Wallester, Patron GO, and Malcom Finance have been named the three fastest-growing fintech companies in Central Europe, joining six other fintech companies featured among the region’s top 50 fastest-growing technology companies in Deloitte’s latest ranking. All nine fintech ventures appear in the 2025 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe, a list which ranks the public and private tech companies headquartered in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine, based on their revenue growth from 2021 to 2024. Entrants provided their financial data, which Deloitte cross-checked using each company of these 50 companies’ financial statements. With nine entries, fintech is this year’s second biggest industry featured in the ranking after software with 31 companies. This underscores the growth and prominence of fintech in the region’s startup ecosystem, driven by government support, demand from financial institutions for digital transformation, and increased consumer adoption of digital financial services. These fintech companies span business financing, payments, and wealthtech, and record an average revenue growth of 1,209% between 2021 and 2024. These rates range from 596% to 2,070%, and demonstrate how Central Europe is evolving into a significant fintech engine across the region. Wallester (Estonia) – +2,070% Wallester Business platform, Source: Wallester With a revenue growth rate of 2,070% over the past four years, Wallester is the 6th fastest-growing tech companies and the fastest-growing fintech company in Central Europe. Founded in 2016, Wallester is an Estonian-licensed financial institution and an official Visa partner specializing in innovative digital financial solutions and card issuance. It serves companies across the European Economic Area (EEA) and the UK, helping them streamline payments, launch branded cards, and scale operations. Wallester’s offerings include a white-label solution for businesses to integrate financial services directly into their platforms, and Wallester Business, a corporate expense management platform featuring virtual and physical Visa cards, expense tracking, budget analytics, and integration with accounting systems. Patron GO (Czech Republic) – +1,978% Patron GO illustration, Source: Patron GO With a revenue growth rate of 1,978%, Patron GO is the seventh fastest-growing tech company in Central Europe, and the region’s second fastest-growing fintech company. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Prague, Patron GO is a smart app designed to optimize users’ finances across saving, earning, and protection. The platform detects savings opportunities, optimizes spending, and shields customers from financial risks. It learns from customer behavior, and uses AI and machine learning (ML) to identify unnecessarily high costs in bank accounts, and recommend better offers to improve financial health. Patron GO operates in Czech Republic and Slovakia, and claims more than 350,000 users. The company has analyzed transactions worth over PLN 66 billion (US$18 billion) and identified 70,000 savings opportunities, according to Fintek.pl. Malcom Finance (Czech Republic) – +1,940% Malcom Finance illustration, Source: Malcom Finance via Facebook With a revenue growth rate of 1,940%, Malcom Finance ranks ninth among Central Europe’s fastest-growing tech companies and third among fintech ventures. Established in 2018 as 4Trans Factoring, Malcom Finance is a Czech fintech company that provides tailored financial solutions to logistics small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Europe. With thousands of registered carriers, the company finances invoices for logistics, offering factoring, invoice insurance, and access to a database of verified buyers. To date, Malcom Finance has financed over 240,000 invoices worth more than EUR 260 million, with a verified database of 88,000 debtors. Finqware (Romania) – +1,250% Finqware’s FinqTreasury platform illustration, Source: Finqware With a revenue growth rate of 1,250%, Finqware is the 17th fastest-growing tech company in Central Europe and the fourth fastest-growing fintech venture in the region. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Bucharest, Finqware is a fintech infrastructure provider licensed as a payment institution. It helps companies and financial institutions automate treasury operations, gain seamless access to pan-European banking data, and embrace next-generation account-to-account (A2A) payments. Finqware uses open banking to deliver real-time visibility, connectivity, and innovation across cash management, data aggregation, and digital payments. Its FinqTreasury platform enables multi-entity organizations to automate cash management, payments, collections, and reporting. In 2023, Finqware achieved a fourfold increase in turnover and reported its first profitable year, with an earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) margin of 29%, according to the Recursive. Vestberry (Slovakia) – +908% Vestberry illustration, Source: Vestberry With a revenue growth rate of 908%, Vestberry ranks 30th among the fastest-growing tech companies in Central Europe and fifth among fintech ventures. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Bratislava, Vestberry builds a fintech analytical portfolio intelligence platform helping venture capital (VC) firms and private equity investors manage their capital smarter. The platform consolidates vital portfolio information, enabling VC professionals to concentrate on extracting valuable insights from their data, rather than managing it. It leverages a no-code approach, allowing users to effortlessly construct their data infrastructure and seamlessly integrate with hundreds of data sources for unparalleled analytical capabilities. Vestberry primarily serves European VC funds, and manages over EUR 30 billion in investments, employing around 40 people. In March, it secured EUR 2.2 million to expand its operations, particularly into the US. VacuumLabs (Czech Republic) – +834% With a revenue growth rate of 834%, VacuumLabs is the 35th fastest-growing tech company in Central Europe, and the sixth fastest-growing fintech venture. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Bratislava, VacuumLabs provides design, product development, engineering, and data science services for the fintech industry. The company supports clients from eight locations in Europe, North America, and Asia, and operates in 20 countries. VacuumLabs primarily focuses on banking, cryptocurrency, and blockchain technology. It claims it has worked with more than 115 clients, including Standard Chartered, Twisto, Erste Group IT, Kiwi, Railsbank, Doconomy, Emurgo Innovatrics, and others. Besteron (Slovakia) – +686% Besteron POS, Source: Besteron With a revenue growth rate of 686%, Besteron ranks 40th among Central Europe’s fastest-growing tech companies and seventh among fintech ventures. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Bratislava, Besteron offers online and offline payment solutions via its payment gateway and point-of-sale (POS) terminals. The company operates in three countries, processes millions of transactions, and serves over 2,500 customers. nsure (Czech Republic) – +621% nsure illustration, Source: nsure With a revenue growth rate of 621%, nsure is the 46th fastest-growing tech company in Central Europe, and the eighth fastest-growing fintech venture. