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Remitting it Forward

Run on digital assets leads platforms to freeze user accounts, including withdrawals. Bankruptcy looms. 

The Big Chill in Crypto

Coinbase, Google Cloud, MinePlex among deals

Crypto Still Has Fans...And Deals

Firm to combine asset, wealth and consumer banking into one unit

Goldman Sachs Reorganization 

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SWIFT said it is uniquely positioned to interlink the fragmented digital asset landscape with its forthcoming digital currency trials in 2025. Banks in North America, Europe and Asia are preparing to participate in trials involving digital assets by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT).  SWIFT announced on Oct. 3 that it will begin digital asset trials on its network in 2025. The trials will involve experiments with transactions that include multiple digital currencies and assets.

Banks to join SWIFT digital asset trials in 2025

ARK Invest founder and CEO Cathie Wood expects that a “changing of the guard” at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission may turbocharge the economy and bring about an influx of innovation and investment in emerging technologies.  “Deregulation, defanging the SEC, FTC, and others, government spending cuts, tax cuts, and a focus on technologically enabled innovation are likely to turbocharge the US economy,” she said, in sharing a video posted by ARK Invest on X on Nov. 11. “We have more clarity now in terms of the investment landscape after the election,” 

‘Defanging the SEC’ may turbocharge US economy: Cathie Wood

As lockdowns gripped Europe in late 2020, KKR was battling to plant its flag in one of the pandemic’s winning industries. The private equity pioneer lost out that year in its bid for German road bike maker Canyon, a darling of Instagram. But bankers later pitched KKR’s dealmakers a consolation prize: Accell, a less modish Dutch manufacturer.  It led to an investment that could become one of the New York buyout giant’s worst in Europe. KKR launched a €1.8bn bid to take Accell private with the backing of its largest shareholder, Teslin, in January 2022.  Less than two years later, Accell found itself struggling under the burden of its debts as a post-pandemic sales slump left it burning through cash. 

Is KKR’s bad bet on cycling the start of Europe’s private equity reckoning?

Fintech stocks were some of the biggest decliners on Monday as the Nasdaq suffered its steepest drop since 2022. Crypto-related companies Robinhood, Coinbase and Strategy all notched double-digit declines. Analysts at JPMorgan Chase noted that “sentiment has soured of late” in fintech.

Fintech stocks plummet as Wall Street worries about consumer spending, credit

Goldman Sachs has unveiled several new actions as it looks to strengthen its services for corporate and investor clients and grow its business in private credit, private equity, and other asset classes. These actions include the creation of a Capital Solutions group and the expansion of its alternatives investment team in its Asset and Wealth Management division. 
The Capital Solutions group will bring together and expand Goldman Sachs’ activities related to financing, origination, structuring, and risk management, which are currently part of its Global Banking and Markets division. 

Goldman Sachs launches Capital Solutions group to grow private credit and equity business

Guernsey stock exchange now provides a facility for trading shares in privately held companies. A stock exchange based in the Channel Islands is trying to capitalise on a global drought in initial public offerings with the launch of a facility for buying and selling shares in privately held companies. But this reinvention of its role looks likely to attract stiff competition from larger rivals. The International Stock Exchange (TISE) — which has, for years, specialised in providing a listing venue for corporate debt — last year launched a unit allowing private companies to run auctions in their own shares, without the need for a broker.


TISE finds best place to capitalise on private assets

Klarna, which is known for its popular buy now, pay later business, said Wednesday it has confidentially filed IPO documents with the SEC. Analysts recently valued the company in the $15 billion range. Klarna investors include SoftBank, Sequoia Capital and London-based firm Atomico.

Buy now, pay later provider Klarna says it filed confidentially for U.S. IPO

In the summer of 2022, a young marketing executive in London, eager to revamp her wardrobe, clicked “Pay in 4” at checkout. The process was seamless—no credit check, no hassle, and most importantly, no immediate cash outflow. Fast forward six months, she found herself juggling payments across three different BNPL providers, struggling to keep up as late fees and missed payment penalties mounted. Her story is not unique. BNPL has redefined consumer credit, offering frictionless financing at the point of sale. But beneath its convenience lies a pressing concern—are we enabling financial empowerment, or are we simply repackaging debt in a more palatable way?

