Q2 Releases 2026 Retail Banking Trends and Priorities Report
February 2, 20265 min
Survey data highlights a decisive shift toward advanced technology, persistent execution challenges, and growing reliance on partnerships to accelerate innovation
Bybit Unveils 2026 Vision as “The New Financial Platform”
February 2, 20268 min
Bybit, the world’s second-largest crypto exchange by trading volume, today announced its 2026 transformation into “The New Financial Platform,” a global financial ecosystem designed to expand access to modern banking, investment, and payments infrastructure for the world’s underserved populations. The vision, unveiled by co-founder and CEO Ben Zhou during the biannual keynote session, positions the company beyond its origins as a cryptocurrency exchange and into a unified financial platform connecting crypto, traditional markets, and real-world financial services. At the center of the...
Vine Grows Revenue, Triples Client Base in 2025
January 30, 20264 min
Vine, a commercial lending accelerator for banks and credit unions, is reflecting on a year of growth and momentum. Vine kicked of the year by completing its participation in the ICBA’s ThinkTECH Accelerator, which laid a foundation of success for the team to effectively serve community banks. The company won the accelerator’s MVP Award, which recognizes the most evolved fintech offering based on program engagement and alignment with community bank business priorities. This recognition would...
OP Labs Announced the Launch of OP Enterprise
January 30, 20265 min
OP Labs PBC, a blockchain infrastructure provider that enables developers and enterprises to launch scalable, secure and customizable networks and applications, today announced OP Enterprise: its production-grade blockchain infrastructure offering. With OP Enterprise, OP Labs handles operations, security, and scaling so enterprises can focus on shipping products, not running blockchains. Offering three tiers, OP Enterprise is designed to meet the needs of a variety of enterprise users: Fully Managed: full blockchain hosting and operational services Self Managed: you...
The Impact of AI Agents on Cost Reduction in Banking
January 30, 202614 min
AI agents are slashing banking costs dramatically by autonomously handling compliance, onboarding, and fraud detection.
Lithic Expands Partner Bank Network with Addition of Stearns Bank
January 28, 20265 min
Lithic, the card issuer processing platform powering next-generation financial experiences, today announced a partnership with Stearns Bank, a well-capitalized, Minnesota-headquartered financial services institution with over a century of experience and customers nationwide. This collaboration expands Lithic’s enterprise-grade card program capabilities, enabling fintechs to launch comprehensive consumer and commercial card programs with trusted infrastructure. Through this partnership, Stearns Bank will serve as BIN sponsor across major payment networks for Lithic’s program-managed services. Stearns Bank brings over 100...
Aeropay Expands Headquarters as Chicago’s Fintech Ecosystem Grows
January 22, 20265 min
Aeropay, a leading U.S. pay by bank provider, today announced the opening of its expanded Chicago headquarters, marking a major milestone in the company’s continued growth and investment in its hometown market. The new headquarters was completed in partnership with Centre Construction Group, which led the buildout of the space. Aeropay has leased 15,000 square feet across the entire 39th-floor penthouse level of One East Wacker, a 560,000-square-foot office building that recently underwent extensive upgrades,...
Fortrade (DIFC) Limited Secures DFSA Regulation Within Dubai’s Financial Hub
January 21, 20264 min
Fortrade has announced that its Dubai-based entity, Fortrade (DIFC) Limited, has been granted regulatory authorisation by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. The license places the company within the regulatory framework of the Dubai International Financial Centre, one of the region’s most established international financial hubs. The development reflects Fortrade’s continued focus on operating within recognised regulatory environments and strengthening its presence in the region through a structured and transparent market framework. Chris Warburton, CEO of Fortrade, stated that the DFSA authorisation...
RiskExec® Reinforces Bank-Grade Security with SOC 2 Type II Examination
January 21, 20263 min
Independent audit validates RiskExec's security and operational controls over time, supporting vendor risk, audit, and examiner expectations.
GTCR Completes Sale of Worldpay to Global Payments
January 21, 20266 min
GTCR, a leading private equity firm, announced today that it has closed the previously announced sale of Worldpay, a global leader in merchant acquiring and payments processing, to Global Payments (NYSE: GPN) as part of a transformative three-way transaction. The sale of Worldpay represents one of the largest strategic sales in the history of the private equity industry. In April 2025, GTCR signed a definitive agreement under which Global Payments agreed to acquire Worldpay from...