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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 21, 2026
On the web
TD Visa Credit Card Customers Will Be the First in Canada to Use Virtual Card Numbers Through Google as a Payment Option on Google Chrome
Yahoo Finance
"TD Bank Group (TD) announced the availability of Virtual Card Numbers through Google as a payment option for online shopping on Google Chrome and in-app shopping. This makes TD the first Canadian financial institution where TD Visa Credit Cardholders will have the option to make online purchases without sharing their payment card details with merchants with the use of Virtual Card Numbers through Google Chrome."
Nium and Coinbase Partner to Power Global Stablecoin Payments and Settlement
PR Newswire
"Nium, the global infrastructure leader for real-time cross-border payments, announced a partnership with Coinbase to enable USDC stablecoin payments across its platform. The integration is now live and available to Nium's clients, with Coinbase serving as the stablecoin payments and liquidity infrastructure, wallet provider and regulated custodian. Nium clients can now send and receive stablecoins and convert stablecoin to fiat for payouts – giving businesses a single, unified platform to transact across both onchain and fiat rails."
Cryptocurrencies How Mastercard Plans To Process Card Payments Through Stablecoins
CoinSpot
"Mastercard is integrating stablecoins into card settlements. Banks will be able to use digital dollars like SoFiUSD. A partnership with SoFi Technologies will allow SoFi Bank to settle in SoFiUSD. The Galileo platform will open up this model to other banks and fintech companies as well. This is specifically about the post-payment settlement stage. Nothing will change for users—they will continue to pay with cards as usual. But the settlements between banks may go through blockchain and digital assets. Using its Multi-Token Network, Mastercard plans to support various forms of tokenized money, including stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and digital equivalents of fiat currencies."
Sector Risk Advisory: Preparing the Enterprise for AI-Enabled Vulnerability Discovery
FSISAC
"Recent announcements of AI frontier models’ advanced vulnerability discovery and chaining capabilities to create exploits indicate an important change in the risk landscape for financial services. Traditional assumptions and approaches for vulnerability management no longer hold. FS-ISAC recommends the following as part of a fundamental shift in operations to manage cybersecurity and resilience risks."
dLocal Launches Seamless Stablecoin Integration for Payments in Emerging Markets
dLocal
"dLocal the leading cross-border payments platform connecting global merchants to Emerging Markets, announced the launch of Stablecoin Full, a complete stablecoin solution that enables merchants to collect, convert, and pay out funds using stablecoins across high-growth economies. Stablecoin Full enables global merchants to accept and send payments in stablecoins, fund and settle transactions in digital assets, and optimize their treasury operations across 44+ emerging markets, all through a single API."
Alipay Enables AI Agents to Complete User-Approved Payments
Lets Data Science
"Alipay has added a payments capability to its AI agent ecosystem, letting OpenClaw-type agents complete purchases with explicit user approval. The feature builds on Alipay AI Pay, introduced in 2025, and requires agent installation, identity verification, and per-transaction authorization. It is pre-installed on Alibaba Cloud's JVS Claw and available on Ant Group Digital Technologies' DTClaw, and supports third-party agents such as Claude Code and Hermes Agent."
On the wires
Thunes Launches Real-Time Payments into New Zealand
PR Newswire
"Thunes, the Smart Superhighway to move money around the world, announced the expansion of its Direct Global Network with the launch of direct, real-time Pay-to-Bank services into New Zealand. This expansion enhances Thunes' cross-border payment capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. With this launch, users can easily transfer NZD directly to New Zealand bank accounts. Transactions can be made either through a direct API integration to Thunes or by leveraging existing Swift connectivity."
EBANX Expands Recurring Alternative Payments Offering, Unlocks a 1 Billion User Potential Across 12 Emerging Markets
PR Newswire
"EBANX, a global payment technology company connecting merchants with consumers and businesses in emerging markets announces the expansion of its offering for recurring alternative payment methods (APMs) to six more countries across Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America: the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, South Africa, Colombia, and Peru."
April 20, 2026
On the web
Mastercard Builds AI Foundation Model to Power Payments, Security and Personalization
CDO Magazine
"Mastercard is developing a new artificial intelligence foundation model trained on billions of anonymized transactions, aiming to enhance payments, cybersecurity and customer experiences across its network. The model is designed as an “insights engine” rather than a chatbot, using structured financial data to predict transaction patterns and improve decision-making across services such as fraud detection, loyalty programs and analytics. To build the system, Mastercard is using a type of deep learning architecture known as a large tabular model (LTM) which differs from the large language models used in popular chatbots."
Coinbase Now Lets UK Users Borrow Against Their Bitcoin and Ethereum
Decrypt
"Crypto exchange Coinbase has expanded its lending service, now allowing U.K. customers to borrow USDC stablecoins using their Bitcoin or Ethereum holdings as collateral. The service operates through Morpho, an open-source lending protocol on Base—the Coinbase-backed Ethereum layer-2 network—that powers Coinbase's crypto-backed loans. U.K. users can pledge cryptocurrency as collateral to access USDC liquidity without liquidating their digital assets."