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Zlin, nsure provides an insurance and financial product comparison and negotiation platform for independent financial advisors in the Czech and Slovak markets. nsure’s platform allows financial advisors to compare and arrange a broad range of insurance, loan and investment products from major insurance companies and banks, generate necessary documentation, and finalize contracts online. nsure also offers a data-integration application programming interface (API), called nsure+, which centralizes and normalizes data on negotiated insurance contracts across insurance companies, helping stakeholders make accurate decisions. Payout (Slovakia) – +596% Payout mockup, Source: Payout With a revenue growth rate of 596%, Payout is a the 48th fastest-growing tech company in Central Europe, and the region’s ninth fastest-growing fintech venture. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Zilina, Payout provides a platform that allows businesses to automate financial operations, accelerate cashflow, and reduce costs through real-time payments, automated workflows, and API-based integration. Its capabilities include A2A payments via payment initiation service (PIS), real-time data transfers via account information service (AIS), automated bulk outgoing payments, real-time client identification for know-your-customer (KYC) compliance, and advanced data analytics and fraud-prevention tools. Payout also supports embedded financial products such as buy now, pay later (BNPL), insurance, and subscriptions, helping companies expand their revenue opportunities. Payout has processed over EUR 500 million in 14 European countries and six currencies.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by freepik via Freepik The post 9 Fintech Firms Recognized Among Top 50 Fastest-Growing Tech Companies in Central Europe appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Visa has expanded its stablecoin settlement capabilities across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA) through a partnership with Aquanow, a digital assets infrastructure and liquidity provider. The collaboration integrates Aquanow’s digital asset infrastructure with Visa’s technology stack, allowing issuers and acquirers on Visa’s network to settle transactions using approved stablecoins such as USDC. The move aims to reduce costs, operational friction, and settlement times for participating financial institutions. Demand for faster and more cost-efficient cross-border settlement has grown among banks and payment providers. In response, Visa is using stablecoins to digitise backend money movement and support 365-day settlement cycles. The company began exploring this approach in 2023, becoming one of the first major payments networks to enable clients to meet settlement obligations in USDC. Monthly volume linked to this process has since reached an annualised run rate of more than US$2.5 billion. Godfrey Sullivan “By harnessing the power of stablecoins and pairing them with our trusted global technology, we are enabling financial institutions in CEMEA to experience faster and simpler settlements,” said Godfrey Sullivan, Head of Product and Solutions for CEMEA at Visa. “Our partnership with Aquanow is another key step in modernising the back-end rails of payments, reducing reliance on traditional systems with multiple intermediaries, and preparing institutions for the future of money movement.” Aquanow CEO Phil Sham said: Phil Sham “Visa’s reliable global network has long moved money securely and efficiently. Together, Visa and Aquanow are unlocking new ways for institutions to participate in the digital economy, leveraging stablecoin technology to settle with the speed and transparency of the internet.”     Featured image credit: Aquanow This article first appeared on Fintech News Middle East The post Visa Extends Stablecoin Settlement in CEMEA with Aquanow Partnership appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Tuum has renewed its strategic partnership with Multitude Bank. The agreement maintains Tuum’s role as Multitude Bank’s core banking technology partner and supports the bank’s strategy of working with technology providers to deliver scalable and efficient banking operations. Since the partnership began in 2020, Tuum has assisted Multitude Bank in simplifying its technology landscape, unifying operations across more than ten European markets, and accelerating product development. Headquartered in Malta, the bank operates in a complex regulatory and payments environment, where Tuum’s platform has played a key role in maintaining compliance and enabling business diversification. As Multitude consolidates its technology stack and explores growth in areas including consumer lending under the Ferratum brand, secured debt, and cross-border payments, Tuum continues to provide a single core banking foundation. The platform supports the bank’s expanding product portfolio, multi-jurisdiction compliance, and connections to national payment schemes such as SEPA, SEPA-INST, Sweden’s RIX/BANKGIROT, and the Czech Republic’s CERTIS. Kornel Kabele “Partnering with leading technology providers like Tuum is fundamental to our mission of building an agile, fast-adapting, and scalable banking infrastructure,” said Kornel Kabele, CTO of Multitude. “By extending this collaboration, we strengthen our strategy to work with top-tier IT partners who share our vision for smarter, more connected financial services across Europe. This enables us to launch products faster, enhance resilience, and deliver an even better customer experience.” Miljan Stamenkovic, Chief Revenue Officer at Tuum, added: Miljan Stamenkovic “We are proud of the partnership we have built since 2020. This extension reflects our platform’s capacity to support demanding banking operations, and we remain committed to providing the core banking infrastructure they require to achieve their objectives.”     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by mrsiraphol via Freepik The post Tuum Renews Core Banking Partnership with Multitude Bank appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Bolt has entered a partnership with Pony.ai to introduce self-driving technology in Europe. The collaboration will integrate Pony.ai’s Level 4 autonomous driving technology into Bolt’s mobility ecosystem. The initial phase of the partnership will focus on real-world testing, safety validation, and experience design, establishing the basis for fully autonomous, driverless operations. Early deployments are planned in a range of European cities, including both EU Member States and non-EU countries. By combining Pony.ai’s autonomous technology with Bolt’s regulatory experience and European footprint, the partnership aims to advance the deployment of self-driving vehicles across the continent. Markus Villig, Founder and CEO of Bolt, said: Markus Villig “As the only independent, European-founded ride-hailing platform competing globally, Bolt is uniquely positioned to help scale autonomous vehicles responsibly and efficiently, in full alignment with Europe’s safety and data standards.” Pony.ai, which is pursuing its vision of “autonomous mobility everywhere,” has been developing and commercialising robotaxis globally. The company operates in eight countries and has driven over 55 million autonomous kilometres on open roads. Through this partnership, Bolt and Pony.ai intend to combine leading technology with experience in city-scale transport solutions, laying the groundwork for future autonomous mobility across Europe.   