The BNPL Boom: The Good, The Bad, and The Regulatory Challenge

eToro Group Ltd (“eToro”) today announced that it has publicly filed a registration statement on Form F-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) relating to the proposed initial public offering of its Class A common shares. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. eToro has applied to list its Class A common shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “ETOR.” The offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or other terms of the offering.

EToro goes public on IPO filing

Launched in July 2023, the Federal Reserve's FedNow service has been a game-changer in the U.S. payments landscape. With over 900 financial institutions onboarded, including major players like Chase and Wells Fargo, FedNow is reshaping the future of payments in the U.S. FedNow represents a significant shift from the traditional Automated Clearing House (ACH) system to real-time payments, ensuring transactions are processed instantly, 24/7/365. ACH, while effective, typically requires one to two business days for transaction completion. In contrast, FedNow processes payments in seconds, offering a faster and more efficient alternative that aligns the U.S. with global payment standards. 

One Year Since the FedNow Launch: What You Should Know

Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud continues to be one of the most pressing concerns for financial services, the payment industry, law enforcement and the general public – and new developments in cross-border payments may be making it easier. A new study by The Payments Association, the UK’s community and advocate for the payments industry, highlight how the speed and anonymity of cross-border payments, and the global patchwork of different regulatory regimes, is being exploited by criminals. APP fraud is easy to understand and, unfortunately, equally easy to carry out. Essentially, APP fraud is any type of fraud that uses an Authorised Push Payment – whenever a person is tricked into voluntarily sending a payment to another person. 

Cross-Border Payments Could Further Enable APP Fraud, Says Payments Association Study

Chime Financial has reportedly confidentially filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the US, according to a report by Bloomberg. The Bloomberg report, citing sources familiar with the matter, says that Chime is targeting 2025 for its public debut, but its sources add that the timing has yet to be confirmed and plans may change. Founded in 2012, Chime provides digital-first mobile banking solutions to more than 22 million users in the US, offering services such as cashback rewards, checking and high-yield savings accounts, a Visa-powered credit and debit card, earned wage access services, and more. 

US fintech Chime reportedly submits confidential filing for potential 2025 IPO

BlackRock Inc. (BLK) faces a significant financial setback with its investment in Alacrity, an insurance outsourcing firm, now projected to result in a loss exceeding $600 million. This situation, as reported by Benzinga, comes at a pivotal time as BlackRock prepares for its Q4 earnings release, underscoring the complexities involved in managing investments within the private equity space, especially when burdened with substantial debt. Alacrity’s control has shifted to a consortium of private credit funds, including Antares Capital, Blue Owl Capital, KKR, and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, as part of a restructuring necessitated by Alacrity’s ongoing debt issues. 

Massive $600M Loss Hits BlackRock’s Private Equity Fund

U.S. merchants who use JPMorgan to handle payments can soon add Affirm to their checkout pages, according to a release. Consumers will have access to loans ranging from 30 days to 60 months, according to Affirm. The deal follows a similar announcement from rival Klarna last month, in which the Swedish fintech said it would be available to JPMorgan’s merchants.

Affirm announces JPMorgan Chase merchants can soon offer installment loans at checkout

Interest rates are coming down, but only after one of the most brutal monetary tightening periods in modern history. And they’re probably coming down too late, too little and too slowly for a lot of smaller companies and the investment funds that chucked money at them over the past few years. Private credit — basically, bilateral corporate loans made by specialist investment funds rather than banks — has been one of the hottest asset classes over the past decade. Possibly the hottest. Depending on who you believe, there’s somewhere between $2tn and $3tn of money in private credit funds.


How is private credit weathering its first big rate hiking cycle?

