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A leading payments industry news source for more than 17 years. Glenbrook curates the news and keeps you abreast of the important daily headlines in payments.
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May 21, 2026
Top Post
Federal Reserve Board Requests Public Comment on a Proposal to Establish a “Payment Account,” for the Specific Purpose of Clearing and Settling Payments
The Federal Reserve
"The Federal Reserve Board requests comment on a proposal to establish a "payment account," which financial institutions could use for the purpose of clearing and settling payments. Financial institutions with a range of business models have sought access to the Federal Reserve's payment services to reduce costs and increase payment speed. The proposed account would support innovation by serving the clearing and settlement needs of certain institutions whilemitigating material risks to the Reserve Banks and payment system."
On the web
Kansas City Fed Quietly Publishes Details Re Kraken Fed Account
"The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has confirmed that the limited purpose Federal Reserve master account it granted to Kraken Financial in March provides access only to the Fedwire Funds Service. The disclosure resolves one of the sharpest questions raised by both Democrat legislators and banking associations since the digital asset bank became the first of its kind to receive a Fed account. In a note published earlier this month, the Kansas City Fed disclosed the specific services and restrictions attached to the account for the first time."
Apple Blocks USD $2.2 Billion in Fraudulent App Store Fraud
Security Brief Australia
"Apple blocked more than USD $2.2 billion in potentially fraudulent App Store transactions in 2025, while rejecting more than 2 million app submissions and stopping over 1.1 billion fraudulent account creations as it expanded enforcement across the App Store ecosystem. The figures form part of a broader effort to combat fraud, malicious software and deceptive behaviour across the App Store, which now serves more than 850 million weekly visitors across 175 storefronts."
Visa Threats Report: As Network Security Strengthens, Criminals Accelerate Shift to AI-Enabled Social Engineering
Visa
Visa released its Spring 2026 Biannual Threats Report, revealing that scams have become the fastest-growing source of consumer harm as criminals increasingly use artificial intelligence and social engineering to manipulate people into authorizing payments themselves. From July to December 2025, Visa identified nearly $1 billion in scam-related activity. These attacks typically do not require breaching technology. Scammers impersonate trusted brands, manufacture urgency, and deceive victims into completing legitimate-looking transactions.
Why 2026 Could Be the Breakthrough Year for Corporate Crypto
The Global Treasurer
"For a decade, corporate crypto was "just one year away." As regulatory frameworks like MiCA and the GENIUS Act take hold, the conversation is shifting from innovation-led experimentation to strategic finance reality. Tyler Betts explores why 2026 marks the definitive inflection point for stablecoins as a critical operational upgrade for global treasury."
Ferrari Accepts Bitcoin and Crypto Payments in US and Europe
Crypto Briefing
"You can now buy a Ferrari with Bitcoin. The Italian luxury automaker has rolled out cryptocurrency payments across its US and European dealer networks, partnering with BitPay to process transactions in BTC, ETH, USDC, and XRP. Ferrari’s setup with BitPay converts crypto payments into fiat currency instantly. The moment a buyer sends their Bitcoin or Ether, BitPay locks in the exchange rate and delivers a fixed amount in local currency to the dealer. No price swings between the time the transaction initiates and the time it settles."
US Payments Forum Spring Market Snapshot: Agentic Commerce, Tokenization Increases Complexity and Authentication Enters New Fraud Era
GlobeNewswire News Room
"The U.S. Payments Forum is tapping into industry trends in its 2026 spring market snapshot. The report includes insights from top payment organizations gathered during the Forum’s Spring Member Meeting in Houston, Texas, co-located with the Secure Technology Alliance’s Identity & Payments Summit. This snapshot explores the growing pressure to make agentic commerce feasible across the payments ecosystem, tokenization’s expanding operational challenges and the need to rethink authentication as fraudsters test the limits of biometrics and digital identity."
Federal Reserve Study Challenges Narrative Around Stablecoin Payments Growth
Finance Feeds
"A briefing from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City concluded that stablecoins remain overwhelmingly tied to crypto finance activity rather than real-world payments, with less than 1% of stablecoin usage linked to traditional payment functions. The report provides one of the most detailed attempts yet to estimate how stablecoins are actually distributed across the digital asset ecosystem. The findings challenge a growing industry narrative that stablecoins are already becoming mainstream payment infrastructure for businesses and consumers."
PSD3 Is Getting Closer for EU Banks
RedCompass Labs
"The European Parliament and EU Council have provisionally signed off. Soon, the work to move from PSD2 to PSD3 and PSR (Payment Services Regulation) can begin. PSD3 is the EU’s Open Banking legislation. PSD3 will elevate transparency, reinforcing data security, and strengthening consent management. PSR is expected to be published in the Official Journal in summer 2026 and will come into force 20 days later. More provisions will apply 21 months after coming into force, so we can expect the new payee verification regime regime in early 2028, and the liability shift applying 3 months after that, in mid-2028."
