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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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July 29, 2026
Top Post
Visa Used Mythos to Hunt for Bugs in Its Own Payment Network, Then Open-Sourced the Harness That Made It Possible [Video]
VentureBeat
"Visa aimed Anthropic's Claude Mythos at the infrastructure behind billions of daily transactions, a network that spans more than 200 countries and territories, moves money in roughly 160 currencies, and connects nearly 5 billion payment credentials to more than 175 million merchant locations. The model stitched minor weaknesses deep in the stack into working exploit chains that would traditionally have surfaced only late in penetration testing. Hear about a new metric that is mean time to exploit and adapt."
Is Agentic Commerce the Future of AI-Powered Shopping?
J.P.Morgan
"Right now, AI shopping is essentially decision support. The human customer drives the process, with the chatbot as an advisor. The vision is that AI agents will go shopping for you, and act as your autonomous representatives in the market: negotiating with suppliers, interacting with brands, even completing a transaction. Businesses are preparing for this world. But would you be happy to delegate decision-making to AI—or to let it spend your human-earned cash? We asked thought leaders for their perspective."
On the web
How Do We Regulate Payments When It’s AI Agents Spending the Money?
World Economic Forum
"AI agents are moving from giving advice to taking action – for payments, the consequences are immediate and can be difficult to reverse. Financial institutions have long built trust around knowing who is behind a transaction; agentic AI adds a layer between the human and the payment that existing controls were not designed to handle. The future of trusted transactions will depend on understanding intent, authority and context alongside established rigorous identity checks."
TCH: Use Case Evolution Is One Factor in RTP’s Instant Payments Growth
Digital Transactions
"Business-to-business payments were one of the first use cases for instant payments when the RTP network from The Clearing House Payments Co. LLC debuted in 2017. The use cases are evolving, with digital wallets—like PayPal and Venmo—now being the largest use cases on the RTP network. Another use with potential is request for payment [RfP]. This option enables billers and merchants to receive nearly immediate payment. RTP has RfP activity on the network, with 300,000 to 400,000 RfPs processed monthly."
On the wires
MoonPay Launches PayBox, a Payment Vault for Claude and ChatGPT That Turns Prompts Into Payments
PR Newswire
"MoonPay has launched PayBox, the first payment vault built for AI that lets a person's AI agent transact on the open internet without leaving the conversation. Anyone can now connect PayBox to Claude or ChatGPT through a custom connector and give their AI the ability to securely transact across the open internet. Users simply describe what they want in natural language: "Onramp $100 into PYUSD""Swap $100 of PYUSD to SOL."
July 28, 2026
Top Post
Three New Nacha Rules Approved
Nacha
"Nacha voting members have approved three new Nacha Rules—including one which took effect immediately, opening the ACH Contact Registry to the U.S. Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS). Another newly approved Rule will document the current set of characters that are accepted by the two ACH Operators. The third approved Rule creates an exception to a separate, upcoming Rule concerning funds availability."
On the web
Visa Is Cutting 7% of Employees in Efficiency Push as AI Reshapes Work
CNBC
"Visa plans to eliminate about 2,600 jobs, mostly in its technology and product operations, representing roughly 7% of its workforce. CEO Ryan McInerney said AI is helping “shape the way work gets done at Visa,” while a person with direct knowledge said AI was a significant factor, but not the sole driver, of the layoffs. Visa intends to reinvest in growth areas including affluent customers, cross-border payments, business remittances and geographic expansion."
Corpay Introduces Agent Card Capability to Power Secure Agentic Commerce
Business Wire
"Corpay announced Agent Card, a new capability that enables secure virtual card creation for AI-driven commerce workflows. In April, Corpay brought AI into the everyday work of finance teams with an AI Virtual Assistant in the Corpay Complete platform. With Agent Card, Corpay extends their AI first approach a step further, allowing AI agents to act on a business's behalf directly, within the same controls that have always defined Corpay's approach to payments."
Musk’s Payments Platform X Money Launches Limited US Rollout After Invite-Only Beta
Technology
"X has opened its financial services platform to paying subscribers in the U.S. X Money is now available to Premium & Premium+ members aged 18+, following an invite-only beta phase. The product gives users a deposit account, peer-to-peer payments and a debit card. The platform integrates with both Visa and Apple Wallet, and offers a digital card plus a physical metal version that can be engraved with a user’s X handle. Advertised perks include up to 6.00% APY, 3% cashback bonuses, no foreign transaction fees and early direct deposit."
Checkout.com Strengthens UAE Offering with In-Principle Stored Value Facilities License
Checkout
"Checkout.com announced that it has been granted in-principle approval for a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) licence by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). The regulatory milestone will allow Checkout.com to introduce issuing capabilities alongside its existing acquiring services in the UAE on a single platform built for performance."
