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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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December 8, 2025
On the web
Ethiopia: Ethswitch Nears Launch of International Card Payment Connectivity Pending NBE Approval
2Merkato
"Ethswitch, the entity responsible for operating Ethiopia’s national payment system infrastructure, has reached the final phase of integrating its domestic card schemes with 32 international card networks through a partnership with the Discover Global Network. The integration includes India’s rupee-based payment network and is pending regulatory clearance to begin operations."
Visa to Start Operations in Syria Under New Payments Framework
IBS Intelligence
"Visa is preparing to re-enter the Syrian market following an agreement with the Central Bank of Syria to develop a national digital payments framework and restore international connectivity to the country’s financial system. The partnership marks the first major move by a global payments company to engage with Syria since sanctions and geopolitical isolation disconnected the nation from global banking networks more than a decade ago."
South Korea Plans Stricter Rules for Crypto Exchanges
Tech In Asia
"South Korea’s government is planning stricter rules on cryptocurrency exchanges after a recent hack at Upbit, a Seoul-based exchange run by Dunamu. Authorities want to introduce bank-level, no-fault compensation, requiring exchanges to cover user losses from hacks or system failures, regardless of fault. This standard currently applies only to banks and electronic payment firms in Korea. The move follows a November 27 breach that reported 44.5 billion won (US$30.1 million) in Solana-based coins moved from Upbit to external wallets in under an hour."
TenPay Global and Mastercard Collaborate to Enable Fast and Secure Remittances to Weixin Pay
Mastercard
"TenPay Global, Tencent’s cross-border payment platform, and Mastercard Move, Mastercard’s money movement business, have announced a collaboration to facilitate fast, secure and transparent digital remittances directly to Weixin Pay, a leading mobile payment service within the Weixin ecosystem in China. Through Mastercard Move, eligible senders around the world will be able to send salaries and family support directly to Weixin Pay Wallet Balance or linked bank cards in Weixin Pay."
Big Firms Bet on Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Payments
Atlanta Fed
"Agentic AI has the potential to reshape the payments landscape. It refers to autonomous systems that can work together toward a goal. They learn to make decisions that spark actions and adapt to situations based on their programming and data gathering. So, is this technology a significant improvement for the US payment system, or is it accelerating an already complex system of payments innovation?"
Socure Acquires Qlarifi, Establishing the First Real-Time BNPL Credit System
Business Wire
"Socure announced it has acquired Qlarifi, the first real-time Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) consumer credit database. The combination establishes the industry’s first unified identity, anti-fraud, and BNPL credit infrastructure. This enables consumers to build credit responsibly through BNPL repayment, reduces first party fraud losses for lenders and merchants by up to 70 percent, while providing the transparency regulators have been seeking as BNPL becomes one of the fastest growing forms of credit globally."
N3XT Launches First Fully Blockchain-Powered Bank for Instant, Programmable B2B Payments
Business Wire
"N3XT, a new bank built on blockchain technology to leverage break-through innovation in finance, officially launched, enabling clients to make instant, programmable business-to-business payments in U.S. dollars any hour of the day. N3XT identified the pain points of traditional banking and applied the lessons of the crypto industry to remove friction in the global payment system."
Worldline Announces the Contemplated Divestment of Its Payments Orchestration Platform PaymentIQ to Incore Invest
Worldline
"The disposal of PaymentIQ marks a further step in Worldline’s strategic refocus on core European payment activities. This transaction will simplify operations, optimise resource allocation, and enable increased management focus on core payment activities for merchants and financial institutions. Proceeds will strengthen the Group’s financial profile, enhance strategic flexibility in the medium term, and support redeployment of capital towards core activities."
December 5, 2025
Top Post
Federal Reserve Board Requests Public Input on the Impact of Potential Strategic Changes to Check Services Provided by the Fed
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
"The Federal Reserve Board requested public input on the impact of potential strategic changes to check services provided by the Fed, as well as check usage and preferences. Over time, check use has steadily declined, digital payment methods have grown in availability and use, and check fraud has risen. Also, the Reserve Banks will need to make substantial investments in their check infrastructure to continue providing the same level of check services going forward."
On the web
IMF: Understanding Stablecoins
International Monetary Fund
"Stablecoins, a type of crypto asset, have seen significant growth and attention recently. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of stablecoins. It discusses market developments, use cases, potential benefits, associated risks, and the evolving international regulatory landscape. Stablecoin issuance has doubled over the past two years, driven by their use in crypto trades."
