock of DLT-based securities stood at about US$310 billion comprising a combination of listed and unlisted equity, bonds and other financial assets, according to a 2023 report by the Global Financial Markets Association (GFMA) together with BCG, Clifford Chance and Cravath, Swaine and Moore. In comparison, traditional securities include US$145.1 trillion in global foreign exchange (FX) and US$126 trillion in global equity. However, adoption of digital assets is accelerating. According to the GFMA report, conservative projections suggest that DLT-based securities could reach approximately US$16 trillion by 2030. Best-case scenarios estimate a total market value of US$68 trillion by then. In the capital markets, research findings indicate that DLT has the potential to significantly reduce costs. This cost reduction could lead to an estimated annual saving of approximately US$15-20 billion in global infrastructure operational expenditures stemming from streamlining and automating various processes, as well as minimizing the need for intermediaries and human intervention.   Featured image by Who is Danny on Freepik The post Interoperability Crucial for Digital Asset Securities to Reach Mass Adoption appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

mobilezone expects to complete the acquisition of AK Group by the end of June 2026. The company will pay approximately CHF 180 million in cash to the selling parties, which include the Swiss investment company Invision, Apfelkiste founder Pierre Droigk, and a co‑founder. It will propose Pierre Droigk, current Group CEO of AK Group, for election to its Board of Directors at the 2027 Annual General Meeting. AK Group comprises the e‑commerce platform Apfelkiste and the retail branding and sourcing company MAREIN. The group employs around 100 people. It reported revenue of over CHF 100 million in 2025, with EBITDA of approximately CHF 20 million. Apfelkiste offers more than 60,000 products across smartphone accessories, lifestyle, and home segments, and has maintained continuous growth since its founding in 2011. MAREIN, founded in 1979 and part of AK Group since 2024, specialises in retail, branding, and sourcing, and owns brands including I AM CREATIVE, Esmée, and Paladin Safe. Markus Bernhard, Executive Delegate of the Board of Directors of mobilezone, said: Markus Bernhard “For many years, we have followed the impressive success story of Apfelkiste. The company’s ability to continue growing strongly even after the COVID pandemic speaks to the quality of its business model and its prudent management. We are convinced that mobilezone, Apfelkiste, and MAREIN complement each other extremely well and are delighted to combine our strengths for the future.” Pierre Droigk added: Pierre Droigk “Since our founding in 2011, Apfelkiste has built a loyal customer base and has become the first choice for accessories and trend products. Being able to present our products in physical retail stores has been one of our major visions from the very beginning, and we are even more pleased that this turns reality.” The acquisition will drive significant revenue and EBITDA growth for mobilezone. The company expects pro forma EBITDA for 2026 to reach CHF 60–67 million and aims for a medium‑term target of CHF 70 million by 2028.       Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by pressfoto via Freepik The post mobilezone to acquire Apfelkiste and MAREIN for CHF 180 million appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Analytics, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI) have become the most prevalent technology category in the Swiss and Liechtenstein fintech industry, surpassing both process digitalization and distributed ledger technology (DLT) for the first time in 2025, according to the latest IFZ Fintech Study released in March 2026. This milestone marks a significant shift in the region’s fintech landscape and reflects the growing importance of advanced analytical capabilities into fintech business models. In 2025, 183 fintech companies in Switzerland and Liechtenstein utilized analytics, big data and AI, representing a continuous increase over the past decade from just 37 ventures in 2015. The figure makes it the top technology category in the fintech sector, surpassing DLT with 180 companies, and process digitalization, automation and robotics with 165. These two categories had led the fintech sector for the previous seven consecutive years. This shift showcases the growing importance of data-driven financial solutions and signals a transition towards more advanced, scalable, and analytics-oriented innovation structures. Fintech companies in Switzerland and Liechtenstein by technology category, Source: IFZ Fintech Study 2026, Institute of Financial Services Zug IFZ, Mar 2026 AI under the spotlight The trend reflects the broader global surge in AI advances and adoption. Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, the technology has become the hottest topic in the business community. In 2025, AI companies raised US$226 billion globally, a new record for the industry, according to CB Insights. This figure represents 48% of total venture funding in 2025, the largest share on record. The six largest funding rounds of the year all went to AI companies, namely OpenAI (US$41 billion), Anthropic (US$32.5 billion), Scale (US$14.8 billion), xAI (US$12.8 billion), Databricks (US$5 billion), and Aligned (US$5 billion). This signals strong investor conviction that AI infrastructure and foundational models represent the most significant growth opportunity of the decade. In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, analytics, big data and AI attracted the most number of funding rounds and investment volume in the fintech industry. These companies attracted 16 transactions and a total investment volume of CHF 91 million. The figure gives the category a 49% share of total venture capital (VC) funding in 2025. VC investments in Swiss and Liechtenstein fintech companies in 2025 by product area and