Fidelity Chooses Ethereum for Its First Stablecoin
CoinPedia
"Ethereum has been selected by Fidelity as the blockchain for its first stablecoin, Fidelity Digital Dollar (FIDD). Issued by Fidelity Digital Assets, an OCC-chartered national trust bank, the stablecoin marks the firm’s expansion into on-chain financial services. Fidelity serves more than 50 million investors, oversees $17.9 trillion in assets under administration, and processes 5.5 million average daily trades."
On the wires
ACI Worldwide and dLocal Bring Latin America's Leading Local Payment Methods to Global Merchants
Business Wire
"ACI Worldwide and dLocal announced a strategic partnership that gives global merchants immediate and seamless access to leading local payment methods in Brazil and Mexico through the ACI Payments Orchestration Platform, with Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru planned for future rollout. Merchants can onboard and begin processing transactions today using six local payment methods across the two markets, including Pix, PicPay, Mercado Pago and NuPay in Brazil, and Mercado Pago, OXXO and SPEI in Mexico."
July 27, 2026
On the web
Circle Acquires IBM Blockchain Patent Portfolio
Circle
"Circle Internet Group, Inc. announced the acquisition of fundamental assets from the IBM blockchain patent portfolio. The portfolio comprises over 680 patent families and nearly 1,000 issued patents worldwide, spanning foundational blockchain technology, banking, financial services, insurance, enterprise infrastructure, supply chain verification, and secure cloud operations. With this acquisition, Circle becomes the leader in blockchain patent holdings in the United States."
Billtrust Is First AR Platform to Connect Live Invoice-to-Cash Intelligence to Claude and Microsoft Copilot
Billtrust
"Billtrust, the B2B Cash Generation Platform, announced the launch of the Billtrust MCP Server, becoming the first AR platform to directly connect live invoice-to-cash intelligence to leading AI assistants via the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Finance teams can now query their live invoice-to-cash data directly from inside Microsoft Copilot™ and Claude™, using plain language to get data-backed answer in seconds without logging into a separate platform or stitching data together from multiple sources."
July 24, 2026
Top Post
Mastercard Expands Virtual Card Platform with New Security Controls, Embedded Payments Network and Single API Access
Mastercard
"Mastercard announced enhancements to Mastercard In Control® – a virtual card number (VCN) platform for scalable B2B payments. New innovations include advanced virtual card controls that help reduce risk across the full payment lifecycle, and one scalable connection to Mastercard’s growing embedded partner network — enabling enterprises, financial institutions and platforms to manage payments with greater confidence, flexibility and efficiency."
On the web
Samsung Wallet Will Add Stablecoin Support, Bringing Payments, Rewards and Digital Assets Into One Service
Global Crypto
"Samsung has announced that Samsung Wallet will introduce stablecoin support, marking a significant step toward bringing digital assets into mainstream mobile payments. The update aims to combine payments, rewards, digital assets, and identity services into a single platform, giving users a more unified digital wallet experience. As competition intensifies among digital wallet providers, Samsung seeks to position Samsung Wallet as a comprehensive financial hub."
Meta Launches Standalone Seller App for Facebook Marketplace, Still Ignoring Crypto Payments
Crypto Briefing
"Meta just carved out a standalone app specifically for Facebook Marketplace sellers, giving millions of people hawking used furniture and vintage sneakers their own dedicated workspace. The app, which dropped in mid-July 2026, lets sellers manage listings, field buyer inquiries, and process sales without toggling back to the main Facebook app. It’s also a reminder that despite sitting at the center of one of the largest peer-to-peer commerce networks on the planet, Meta still wants nothing to do with crypto payments."
Visa and Lianlian Advance Trusted B2B Agentic Commerce Through LoopXPay's First Live B2B Agentic Transaction
Yahoo Finance
"Visa and Lianlian DigiTech Co., Ltd., an AI-native global financial infrastructure provider, announced the first live B2B agentic transaction completed using LoopXPay, Lianlian's AI agent. In the transaction, the LoopXPay agent was used to source a product sample from a supplier and complete the purchase in a single workflow."
Checkout.com Moves Airflow to Google Cloud, Cuts Costs
CFOtech Australia
"Checkout.com has migrated its data orchestration platform to Google Cloud's Managed Service for Apache Airflow, a move that changed the reliability and cost profile of its data platform. The payments company moved away from a self-managed Apache Airflow setup on another hyperscaler, where its data platform team handled server management, patching, upgrades, and incident response alongside day-to-day pipeline work. That arrangement also created strain during periods of heavy use."
