Industry

Instant Payments in Focus: An Inside Look at the FedNow® Service

FedNow

"Instant payments are no longer an emerging concept. The FedNow Service growth has accelerated steadily since its 2023 launch in the United States. Today, nearly 1,700 financial institutions participate on the service. FedNow Service growth has accelerated steadily since launch, and new tools and innovations are broadening the range of popular instant payment use cases. Nick Stanescu, executive vice president and chief FedNow executive, shares his perspective."

Industry

US Treasury Tightens Grip: New AML Rules for Stablecoin Issuers

The Global Treasurer

"The US Treasury has proposed sweeping new AML rules that reclassify stablecoin issuers as "financial institutions". From mandatory suspicious activity reporting to "freeze and seize" capabilities on the secondary market, corporate treasurers must now navigate a new era of regulatory oversight. We examine the practical implications for treasury departments and the steps needed to audit your digital asset partners."

Industry Regulation

FDIC Reveals Proposed Rules for Stablecoin Issuers Under Genius Act

Decrypt

"The FDIC approved a proposed rule implementing stablecoin regulations under the GENIUS Act, establishing standards for permitted payment stablecoin issuers. Deposits held as reserves backing payment stablecoins would not receive pass-through deposit insurance protection for token holders. Stablecoin issuers must redeem tokens within two business days and cannot represent that tokens pay interest or yield. The FDIC's action implements the GENIUS Act, which allows payment stablecoin issuers with less than $10 billion in outstanding tokens to choose state-level regulation if their state meets federal standards. The FDIC seeks feedback on 144 specific questions in its proposal, with the 60-day comment period beginning upon Federal Register publication.

Tags: FDIC

Industry

Dual-Sided ATM Offers Improved CX in a Smaller Footprint

ATM Marketplace

"The traditional ATM has many limitations, such as the fact it can take up a lot of space, and only one customer can interact with the machine at a time. NCR Atleos is answering this issue with a small form factor dual-sided ATM, where two customers can transact on separate screens across from each other. This proof-of-concept device uses shared safes and a PC core to provide a smaller footprint, alongside 3D printed components for reduced weight and waste."

Industry

Bitcoin Day Is Live: Cash App, Square, and Bitkey Are Giving Away $1 Million in Bitcoin

Block

"For the first time, Cash App, Square, and Bitkey are teaming up to celebrate Bitcoin Day with $1 million in bitcoin giveaways. Running April 6 through April 10, Bitcoin Day is designed to help people actually use bitcoin in everyday life, from buying coffee, to getting paid, to owning it for real."

Industry

Delaware General Assembly Addresses Swipe Fees

NFIB Small Business Association

"The Delaware General Assembly took up the issue of swipe fees with House Bill 315. This bill prohibits payment card networks from charging swipe fees on tips on credit card transactions. Though limited in scope, HB315 signals the legislature is willing to take action on this critical issue. The legislation has been voted out of committee and is now awaiting action by the full House. NFIB has advocated on this issue at the federal level – Congress is considering legislation to inject competition into the credit card market and bring down swipe fees. One proposal would require most credit cards to have two network options, giving small merchants an option to choose whichever one has lower swipe fees."

Industry

Lightyear Capital Signs Agreement to Acquire PayByPhone

PayByPhone

"Lightyear Capital has signed an agreement to acquire PayByPhone, a global leader in mobile parking payments, from Corpay. PayByPhone is a leading provider of digital parking payments and mission critical parking management software to more than 1,300 clients globally. Lightyear’s investment in PayByPhone will drive continued product innovation to better serve the needs of its growing customer base. Under Lightyear’s ownership, PayByPhone will operate as a stand-alone independent business."

Industry

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."

Industry

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."

Industry

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.

Industry

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.

Industry

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."

Industry

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."