Featured image credit: Bolt The post Bolt, Pony.ai Partner to Introduce Self-Driving Vehicles in Europe appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Parliament and Council negotiators have reached an agreement on the Payment Services Regulation (PSR) and the Third Payment Services Directive (PSD3), aiming to harmonise payment services across the European Union and strengthen protections against fraud. The legislation applies to banks, post-office giro and payment institutions, technical service providers supporting payment services, and, in certain cases, electronic communications providers and online platforms. It also seeks to ensure fair competition among payment service providers and improve access to cash, particularly in remote areas. Under the new rules, payment service providers (PSPs) will be liable for customers’ losses if appropriate fraud prevention measures are not implemented. PSPs must verify that payees’ names and unique identifiers match and refuse payments in cases of discrepancy, while ensuring strong customer authentication and conducting risk assessments. PSPs must offer spending limits and blocking measures. If fraudsters initiate or alter a transaction, PSPs are liable for the full amount, and receiving PSPs must freeze suspicious payments. PSPs must refund customers in cases of impersonation fraud once the customer reports the incident to the authorities. Online platforms are liable to PSPs that have reimbursed customers if they fail to remove fraudulent content. The legislation also requires transparency on all charges, including currency conversion and cash withdrawal fees, and ensures access to human customer support. Retailers will be able to provide cash withdrawals of between €100 and €150 without a purchase. Open banking services will benefit from reduced market barriers, non-discriminatory access to payment account data, and simplified authorisation procedures. All PSPs must participate in alternative dispute resolution procedures if chosen by a consumer. René Repasi, rapporteur for the regulation, said: René Repasi “Consumers will benefit from new harmonised rules on the payment services regulation. Mandatory fraud preventive measures will be applied and lead to less payment fraud. Banks have to share more of the burden if they fail to do their part.”     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by rawpixel.com via Freepik The post EU Agrees on New Rules to Strengthen Payment Fraud Protection appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Backbase has entered a strategic partnership with Unblu, a firm specialising in conversational engagement for financial institutions. The collaboration aims to address a persistent challenge in digital banking: how to balance efficient self-service with access to human support when customers need guidance. The joint solution integrates Unblu’s Conversational Engagement Platform, including live chat, voice and video calls, co-browsing, and AI-driven chatbots, directly into the Backbase platform. This allows customers to move from digital self-service to human assistance within the same journey. Bank staff, including relationship managers and frontline service teams, gain full visibility of customer interactions, enabling more informed support while maintaining compliance and security requirements. Mayank Somaiya “Digital banking should never come at the expense of human connection,” said Mayank Somaiya, Global VP of Marketplace at Backbase. “By embedding Unblu’s collaboration tools into our ecosystem, banks can deliver effortless transitions from automated service to expert guidance, helping customers feel supported throughout their digital journey.” Jens Rabe “We’re excited to partner with Backbase to help financial institutions deliver the kind of personal, frictionless customer experiences today’s users expect,” said Jens Rabe, Co-CEO at Unblu. “By bringing our digital interaction tools directly into the Backbase platform, we’re enabling banks to build deeper relationships while maintaining the compliance and security standards they can’t compromise on.” The partnership also provides a unified employee workbench that connects capabilities previously spread across different systems. Staff can engage customers through case management, advisory services, or general support, with tools that streamline interactions, automate routine tasks, and surface real-time insights. The combined offering supports use cases such as digital onboarding, video-enabled wealth consultations, AI-supported customer service, and hybrid branch environments where advisers interact with clients both remotely and onsite. The pre-integrated solution is expected to be available to Backbase customers globally in early 2026, with institutions able to deploy the full suite or select specific Unblu features according to their needs.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Trend2023 via Freepik The post Backbase and Unblu Partner to Integrate Human Support into Digital Banking appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

AMINA Bank and Crypto Finance Group, together with other banking partners, have completed a pilot programme demonstrating how distributed ledger technology (DLT) can support cross-border, cross-currency, and point-of-sale payments. Conducted on the Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL) platform, the pilot allowed near-real-time, 24/7 settlement of transactions in fiat currency between Swiss-regulated financial institutions while maintaining standard banking security and compliance. The pilot addresses inefficiencies in current global payment systems, where cross-border transactions often take several days and incur significant costs. The project uses DLT as the infrastructure while retaining commercial bank money, showing that banks can modernise payments without introducing new digital currencies or breaching regulatory frameworks. Franz Bergmueller, CEO of AMINA Bank, said: Franz Bergmueller “With this pilot, we enabled near-real-time, compliant settlements within the existing banking framework. AMINA’s global reach and existing network of institutional partners makes us uniquely positioned to scale this pilot globally and to truly demonstrate DLT’s ability to transform the global financial system.” Stijn Vander Straeten, CEO of Crypto Finance Group, added: Stijn Vander Straeten “As the Currency Operator for this pilot, we can build a trusted foundation for digital payments and tokenised assets. The success of this pilot strengthens Switzerland’s position as a leading hub for digital financial innovation.” In the pilot, Crypto Finance Group acted as Currency Operator, overseeing compliance and participant onboarding, while settlement and payment execution were carried out by the banks. AMINA Bank integrated the technology into its core-banking systems, providing select clients with near-instant settlement without disrupting existing processes. The pilot establishes a foundation for broader implementation, with plans to expand to additional financial institutions and explore cross-border payments and point-of-sale applications for consumers.