May 20, 2026
Top Post
White House Pushes Fintech Integration Into US Banking Framework
Digital Watch Observatory
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing federal financial regulators to review rules and supervisory practices that may be limiting fintech and digital asset firms’ access to traditional financial services and payment infrastructure. Within 90 days, regulators must review existing rules and processes affecting fintech firms, particularly small and emerging companies. The review will examine barriers to partnerships with banks, credit unions, broker-dealers, investment advisers and other regulated institutions, as well as application processes for bank charters, deposit insurance, licences, registrations and authorisations.
On the web
Tether Brings USDT Payments to Over 200,000 Merchants in New Partnership
Crypto News
"Stablecoin issuer Tether has announced a significant expansion of its $USDT payment capabilities, enabling transactions at more than 200,000 merchant locations worldwide. The initiative is the result of a collaboration with decentralized treasury management protocol Lydian and U.S.-based payments company Shift4, marking one of the largest integrations of a stablecoin into traditional retail and online commerce."
PayPal’s Dollar-Backed Stablecoin Is Now Live Across Africa
Tech Labari
"The San José-based payments giant has announced that PayPal USD (PYUSD), its dollar-backed stablecoin, is now available to users across 70 markets, including a broad expansion across Africa. The move represents a dramatic scaling of the token’s reach: previously, PYUSD was only available for holding in the United States and the United Kingdom. The rollout now adds 68 new jurisdictions, with African countries including Uganda and Malawi among the newly supported markets."
Worldline and Klarna Partner to Enable Flexible, Online and In-Store Payments Everywhere
Klarna
"Worldline and Klarna have announced the signing of a framework agreement to improve access to Klarna’s full suite of flexible payments across online and in-store points of sale serviced by Worldline. Worldline will integrate Klarna more deeply into its technology stack, and acquire transactions, making it much simpler for businesses to offer Klarna to their customers."
Klarna Launches AI-Powered Shopping Search App in ChatGPT
Klarna
"Klarna launched the Klarna Shopping Search app in ChatGPT, bringing real-time product discovery directly into the conversation. With the Klarna Shopping Search app in ChatGPT, they simply describe what they're looking for and instantly see visual results with up-to-date prices, availability, and offers from multiple merchants, all within the same conversation. The Klarna Shopping Search app then seamlessly redirects users to the merchant’s site to complete their purchase."
Bizum Shop Payments Spain Begin Gradual Rollout
In Spain
"The rollout of Bizum shop payments in Spain began this week, but it is not yet available everywhere. The new service is being introduced gradually, meaning only some banks, users, and retailers can use it at first. RTVE reports that Bizum began activating payments at physical shops on 18 May, though availability varies by bank and business. Until now, Bizum was best known for instant payments between people using a mobile phone number. It has also grown into online shopping, donations, and some public payments."
FedNow’s Role in Modernizing Payments
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
"One key part of that the U.S. payments system is the FedNow® Service, the Federal Reserve’s instant payment rail. Launched in 2023, it enables financial institutions to move funds instantly – 24/7, 365 days a year. While FedNow is focused on domestic payments, the Fed is also exploring how it could eventually help make cross-border payments faster and simpler. Executive Vice President and Chief FedNow Executive Nick Stanescu discusses why FedNow was created, how it works, and what it could mean for businesses, consumers, and the future of financial access."
Fireblocks Joins x402 Foundation, Launches Agentic Payments Suite
PR Newswire
"Fireblocks announced the launch of its Agentic Payments Suite, delivering the infrastructure for agent-initiated payments using any stablecoin, on any blockchain. The Suite covers the full lifecycle of agentic payments; from the wallet infrastructure agents use to send funds, to the acceptance layer merchants use to receive them. Fireblocks has also joined the x402 Foundation, the Linux Foundation-hosted governing body for the x402 protocol, delivering the security extension that adds request integrity and spend governance to the protocol."
European Banks Rally Behind a Euro Stablecoin
ING
"Qivalis, the ING-backed consortium building Europe’s first regulated euro stablecoin, has announced that 25 banks are joining, bringing total membership to 37. More banks means broader reach, and a stablecoin that’s increasingly relevant for clients doing business in euros. The consortium plans to launch a regulated euro-denominated stablecoin in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approval."
PPRO Partners with Nubank to Enable Nupay, Unlocking Access to Brazil’s Digital Banking Ecosystem
PPRO
"PPRO announced its partnership with Nubank to provide merchants and PSPs with direct access to its native payment method, NuPay. With over 115 million customers in Brazil, NuPay enables seamless authorisation through a single click or biometric scan directly within the institution’s secure app environment. By eliminating the need to share card details with merchants, it enhances security, improves approval rates, and provides stronger protection against friendly fraud and chargebacks."