Same Day ACH Gains Lead to First Quarter ACH Network Growth
Nacha
"Double-digit growth in Same Day ACH volume and value helped propel the ACH Network to a strong start in the first quarter of 2026. There were 403 million Same Day ACH payments, up 23.6% from the first quarter of 2025. Those payments were valued at $1.1 trillion, a 22.1% gain over a year ago, and the second straight quarter in which Same Day ACH value topped the $1 trillion mark."
Global Cooperation on Stablecoins Critically Important, BIS Says
BIS
"The head of the Bank for International Settlements has made a renewed call for international cooperation on how stablecoins are used, describing it as vital to prevent severe market fragmentation. The central bankers’ central bank, as the BIS is known, has long raised concerns about stablecoins - a type of cryptocurrency usually pegged 1:1 to the U.S. dollar."
UnionPay Launches Agentic Payment Open Protocol Framework
Antara News
"UnionPay has released the Agentic Payment Open Protocol (APOP) framework – UnionPay's solution for agent-based payments. The APOP framework aims to establish a unified trust mechanism and interaction paradigm. By connecting players in the agentic payment ecosystem through trusted routing, it enables any compatible agent, merchant, financial institution, and technology platform to integrate on a plug-and-play basis, and to easily and securely participate in the complex processes of agentic payments."
April 17, 2026
On the web
EBANX Adds New Markets, Targets Asia Growth
IBS Intelligence
"Ebanx is expanding its global footprint by adding Thailand, Indonesia and Turkey to its payments network, while preparing to enter Malaysia and Vietnam in the next quarter. The move marks a further step in the company’s strategy to strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia and other emerging markets. Ebanx connects global merchants with local payment methods, helping companies operate in regions where card usage remains limited."
Financial Data Exchange Launches Initiative Promoting Safe Financial Data Sharing With Agentic AI
Open Banking Expo
"The Financial Data Exchange is launching a new initiative to promote safety and innovation when AI agents are used by consumers and companies to transmit sensitive financial account data. FDX is putting out a Call for Input to solicit stakeholder feedback on questions related to Agentic AI and its implications for data sharing. In tandem, FDX is releasing an Exploration Brief, which presents an initial framing of how agentic AI is being used in user-permissioned financial data sharing, the potential implications, and new problem areas to be solved."
Nearly Half of BNPL Users Have Paid Late in the Past Year, up for a Second Straight Year
LendingTree
"Nearly half of buy now, pay later users say they’ve paid late on a BNPL loan in the past year. 47% of users say they’ve paid late in the past year, up from 41% in 2025 and 34% in 2024. (Another 15% say they’ve paid late before, but not in the past year.) However, 72% of late payers say their most recent late payment was no more than a week or so late."
April 16, 2026
Top Post
Early Warning Sharpens Financial Fraud Intelligence with Certos
Early Warning
"Early Warning Services LLC, the company behind Zelle® and the Paze® digital wallet, announced the launch of CertosSM, a unified brand portfolio of its fraud and identity risk solutions that help financial institutions stop fraud and expand financial access in the U.S. banking system. “Building on Early Warning’s proven scale, Certos brings together decades of trusted fraud prevention capabilities under a unified brand with a critical role in protecting financial trust and expanding financial inclusion,” said Andrea Gilman, chief marking officer of Early Warning."
On the web
Charles Schwab Announces Details of Spot Crypto Trading Launch
Charles Schwab
"Charles Schwab announced Schwab Crypto™, a spot crypto trading offer that will begin a phased rollout to retail clients in the coming weeks. Schwab Crypto will provide direct access to bitcoin and ethereum trading, combined with educational content and experienced professional support all at a great value. At launch, Schwab Crypto will include direct trading in bitcoin and ethereum, two of the most well-known and established cryptocurrencies, which together represent approximately three-quarters of the crypto market capitalization.....:"
CPI and Fiserv Forge Major Alliance to Modernize Instant Issuance Experience for Financial Institutions
CPI Card Group
"CPI Card Group Inc. and Fiserv announced an alliance that brings advanced instant issuance capabilities to Fiserv’s bank and credit union customers through CPI’s market-leading software-as-service, Card@Once. CPI is advancing a unified payments issuance strategy, expanding its proprietary technology platform that combines digital and physical card offerings through technology integrations, allowing financial institutions to easily access solutions through their preferred core or payment processing providers."
American Express to Acquire Hyper, Adding to Its AI Expertise and Expense Management Capabilities
American Express
"American Express announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Hypercard (Hyper), an agentic expense management company, adding to Amex’s AI expertise and capabilities across its commercial services business. Hyper’s team of AI experts will help American Express continue to build agentic tools and AI-powered solutions that help businesses automate processes and simplify operations."