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by marpa.design via Freepik The post Swiss Banks Pilot DLT for Faster, Compliant Payments appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Klarna has announced the launch of its first stablecoin, KlarnaUSD, marking a notable development for the company, whose CEO was previously sceptical about cryptocurrency. The stablecoin will be issued on Tempo, a new independent blockchain developed by Stripe and Paradigm, which is specifically designed for payments. Klarna is the first bank to launch a stablecoin on Tempo. KlarnaUSD aims to streamline cross-border payments, which currently incur an estimated US$120 billion in transaction fees each year. The company sees stablecoins as a means to reduce costs for both consumers and merchants. Sebastian Siemiatkowski, co-founder and CEO of Klarna, said: Sebastian Siemiatkowski “Crypto is finally at a stage where it is fast, low-cost, secure, and built for scale. This is the beginning of Klarna in crypto, and I’m excited to work with Stripe and Tempo to continue to shape the future of payments.” ChatGPT said: Klarna is building KlarnaUSD on Open Issuance by Bridge, a stablecoin infrastructure platform and Stripe company, and plans to launch it on Tempo’s mainnet in 2026. It is currently live on Klarna’s testnet, allowing the company early access for advanced testing, prototyping, and integration. The partnership further strengthens the existing relationship between Klarna and Stripe, which spans payments infrastructure across Klarna’s 26 markets worldwide. Klarna has indicated that it will reveal its next partner in the coming weeks as it begins to share its broader crypto initiatives publicly.   Featured image credit: Klarna The post Klarna Launches Stablecoin KlarnaUSD on Tempo Blockchain appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Kraken, one of the world’s longest-standing crypto platforms, has announced the phased rollout of the Krak Card, offering 1% cash back on all purchases, along with new features including salary deposits and expanded wealth-building options. The Krak Card will first be available to users in the UK and EU, with additional markets to follow. Offered in physical and virtual formats, the card allows instant spending using multiple balances with no foreign exchange or monthly fees. Cash back can be received in local currency or Bitcoin. Powered by Mastercard, the card supports over 400 crypto and fiat assets within the Krak app, enabling real-time conversion at checkout. Users can select which assets to spend first and exclude certain holdings. Mark Greenberg “To us, everything is money. You should be able to use whatever assets you hold to pay for everyday goods and services in the digital era we live in,” said Mark Greenberg, Global Head of Consumer at Kraken. Krak is also introducing Vaults, a feature that integrates with audited lending protocols to provide potential returns of over 10% APY, allowing users to convert idle assets into earnings while tailoring strategies to individual risk profiles. Salary deposits for UK and EU customers will link income directly to the Krak ecosystem, with expansion planned for other markets. The card launch aligns with Kraken’s European growth strategy and regulatory framework, including its Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) license, authorized by the Central Bank of Ireland. Kraken has operated in the UK since 2013 and holds FCA registration.   Featured image credit: Kraken The post Kraken Launches Krak Card with 1% Cashback in UK and EU appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Swiss banks have launched multibanking for private customers through the open banking platform bLink, operated by SIX. The initiative allows individuals to securely consolidate accounts from different banks in a single banking app or, with explicit consent, integrate them into non-bank applications, offering a simplified way to manage their finances. From this week, customers of eight Swiss banks and two third-party providers can link multiple accounts to display information in one app. More than 30 banks provide the necessary data interface. The same interface also enables customers to access account data through third-party applications, such as fintech apps, with potential uses including account overviews, spending analyses, and budget planning. Over the coming years, more banks are expected to provide customers with access to account data via third-party apps. Additional financial institutions are also likely to launch multibanking services, creating an open ecosystem intended to benefit all market participants. For customers, this could lead to new products and services that simplify financial management and improve transparency. Christoph Müller, Head of Banking Services and Executive Board Member at SIX, said: Christoph Müller “We’re delighted that numerous banks are implementing this milestone via our bLink open banking platform. Now it’s time to push the expansion forward together, because the more institutions that participate, the more complete the offering becomes, the greater the value for customers, and the better the conditions for innovative products.” The multibanking initiative began in 2022 under the association Swiss Fintech Innovations (SFTI) and was later coordinated by the Swiss Bankers Association. Participating banks committed to providing access to account data via standardised interfaces, ensuring that non-banks can access information securely and with explicit customer consent. bLink provides the technical foundation for multibanking, using standardised APIs and advanced encryption to ensure secure data exchange and integrity. The platform is continually developed with input from banks and fintechs and is adapted to meet national market requirements.   Featured image credit: SIX The post Swiss Banks Launch Multibanking for Private Customers via bLink appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