A Bitcoin-related bill is gaining support in the United States, signaling a potential boost for the cryptocurrency’s value, which could hit $1 million. Former President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election on Nov. 5 has sparked optimism for more crypto-friendly policies.
One of the most anticipated bills is the Bitcoin Act, championed by Wyoming Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, which proposes the creation of a strategic Bitcoin BTC tickers down $98,418 reserve for the US, making it the first nation to use it as a “savings technology.”

US Bitcoin reserve during Trump presidency could pump BTC to $1M

HPS Investment Partners could hardly be more different than its suitor, BlackRock. Whereas BlackRock, an $11.5tn powerhouse, is best known for investing clients’ funds across huge swaths of public markets, HPS has earned a windfall on targeted bets in the private lending sector. BlackRock’s more than $12bn deal for HPS earlier this month comes as the world’s biggest asset manager is seeking to compete with groups such as Blackstone and Apollo, which are already deeply entrenched in a market widely seen as one of the next major battlegrounds in finance. 



Why BlackRock is shelling out $12bn for private credit shop HPS

London-based fintech Zepz is laying off around 200 IT workers as part of a major redundancy plan, two employees impacted by the move told CNBC. Zepz confirmed to CNBC it is eliminating roles to “sustainably support the next phase of long-term strategic goals and continued growth.” As part of the cost-cutting exercise, Zepz also proposed the closure of business units in Kenya and Poland.

Fintech unicorn Zepz to lay off 20% of its global workforce, sources say

The US Senate has voted to overturn a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule that would give the watchdog oversight of tech giants, such as Apple, Google and X, that offer digital payment apps and wallets. Voting along party lines, the Senate backed a Congressional Review Act resolution introduced by Republicans Pete Ricketts and Mike Flood. It still needs to pass in the House of Representatives. Finalised late last year, the CFPB rule is designed to ensure that the big nonbank players follow federal law just like large banks, credit unions, and others already under its supervision.

Senate votes to scrap CFPB oversight of Big Tech payment apps

US fintech Block is laying off 931 staff and closing 748 open roles, as the mobile payments and POS company undergoes a major reorganisation. Dorsey told staff that 391 roles would be cut for "strategy" reasons. A further 460 people who scored a "below" rating on the company's internal performance tracking metrics are also being ditched. Eighty manager roles are also to be eliminated in an attempt to flatten the company's hierarchy.

Block chops 931 staff and closes open positions

Klarna Group Plc has filed for a U.S. initial public offering at a weak moment for company debuts, though the fintech player thinks it can offer investors more than just its buy-now-pay-later products. Klarna said it was profitable in 2024, with its per-share net profit of 1 cent last year contrasting with a per-share net loss of 69 cents a share in 2023. The company said its revenue last year rose to $2.8 billion, from $2.3 billion. It ended 2024 with $3.2 billion in cash and equivalents, according to a late Friday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company did not disclose the number of shares it seeks to sell on the market nor their expected price range.

Fintech Klarna files for IPO at a weak point for public debuts

The total value of crypto stolen in 2024 was up 21% on the previous year, although still way down on the $3.7 billion nabbed in 2022. Hackers linked to North Korea have become notorious for their sophisticated and relentless tradecraft, often employing advanced malware, social engineering, and cryptocurrency theft to fund state-sponsored operations and circumvent international sanctions. In 2024, North Korea-affiliated hackers stole $1.34 billion across 47 incidents — more than double the amount taken the previous year.

North Korea hackers behind 60% of all crypto stolen in 2024

Investment bankers are gearing up for a pickup in dealmaking activity in global equity capital markets this year, buoyed by a promising pipeline of anticipated initial public offerings of several high-profile companies. Liquefied natural gas producer Venture Global, privately held medical supply giant Medline, and cybersecurity company Sailpoint, backed by private equity firm Thoma Bravo, are expected to headline a crowded line-up of stock market flotations in the first half of 2025, according to people familiar with the matter. Private equity firms have been struggling to sell or list portfolio companies over the past two years due to high interest rates and volatile stock markets that put a chill on dealmaking.