Industry

Digital Assets and Estate Planning: The Growing Challenge of Cryptocurrency

Today's Wills and Probate

"Digital assets are becoming an increasingly significant component of personal wealth, yet they present estate planners with risks that differ fundamentally from traditional property. The defining feature of cryptocurrency is decentralisation. There is usually no central authority capable of restoring access if login credentials, private keys or recovery phrases are lost. If this information dies with the owner, the asset may effectively cease to exist in practical terms, regardless of its theoretical legal status. Estimates suggest that a significant proportion of cryptocurrency in circulation is already inaccessible due to lost credentials."

Industry

The Five Most Dangerous New Attack Techniques [AI Threats-Video]

Bank Info Security

"Ed Skoudis, president of the SANS Technology Institute, pointed to a near-term scenario where artificial intelligence dramatically increases the discovery and exploitation of software flaws. These include AI-driven vulnerability discovery, supply chain compromises, rising OT complexity, overreliance on AI in forensics and faster attack life cycles. These techniques are compressing the time defenders have to respond."

Industry

NRF: Swipe Fees Could Cost Easter Shoppers Almost $600 Million

Chain Store Age

"The National Retail Federation has a not-so-happy forecast for the financial impact of swipe fees on consumers who shop for Easter using credit cards. The Merchant Payments Coalition, a subsidiary of the NRF , estimates that if all of the record $24.9 billion the NRF has forecast consumers will spend on Easter this year were transacted with credit cards, the average 2.36% swipe fee rate charged to retailers for Visa and Mastercard credit cards would total $587.6 million, or $4.62 per shopper."

Industry

Instant Recurring Payments: Unlocking Opportunities in High-Growth Vertical Markets

Faster Payments Council

"This white paper explores the expanding landscape of instant recurring payments (IRP) and assessesthe strategic opportunities for financial institutions and payment originators. Traditional paymentsystems are often characterized by long settlement timelines , inefficiencies , and lack the finality ofinstant payments that affect both businesses and consumers. Instant recurring payments —powered byinnovations like FedNow ® Service and RTP ® network —represent a shift in foundational assumptions,allowing for instant authorization, settlement, and greater flexibility for both payers and payees."

Industry

Google Just Revised Its ‘Q-Day’ [Quantum]Timeline: Quantum Computers Could Break Existing Encryption Techniques Within Three Years

IT Pro

"Google has warned that “Q-Day”, the point where a quantum computer is powerful enough to crack current encryption techniques, could come as soon as 2029.  The new timeline comes in light of progress in quantum computing hardware development, quantum error correction, and quantum factoring resource estimates. Quantum computers pose a particular threat to encryption and digital signatures, according to the company, and attackers are already stealing encrypted data they believe they'll be able to decrypt some time in the future."

Industry

Education: Understanding Swift: How It Powers Global Payments and Why Banks Are Modernizing It

OpenText Blogs

"SWIFT sits at the center of global financial transactions. Financial institutions rely on it every day to send secure, standardized payment messages across borders. But the role of SWIFT is changing. As real-time payments, ISO 20022, and compliance demands accelerate, banks must rethink how they manage SWIFT connectivity and scale operations."

Industry

Fannie Mae to Accept Crypto-Backed Mortgages for the First Time

MSN

"The mortgage-finance giant Fannie Mae will soon accept so-called crypto-backed mortgages for the first time, the latest expansion of cryptocurrencies into mainstream financial transactions. The mortgage company Better Home & Finance and the U.S. crypto exchange Coinbase Global unveiled a new mortgage product that allows home buyers to pledge their crypto holdings when getting a Fannie-backed mortgage, instead of selling the crypto to make a cash down payment."

Companies Industry

EMVCo Publishes Electric Vehicle Open Payments Solution

EMVCo

"EMVCo has published Version 1.0 of the Electric Vehicle (EV) Open Payments Use Case document, which outlines an interoperable open payment solution for EV charging. The use case document explains how EMV Secure Remote Commerce (SRC) technology – which simplifies the digital payment process to help make it more consistent, convenient and secure – can be used to integrate card-based payments at EV charging stations supporting ISO 15118 Plug and Charge."