PostFinance has launched a multibanking service enabling private customers to integrate accounts from other Swiss banks and financial service providers directly into e-finance or the PostFinance App. The service allows customers to view all their accounts in a single, central overview. The multibanking service is aimed at private customers with multiple banking relationships who wish to consolidate their financial information. Accounts at participating third-party banks can be linked easily with a few clicks via e-finance or the PostFinance App. Once connected, customers can see payment and savings accounts, including income, expenditure, and account balances, in one overview, eliminating the need to navigate between different banking portals or applications. To connect an account, third-party banks must meet the technical specifications for multibanking, which requires integration with SIX Group’s bLink open banking platform. A list of eligible banks is provided during the registration process. Transactions from linked accounts are automatically displayed in PostFinance’s analysis overview, giving customers a complete picture of their finances. SIX, a provider of financial infrastructure in Switzerland, ensures secure and standardised data exchange between banks and third-party providers through the bLink platform. The multibanking solution complies with recognised interface standards from the Swiss open banking ecosystem and meets all regulatory requirements for secure payment data transactions.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik The post PostFinance Launches Multibanking Service for Private Customers appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

BKN301 Group, a London-based fintech architecture provider, has secured a credit facility from funds and accounts managed by BlackRock and acquired Planky, a UK-based company specialising in AI-driven financial analytics and open banking. The credit facility complements BKN301’s latest Series B round, bringing the total capital raised to US$38 million. The financing will support BKN301’s expansion across the Middle East, Africa and Europe. By combining modular digital banking infrastructure with data analytics and machine learning, the company aims to provide financial institutions and fintechs with a scalable and intelligent platform. Through the acquisition of Planky, BKN301 gains a proprietary AI and data analytics engine. Planky’s machine learning models, which focus on real-time financial insights, behavioural scoring, and predictive analytics, will be integrated into BKN301’s platform. This is intended to enhance automation and the delivery of more personalised digital banking services while maintaining compliance and scalability. Stiven Muccioli “This milestone marks a defining moment for BKN301,” said Stiven Muccioli, Founder and CEO of BKN301. “With the growth financing and Planky’s AI capabilities, we’re accelerating toward our vision of a next-generation fintech infrastructure, one that’s intelligent, open, and designed to empower financial inclusion at scale across emerging markets.” Over the next 18 months, BKN301 plans to strengthen its AI and data analytics capabilities, expand partnerships with regional financial institutions, and explore further acquisitions to support technological innovation and market growth.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by shammianeybee via Freepik The post BKN301 Secures $38 Million, Acquires UK AI Fintech Firm appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Despite widespread hype, the adoption of tokenization in capital markets remains at a very nascent phase. Most stakeholders are only experimenting with the technology and applications are largely focused on fixed-income products including bonds and money market funds (MFFs), according to a new report by the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO), the global entity representing securities and futures regulators from around the world. The report, produced by IOSCO through its Fintech Task Force’s Financial Asset Tokenization Working Group (TWG), provides an overview of the current state of development and adoption of tokenization and distributed ledger technology (DLT) in capital markets products and services, drawing on literature review, regulatory surveys, and stakeholder outreach. According to the report, tokenization is gaining interest and initiatives are emerging across lifecycle activities. However, progress remains uneven across asset classes, and overall still at a very nascent stage. The study found that while interest in tokenizing capital-markets products is split equally across the jurisdictions studied, actual adoption, reflected in commercialized use cases, is actually really low with the vast majority of respondents (91%) indicating no or very limited tokenization use cases. Further highlighting the nascent stage of the sector, the study found that most jurisdictions are reporting more experimentation of tokenization (57%) than actual use cases (43%). Fixed-income products among top applications Despite limited adoption overall, interest is growing in specific products and activities. In particular, fixed-income products, including bonds and MMFs, are leading in both the size and number of tokenized issuances. Since 2021, more than US$5 billion in tokenized fixed-income instruments has been issued, including US$3 billion being issued in 2024 alone. That amount represents a 3.5 times increase between 2023 and 2024. McKinsey estimates that roughly US$10 billion worth of tokenized bonds have been issued in the past decade. Despite growth, tokenized issuance remains small compared to the US$140 trillion outstanding amount globally. Amount of tokenized fixed income instruments issued (by type of trial), Source: Final Report on Financial Asset Tokenization, International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), Nov 2025 Tokenized bonds are typically issued directly on the blockchain, with the tokens representing ownership of the assets. Some operators may take steps to provide greater assurance of settlement finality, often involving regulated central securities depositories (CSDs). The trading and post-trade activities of tokenized bonds are often integrated with traditional exchanges and clearing houses to provide investors with the option to use traditional financial infrastructure. Examples include UBS’s CHF 375 million bond issued on the SIX Digital Exchange in 2022, digital bonds issued by the city of Lugano in Switzerland, as well as DBS’s first tokenized bond of SGD 15 million (US$11.5 million) in 2021. MMFs, meanwhile, are typically tokenized at the fund level. Tokens are issued on a blockchain, representing ownership of fund shares or units, while the fund’s assets are managed in the same manner as conventional funds. Blockchain records may serve as proof of ownership or merely as a back-up record, and issuers and transfer agents typically have the ability to correct them when necessary, such as in the case of fraud. Examples include the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL), which invests in very short-term, safe assets such as US Treasuries, and repos, and is built on Ethereum; the Franklin Templeton OnChain US Government Money Fund (FOBXX), which is deployed on several blockchain including Stellar, Polygon, and Arbitrum; as well as sgBENJI, a US dollar MMF token issued on the XRP Ledger and launched by DBS, Franklin Templeton and Ripple. Risks and opportunities The IOSCO study found that overall, stakeholders in the capital markets are recognizing the potential of tokenization to address various market inefficiencies present in the lifecycle of financial assets, such as information asymmetries, search frictions, transaction costs, and counterparty risks. Shared and programmable ledgers