technology category, Source: IFZ Fintech Study 2026, Institute of Financial Services Zug IFZ, Mar 2026 By contrast, the share of DLT declined to 44%, down from 58% in 2024, while process digitization, automatization and robotics fell sharply from 39% in 2024 to 7% in 2025. Proportion of VC investments in Swiss and Liechtenstein fintech companies by year, and by product area and technology category, Source: IFZ Fintech Study 2026, Institute of Financial Services Zug IFZ, Mar 2026 In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, fintech companies in the investment management verticals are showing the most pronounced concentration in analytics, big data and AI, with 84 companies. Notable examples include robo-advisory platform True Wealth, which use data analytics and AI for portfolio construction and data-driven risk profiling, and Unique, an AI-driven platform for agent AI that helps financial institutions streamline middle- and back-office processes. Distribution of Swiss and Liechtenstein fintech companies according to the fintech grid, Source: IFZ Fintech Study 2026, Institute of Financial Services Zug IFZ, Mar 2026 Focus remain on B2B activities and international markets In line with the rise of the analytics, big data, and AI category, the Swiss and Liechtenstein fintech industry remained oriented towards business-to-business (B2B) activities in 2025. A total of 319 companies (60%) primarily operated in B2B markets, while a further 176 companies (33%) combined B2B and business-to-consumer (B2C) activities. In contrast, consumer-focused business models accounted for a smaller share of the ecosystem, representing only 6% of the ecosystem with 34 companies. A large majority of fintech companies primarily operated beyond domestic markets. 431 companies representing 81% served international customers. Within this internationally active segment, B2B business models dominated, accounting for more than half of all fintech companies at 54%. These findings highlight the export-oriented and infrastructure-focused character of fintech innovation in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Proportion of fintech companies by customer segments, Source: IFZ Fintech Study 2026, Institute of Financial Services Zug IFZ, Mar 2026 Parallel to this development, revenue generation has increasingly shifted towards technology-driven models, with software-as-a-service (SaaS) emerging as the dominant monetization approach over time. In 2025, SaaS-based revenue models reached 38%, increasing steadily from 16% in 2015. Since 2020, SaaS has been the most frequently observed revenue model. In contrast, license fee-based revenue models have declined in relevance since 2020, accounting for only 13% of revenue models in the Swiss and Liechtenstein fintech sector in 2025. Meanwhile, commission-based revenue models, which were most prevalent in the earlier years of the observation period, accounting for more than 40% of observed revenue models in 2015, have seen their relative importance decline. In 2025, commission-based revenues accounted for 31% of revenue models, making them the second most frequently observed form of monetization. Swiss and Liechtenstein fintech industry stabilizes Following a phase of strong expansion, the fintech ecosystem in Switzerland and Liechtenstein has entered a phase of maturation, stabilizing at around 500 companies over the past three years. At the end of 2025, that number reached 529 companies, suggesting a structural transition from growth-driven ecosystem formation towards consolidation, specialization, and technological repositioning. Looking at fintech verticals, investment management companies experienced the strongest absolute growth, with the number of investment management companies increasing from 46 in 2015 to 198 in 2025. Banking infrastructure companies rose from 55 to 204 over the same period, recording a year-over-year increase of 19 companies in 2025 and overtaking investment management to become the largest product area by number of companies. In contract, payment and deposit and lending companies grew more moderately. Payment-related fintech companies rose from 35 in 2015 to 77 in 2025, while deposit and lending companies grew from 25 to 50 over the same period. Number of fintech companies by year, and by product area, Source: IFZ Fintech Study 2026, Institute of Financial Services Zug IFZ, Mar 2026   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by rawpixel.com via Freepik The post Swiss Fintech Study 2026: Analytics, Big Data and AI Lead Swiss Fintech Ecosystem appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Huawei and Yowpay, a Luxembourg-based fintech specialising in SEPA instant payments, have announced a partnership to launch the world’s first Open Banking/SEPA smartwatch point-of-sale (POS) application. The application allows a Huawei smartwatch to function as a payment terminal. Using Yowpay’s account-to-account (A2A) payment orchestration, merchants can accept SEPA payments directly via the watch. Customers scan a dynamic QR code displayed on the watch face with their smartphone, bypassing traditional card networks and lowering transaction fees. Christian Caumont “Our goal has always been to make payments as seamless as a heartbeat,” said Christian Caumont, CEO of Yowpay. “By integrating our Open Banking and SEPA payments technology into Huawei’s wearables, we are giving merchants total mobility and financial sovereignty.” The application is available on the Huawei AppGallery for the Huawei Watch GT and Watch Ultimate series.       Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by rawpixel.com This article first appeared on Fintech News Hong Kong The post Huawei Smartwatches Now Accept Instant SEPA Payments with Yowpay appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