Earn on Stablecoin Balances: Fireblocks Launches Native Yield Offerings
Fireblocks
"Fireblocks is launching Earn, a new feature that provides native access to onchain lending directly within the platform. This allows customers to potentially earn yield by supplying their stablecoin balances to lend-borrow markets and curated strategies. This new capability is seamlessly integrated into the Fireblocks platform, offering customers the same reliable experience they expect, including familiar approval workflows, transaction signing, and position tracking."
Blackhawk Network Launches Comprehensive Stored Value Platform for Consumer Engagement
Business Wire
"Global branded payments leader Blackhawk Network announced a new platform that helps brands modernize how they manage and deliver stored value. The platform enables brands to bring together existing sources of value—gift cards, refunds, promotional dollars, loyalty rewards and appeasements—into a single, consumer-facing balance. This creates a more seamless experience for consumers while BHN handles the complex accounting, compliance and expiration rules that vary across different balance types."
Euronet Expands Omnichannel Payment Solutions with Strategic Acquisition of PaynoPain
Euronet
"Euronet Worldwide announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire PaynoPain, a Spanish fintech company recognized for its digital-first, online payment solutions serving businesses of all sizes—from SMEs to large enterprises—across industries including ecommerce, hospitality, microfinance, and marketplace platforms. The acquisition strengthens Euronet’s direct merchant acquiring footprint in Spain and Portugal and supports the global expansion of omnichannel online payments and alternative payment methods."
Circle CEO Sees ‘Tremendous Opportunity’ for Yuan-Backed Stablecoin
Yahoo Finance
"Circle Internet Group sees "tremendous opportunity" for yuan-backed stablecoin as digital money becomes increasingly integrated into global trade and finance, said the chief of the world's largest regulated stablecoin issuer. China wants to expand the yuan's role in the global financial system, and stablecoins have emerged as a way to "export" a currency by making it easier for global payments, Jeremy Allaire, co-founder and CEO of Circle, told Reuters."
American Express Offers Customers Protection From Agentic Purchase Errors
MSN
"American Express extended its card member purchase protections to agentic purchases as it also introduced its agentic commerce developer kit on Tuesday. Under the protection commitment, if an American Express card member authorizes an AI agent to make a purchase and that agent sends American Express the customer's authenticated purchase intent, the credit card company will protect eligible customers from charges related to AI agent error."
Venmo Continues Its Evolution from a Peer-to-Peer App into a Money Movement App for the Next Generation
PayPal Newsroom
"Venmo today announced the expansion of Stash¹, its rewards program, giving customers a new way to earn cash back on everyday purchases from some of their favorite lifestyle brands. In addition to Venmo Debit Mastercard² purchases, customers can now earn up to 5% cash back when they pay with Venmo at select merchants in their chosen bundle¹. The expansion makes it easier than ever to turn the purchases customers are already making into tangible value each month."
On the wires
Nacha’s Payments Innovation Alliance Advances Quantum-Safe Payments Education for World Quantum Day
Business Wire
"In support of World Quantum Day, Nacha’s Payments Innovation Alliance is expanding its leadership on quantum-safe payments with the launch of a educational blog series from industry experts. The blog series builds on the Alliance’s foundational paper, “Protecting Payments in the Quantum Era: Setting a Course for Action,” which outlines how quantum computing could impact today’s cryptographic protections and what payments stakeholders should begin doing now to prepare."
April 15, 2026
On the web
The Moment Is Now: What PayPal Beyond Revealed About the Future of Commerce
PayPal Newsroom
"At PayPal Beyond 2026, the mood was clear: move with speed and intention. As leaders gathered in San Francisco, conversations centered on a simple but pressing reality – consumer behavior is shifting fast, powered by AI, and shaped by economic pressure and geopolitical uncertainty. For enterprises and partners gathered in San Francisco this week, the real question isn’t whether to adapt, it's how fast."
Airwallex Is About to Take On Stripe and the Rest of the Payments Industry — in the Physical World
TechCrunch
Airwallex is moving into in-person payments. The move deepens its rivalry with Stripe across the payments stack, and enables the startup to directly aim at Square and Adyen on one of the last major battlegrounds in financial technology. The startup currently boasts close to 90 regulatory licenses across 70 to 80 regions, direct connections to local payment networks in over 120 countries, and the ability to settle transactions in more than 90 currencies.
Adyen Expands Its Partnership With Lastminute By Introducing Virtual Card Issuing For Supplier Payments
Adyen
"Adyen is expanding its collaboration with lastminute.com, a European leader in dynamic holiday packages, thanks to its issuing solution. Through the use of Visa-branded prepaid virtual cards, lastminute has optimized payouts to airlines, hotels, and other suppliers, accelerating access to funds and significantly optimizing currency exchange costs."