can reduce frictions in issuance, trading, servicing, and redemption by linking assets directly to ledger-based ownership records. Tokenization can also reduce counterparty risk, thanks to atomic settlement, and faster distribution of dividends and interest. Tokenization also allows for fractionalization, broadening access to traditionally illiquid assets by lowering minimum investment sizes, and helping to improve liquidity and diversify risk. Finally, tokenization supports product innovation, enabling bespoke instruments, automated income flows, streamlined asset servicing, and improved environmental, social and governance (ESG) standard tracking. Despite the opportunities, the report emphasizes that tokenization also introduces new risks. Greater sharability and programmability may facilitate wider and faster spread of shocks across the markets and thereby increase the cost of operational risk events. Furthermore, new process flows or intermediaries with roles such as token minters, and DLT platform developers, can reshape traditional activities, causing disruption. Tokenization also introduces new complexities due to its reliance on DLT, which existing laws are not designed to accommodate, and ownership and investor rights can be unclear. But more importantly, DLT networks themselves pose risks. Because blockchains rely on consensus across nodes, they can experience forks, resulting in a split into two distinct networks. This makes it unclear which version is the authoritative record of ownership. Both public and permissioned blockchains can also be targeted by cyberattacks, including attempts to take over the network or exploit weaknesses in node management. Data privacy is another challenge. Because blockchains are transparent and immutable, this can conflict with legal privacy requirements. It can also create market-integrity risks if visible transaction flows trigger panic or manipulation. Fragmentation across different, non-interoperable DLT networks is also a critical issue, creating liquidity silos and introducing vulnerabilities in the bridges that link networks. Other challenges include delays and high transaction fees due to network congestion, money-laundering risks, and smart contract vulnerabilities. McKinsey estimates that total tokenized market capitalization could reach around US$2 trillion by 2030, excluding cryptocurrencies and private stablecoins. In a bullish scenario, this value could double to around US$4 trillion, it predicts.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik The post Adoption of Tokenization in Capital Markets Remains Limited appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Danish fintech Flatpay, which provides card payment solutions for SMBs, has reached unicorn status with a valuation of €1.5 billion, just three years after its founding. The startup has raised €145 million in its latest funding round, led by AVP and Smash Capital, with participation from Dawn Capital, which had backed its US$47 million Series B, and former German footballer Mario Götze. Flatpay’s growth strategy focuses on offering small merchants a flat transaction rate for its card terminals and point-of-sale systems, targeting the segment that accounts for 99% of European businesses. According to TechCrunch, the company now serves around 60,000 customers, up from 7,000 in April 2024. CEO and co-founder Sander Janca-Jensen highlighted the startup’s financial progress: Sander Janca-Jensen “We crossed €100 million of ARR in October,” he said, noting that the figure is growing by roughly €1 million per day. “The plan for 2026 is to grow another 300%, so hopefully leave the year with between €400 and €500 million of ARR.” Flatpay employs 1,500 staff, referred to internally as “flatpayers”, and plans to double this number by the end of next year, alongside expanding into one or two new markets. Its growth model relies heavily on in-person onboarding, with sales staff visiting SMBs directly to explain pricing and provide card terminals for demonstrations. Janca-Jensen described this hands-on approach as central to acquiring customers: “Every sales person has that suitcase.” While the approach increases customer acquisition costs, the company argues it accelerates growth by generating demand and supporting high retention. Flatpay also integrates AI for real-time features and is experimenting with voice agents, while planning a gradual rollout of a broader banking suite for SMBs, including cards and accounts. Janca-Jensen said the aim is to allow SMB owners to “eat the elephant one bite at a time.”     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by rawpixel.com via Freepik The post Danish Fintech Flatpay Reaches Unicorn Status appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

OpenAI and Intuit have announced a multi year strategic partnership that will bring new Intuit app experiences into ChatGPT and expand Intuit’s use of OpenAI’s frontier models under an agreement valued at more than US$100 million. The partnership will extend Intuit’s use of OpenAI models across a range of functions within its platform. It builds on Intuit’s long running investment in data, AI and fintech, enabling the company to deliver more personalised services at greater speed and scale. OpenAI models will support selected Intuit artificial intelligence agents across its products. These agents will assist with tasks such as cash flow forecasting, tax preparation and payroll management, operating under Intuit’s existing privacy, security and responsible artificial intelligence frameworks. Intuit will also continue using ChatGPT Enterprise internally to support employee productivity. Fidji Simo “Intuit’s AI powered financial platform helps millions of people manage their finances and run their businesses,” said Fidji Simo, Chief Executive of Applications at OpenAI. “This partnership combines our most advanced models and global scale with Intuit’s platform capabilities to help everyone make smarter financial decisions and build more secure futures.” Intuit apps will soon be accessible within ChatGPT, allowing users to take secure and personalised financial actions. This will connect Intuit’s proprietary financial data and AI systems with OpenAI’s models. Sasan Goodarzi “We are taking a massive step forward to fuel financial success for consumers and businesses, unlocking growth for both companies,” said Sasan Goodarzi, Chief Executive of Intuit. “Our partnership combines the power of Intuit’s proprietary financial data, credit models and artificial intelligence platform capabilities with OpenAI’s scale and frontier models to give users the financial advantage they need to prosper.” Consumers will be able to use Intuit apps within ChatGPT to receive personalised insights and take relevant actions, including identifying suitable credit products, receiving clearer tax guidance, estimating refunds, connecting with tax specialists and improving their financial position. For businesses, Intuit apps will provide tailored insights to improve cash flow, automate follow ups and support email marketing efforts, using real time business data. The partnership aims to help businesses increase revenue and profitability through more targeted insights and reduced effort.   Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by ttonaorh via Freepik The post Intuit to Integrate Financial Apps with ChatGPT appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Zilch, the consumer payments platform, has announced a multi-year agreement with Arsenal to become the club’s Official Way to Pay. The partnership, Zilch’s first in sport, covers both the men’s and women’s teams and will introduce its flexible payment options to Arsenal supporters. As part of the launch, Zilch will provide £50,000 in discounts for fans shopping on Arsenal Direct. From 12pm on 21 November, the first 1,000 supporters who spend £50 or more online will receive £50 off their purchase. Supporters will also have access to up to 10% savings in-store at the Armoury and opportunities to win tickets, access merchandise releases, enjoy hospitality, meet players, and join stadium tours. Zilch said the partnership aligns with its aim to offer alternatives to high-cost credit by providing payment tools designed to benefit users. Philip Belamant, CEO and Co-Founder of Zilch, said: Philip Belamant “We have spent the past five years building a customer base of over 5 million highly engaged users, and we’ve done so organically through the strength of our proposition. We are hugely excited as we now embark on our first brand partnership with one of the most recognisable brands in the world, Arsenal.” Juliet Slot, Chief Commercial Officer at Arsenal, said: Juliet Slot “We are delighted to welcome Zilch to the Arsenal family as a new Partner. Zilch is a new and exciting proposition… Their support and investment will help drive our ambition to win major trophies.”     Featured image credit: Zilch The post Arsenal Names Zilch as Official Payment Partner in Multi-Year Deal appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Julius Baer has selected software provider Temenos to replace its ageing core banking system in Switzerland, according to four people familiar with the matter, as the bank moves to modernise critical infrastructure amid rising regulatory demands. Reuters reports that CEO Stefan Bollinger announced in June the creation of a new digital business transformation function and the launch of a project to update the bank’s Swiss IT systems, without disclosing the supplier’s identity. Stefan Bollinger “It has to be done, and I want to do a substantial proportion in the current strategic cycle,” Bollinger said, referring to the period ending in 2028, citing increasing regulatory requirements as a key driver. The bank is aligning its Swiss systems with Temenos’ T24 platform, which Julius Baer already uses in Singapore and Luxembourg, two of the sources said. The lender is also adding a Temenos wealth management interface for relationship managers and high-net-worth clients, according to one source. Temenos generally signs new deals under a subscription model, with cash flows spread over five years, according to Reto Huber, an analyst at consultancy Research Partners. Switzerland introduced a requirement in 2016 for banks to use computer-based systems to monitor transactions, increasing the need for digital customer data, according to financial regulator FINMA. Julius Baer, which remains under a FINMA enforcement procedure related to losses tied to the failed Signa property group, said the IT overhaul is unrelated to the ongoing assessment. “The IT infrastructure programme in Switzerland is not an operational risk issue, rather an initiative to gain strategic flexibility in pursuit of the bank’s future ambitions,” it said.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by brilian via Freepik The post Julius Baer Picks Temenos to Overhaul Swiss Core Banking Systems appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Prediction markets have grown rapidly, driven by regulation, a dynamic fundraising landscape, and rising mainstream adoption, especially in sports. That momentum is projected to continue as major financial institutions enter the space, and as new markets and decentralized finance (DeFi) technologies push the sector to new heights, according to a new report by Sporting Crypto, a sports and blockchain media and intelligence company. Prediction markets: an overview Prediction markets are marketplaces designed to aggregate information and forecast future events by allowing participants to buy and sell contracts based on the outcome of these events. These platforms essentially allow users to “bet” on what will happen, with prices reflecting the collective belief about the probability of each outcome. Prediction markets have existed in the US for decades but only bursted into the mainstream in the fall of 2024 after Kalshi, a federally regulated derivatives exchange and clearinghouse, began offering contracts based on the outcome of political events. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), then under the Biden Administration, sought to prohibit such contracts, arguing that they resembled gambling and contrary to the public interest. However, Kalshi sued the CFTC in court and won. Momentum builds in prediction markets Since Kalshi’s 2024 legal victory, and following other bullish CFTC decisions, the popularity of prediction markets has grown steadily and expected to cover crypto, climate, economic, financial, corporate, and sports events. A multi-year legal timeline, Source: Predicted: The State of Prediction Markets 2025, Sporting Crypto, Nov 2025 Crypto-native platforms have emerged as highly influential, led by players such as Polymarket, a decentralized platform for trading on global events, often using cryptocurrencies; and Augur a decentralized, blockchain-based prediction market. The sector also comprises regulated exchanges like Kalshi, which offers contracts on political, economic, and weather events; as well as PredictIt, a US-based political prediction market, popular for elections. Polymarket and Kalshi currently dominate the market, accounting for 98% of the total volume in prediction markets, according to Sporting Crypto. Volumes have surged over the past year, rising 580% from roughly US$50 million in August 2025 to about US$340 million in November 2025. Kalshi and Polymarket volumes, Source: Predicted: The State of Prediction Markets 2025, Sporting Crypto, Nov 2025 Sports now lead prediction-market activity. Over the last 12 months, Kalshi derived 59.3% of its volume from sports versus just 19.8% from politics. More recent data shows that Kalshi’s sports concentration has surged even higher, approaching about 90% of volume as the company double down on its CFTC-approved sports betting advantage. Polymarket, meanwhile, has a more diversified distribution, with about 35% from sports and 47% from politics, in addition to meaningful presence across verticals like crypto, reflecting its broader prediction market positioning. Kalshi and Polymarket volume by category, Source: Predicted: The State of Prediction Markets 2025, Sporting Crypto, Nov 2025 In addition to bullish regulatory developments, venture capital (VC) activity in the sector has also fueled the growth of the prediction markets sector. Since 2015, prediction-market