Proposed Rules from the Bank of England to Regulate Systemic Stablecoins
Mayer Brown
"This update explains the Bank of England’s proposed regime for regulating sterling‑denominated systemic stablecoin issuers and payment system operators (and other service providers recognised as systemic in the supply chain) as set out in its consultation paper issued on 10 November 2025; in particular its impact on banks and other participants in wholesale financial markets."
England Enacts Law Recognizing Digital Assets as Property
Ledger Insights
"The Property (Digital Assets, etc) Act 2025 has received Royal Assent, creating a new category of property under English law. Digital assets such as cryptocurrency did not fit neatly into existing laws, resulting in the courts creating a new category, which is now recognized in the legislation. If an asset is not recognized as property, it becomes tricky to recover the asset if it’s stolen or enforce ownership rights."
Education: Regulated Payment Stablecoins Become a Reality in the U.S.
St Louis Fed
"The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act was signed into law June 18, establishing a regulatory framework for the issuance and transaction of payment stablecoins in the U.S. The law goes into effect 18 months after enactment (December 2026) or 120 days after the Federal Reserve Board (FRB), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) issue final regulations, whichever is earlier. What Is a Payment Stablecoin?"
On the wires
Klarna Launches Premium and Max Memberships in the U.S., Offering Lounge Access and Premium Perks Without Spending Requirements
Business Wire
"Klarna has expanded its membership program with the introduction of Premium and Max plans for U.S. consumers, building on its existing Core and Plus plans and following successful launches in the UK and EU. The U.S. debut offers an alternative to the traditional credit card model. Klarna's memberships deliver premium perks, including airport lounge access, travel insurance, and lifestyle subscriptions, without taking on debt or hitting a spending requirement."
December 4, 2025
Top Post
Circle Collaborates with Pismo and Visa to Launch Vietnam’s First AI-Powered PayLater Card
Visa
"Visa and Pismo today jointly announced a strategic collaboration with Circle Asia Technologies, a pioneering credit-led neobank in Southeast Asia, to unlock credit for millions in Vietnam. This will enable Circle to launch the nation’s first truly AI-powered PayLater card aiming to set new standards for transparency, personalization, and user experience in the financial industry. Scheduled for a phased rollout in early 2026, the card is being engineered to dismantle the barriers that have led to Vietnam’s low credit card penetration."
On the web
A November to Remember: The Clearing House Networks Shatter Records as Digital Payments Surge Nationwide
The Clearing House
"The CHIPS®, EPN®, and RTP® networks all posted record-breaking results in November, underscoring the advantages banks gain from utilizing the payment systems operated by The Clearing House – from CHIPS’ unmatched intraday liquidity savings, to instant settlement and 24/7 availability through the RTP network, to EPN’s capacity for high-volume, recurring payments. Together, these new records highlight the rapid growth of digital payments in the U.S. and the accelerating shift toward efficient, resilient, and modern electronic payment rails across the U.S. banking sector."
How Will AI Agents Pay Each Other Using the X402 Payments Protocol
CFOtech Asia
"Long before anyone imagined AI assistants buying things on our behalf, the internet quietly reserved an error code for online payments. "HTTP 402: Payment Required" was included in early web standards in the 1990s, intended for future digital commerce. For decades it remained unused – a forgotten code akin to the famous 404 "Not Found" page. Developed as an open standard with input from major tech and finance firms, x402 turns the old 402 error into a feature: a way for machines to negotiate payment."
International Takedown of Cryptocurrency Fraud Network Laundering Over Eur 700 Million
Europol
"The final actions in a sweeping international operation have successfully dismantled a large-scale cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering network that had laundered over EUR 700 million. Coordinated across multiple jurisdictions, these actions, carried out last month and earlier this week, mark the culmination of years of investigation and the effective disruption of a criminal operation that spanned Europe and beyond."
Worldline Partners With Fipto to Enable Next Generation of Payments Rails With Stablecoin
Worldline
"Worldline and Fipto, a European fintech providing stablecoin payment infrastructure, announced a strategic partnership to explore how stablecoins can enhance settlement and payment services across Europe. Through collaboration and innovation, Worldline and Fipto are helping build the payment infrastructure Europe needs for the digital economy ahead."
