Join us in New York on September 29-October 1 for our next Payments Boot Camp and Advanced Payments workshop!
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.
Search Payments News
July 10, 2026
Top Post
New York City to Become First in US to Ban Deceptive Subscription Practices
The Guardian
"New York City has adopted a new rule that bans companies from using deceptive subscriptions to trap customers into paying for gym memberships, streaming services and other recurring charges, the city’s consumer protection office said. The new rule, which will start on 1 October, promises hefty fines and aggressive enforcement for violators. The city is also targeting so-called “junk fees” with a proposed rule that requires sellers to “advertise the total price for any good or service, including all mandatory additional charges and fees, up front”, according to a release shared with the Guardian."
On the web
Sony Bank Wins U.S. OCC Approval for Trust Unit
International Business Times Japan
"Sony Bank said on July 7 it had received conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to establish a national trust bank subsidiary in the U.S, a step tied to the Japanese online bank's consideration of issuing and managing U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoins. The bank said it plans a 2027 opening of the U.S. trust subsidiary, on the premise of obtaining the necessary approvals from Japanese and U.S. authorities. The planned business relates to stablecoin issuance and operations in the U.S. market."
India Eyes AI-powered UPI Payments As NPCI Develops Protocol For Agentic Transactions
BW Businessworld
"The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is developing a framework that could enable artificial intelligence (AI) agents to independently initiate and complete Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions on behalf of users. The proposed framework is known as the Unified Agent Protocol (UAP). AI agents would undergo verification and registration before being permitted to access UPI payment rails. The protocol will validate whether an AI agent is legitimate, determine the scope of its authority and define transaction limits."
Swift’s Blockchain Ledger Ready for Use as 17 Banks Set to Pioneer Tokenised Cross-Border Payments on Trusted Global Infrastructure
Business Wire
"Swift moves from concept to activation of blockchain-based ledger in nine months. 17 banks from six continents are now preparing to pilot live transactions using tokenised deposits for 24/7 payment availability and better liquidity efficiency. The addition to Swift’s resilient global platform marks a key milestone for regulated digital assets, creating a foundation that could support future innovations in areas such as programmable money and agentic commerce."
Visa Tests AI Agent Payments in Live Commerce Proof of Concept
Yahoo Finance
"On July 2, Nuvei said it had completed a live agentic-commerce proof of concept with Visa Inc., merchant technology provider Arvato Systems, and fashion brand Kings and Priests. The PoC demonstrated the first in-agent purchase where an AI agent completed a payment entirely on a shopper's behalf without redirecting to a separate checkout page, Nuvei said."
Visa Research: The Great Wealth Transfer Is Already Reshaping How Americans Spend
Visa
"New research from Visa Business and Economic Insights (VBEI) finds that the great wealth transfer is already influencing major financial decisions, from home purchases to travel and long-term saving. The research estimates that approximately $36 trillion will transfer from baby boomers to Gen X and millennial households over the next 20 years. The findings also show that most of this wealth will flow to households that are already financially secure, making the spending impact more targeted than transformational."
HSBC Pilots Digital Structured Product Issuance in Hong Kong
Fintech News
"HSBC has completed a private placement of its first digitally native structured product in Hong Kong. The bank issued US dollar-denominated notes in a digitally native format on blockchain infrastructure, exploring how tokenisation can streamline key stages of the product lifecycle, including issuance, settlement and servicing. Marketnode, an APAC digital market infrastructure operator, supported the transaction."
Jamie Dimon Said the Clarity Act’s Stablecoin Rules Will Blow up the System.
MSN
"The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (Clarity Act) continues to draw its fair share of skeptics as it moves through the arduous process of becoming law. One of the most vocal critics is Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, who has argued that some of the legislation's stablecoin rules could "blow up" the system. So what is it about stablecoins that the traditional banking industry doesn't like?"
EU Parliament Greenlights Digital Euro
TechXplore
"EU lawmakers backed starting negotiations on creating a digital version of the euro, as the European Union races to introduce the currency. The EU first needs to agree on the legal framework underpinning the virtual currency before it is available for use. The EU believes a digital euro is the answer to cutting its dependence on U.S. payment systems like Visa and Mastercard, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. An overwhelming majority of lawmakers approved establishing a digital euro."
Modern Treasury Completes FedNow Service Certification Including Request for Payment (RfP)
Modern Treasury
"Modern Treasury has continued advocating for the FedNow Service and educating end users about its benefits. At the same time, we've been building support for the service into our Payments product. That work has culminated in our announcement this week that Modern Treasury has completed its FedNow Service Certification for Credit Transfer (Send/Receive) and Request for Payment (RfP). In addition to being certified for Credit Transfers (Send/Receive), we also decided to become certified for Request for Payment as well."
