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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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April 3, 2026
Top Post
China Expands Digital Yuan Network — 12 New Banks Join as E-CNY Push Accelerates
Crypto Economy
"The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has given a major push to its central bank digital currency (CBDC) network. A total of 12 new financial institutions, including seven national joint-stock banks and five regional commercial banks (notably Bank of Ningbo), have joined the digital yuan (e-CNY) operating platform. This ends the previous oligopoly of the “Big Six” large state-owned banks This expansion process is not accidental; it is linked to a key regulatory shift: the e-CNY has been reclassified as M1, now functioning as a digital deposit that generates interest."
On the web
Ghana’s National ID Cards Can Now Make Payments
TechCabal
"Ghana’s National Identification Authority (NIA), a statutory body mandated to establish a national identification system, has now added a digital wallet to the Ghana Card, the identification card used for services like SIM registration and passport applications. The new payments feature, first announced in September 2025, allows users to make use of ATMs, make payments in stores and online, make international payments with over 200 countries, and access other services such as insurance and emergency assistance."
Small Business Sales Grew Steadily in March as Higher Ticket Sizes Offset Softer Foot Traffic, Fiserv Data Shows
Fiserv, Inc.
"Fiserv, Inc. has published the Fiserv Small Business Index for March 2026, indicating that U.S. small business sales continued to grow steadily in March, despite consumers being more selective in their spending. Higher average ticket sizes helped offset slower transaction volumes as small businesses closed out Q1 on solid footing."
Coinbase Locks in Conditional Approval to Become a Trust Bank
Yahoo Finance
"Crypto exchange Coinbase (COIN) Global said that the firm has received conditional approval from a key federal regulator to become a national trust bank. Final approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency brings a new threshold of legitimacy to Coinbase in the eyes of certain clients, vice president of Institutional Product Greg Tusar said in an interview."
The Infrastructure Layer for AI Agents in Institutional Finance
Fireblocks
"We are quickly entering an era where AI agents are executing B2B payments, moving capital, settling transactions, and managing treasury operations autonomously. While the use cases are exciting (think treasury rebalancing, liquidity management, and cross-border payment routing), there’s a gap that the industry is just now starting to uncover: these agents need to be able to move value, not just process information. That’s where AI infrastructure solutions enter the conversation."
Cash App Unveils P2P Pay Over Time With 7.5% Fee
NewsBytes
"Cash App just dropped a new pay-over-time feature, letting users split peer-to-peer payments over several weeks instead of paying all at once. If you're sending $25 or more, there's a 7.5% fee, and you can pay back weekly or in one go after six weeks."
Georgia Passes Bill to Round Cash Purchases to the Nearest Nickel
WABE
"You could soon leave pennies at home when you go shopping in Georgia. The Georgia House gave final approval to a bill Thursday that rounds in-person cash transactions to the nearest nickel. The legislation calls for Georgia businesses to round down transactions that end in a 1, 2, 6, or 7. Prices that end in a 3, 4, 8, or 9 would be rounded up. And items with costs that end exactly in a 0 or 5 would stay the same."
UnionPay Launches Agentic Payment Open Protocol Framework: Building an Open, Trusted Smart Payment Ecosystem
Yahoo Finance
"On April 2, a special taxi booking transaction was successfully completed in Hong Kong, China. After entering the booking information into the AI assistant developed by the technology company Evonet, the tester quickly received a list of available taxi types and prices from the ride-hailing platform Hoppa, along with a recommended booking option. UnionPay has officially released the Agentic Payment Open Protocol (APOP) framework – UnionPay's solution for agent-based payments – leveraging its platform capabilities and neutrality."
Meeting Rising AI Expectations and Removing Friction Key to Meeting Needs of B2B Buyers Across Europe
TreviPay
"According to a new European Study 1 of 550 business buyers commissioned by TreviPay , the global B2B payments invoicing and payments network, friction in the B2B buying process in the form of slow onboarding and inconsistent invoicing along with rising expectations for AI-enabled processes are where businesses are experiencing threats to loyalty beyond price."
Solana Joins Linux Foundation’s Open Payment Platform, ‘x402 Foundation’
Block Chain Reporter
"The Solana Foundation, a non-profit organization behind the Solana blockchain, has joined the open payment network, x402 Foundation, of the Linux Foundation. The other participants of the newly developed x402Foundation include the global leaders like Visa, Stripe, Shopify, Microsoft, Mastercard, Google, Fiserv, Coinbase, Cloudflare, Circle, American Express, and Amazon. As per Solana’s official announcement, the development denotes a landmark in the internet-native payments’ evolution."
Western Union Completes Acquisition of Singtel’s Dash
The Edge
"Western Union has completed its acquisition of Dash, the Singapore-based mobile wallet owned by Singtel. The deal gives Western Union access to a platform with more than 1.4 million users in Singapore. Launched in 2014, Dash offers payments, remittances, savings, insurance and investment services within a single app. The acquisition marks Western Union’s first wallet in Asia Pacific. It is part of its strategy to expand beyond traditional money transfers by embedding cross-border capabilities into everyday financial use."
