Stablecoins Are Driving a Financial Services Revolution
Few financial products have dominated the spotlight in recent months quite like stablecoins. With high-profile launches and new regulations, they are poised to make a substantial impact. However, as a recent report from Ripple—2025 New Value: Stablecoin Trends in Business and Beyond—details, today’s landscape is just the tip of the iceberg for stablecoins. More than […]
Wyoming’s Stablecoin Opens for Business, Seeking Users
Wyoming has officially launched its Frontier Stable Token (FRNT), becoming the first public entity in the U.S. to issue a blockchain-based stablecoin. The state says the token will enable instant transaction settlement and lower fees, though it remains to be seen which use cases will take hold. During a trial period, Wyoming used the token […]
Alaska Airlines Joins the Premium Credit Card Movement
Attracting affluent customers has become a top priority for credit card issuers. To capture this segment, Alaska Airlines is launching a luxury credit card and ramping up its loyalty program. The airline’s Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card, a co-branded effort with Bank of America, carries a $395 annual fee and offers benefits like discounted […]
How Conversational AI Can Drive Banking Relationships
As more financial institutions adopt chatbots to converse with their customers, the numbers reveal not just cost savings but increased efficiency. Galileo Financial Technologies, the technology platform behind SoFi, has seen significant improvements—such as response times improving by 65% and a 50% reduction in chat drop-offs—when customers interact with an intelligent digital assistant. These developments […]
California’s Subscription Laws Gain Another Victory
Meal kit delivery company HelloFresh will pay $7.5 million to settle a civil lawsuit in California, which alleged the company deceptively enrolled consumers into auto-renewing subscription plans without proper disclosure or consent. These actions were found to violate the state’s Automatic Renewal Law and False Advertising Law. Considered some of the strongest subscription regulations in […]
Switzerland Considers Joining Anti-Money Laundering Consortium
The Swiss bank account has long been synonymous with anonymity and often associated with criminal activity, but Switzerland is working to change that perception. According to Reuters, the country is considering joining the International Anti-Corruption Coordination (IACCC) task force, a UK-based group that targets kleptocrats and works to recover stolen assets. Launched eight years ago, […]
Klarna Sells Off $26 Billion in BNPL Loans Ahead of IPO
Klarna will sell off $26 billion in buy now, pay later loans to Nelnet, a U.S.-based financial services firm primarily focused on servicing student loans, as it continues preparing for its much-delayed initial public offering. The agreement allows Klarna to offload newly originated, short-term, interest-free pay-in-four receivables to Nelnet over multiple years. For Klarna, the […]
Thailand Pilots Crypto-to-Baht Conversion to Drive Tourism
Amid a post-pandemic tourism slowdown, Thailand is launching an 18-month program to test whether crypto payments can help draw more foreign visitors. Before COVID-19, Thailand welcomed about 39.9 million foreign international arrivals, generating roughly $58.86 billion in revenue. However, Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy has struggled to attract visitors in the subsequent years. Thailand’s state-planning agency […]
Amid Surging Stablecoin Use Cases, Payouts Stand Out
The passage of the GENIUS Act in the U.S. has brought stablecoin interest to a fever pitch in recent months. However, even as more of the world’s leading organizations consider launching stablecoin, the use cases for these fiat-backed assets are still being unlocked. In a recent PaymentsJournal podcast, Nabil Manji, SVP, Head of Fintech Growth […]
Ransomware Attack Leads Ohio to Establish New Cybersecurity Protocols
A year after the city of Columbus fell victim to a massive ransomware attack, Ohio now requires every government agency to implement a cybersecurity program that safeguards their computer systems. The measure applies to counties, cities, school districts, and townships. Local governments must establish cybersecurity training requirements for all employees. The law also mandates that […]