Education: The Federal Reserve Cash Services
Federal Reserve History
One purpose for the establishment of the Federal Reserve System was to "to furnish an elastic currency." The Federal Reserve issues and distributes currency in the form of Federal Reserve notes. The Federal Reserve provides cash services to ensure that cash (currency and coin) in circulation is sufficient to meet public demand. Cash remains an important means of payment, even as Americans have adopted other forms of payments since the Fed's founding.
July 23, 2026
On the web
For the 19th Year in a Row, American Express Has the Lowest U.S. Credit Card Fraud Rate Among Major Card Networks
American Express
"For 19 consecutive years, Amex has maintained the lowest U.S. fraud rate among major card networks, reflecting our long-standing commitment to protecting customers. Behind this achievement is a powerful combination of data scientists, advanced AI and machine learning models, emerging Gen AI capabilities, and a closed-loop network which provides end-to-end visibility into transactions, enabling strong protection and fast fraud detection."
Visa and Airwallex Join Forces to Build the Next Generation of Financial Infrastructure for Freight Platforms
Airwallex
"Visa and Airwallex announced a collaboration to develop embedded-finance solutions tailored to freight and shipping platforms, helping modernise how businesses manage payments, working capital and cross-border commerce across one of the world's most complex industries. The collaboration brings Visa's expertise in commercial payments, acceptance strategy, risk management and industry-specific solution design with Airwallex's embedded-finance capabilities, multi-currency infrastructure and global platform technology."
Google Slapped with $1 Billion Fine Under Landmark EU Digital Law
CNBC
"European regulators have fined Google 890 million euros ($1 billion), alleging the company gives preferential treatment to its own services. The fine is Google’s first under the European Union’s sweeping Digital Markets Act (DMA) which aims to scrutinize Big Tech’s operating practices in Europe. European regulators alleged the company gives preferential treatment to its own services."
July 22, 2026
Top Post
Zelle Must Face New York Attorney General’s Lawsuit Over Fraud, Judge Rules
Yahoo Finance
"A judge rejected Zelle's bid to dismiss a lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who said the electronic payment platform's refusal to adopt critical safety features enabled fraudsters to steal more than $1 billion from consumers. Justice Phaedra Perry-Bond of a New York state court said James sufficiently alleged that Zelle's parent Early Warning Services "prioritized accessibility, convenience, consumer adoption, and market dominance at the expense of consumer safety" in rushing the platform to market, despite objections from its banking partners."
On the web
ACI Worldwide Explores Sale of Billing Division Valued at $1.5B
Guru Focus
"ACI Worldwide Inc is reportedly contemplating the sale of its billing division, which could be valued at approximately $1.5 billion. The potential sale of ACI Worldwide's billing division marks a significant strategic shift for the company, allowing it to focus on its core payments software business. This division's valuation of $1.5 billion suggests that ACI is looking to streamline its operations and enhance its financial health by divesting a segment that may not align with its long-term goals."
Revolut Launches as Licensed Australian Bank After APRA Approval
Yahoo Finance
"Revolut has received an independent authorised deposit-taking institution licence from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). The approval marks the neobank's official debut as a licensed bank in Australia. It is also Revolut's first banking entity in the APAC region."
Apple Teams up with Klarna to Facilitate the Payment of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches
BBN Times
"Apple is expanding its financing options with the introduction of a new lease-to-own program called Apple Upgrade, powered by fintech company Klarna. The service launches on July 28, 2026, initially in the United States, and aims to make premium Apple devices more accessible through flexible monthly payments while encouraging upgrades and potentially boosting sales."
American Express Launches Intelligent Capabilities to Help Streamline Buyer and Supplier Payments
American Express
"American Express announced a B2B payment feature and automated invoice reporting capabilities within Buyer Initiated Payments (BIP). Amex is introducing BIP Connect, a feature that connects eligible BIP customers to Paymode, one of the largest B2B payment networks in the U.S. through a new partnership with Bottomline, a leading provider of payments and financial technology solutions; and new capabilities that will automate reporting that matches invoices to payments."
On the wires
U.S. Faster Payments Council Publishes Report Exploring Stablecoins for Cross-Border Payments
EIN Presswire
The U.S. Faster Payments Council (FPC) announced the publication of a new report from the FPC Cross-Border Payments Work Group titled, Stablecoins as a Cross-Border Payment Method. Developed in collaboration with the FPC Digital Assets Work Group, the report examines how GENIUS Act-compliant stablecoins could be used to improve cross-border payment processes and compares stablecoin-based models to traditional correspondent banking approaches.
Ramp Brings Stablecoin Accounts and Payments to All Customers
PR Newswire
"Ramp announced the general availability of stablecoin accounts and payments, giving every business one platform to hold, move, and account for both fiat and stablecoin funds. Ramp's stablecoin accounts let companies hold stablecoin balances, earn rewards, pay vendors and reconcile every transaction automatically in their existing accounting system."
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