Industry

Tesla Rolls Out Centralized Payment Kiosks for Charging Stations

Kiosk Marketplace

"Tesla appears to be quietly changing how drivers pay at some of its newest V4 Supercharger stations, according to a report on the blog site Not a Tesla App, shifting away from individual credit card readers at each stall. New reports and photos show that, at select locations, those payment terminals have been removed and replaced with a single kiosk serving multiple charging posts."

Industry

Draft of CLARITY Act Seeks to Restrict Stablecoin Returns

Banking exchange

"The latest version of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, known as the CLARITY Act, would prevent platforms from offering returns on stablecoin holdings in ways that resemble traditional bank deposits. The measure would apply to a wide range of digital asset service providers, including exchanges, brokers, and their affiliates, and is intended to close loopholes by banning rewards considered “economically or functionally equivalent”  to interest."

Industry

What Infrastructure Do Companies Use to Add Stablecoin Payments?

Crypto News

"Stablecoins are quickly becoming part of the global payments stack. Fintech apps use them to settle transactions faster. Remittance platforms use them to move money across borders. Payroll companies use them to pay global contractors. But while stablecoins settle on blockchain networks, users still interact with traditional financial systems. Someone still needs to convert fiat into stablecoins. Someone needs to handle compliance and identity verification. Someone needs to connect cards, bank transfers, and local payment methods to blockchain networks."

Industry

Synergetics Announces Broad Support for Emerging Agentic AI and Agent Payment Standards

PR Newswire

"Synergetics announced expanded support for a range of open and emerging standards that power autonomous AI agents and agent-native payment systems. The Synergetics platform supports a wide range of agent payment and transaction frameworks including X402, Google's AP2 (Agent Payments Protocol), Visa Internet Commerce (VIC), stablecoin and cryptocurrency payment rails, and programmable wallet infrastructure. These capabilities enable autonomous agents to securely perform tasks such as purchasing APIs, accessing datasets, executing commerce transactions, and settling payments across multiple financial networks."

Industry

OpenAI Reveals Updates to Its Agentic Commerce Experience for ChatGPT

Digital Commerce 360

"At the beginning of March, OpenAI made clear that its plans for checkout and agentic commerce in ChatGPT were going to change. Now, that vision is beginning to come into focus with newly unveiled details about how OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) will support product discovery and how Walmart’s ChatGPT app will work."

Industry

The State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2026

GSMA

"The State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money is widely recognised as the industry’s definitive reference point, providing an authoritative view of how mobile money is evolving globally. In 2025, the mobile money ecosystem continued to scale, consolidating its role as a core pillar of digital financial services. Double-digit growth in account adoption and higher active usage channelled more money through the ecosystem than ever before. Mobile money services processed over $2 trillion in 2025, a fifth more than the year before. Mobile money’s value proposition to people and businesses remains strong."

Industry

Entering the Era of the Headless Merchant

a16z crypto

"Stand up a traditional software business and you need a website, a checkout flow, user accounts, customer service, subscription management, a billing system, and a sales team or marketing budget to acquire customers. A headless merchant needs a good API and a thin layer of middleware. That is the business. This matters because of who the buyer is. An agent arrives with a task, a budget, and constraints. It evaluates the endpoint’s documentation, pricing, and reliability. If the service meets the criteria, it pays and moves on."

Industry

Gap Dives into AI Commerce with Checkout on Google Gemini and New Fit Guidance Tech

Retail TouchPoints

"Gap Inc. brands, including Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta, will soon be shoppable via Google Gemini through adoption of Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) . The company also announced that it is an early partner of Bold Metrics ’ new Agentic Sizing Protocol (ASP), which offers embedded fit guidance in AI-driven shopping experiences."

Industry

SWIFT Expands Blockchain Payments With 50+ Banks, Challenging XRP and XLM Use Case

CCN

"Over 50 banks are adopting a new framework designed to make cross-border retail payments faster, more transparent, and predictable. The initiative promises upfront fee transparency, full-value delivery, faster settlement, and end-to-end tracking. Up to 80% of payment delays occur after funds reach the destination bank, something SWIFT aims to fix with this new framework. As SWIFT improves speed, cost transparency, and introduces blockchain features, the core value proposition of crypto payment networks is being challenged."