Lithuania is emerging as a significant hub for AI development within the European Union. While global AI infrastructure remains concentrated in a few countries, Lithuania offers a combination of policy foresight, technical expertise, and growing infrastructure that positions it as a strategic European location for AI research and investment. The country was among the first EU member states to adopt a national AI strategy in 2018. Since then, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation has directed over €52 million towards AI resource development and product innovation, including the recent €65 million LitAI centre, a regional AI innovation hub. The government has also established GovAI, a public-sector AI competence centre providing advisory support, training, and regulatory sandbox opportunities, according to Invest Lithuania. Lithuania was among the first EU states to designate competent authorities under the EU AI Act and launch a regulatory sandbox, offering structured guidance and compliance support for high- and medium-risk AI solutions. Lithuania also has a strong pipeline of AI talent. Around 21% of the population uses AI tools, and nearly 70% of teachers incorporate AI in their work, supported by government and private sector initiatives. The country’s deep tech ecosystem, valued at over €16.4 billion in 2025, includes a growing number of AI-powered startups and a skilled, multilingual workforce. AI infrastructure is expanding in line with Lithuania’s renewable energy targets. The country aims for 100% renewable electricity by 2028, while data centre investments, such as Telia’s €26 million facility near Vilnius, enhance local data security and capacity. Research initiatives at institutions like Kaunas University of Technology are also advancing energy-efficient AI development. While overall AI adoption among Lithuanian companies remains below the EU average, the combination of regulatory readiness, technical expertise, public-private collaboration, and infrastructure development positions Lithuania as a strategically relevant location for AI investment in Europe.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Who is Danny and coffeemill via Freepik The post Lithuania Emerges as a Growing AI Hub in the European Union appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

The Brink’s Company and NCR Atleos have announced a definitive agreement for Brink’s to acquire NCR Atleos in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately US$6.6 billion. The deal includes 13.3 million shares of Brink’s common stock, US$2.2 billion in cash, and the assumption of around US$2.6 billion of NCR Atleos’ debt. The acquisition combines Brink’s global cash management and route-based infrastructure with NCR Atleos’ ATM management expertise and its owned-and-operated ATM network, including its fast-growing ATM as a Service (ATMaaS) solutions. The two companies aim to offer a broader range of services to financial institutions and retail customers by integrating their technology, products, and software. Mark Eubanks “This acquisition further supports Brink’s ability to deliver enhanced customer solutions and accelerates our value creation strategy,” said Mark Eubanks, President and Chief Executive Officer of Brink’s. “By combining our organisations, we gain critical scale and complementary capabilities to drive our growth strategy and provide new levels of service to our global customer base.” Tim Oliver, President and Chief Executive Officer of NCR Atleos, said, Tim Oliver “Combining our businesses with Brink’s will enhance offerings to financial institutions and retailers and create more opportunities for our employees. The transaction delivers significant value to NCR Atleos shareholders and enables their participation in the future success of the combined company.” The combined company will serve financial institutions, governments, retailers, and independent ATM operators across more than 140 countries. NCR Atleos’ network of approximately 78,000 ATMs in high-traffic retail locations, part of a total installed base of about 600,000 ATMs globally, will expand Brink’s retail footprint and provide opportunities to integrate its Digital Retail Solutions with existing ATM operations.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by graphiccrew via Freepik The post Brink’s to Acquire NCR Atleos in US$6.6 Billion Deal appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has selected four companies to test their stablecoin services under proposed regulation within a controlled environment. This forms part of the FCA’s commitment to supporting growth and innovation in UK financial services. From 20 applications, the chosen firms are Monee Financial Technologies, ReStabilise, Revolut, and VVTX. The Regulatory Sandbox programme allows firms to trial stablecoin products in real-world conditions with appropriate safeguards. It will enable the FCA to assess its proposed policy in practice and ensure future rules are clear, effective, and support responsible innovation. Testing will primarily focus on stablecoin issuance. The selected firms’ proposals cover a range of use cases, including payments, wholesale settlement, and crypto trading. Each firm will receive feedback from FCA specialists while contributing to the development of the UK’s regulatory approach. Matthew Long, Director of Payments and Digital Assets at the FCA, said: Matthew Long “We are supporting UK stablecoin issuers to ensure they can be trusted for payments, settlement and trading. It will benefit consumers and financial transactions and help to deliver the FCA’s strategy and the Government’s National Payments Vision.” The testing is part of the FCA’s wider efforts to enable innovation in UK financial services and complements other initiatives, including the Digital Securities Sandbox. Testing is set to begin in Q1 2026, with findings expected to inform the UK’s final stablecoin rules later that year.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by nijieimuart via Freepik The post FCA Selects Revolut and 3 Firms for 2026 Stablecoin Sandbox appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.