Bankers hope for IPO revival in 2025 as high-profile listings stack up

In a significant move to counteract international sanctions and reduce dependency on the global financial system Swift, Russia has called on BRICS nations to establish a new cross-border payments network, reported Bloomberg. This initiative is aimed at facilitating transactions in local currencies and strengthening economic ties within the bloc. The proposed network would involve a consortium of commercial banks capable of executing transactions in the respective local currencies of BRICS countries. It also suggests the establishment of direct connections between central banks to further insulate the group from external financial systems.

Russia proposes Swift alternative for cross-border payments

Mastercard introduced a new solution that will enable banks to facilitate commercial cross-border payments that are near real-time, predictable and transparent. The new Mastercard Move Commercial Payments is designed to simplify operations, optimize liquidity, reduce counterparty risk and provide end-to-end visibility for banks and their customers, the company said in a Monday (Oct. 21) press release.

Mastercard Introduces New Commercial Cross-Border Payment Solution for Banks

Five banking associations have called on the CFPB to withdraw its new regulation on overdraft fees, arguing that it is unnecessary due to recent innovations and could potentially harm consumers.The coalition, which includes the Bank Policy Institute and the American Bankers Association, cautioned that the rule would harm millions of consumers who rely on overdrafts, particularly those with limited, if any, options for meeting short-term liquidity needs.

Banking Associations Warn New Overdraft Rule Could Harm Consumers

Major private equity firms have faced significant obstacles in selling or listing their China-based portfolio companies in 2023, with Beijing’s tightening restrictions on IPOs and a decelerating economy having left foreign investors’ capital effectively trapped, according to a report by the Financial Times. Citing data from Dealogic, the report reveals that none of the 10 largest global private equity groups operating in China have successfully listed a Chinese company or fully exited through M&A this year. This marks the first such occurrence in over a decade, though the pace of exits has been sluggish since Beijing imposed restrictions on Chinese companies’ overseas listings in 2021. 

Blackstone, KKR, CVC curbed by China’s IPO clampdown

Americans express rising alarm over economy and job prospects as Trump’s tariffs weigh on outlook. Wall Street stocks dropped on Friday as signs of strain among American consumers added to worries the US is heading for a bout of stagflation. A batch of data added fresh evidence that consumers are growing deeply concerned about how President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs will affect the world’s largest economy, while a separate report showed the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure rose in February. 


US stocks tumble as consumer gloom raises stagflation fears

Stripe, the FinTech giant, is reportedly in talks to acquire crypto startup Bridge for $1 billion, according to sources familiar with the discussions. This potential acquisition would be the largest to date for Stripe, which was recently valued at $70 billion. However, the deal is still under discussion and subject to regulatory considerations and compensation for employees. 
Bridge, a provider of infrastructure for crypto stablecoins, has previously raised $58 million in funding and has a strong customer base that includes government departments and companies like SpaceX and Coinbase. The startup offers software that enables businesses to accept cross-border payments made with stablecoins. 

Stripe Aims for Largest Acquisition Yet with $1 Billion Deal for Bridge

Growth in the payments industry, which was once characterized by rapid expansion, is now slowing as the shift from cash to digital payments has reached its peak, according to BCG research. The BCG Global Payments Report 2024 found that revenue growth is expected to halve by 2028, with global revenues set to rise at a compound annual growth rate of just 5% to $2.3 trillion. This marks a sharp decline from the 9% growth recorded in the previous five years, which saw revenues to $1.8 trillion in 2023.

Payments Industry Growth Slows as Cash-to-Digital Shift Reaches Peak

BlackRock has a handshake deal to buy private credit group HPS Investment Partners, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. The final deal value would be closer to $12 billion, which offers a significant premium over HPS's post-IPO valuation of $10 billion, the report said, citing two sources familiar with the matter. The two sides have agreed on the broad outline of the deal with an eye towards announcing general terms after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, the report added, citing four people familiar with the matter.