Education: How Payment Fraud Evolved From Ancient Roman Coins to AI-Deepfakes — and What’s Next
Business Journal
"Payments fraud is defined as an intentional act to deprive someone or something of money or rights. As long as humanity has used currency-based payments systems, payments fraud has been a constant threat. In commercial payments fraud, access to sensitive data is often the critical first step for fraudsters. By obtaining information such as bank account details, vendor records, invoice formats, employee email credentials, or internal approval workflows, criminals can convincingly impersonate legitimate parties and manipulate payments processes."
On the wires
SoFi Launches Big Business Banking to Power Fiat and Crypto Banking on a Single Regulated Platform
Business Wire
"SoFi Technologies, Inc. announced the launch of SoFi Big Business Banking, a new offering that gives enterprise partners the ability to manage both fiat and crypto banking from a single, nationally chartered bank. This launch builds on SoFi’s integration of blockchain into its core platform. Big Business Banking brings it all together, enabling any company operating across both traditional and digital finance to hold deposits, move money and settle transactions 24/7 within SoFi’s regulated banking platform."
April 2, 2026
Top Post
Germany and Italy Propose EU ‘Kill Switch’ for Global Stablecoins [Video]
Euro News
"Germany and Italy are pushing for sweeping new powers to block foreign stablecoin operators from the European Union unless their home countries meet EU regulatory standards, a move that could shut out some of the largest crypto firms from one of the world's biggest financial markets, according to a document seen by Euronews. The two countries set out their position in a joint discussion paper circulated on 27 March, ahead of a working party meeting on the bloc's Market Integration and Supervision Package (MISP). The document frames the proposal explicitly around EU "stability and sovereignty" — language that signals this is as much a geopolitical play as a financial regulation one."
Swift Names 30 Ripple-Connected Banks in Its New Payment Framework
TechStock²
"SWIFT just announced the biggest overhaul to its retail payments infrastructure in years. It’s a new framework called “Global Payments for Consumer Payments” that brings together over 50 banks across over 25 corridors, with the first wave going live by mid-2026. The framework covers five of the world’s ten largest remittance markets, and it promises near-instant settlement, predictable fees, and full transparency on every transaction.The framework promises upfront fee certainty, full-value delivery with no deductions along the way, near-instant settlement where local infrastructure allows, and end-to-end traceability on every transaction."
On the web
Visa Defines the Next Era of Commerce: When AI Becomes the Customer
Visa
"A majority of business leaders are preparing for a world where artificial intelligence doesn’t just assist commerce, it participates in it. New research from Visa underscores how quickly that shift is gaining momentum. The Visa Business-to-AI (B2AI) Report, conducted in conjunction with Morning Consult, highlights how AI is already influencing demand. Nearly 40% of Americans have made a purchase they normally would not have considered as a result of using an AI agent or tool. This is an early indication that intelligent systems are beginning to shape how people discover and decide what to buy."
Agentic Commerce 2026: Retail AI | Retail and Consumer Products Outlook 2026 [Video]
YouTube
In this video, Deloitte retail strategy leader Brian McCarthy explores how AI in retail 2026 is shifting digital traffic patterns and embedding AI agents across core operational and enterprise workflows. CEOs and business leaders will gain perspective on how these enterprise use cases should inform 2026 strategy, investment planning, and competitive positioning.
Beyond Dollarization: The Rise of Local Currency Stablecoins [Commissioned by Visa]
Dune
An in-depth analysis of non-USD stablecoins across payments, FX, treasury, and DeFi — with onchain data and institutional case studies with key findings.
BIS, IMF Researchers Find Stablecoins Already Impact Traditional FX Rates
Ledger Insights
"A new working paper from the Bank for International Settlements and the International Monetary Fund provides the first causal evidence that stablecoin activity is spilling over into traditional foreign exchange (FX) markets. The effects include depreciating local currencies and raising the cost of dollar funding for banks and corporates that have never touched crypto. The paper uses daily data on four major USD pegged stablecoins traded against 27 fiat currencies across 64 centralized exchanges from January 2021 to November 2025."
Checkout.com Introduces Direct Acquiring Services in Canada
MSN
"Checkout has launched its direct acquiring operations in Canada, extending its reach within the North American market. The move enables Checkout.com Canadian customers gain greater control over their payment transactions, with the potential for higher authorisation rates and improved payment performance."
Global Payment Systems Are Fragmenting. Here’s What the G20 Can Do.
Atlantic Council
"Global payment systems are fragmenting due to market, technological, regulatory, and geopolitical forces, leaving end users with slower, costlier, and less transparent cross-border payments. Geopolitics is a powerful but under addressed driver of fragmentation, as states weaponize payment infrastructure and build rival systems. With the G20 Roadmap’s 2027 deadline approaching, the G20 must shift from setting standards to driving implementation and confronting the geopolitics of payment fragmentation head-on."