Education: What Visa Announced at Visa Payments Forum 2026: AI, Stablecoins & Tokens
PayTech Events
"Visa Payments Forum 2026 wrapped in San Francisco this week, and—as it does most years—Visa used its flagship client conference to set out where it thinks payments are heading. This year the message was unusually clear and unusually large: AI agents are coming to the front end of commerce, stablecoins are reshaping the back end, and Visa intends to sit in the middle of both. Here’s a clear-eyed recap of what was actually announced, what it means, and which of it matters most for payments and banking teams."
July 9, 2026
Top Post
Clarity Act Timeline: Can the U.S Crypto Bill Finally Pass in July?
Coinpedia Fintech News
"After missing its earlier July 4 target, lawmakers are preparing for another push as the Senate returns on July 13. However, political disagreements, ethics rules, and key crypto provisions still stand in the way. The expected timeline is, July 13–17: Senate Procedural Vote; Senate returns from recess and begins procedural work before holding a final floor vote. July 20–24: House and Senate Reconciliation Process.House and Senate work to resolve differences between their versions of the bill. July 27–August 7: On Trump’s Desk For Final Signature".
On the web
How Stablecoins Could Power the Next Era of Retail Payments (Report & Video)
Deloitte Insights
"Stablecoins are moving from niche crypto platforms to the checkout line. Beyond the incremental growth of direct payments, these instruments could support an estimated 2.5% of US noncash transactions through backend settlement, processing, or funding mechanisms by 2030. Multinational companies may capture the most value from stablecoin networks due to the costs and complexity of wholesale cross-border transactions."
JPMorgan Chase to Fight Stablecoin Yield Rules Before August Recess, Dimon Says
CryptoRank
"JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned that banks will fight Senate language in the CLARITY Act that allows crypto reward programs, pressing the dispute into a tighter congressional timetable ahead of the Senate's August 7, 2026 recess. Section 404 would ban passive stablecoin yield but permit activity-based rewards, forcing lawmakers to decide whether to keep or tighten stablecoin yield rules and creating regulatory uncertainty for stablecoin issuers, DeFi protocols and exchange reward products."
Visa Bets It Can Build the Trust Layer for a Market That Doesn’t Trust AI to Buy Anything Yet
Yahoo Finance
"Visa is positioning itself as the central nervous system for the nascent agentic commerce economy. By formalizing the Visa Intelligent Commerce platform the payment network is making a calculated infrastructure bet. If AI agents are to move from research assistants to autonomous purchasing entities, they require a standardized layer of trust, control, and connectivity that currently does not exist in the landscape of AI-driven commerce. The platform's architecture relies on a suite of tools: the Agent Score and the Agentic Directory."
Hyundai Units Test Stablecoin Transfer With Tether, Avalanche
Bitcoin Foundation
"Hyundai Card, the card and payments unit of Hyundai, completed a proof-of-concept test for stablecoin -based transfers between Hyundai Motor America and Hyundai Motor Mexico, South Korean newspaper The Korea Herald reports . According to the report, Hyundai Motor America converted $20,000 into stablecoins and sent it to Hyundai Motor Mexico, where it was converted back into dollars, with the full transfer and verification process taking seven minutes instead of several hours through traditional banks."
Nium Acquires Cypher, Expanding Its Fiat-to-on-Chain Money Movement Infrastructure
Nium
"Nium, the global leader in cross-border payments infrastructure, announced the acquisition of Cypher, a crypto-native non-custodial wallet and issuing company. The deal further expands Nium as the core infrastructure layer for the converging payments ecosystem—the compliant money movement and value exchange infrastructure that bridges fiat and digital assets."
Swift Enables Blockchain Ledger for Cross-Border Payments
IBS Intelliegence
"Swift has activated its blockchain-based ledger infrastructure, enabling banks to pilot tokenised deposit transactions for 24/7 cross-border payments and improved liquidity management. The new ledger was developed to support regulated digital asset transactions, allowing participating banks to move tokenised value across borders while maintaining existing compliance, risk and settlement controls. Swift said 17 banks across six continents have prepared to test live transactions using the infrastructure."
Stripe’s Solana Stablecoin Push Brings Another Real Payments Use Case Into View
Trading View
"Stripe introduced stablecoin payment settlement for US merchants using Solana. The rollout centres on USDC and aims to make on-chain settlement practical inside merchant flows. It is another sign that stablecoins are moving from trading tools to real payment infrastructure. Solana’s low-cost and relatively fast settlement profile makes it an obvious network for this kind of rollout. For merchants, cost and speed matter more than crypto ideology. If a network can help settle transactions cleanly and cheaply, that is what counts."
July 8, 2026
Top Post
Canada’s Real-Time Rail Moves Closer to Launch: RTR By-Law Officially Published
McCarthy Tétrault
"On July 1, 2026, the federal government published Canadian Payments Association By-law No. 10 — RTR (the RTR By-law) in the Canada Gazette marking a milestone in the launch of Canada's Real-Time Rail system (RTR). The coming into force of the RTR By-law on August 24, 2026 is expected to coincide with a critical phase of RTR implementation. RTR in Canada is moving from planning to implementation, and instant, data-rich, 24/7/365 payments with anticipated launch set for Q4 of 2026."