BlackRock has deal to buy private credit manager HPS, FT reports

Recent and upcoming rate cuts will provide relief for private credit borrowers through lower funding costs in 2025, even as many have already benefitted from repricing and improving financing conditions. 

How This Will Shape 2025 
Repricing will continue to change market dynamics. Companies should see a bigger benefit from rate cuts in 2025 than this year. Competition and convergence between public and private markets will continue. With growth and innovations in private markets, some borrowers have the luxury of choice between broadly syndicated or private credit. 

Private Markets: How Will Private Credit Respond To Declining Yields?

Cross-border payments keep the world connected, fueling everything from international trade to daily transactions. However, in the rapidly developing world, traditional systems like SWIFT might find themselves outdated. They are starting to fall behind, stopped by delays, high costs, and inefficiencies. This results in less year-on-year growth. Due to inconveniences, they have gradually been replaced by blockchain, a revolutionary technology promising to shake up how money moves across borders. Think speed, transparency, security, and cost savings tools all into one—this is blockchain. Let’s dive deeper into this topic and consider why blockchain is leading this financial revolution.

Blockchain vs. SWIFT: Why Traditional Systems Can't Keep Up in the Global Economy

Finance and payments company Klarna says it has reduced hundreds of jobs and sees more reductions coming due to its implementation of AI. The Swedish company is using AI to handle customer queries with chatbots to drastically reduce the time taken to resolve issues. A buy-now-pay-later company, widely expected to seek a stock market listing next year, Klarna has been one of the early adopters of generative AI to cut costs and boost productivity.

Klarna uses AI to reduce employee numbers

BlackRock’s Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) saw its largest-ever single-day outflow as Bitcoin funds notched a fourth straight trading day of outflows totaling more than $1.5 billion. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) hit $188.7 million in outflows on Dec. 24, surpassing its previous record of $72.7 million set on Dec. 20, per CoinGlass data. All 12 United States-based spot Bitcoin ETFs saw joint total outflows hit $338.4 million on Christmas Eve. Since Dec. 19, the funds have seen joint net outflows of $1.52 billion.

BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF sees record outflow as funds bleed $1.5B in 4 days

Fiserv’s leadership transition was over in less than two weeks last month, with the payment processor now run by two top executives after Chairman and CEO Frank Bisignano deemed his successor ready to lead after about 10 days at the company, Fiserv CFO Bob Hau told investors Tuesday. Fiserv President and CEO-elect Michael Lyons.  Michael Lyons, Fiserv’s president and CEO-elect and the former president of PNC Financial Services Group, joined a monthly Firserv management committee meeting on Jan. 27, his first day with the company, Hau said.

Fiserv CEO transition took only 10 days, CFO says

Melio, an accounts payable and receivable platform for small and medium businesses, has hit a $2 billion valuation in a $150 million strategic funding round led by Fiserv. Shopify Ventures, Capital One Ventures, Accel, Bessemer, Coatue, Frontline Ventures, General Catalyst, Latitude and Thrive Capital joined the Series E for New York-based Melio. The funding follows a ten-fold increase in revenue since the last $110 million round three years ago. Melio’s platform integrates cash flow management, accounts receivable and accounts payable solutions to help SMBs - and their accountants - maximise cash flow and save time managing their payment operations.

Fiserv leads $150m funding round for Melio

Decentralized exchanges (DEXs) set a record high in December, with monthly trading volume soaring to $462 billion, according to decentralized finance (DeFi) data platform DefiLlama. Data released on Dec. 30 showed that December was the highest-ever month for DEX volumes, continuing momentum from November. In November, the DeFi space saw a monthly volume of $374 billion, driven by anticipation of a more favorable regulatory regime in the United States following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election. 

