252 stories from 12 sources
The week in Fintech
Click on a headline to see stories that shaped it.
Threads
8 threads
The Clarity Act moved from a decisive Senate test to repeated defeat, leaving crypto firms without a durable market-structure framework. A CFTC proposal and a House tax bill offer narrower routes, while the setback concentrates attention on stablecoins.
India moved from a fully free UPI model toward merchant fees on eligible transactions above Rs 2,000. Payment firms and investment platforms now face higher operating costs and possible changes in user and merchant behavior.
An AI agent passed a high-security payment authentication test as providers developed spending controls, authentication standards, and liability rules for automated purchases. Ant International’s broader finance stack shows the shift from isolated AI features toward integrated financial operations.
Stablecoin activity broadened from payment instruments into settlement and financial-market infrastructure, with Fin.com connecting local rails and stablecoin settlement and Circle launching Arc. OCC approvals then gave stablecoin companies a supervised path into national banking.
Fintechs increasingly pursued control over deposits, lending, payment infrastructure, and funding instead of relying entirely on partner banks. Charter applications, new banking entities, sponsor-bank products, and unresolved Federal Reserve access rules all raised the regulatory responsibilities that come with that control.
The SEC authorized a five-year route for qualifying platforms to offer tokenized stocks, and the development appeared again as markets interpreted it as regulatory momentum. Tokenized funds and broader on-chain finance also moved closer to mainstream market infrastructure.
BNPL pushed further into groceries, large purchases, and broader lending platforms, including Tabby’s expansion and Grab’s acquisition of Atome. Credit-card installment plans nevertheless gained share while BNPL usage held steady, giving issuers a stronger route to deferred-payment demand.
Revolut secured Colombian banking approval, pursued another license in Switzerland, and weighed a dual New York and London listing. The moves support its ambition to operate as a broader global bank while adding regulatory and public-market tests.
Day’s Recap