startups have raised US$3.1 billion, with US$2.7 billion, or 87% of that total, raised in 2025 alone. Polymarket (US$2.15 billion) and Kalshi (US$485 million) secured 90% of this year’s funding. Coinbase Ventures has been the most active investor in 2025, with five deals so far. Major traditional VC firms like Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund, Union Square Ventures, CapitalG, General Catalyst, and Bond Capital, have also been active in the space. Venture funding in prediction market, Source: Predicted: The State of Prediction Markets 2025, Sporting Crypto, Nov 2025 Blockchain poised to boost the sector The prediction market had a total addressable market (TAM) of US$1.4 billion in 2024. This figure is projected to grow to over US$95 billion by 2035, driven by regulatory clarity, institutional participation, the expansion into new sectors, and the adoption of blockchain technology. Permissionless access can help aggregate liquidity across crypto speculators, casual traders, institutional speculators, and professional forecasters, helping them participate simultaneously in the same markets. Smart contracts automate settlement and eliminate intermediaries across the full spectrum of market participants, improving efficiencies, and enabling instantaneous price discovery that reflects real-time shifts in collective probabilities. Onchain prediction markets also support yield-generating products tied to long-term positions such as election outcomes or sports season results. Meanwhile, smart contracts and oracles enable automated, verifiable settlement. Oracles can verify event outcomes onchain, enabling automatic payouts without manual intervention. Prediction markets can also provide real-time probability data that artificial intelligence (AI) models can use to improve forecasts and decision-making. By tapping into decentralized, crowd-sourced insights, Al systems can gain more adaptive and accurate signals beyond traditional data. Emerging sectors The Sporting Crypto report notes that while politics and sports contracts continue to lead prediction market volumes, several emerging sectors are gaining traction. Enterprise forecasting, weather, and entertainment talent, in particular, are projected to reach TAMs of US$110.5 billion, US$10 billion, and US$7.8 billion, respectively, by 2030, with compound annual growth rates (CAGR) of 14.9%, 14.9%, and 14.3%. Where prediction markets could be going next, Source: Predicted: The State of Prediction Markets 2025, Sporting Crypto, Nov 2025   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by wahyu_t via Freepik The post Prediction Markets Set to Surge, Fueled by Clearer Regulations, Sector Expansion, and Blockchain Integration appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Ahead of next week’s UK Budget, the government has outlined a series of measures aimed at supporting investment, job creation, and economic growth across the country as part of its Modern Industrial Strategy. Over the past month, international and domestic companies have committed £24.25 billion in private investment, including major projects from firms such as Vantage Data Centers and Microsoft. A new AI Growth Zone will be established in South Wales, supported by £10 billion of private investment and expected to create at least 5,000 jobs, including at sites such as the former Ford Bridgend Engine Plant. Each AI Growth Zone will receive up to £5 million in government funding to support business adoption of AI and invest in local skills. The South Wales zone will span several sites along the M4 corridor and has the potential to harness more than 1GW of capacity by the early 2030s. Companies, including Vantage Data Centers, will work with regional universities to support skills development. To strengthen the UK’s position in AI research and industry, the government will introduce an “advance market commitment” to act as a first customer for UK start-ups developing AI hardware. Up to £100 million will be available to support early-stage companies. The government is also launching the process to allocate up to £250 million in free compute for British researchers and start-ups. A new Sovereign AI Unit, chaired by venture capitalist James Wise, will be backed by almost £500 million to help high-potential UK AI start-ups and scale-ups access capital and support. Additional AI ambassadors have been appointed to promote adoption and innovation, including economist Simon Johnson, Monzo co-founder Tom Blomfield, and Google DeepMind VP of Research Raia Hadsell. A strategy to accelerate scientific discovery through AI is also being introduced, supported by up to £137 million in government funding. Its first mission will focus on using AI to speed up the development of new drugs and treatments. Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Liz Kendall said: Liz Kendall “We are ambitious for our country and believe Britain’s best days lie ahead. The backing by international investors today is a vote of confidence in the UK, and we’re determined to do even more to ensure we are backing British businesses, workers and researchers to benefit from the opportunities AI brings.” NVIDIA and other technology firms have confirmed ongoing collaborations and investment to help build the UK’s AI capabilities and support its position in the global sector.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by mohammadhridoy12 and SuYuk via Freepik The post UK Launches £10B AI Growth Zone in South Wales appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) has agreed to advance ongoing work to interlink the Eurosystem’s TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS) service with fast payment systems worldwide. This forms part of the Eurosystem’s broader efforts to facilitate more efficient cross-border payments for businesses and consumers in Europe, including remittances. The decision follows positive findings from exploratory work launched in October 2024 to assess connections between TIPS and India’s Unified Payments Infrastructure (UPI), as well as Nexus Global Payments. The Governing Council has now agreed to begin the realisation phase for interlinking TIPS with UPI, while completing the necessary legal arrangements and technical implementation in parallel. It will also continue examining the feasibility of a potential connection to Nexus Global Payments, alongside the required legal steps and agreements. In September 2025, the Governing Council also initiated work to evaluate the feasibility of linking TIPS with the Swiss Interbank Clearing Instant Payments system. Interlinking TIPS with other fast payment systems supports the Eurosystem’s retail payments strategy and contributes to the G20 roadmap aimed at making cross-border payments faster, cheaper, and more transparent and inclusive. It also aligns with efforts to strengthen the international role of the euro. Over the longer term, the Eurosystem aims to extend this work to additional currency corridors.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by EyeEm via Freepik The post ECB Moves Ahead with Global Links for Europe’s Instant Payment System appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.