FIS Launches Enterprise Risk Suite on AWS to Provide Continuous Cloud-Native Delivery
FIS Global
"Global financial technology leader FIS® announced the launch of FIS Enterprise Risk Suite on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Upgrading risk software has always meant disruption and for firms managing risk in real-time, that’s a trade-off they can’t afford. This deployment on AWS reduces this by delivering a cloud-native risk management platform that keeps financial institutions on the latest version of the software, continuously and without operational disruption."
Google Launches Smart Digital Cart; Upgrades Agentic Commerce Standard
Chain Store Age
"Google continues developing new ways for consumers to leverage Agentic artificial intelligence while shopping. The tech giant is introducing a new intelligent digital shopping cart called Universal Cart and also adding new features to the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard for agentic AI-based commerce intended to cover the entire shopping journey from discovery and buying to post-purchase support, as well as a new agentic payments protocol. Highlights of Google’s new agentic shopping tools follow."
Stablecoin News: Japan Opens Stablecoin Market to Foreign Issuers from June 1
The Coin Republic
"Japan will recognize eligible foreign stablecoins from June 1, 2026. The FSA rules keep qualifying trust-type stablecoins outside securities treatment. RLUSD stays near $1 as Japan’s stablecoin market gains clearer rules."
Payments Fraud: What Finance Leaders Need to Know
FutureCFO
"In a world of sophisticated fraud tactics in payments, finance leaders are in need to face challenges. According to a guide published by software company Eftsure, accelerating AI capabilities, and complex international payment networks created an environment where traditional analogue controls are no longer sufficient. Eftsure mapped out a five-point control framework to address technology, processes, and people in regards with this matter:"
Stablecoins As the Missing Link in B2B Marketplaces
Circle
"Business-to-business (B2B) marketplaces are becoming increasingly important channels for global commerce. As these platforms expand across borders, currencies, suppliers, and financial institutions, the challenge is coordinating settlement, liquidity, and reconciliation across multiple parties and jurisdictions. When used for settlement, they can help marketplaces move value directly between counterparties, reduce reliance on traditional intermediary chains, and create a shared record of payment activity on blockchain rails."
dLocal CEO Says Payment Fragmentation Is Its Moat as Growth Momentum Builds
Yahoo Finance
"dLocal’s key moat is its ability to give global merchants one integration into more than 60 emerging markets, where fragmented payment systems and regulations often create major friction for expansion. CEO Pedro Arnt said the company is shifting from a more defensive rebuild phase to growth initiatives, with emphasis on new products like BNPL, alternative payment methods, merchant of record services, and omnichannel payments, while expanding in Southeast Asia and other regions."
On the wires
MoneyGram Becomes Tempo's Anchor Remittance Validator in Strategic Blockchain Partnership
PR Newswire
"MoneyGram announced a partnership with Tempo, a purpose-built Layer 1 blockchain for high-volume, real-world payments, to deepen its blockchain infrastructure and advance stablecoin-based settlement across its global network. The partnership marks a strategic step in MoneyGram's journey to build an open, interoperable global payments network on stablecoin rails, one that operates across chains, across borders, and across the full spectrum of how people move money."
Visa Threats Report: As Network Security Strengthens, Criminals Accelerate Shift to AI-Enabled Social Engineering
Business Wire
"Visa released its Spring 2026 Biannual Threats Report, revealing that scams have become the fastest-growing source of consumer harm as criminals increasingly use artificial intelligence and social engineering to manipulate people into authorizing payments themselves. The report underscores a critical shift in the fraud landscape: while core payment security continues to strengthen at the network level, criminals are redirecting their efforts away from technical system compromises toward exploiting human trust."
May 19, 2026
On the web
Would You Let Robots Spend Your Money? Google Is Betting on It
The Verge
"Google is going all in on AI-driven shopping even as some competitors back off. At Google I/O, the company unveiled the latest iteration of its AI commerce tools: a “Universal Cart” that works across different retailers and Google products like Gemini — and eventually YouTube and Gmail, too. Users can add products to Google’s universal cart as they browse Search and chat with Gemini and then check out through Google. The cart will also track prices, provide in-stock notifications, suggest potential discounts, and alert shoppers to potential issues with their selections."
Zip US and InComm Payments Bring Flexible Payments to Gift Cards, Giving Shoppers a New Way to Pay
InComm Payments
"Zip and InComm Payments,announced a partnership that brings installment buying to the gift card category. Through the integration, eligible shoppers can purchase popular gift card brands directly in the Zip app. With 4.6 million active customers in the US and 29,000 merchant partners, Zip is bringing that same flexibility to gift cards, giving consumers more flexibility over how they manage their spending.¹"
Centerbase Selects AvidXchange as the Exclusive Partner to Power Embedded Payments
AvidXchange
"AvidXchange announced that it has been selected by Centerbase, a leading provider of legal practice management software, as the exclusive partner to power embedded payments through its Accounts Payable as a Service solution. This solution delivers a modernized payment workflow designed specifically for the operational, compliance, and security needs of today’s law firms."