On the web
Block to Pay $45M for Enabling Fraud and Misleading Cash App Users
FX News Group
"New York Attorney General Letitia James and 45 other attorneys secured $45 million from Block, Inc, (Cash App), for failing to protect users from scams and fraud. Block must implement changes to protect users from fraud, ensure users have access to live customer service agents, and stop all misleading marketing. An investigation found that Block misled Cash App users with advertising that falsely implied the app worked like a bank with the same protections for customers’ funds that banks have. Block lacked a consistent fraud detection system..."
AI Agents Are Ready to Act. Most Systems Aren’t Ready to Trust Them
Mastercard
"Most organizations don’t have an AI innovation problem. They have a scaling problem. Across industries, companies have spent the past few years experimenting with AI pilots, yet many are still struggling to move from promising proofs of concept to real-world deployment. The obstacle is rarely a lack of ambition — private global investment in AI grew more than thirteenfold between 2014 and 2024. More often, leaders haven’t built the conditions needed to trust AI, in particular agentic AI, at scale: culture, security, accountability, governance and data readiness."
California Crypto Law Now Live: Unlicensed Platforms Risk $100K Daily Fines
Tech Times
"California's landmark Digital Financial Assets Law entered into force on July 1, 2026, requiring every exchange, custodian, stablecoin issuer, and Bitcoin ATM operator serving the state's crypto users to hold a valid license from the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation — or to have filed a complete application — or face civil enforcement that can reach $100,000 per day. The DFAL covers any firm engaging in digital financial asset business activity with California residents, regardless of where the firm is based."
Louisiana’s New Debit Card Surcharge Ban on August 1, 2026: What Businesses Need to Know
The Yeeld
"Payment fee regulation is increasingly being shaped by state legislatures, not just card-network rules, and Louisiana has just added a new requirement for businesses to track. On June 2, 2026, the governor signed SB254 into law, and beginning August 1, 2026, retail businesses operating in the state will be prohibited from charging an additional fee for customers paying with a debit card."
What New Rules for Agentic AI in Payments Might Look Like
Pinsent Masons
"We would expect to see new rules around consent and authorisation frameworks for agentic transactions – the existing ‘strong customer authentication’ (SCA) requirements under payment services regulations (PSRs) were designed for human-initiated payments and are not well suited to autonomous agents executing multiple transactions on a consumer's behalf. There will also need to be a clear liability allocation regime for when agentic transactions go wrong – whether through error, hallucination or fraud..."
BIS Paper Floats FMI Style Oversight for Blockchain Sequencers, Middleware
Ledger Insights
"The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) published a Bulletin exploring why blockchain activity has fragmented across dozens of separate networks rather than converging on one or two. Buried in the policy section is its most consequential point. Some of the plumbing that connects these networks is becoming systemically important, and the BIS floats the idea of overseeing the operators much like financial market infrastructures (FMIs)."
‘Prove You’re Human’ Is the Wrong Security Question in Agentic Commerce
ITWeb Africa
"For 20 years, payment security treated bots as the enemy. Agentic commerce just flipped that assumption upside down. Over the last year, agentic commerce has shifted from a conference concept to reality. Visa enrolled local banks in its Agentic Ready programme, Mastercard unveiled Agent Pay, and OpenAI and Stripe integrated Instant Checkout. By March 2026, Mastercard and Google open-sourced Verifiable Intent. Three questions to ask now..."
Bank of England Warns of Agentic Commerce Risks
UK Authority
"Central banks, including the Bank of England, are facing a dual challenge as AI capabilities accelerate: enabling responsible adoption while transforming how they manage risks in an increasingly autonomous financial system, Sarah Breeden, the Bank of England deputy governor for financial stability said last week. One immediate concern, she said, is the step change in agentic AI’s cyber capabilities. While these tools can strengthen cyber resilience, they also increase the risk of attacks that could harm financial stability."
Can Visa's New Threat Intelligence Platform Strengthen Fraud Prevention?
Trading View
"Visa Inc has introduced the Visa Threat Intelligence Platform (VTIP), a new cybersecurity solution designed to help financial institutions identify cyber risks before they develop into payment fraud. The platform combines cyber threat intelligence with payment insights, enabling financial institutions to detect compromised credentials, malware activity, phishing campaigns and other threats that could eventually result in financial losses."
On the wires
PNC's New Mobile App Delivers an Intuitive, Personalized Experience to Help Clients Seamlessly Manage Their Day-to-Day Financial Lives
PR Newswire
"PNC announced the launch of its new Mobile Banking app. The new PNC Mobile app introduces a streamlined interface with improved navigation, faster load times and a highly customizable design that adapts to each user. Clients can tailor the app by organizing and prioritizing accounts, adjusting their dashboard, and selecting display preferences such as light or dark mode, as well as language options."
Take us with you
Payments on Fire is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, and other podcast apps and services. Or just say, “Alexa, play Payments on Fire podcast.”