Decentralized exchange volume hits record high of $462B in December

Higher interest rates and lower consumer spending are squeezing debt-laden companies backed by private equity groups, forcing them to either restructure through bankruptcy or buy time to recover via out-of-court settlements with creditors. The stress on private equity-backed companies shows up starkest in a recent study by S&P Global Market Intelligence, which shows that a record number of 110 private equity and venture capital-backed companies filed for bankruptcy in 2024. 


‘Leveraged to the hilt’: PE-backed firms hit by wave of bankruptcies

The European Central Bank (ECB) is developing a new platform to settle transactions using distributed ledger technology (DLT) in central bank money, aiming to integrate and harmonise the European financial market for digital assets. The move is part of the ECB’s ongoing efforts to ensure that the financial sector can leverage the benefits of DLT while maintaining the stability and integrity of the monetary system. The initiative will follow a dual-track approach, with the immediate focus on developing an interoperability link with TARGET Services. These services facilitate the movement of cash, securities and collateral across Europe, playing a key role in the financial infrastructure.

European Central Bank Outlines Two-Track Approach to Enhance DLT Transaction Settlements

Transak has received its second Money Transmitter License (MTL) from the US state of Delaware, while also gaining registration with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). The MTL will allow Delaware residents and businesses to use the cryptocurrency platform. Transaks first MTL came from the Alabama Securities commission and the company stated they intend to continue to expand across the US. 

Transak gains Delaware Money Transmitter License and FINTRAC registration

AltIndex’s report showed that this growth was driven by Bitcoin's rally, spot ETF approvals, increased DeFi activities, and regulatory clarity in key regions. Binance dominated the market by reportedly processing 40% of all crypto trades with $7.7 trillion in trading volume.The crypto market experienced a monumental performance in 2024. Boosted by major developments like regulatory clarity, Bitcoin spot ETF approvals, and DeFi innovations, the average monthly trading volume soared to $1.5 trillion, up a staggering 135% from last year, AltIndex reported.

Crypto Sees Second-Best Year Ever: 2024 Trading Hits $18.4 Trillion

Circle Internet, the US group behind the world’s second-largest stablecoin, has filed to list in New York, the first major cryptocurrency company to try for an initial public offering since President Donald Trump ushered in a more favourable environment towards digital assets. 
The firm lodged its application with regulators for an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange late on Tuesday, having filed initial paperwork at the start of last year, after a previous attempt fell through in late 2022.  Tuesday’s filing shows Circle’s revenues on the reserves it maintains to back its USDC stablecoin jumped to $1.66bn last year, from $1.4bn in 2023. 


Stablecoin operator Circle files for IPO as revenues jump to $1.7bn

The majority of public pension funds and sovereign wealth funds (58%) expect to increase their infrastructure allocations over the next 12 to 24 months, according to the OMFIF’s Global Public Funds 2024 report. The Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum is a forum for central banking, economic policy and public investment. Twenty-eight global public funds with a combined $6.5 trillion in assets. This is up from 53% that had the same expectation in last year’s survey and 42% in 2022. 

Most global public funds plan to increase infrastructure allocations — OMFIF report

Web3 technologies are poised to transform the world of commerce just as Web2 revolutionized access to information. The result will be a vast, open, liquid digital marketplace where all physical goods can be listed and traded seamlessly.In the early days of the internet, information was siloed within proprietary networks. Over time, the zero marginal cost of distribution, combined with consumer demand for accessibility, led to the open, searchable internet we enjoy today. Commerce, however, has been slower to evolve due to inherent complexities. Unlike information, physical assets require trust between parties, the ability to mediate disputes and reliable settlement mechanisms. 

How AI Agents and Crypto Will Revolutionize Commerce

Bitcoin would be a big winner from a potential US recession as it’s built to thrive in a high fiscal spending, low interest rate environment, says a BlackRock executive. BlackRock’s head of digital assets, Robbie Mitchnick, says that Bitcoin will most likely thrive in a recessionary macro environment, contrary to what some analysts may think. “I don’t know if we’ll have a recession or not, but a recession would be a big catalyst for Bitcoin,” Mitchnick said in a March 19 interview with Yahoo Finance. Mitchnick said Bitcoin  is catalyzed by increased fiscal spending, deficit accumulation, lower interest rates and monetary stimulus — all of which tend to happen in recessions.