BBVA Demonstrates its First Conversational App Concept Connected to ChatGPT for Italy and Germany
BBVA
"BBVA’s digital banks in Europe are exploring what could become the first banking app in the world natively integrated within ChatGPT. This demonstration shows how people will be able to discover BBVA’s products and services in Italy and Germany through a dedicated BBVA app built directly into OpenAI’s conversational assistant. Over time, it is envisaged that the experience will evolve into a digital companion,"
On the wires
MoneyGram and Fireblocks Partner to Supercharge Global Treasury Management Using Stablecoins and Real-Time Payments
PR Newswire
"MoneyGram has partnered with Fireblocks, the infrastructure platform securing more than $5 trillion in digital asset transfers annually. The collaboration will further advance stablecoin-based settlement and multi-asset treasury operations across MoneyGram's retail and digital footprint, enabling faster, lower-cost payments and real-time treasury operations throughout its network."
Trulioo Joins Google’s Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) to Help Build Trust in Agent-Led Payments
Business Wire
"Trulioo announced it has joined Google's Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) initiative to help securely initiate and transact agent-led payments across platforms. This move deepens Trulioo’s collaboration with Google, which leverages the Trulioo Global Identity Platform for Know Your Customer (KYC) verification across its payments organization, including fraud prevention and abuse mitigation."
December 3, 2025
Top Post
The Political Economy of Brazil’s Pix Payment System
ProMarket
"In July, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) initiated a Section 301 investigation into Brazil’s public instant-payment system, Pix, for discriminatory practices that harm U.S. commerce. Coming weeks after the USTR had flagged India’s and Indonesia’s public payment services in its Foreign Trade Barriers report, the move signals a new front in global trade tensions centered on industrial policy, financial regulation, and antitrust in the digital economy."
On the web
Six Payment Trends for 2026
Mastercard
"If there’s a topline trend to 2026, it’s how payments are evolving, becoming more personalized, predictive and seamlessly interoperable between traditional and new payment platforms: Top trends: securing agentic commerce; connecting crypto to fiat commerce; doubling down on digital identity; redefining consumption for the circular age; personalizing payments, benefits and risk; enabling the instant economy for everyone, everywhere."
Stripe to Acquire U.S. Billing Platform Metronome
Silicon Republic
"Stripe announced plans to acquire Metronome, a US-based software developer in the billing and invoice space, for an undisclosed amount. The company enables organisations to create and manage usage-based pricing models, create invoices and integrate other technologies to optimise the billing process."
Federal Money Services Business Association Launches Stablecoin Standards Authority (SSA)
Morningstar
"The Federal Money Services Business Association (FedMSB) announced the launch of the Stablecoin Standards Authority (SSA), an independent standards platform within FedMSB dedicated to strengthening the reliability, governance, and transparency of U.S. dollar–denominated stablecoins. The SSA is designed to give stablecoin issuers, money services businesses (MSBs), financial institutions, and technology providers a clear, professionally vetted framework for operating in a rapidly evolving digital-dollar environment spanning payments, remittances, settlements, and emerging decentralized finance (DeFi) use cases."
Adyen Processes Record $43 billion as Black Friday/Cyber Monday Weekend Sets New Benchmark for Global Payments
Adyen
"This year’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) proved to be another record-breaking holiday shopping weekend, where consumer traffic and demand spiked, and the Adyen platform delivered, processing a total volume of $43 billion across the BFCM weekend (up 27% vs. last year), while maintaining an exceptional 99.9999% uptime. Transactions per minute on the Adyen platform reached a peak of 199,000 on Black Friday."
PhonePe Integrates ChatGPT Into UPI App
Startupro News
"PhonePe announced a pioneering collaboration with OpenAI to embed ChatGPT-powered AI features directly into its UPI app ecosystem, marking a major step in integrating generative AI into India’s digital payment landscape. This partnership will enable users to access AI-driven assistance across PhonePe’s consumer and business offerings, allowing for interactions related to payments, product research, travel planning, and merchant discovery all within the app."
On the wires
Unlimit Launches Stable.com, the First Platform Purpose-Built to Act as a Decentralized Stablecoin Clearing House
PR Newswire
"Unlimit announced the launch of Stable.com, a decentralized stablecoin clearing house designed to seamlessly integrate stablecoins into the global financial system. Purpose-built for stablecoins, Stable.com combines the security and efficiency of a decentralized exchange with the convenience of a global payments network."
Nuvei Expands Partnership with Microsoft to Scale Global Payments Infrastructure to Support More Than 10,000 transactions per second
PR Newswire
"Nuvei and Microsoft announced an expansion of their strategic partnership, enabling Nuvei's core payment processing APIs to run on Microsoft Azure and use Azure AI to optimize transactions in real time. The move expands Nuvei's global processing capabilities beyond enabling 10,000 transactions per second, with a target 99.999 percent availability for merchants. It strengthens Nuvei's position among the highest-volume processors worldwide."
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