JP Morgan Payments has extended its B2B virtual card offering to Europe in partnership with Mastercard. The service targets corporate clients seeking accounts payable automation and working capital optimisation across sectors such as insurance, healthcare, travel, and commercial real estate. According to The Paypers, JP Morgan already holds a leading position in virtual card payments in North America as the largest issuer of commercial cards, including virtual cards. The European launch allows corporates to automate payment creation and reconciliation using virtual card infrastructure. A particular focus of the rollout is the wholesale travel sector. Here, online travel agencies manage payments to hotels, airlines, and car rental companies. JP Morgan will use the Mastercard Wholesale Programme to support faster and more secure supplier payments. It will also provide reconciliation data to aid business management. The expansion also incorporates Mastercard’s B2B Supplier Enablement and Activation Service. This service facilitates onboarding for buyers and suppliers and aims to increase acceptance of virtual cards. Karen Ions, Head of Commercial Card Client Management and Delivery at JP Morgan Payments, said: Karen Ions “Virtual cards bring clarity, security, and agility to supplier payment complexity, particularly in the travel industry. The European expansion reaffirms our commitment to helping clients modernise payments globally.” Marc Pettican, Global Head of Corporate Solutions at Mastercard, added: Marc Pettican “The collaboration goes beyond virtual card issuance to remove complexity from both sides of the B2B transaction through supplier enablement, helping buyers and suppliers adopt and scale virtual card programmes.”       Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by shanchali876 via Freepik The post JP Morgan and Mastercard Expand Virtual Card Services to Europe appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Lithuania has emerged as one of Europe’s most active crowdfunding markets, while Latvia’s sector remains at an early stage. According to a report by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), over €4 billion was raised across the EU in 2024 via more than 180 licensed crowdfunding platforms. The five largest markets, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Lithuania, account for over 80% of this activity, with Lithuania alone raising around €280 million. Experts note that Latvia’s crowdfunding platforms could benefit from closer cooperation with public institutions. Lithuania’s experience demonstrates that a supportive regulatory framework and public-private collaboration can drive market growth. A national crowdfunding law introduced in 2017, alongside strong local platforms, helped build investor trust and foster dialogue with regulators. Dr Vytautas Šenavičius, chair of the Lithuanian Crowdfunding Association, observes: Dr Vytautas Šenavičius “It took years of regulatory clarity, the development of strong local platforms and gradual trust-building among investors and with supervision. Cooperation with public institutions such as ILTE helped accelerate the market by combining private investor capital with public financing instruments.” Platforms operating in both countries report that investor activity remains higher in Lithuania, though interest in Latvia is growing. Juris Grišins, CEO of Capitalia, notes: Juris Grišins “To broaden companies’ access to capital and reduce dependence on the banking sector, it is important to develop additional financing channels, including crowdfunding platforms and other alternative financiers.” Cooperation between Lithuanian platforms and state institutions has proven effective. Last autumn, agricultural platform LANDE became an official partner of ILTE, enabling joint financing for farmers. In Latvia, investment platforms and the Fintech Latvia Association are exploring a co-financing mechanism with public partners to expand access to funding, support SMEs, and strengthen the local fintech and capital markets.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by inguskruklitis via Freepik The post Latvia Looks to Lithuania’s Crowdfunding Model to Boost Alternative Financing appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Ripple has announced an expansion of its operations in Brazil, increasing its focus on institutional use of digital assets. The move adds new product capabilities and a wider customer base, enabling the company to offer services across cross-border payments, custody, prime brokerage, and treasury management. The company also plans to apply for a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license with the Central Bank of Brazil, in line with the country’s developing regulatory framework. Monica Long “Latin America has always been a priority market for Ripple, not just because of the scale of the opportunity, but because Brazil has built one of the most advanced and forward-thinking financial ecosystems in the world,” said Monica Long, President at Ripple. “We’ve spent more than a decade building the trust, licensing, and technology required to operate in regulated markets. Now, with our expanded platform, we can meet institutions across the region with everything they need to compete in the modern financial system.” Ripple Payments, its cross-border payments solution, has processed over US$100 billion globally and operates in more than 60 markets. In Brazil, financial institutions and fintechs use it to manage liquidity and execute international transfers across fiat and stablecoins. Clients include Banco Genial, Braza Bank, and Nomad, alongside firms such as Azify, Attrus, and Frente Corretora, which use Ripple’s infrastructure for payments, settlement, and currency exchange. Ripple is also introducing its custody solution in Brazil to support regulated institutions seeking secure digital asset storage, while several local exchanges and platforms have listed its RLUSD stablecoin, which now exceeds US$1.5 billion in market capitalisation.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by pranavkr via Freepik The post Ripple Expands Operations in Brazil as Institutional Digital Asset Use Grows appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.