US recession would be a big catalyst for Bitcoin: BlackRock

There was nowhere to run this week for investors seeking to escape a market rout that came on like a tidal wave, crashing down Thursday. Tariffs, of course, dominated, and once they were real, as of Wednesday night, the stage was set for a plunge Thursday that’s not been seen in years. Investors fled the digital platforms and the buy now, pay later (BNPL) players — many of them international in scope, and dependent on growth in lending or consumer spending. And within the FinTech IPO Index, which sank more than 11%, not a single name was in the black.

FinTech IPO Index Plunges 11.7% Amid Broad-Based Market Rout

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Visa over allegations of “monopolisation and other unlawful conduct in debit network markets in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act”. In a press release announcing the lawsuit on 24 September, the DOJ says: “Filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, the complaint alleges that Visa illegally maintains a monopoly over debit network markets by using its dominance to thwart the growth of its existing competitors and prevent others from developing new and innovative alternatives.”

US Department of Justice files civil antitrust lawsuit against Visa

The National Center for Public Policy Research — a Washington DC-based think tank championing free markets — submitted a shareholder proposal to Amazon saying that a Bitcoin corporate treasury strategy should be considered at the April 2025 shareholder meeting.
According to the proposal, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) used to measure inflation, which currently puts inflation at 4.95%, is a “remarkably poor measure” of true currency debasement. The authors suggested the true inflation rate may be double the reported CPI figure. This greatly erodes Amazon’s $88 billion in cash and short-term cash equivalents, the letter said, and to protect shareholder value, Bitcoin should be used to hedge against this risk. 

National Center for Public Policy Research proposes BTC treasury to Amazon

State Street Global Advisors' much-anticipated private credit exchange-traded fund, developed with alternative investment firm Apollo Global Management, began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday. The SPDR SSGA Apollo IG Public & Private Credit ETF is the first product offering retail investors direct access to a diversified portfolio of private credit assets.

State Street launches Apollo private credit ETF

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday dismissed its lawsuit against the operator of the Zelle payments network and the three U.S. banks that dominate transactions on it.  The CFPB sued Early Warning Services, which runs the peer-to-peer payments network, as well as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo in December, alleging that the firms failed to properly investigate fraud complaints or give victims reimbursement. The CFPB “dismisses this action against Defendants Early Warning Services, LLC, Bank of America, N.A., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., with prejudice,” the regulator said.

Finance CFPB drops lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo over Zelle fraud

PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL) announced it is enabling its U.S. merchants to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrency directly from their PayPal business account.  At launch, this functionality for Business Accounts will not be available in New York State. Today's announcement is PayPal's latest step to increase cryptocurrency's utility by making increased functionality available to millions of merchants in the U.S. 

PayPal lets US business accounts buy and sell crypto

Collectively, Americans now owe a record $1.17 trillion on their credit cards, according to a new report on household debt from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Credit card balances rose by $24 billion in the third quarter of 2024 and are 8.1% higher than a year ago.Despite that increase, credit card delinquency rates improved — with 8.8% of balances transitioning to delinquency over the last year, compared with 9.1% in the previous quarter, the New York Fed found. That change could “suggest that rising debt burdens remain manageable,” the New York Fed researchers said on a press call Wednesday.

Credit card debt hits record $1.17 trillion, New York Fed research shows

The Payment System Regulator (PSR) has revealed that increases to payment processing fees implemented by Visa and Mastercard since 2017 cost UK businesses an extra £170million a year.It says that these increases drastically impact their ability to invest and grow. This could lead to direct economic constraints, particularly for small merchants, as a lack of easy-to-understand fee information led to costs for acquirers and merchants, including small retailers. 