On the wires
Flutterwave Secures Nigerian Banking License to Accelerate Payment Efficiency
PR Newswire
"Flutterwave Inc., Africa's leading payments technology company, today announced it has secured a Nigerian banking license. This license enables the company to hold funds and deposits directly, strengthening its financial infrastructure across its largest market and enabling more efficient financial services and settlement flows for consumers, businesses and enterprises."
April 1, 2026
On the web
Treasury Unveils Dual Rules for Stablecoin Companies Below $10 Billion
The Street
"The United States Department of the Treasury is taking a major step toward formalizing stablecoin regulation. On April 1, it announced issuing its first proposed rule under the GENIUS Act and invited public input on how the framework should be implemented. At the center of the proposal is a provision allowing certain stablecoin issuers to operate under state-level regulatory regimes. Specifically, issuers with less than $10 billion in total outstanding issuance may opt for state oversight, but only if those frameworks are deemed “substantially similar” to federal standards."
French President Calls for Sovereign European Payment System to Reduce Reliance on US Firms
TRT World
"French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a sovereign European payment system, broadcaster BFM TV reported. In a video message to the French Card Payment (Carte Bancaire) summit on Tuesday, he said payment systems are "an essential part of our sovereignty.” "We must build a sovereign payment model," Macron said, referring to European solutions such as Wero, developed under the European Payments Initiative (EPI). It is designed to compete with services such as PayPal or Apple Pay while keeping financial flows and data in Europe."
Gr4vy and Plaid Partner to Enable Pay by Bank Payments for Global Merchants
GR4VY
"Gr4vy announced a strategic partnership with Plaid, the global data network powering open-banking connections for fintechs and financial institutions. The collaboration enables merchants using Gr4vy to offer Pay-by-Bank, also known as account-to-account (A2A) payments, as part of their core checkout experience, providing a lower-cost alternative to card transactions without additional integration complexity."
Monzo to Shut Down US Operations in ‘Deliberate’ and ‘Strategic’ Move
Yahoo Finance
"Monzo has made a “deliberate” and “strategic” decision to shut down its business in the US after struggling to push into the market. The digital bank will stop bringing in new customers in the region, and existing customers can continue to use their accounts until June. A spokesperson said: “With a fast-growing customer base of 15 million in the UK and the growth opportunity our European banking licence creates, we’re making a deliberate, strategic decision to focus on scaling in our home market and Europe and to step away from the US."
Visa Unveils New Services to Modernize Dispute Resolution Process
Visa
"Visa announced six new dispute resolution tools designed to reduce the dollars lost annually to inefficient, outdated dispute processes. The expanded suite of dispute resolution services is being designed to help merchants and financial institutions cut administrative costs, reduce fraud-related losses and redirect those resources toward growth. New & Enhanced Dispute Resolution Tools for Merchants: Efficient Dispute Resolution; AI-Driven Revenue Recovery; Proactive Dispute Prevention. New & Enhanced Dispute Resolution Tools for Issuers & Acquirers: Empowering Agents; Streamlined Review; AI-Powered Dispute Platform."
Stablecoin Payments Go ‘Invisible’ in Southeast Asia as Crypto Card Business Surges
CoinDesk
"StraitsX, a Singapore-based company, has seen rapid growth in its stablecoin card program, with a 40x surge in transaction volume and an 83x increase in card issuance between 2024 and 2025. The company's infrastructure powers stablecoin-backed cards for partners like RedotPay, which processed over $2.95 billion in card volume in 2025, and enables seamless transactions in local currency. StraitsX aims to make its stablecoin layer invisible, with plans to expand its presence in Southeast Asia and beyond, and to enable machine-to-machine micropayments on the Solana blockchain with its upcoming stablecoins, XSGD and XUSD."
BetMGM is Latest Online Gambling Operator To Ban Credit Card Payments
Gaming America
"BetMGM will soon eliminate credit card deposits for all U.S. customers. As of March 31, customers can’t add new cards to their accounts. The phasing out continues from there until credit card deposits go away entirely. BetMGM has not revealed a final date for the deposits. The operator revealed the policy change during a March 25 meeting of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). During that meeting, the board fined BetMGM $100,000 for insufficient know-your-customer protocols."
On the wires
Gen Z Driving the Shift from Cards to Digital Wallets, New Research from Global Payments Suggests
Business Wire
"Global Payments announced that its Worldpay® business released its 11th annual Global Payments Report, revealing that Americans remain attached to plastic – even as younger generations are swapping physical wallets for digital. Some notable trends from this year’s study include: Plastic Preferred — For Now The U.S. remains one of the world’s most card-led markets: In the U.S., direct use of cards accounted for 49% of all online spending and 71% of in‑store spending in 2025. In the U.S. in 2025, people spent twice as much online using credit cards than debit cards, and in stores, credit card spending outpaced debit by 43%."
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