PSR Finds ‘Lack of Competition’ in Card Market, as High Visa and Mastercard Fees Cost Firms Millions

Investors looking for more solid longer-term returns should be looking at credit — and not banking on the S&P 500 to get them there, according to billionaire investor Howard Marks. 
“From the S&P, you’re not going to get the historic return of 10% a year for the next decade. You will get something less and if that’s true, then the returns described from credit are quite competitive and dependable,” Marks, co-founder and co-chairman of Oaktree Capital Management, said in an interview with India’s Economic Times published Friday.

Howard Marks expects a lower return from the S&P 500 over the next decade. Here’s what he likes better.

Corporate spend management giant Brex has laid off 282 people (20% of its workforce) and revealed that its COO and CTO are leaving their roles.In a message to employees, shared on the company's blog, co-CEO Pedro Franceschi says the job cuts as part of a restructuring to become a "high-velocity company". Franceschi says the axe is being wielded following a hard look at the company's structure that will result in fewer management layers.

Brex axes 20% of staff

Temenos shares were down over 6% on Friday after closing over 28% lower on Thursday.
The Swiss software company said its board of directors “fundamentally refutes” a report by short-seller Hindenburg Research. Short-seller Hindenburg Research made headlines after accusing Indian conglomerate Adani of stock manipulation and accounting fraud in early 2023.

Hindenburg’s latest short target Temenos rejects allegations as share price tumbles

In the six months following its groundbreaking launch in July 2023, FedNow has emerged as a transformative force in real-time payments, marking a significant departure from the traditional Automated Clearing House (ACH) system.  This shift signifies a pivotal moment in banking innovation, offering instantaneous transaction processing that aligns with the modern financial transaction demands.

How FedNow is Shaping Payments Since its Groundbreaking Launch

The Federal Reserve is stressing the importance of fintechs and core providers for the future expansion of its new instant payments system FedNow. The Federal Reserve won’t provide fintechs with direct access to its new instant payments system FedNow, but it’s still courting their participation in the new real-time ecosystem. 

Fintechs can help the Fed see what’s on the horizon for the new faster payment system and allow the new real-time payments services to be easier to use, said Mollie Markham, a Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago industry specialist who works with nonbanks. Fintechs can also assist the Fed in providing services that make the most of FedNow’s data-rich capabilities, she said during a conference this month.

Fed courts nonbanks for FedNow growth

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau declared on Wednesday that customers of the burgeoning buy now, pay later industry have the same federal protections as users of credit cards. The agency unveiled what it called an “interpretive rule” that deemed BNPL lenders essentially the same as traditional credit card providers under the decades-old Truth in Lending Act. The BNPL market is dominated by fintech firms like Affirm, Klarna and PayPal.

CFPB says buy now, pay later firms must comply with U.S. credit card laws

FTX has reportedly sued former Trump administration official Anthony Scaramucci to recover creditor funds. The suit was one of several filed by the bankrupt cryptocurrency company in its efforts to claw back money owed to its creditors, TechCrunch reported Saturday (Nov. 9). In addition to Scaramucci’s SkyBridge Capital, other defendants include Crypto.com and Fwd.us, a lobbying group backed by Mark Zuckerberg. According to the report, FTX says it is seeking to recoup money that was part of “a campaign of influence-buying” by founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, carried out as the company was struggling to cover its cash flow needs. 

FTX Sues Anthony Scaramucci to Recover Creditor Funds

Private investment group Sixth Street will pump $4bn into a vehicle to buy loans from US fintech Affirm in a deal that will give the lender firepower to make billions of dollars in additional consumer loans.The pact, which is expected to give Affirm the ability to make $20bn in new loans in the next three years, is the latest tie-up between a private credit fund and consumer credit provider, as the industry taps new avenues to lend to Americans struggling from years of high inflation.The structures allow companies such as Affirm and Sweden-based Klarna — which specialise in “buy now, pay later” loans — to offload debt they have underwritten from their balance sheets, shifting the risks to investors. 


Sixth Street pact hands Affirm firepower for $20bn in new consumer loans

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