Weekly Fintech Roundup: Highlights from the Latest Financial Technology News Headlines
The first week of July 2025 saw a flurry of significant developments in the fintech sector, despite the typical summer news slowdown. Here are some of the key announcements from the past week.
In the realm of digital banking, Autobooks introduced Autobooks Capital, powered by Fundbox, for business lending within the Autobooks platform. Meanwhile, Greece-based core banking vendor Natech raised $33 million in Series B funding, and Qonto filed for a banking license, now serving over 600,000 customers.
The open banking landscape was also bustling with activity. Salt Edge partnered with financial insights provider RiseUp to enhance open finance offerings. Open finance company Belvo launched *Pix Automático*, an automatic recurring payments solution. Ninth Wave, a company specializing in open finance, launched a managed services division aimed at accelerating open finance adoption.
Crypto and DeFi took centre stage with several notable announcements. Coinbase unveiled a credit card offering bitcoin rewards. Crypto payment framework AEON partnered with Bybit, a leading cryptocurrency exchange. Bolt introduced *Bolt Connect*, facilitating merchant onboarding and stablecoin payments. Wirex announced *Wirex Pay Chain* support on Fireblocks’ infrastructure. Kraken, a well-known cryptocurrency platform, secured a Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) license in Ireland.
The credit union sector also saw movement, with Barksdale Federal Credit Union, Louisiana’s largest, partnering with AI risk management firm Scienaptic.
Payments-related news included MENA-based platform JinglePay announcing collaboration with Western Union. Paytech LemFi acquired UK credit card issuer Pillar. GrailPay raised $6.7 million to enhance ACH payment security. Fiserv and Early Warning Services launched *Paze*, a convenient digital checkout solution. Klarna expanded offerings into mobile phone plans. Global E-Payment formed a strategic partnership with international payment provider TransferMate. InComm and NCR Atleos introduced new self-service ATM solutions across the US. Papaya Global partnered with Citi to enhance the global payments ecosystem.
In the realm of fraud prevention, Eventus, specializing in trade surveillance and financial risk, partnered with trading platform Blue Ocean Technologies. Experian and GBG announced a strengthened strategic partnership in Australia and New Zealand for fraud prevention and identity verification.
Lending saw several notable announcements, including Lendbuzz completing a $266 million securitization deal to strengthen fintech funding structures. Baker Hill unveiled enhancements to its platform for commercial real estate, CECL compliance, AI-driven compliance, agricultural spreading, and financial analysis. Vine Financial secured seed funding and formed a Board of Directors.
Regtech developments were more subdued, but the regulatory easing highlighted by Erebor’s U.S. charter bid points to an environment conducive to fintech innovation and compliance advances.
Notable M&A and industry moves included Broadridge Financial Solutions announcing the acquisition of cross-border fund distribution platform Acolin, aiming to modernize and digitize global fund operations. The recent cyberattack on C&M Software impacted Brazil’s reserve accounts, highlighting ongoing challenges in cybersecurity.
The Fintech Rundown on the platform will provide the latest announcements in the industry all week long. The upcoming event is the first official day of summer. A reminder that this article does not contain advertisements.
(Image credit: Josh Willink)
Digital banking witnessed a significant development with Autobooks introducing Autobooks Capital, designed for business lending within their platform. In the open banking sector, Ninth Wave launched a managed services division to accelerate open finance adoption, while Salt Edge partnered with RiseUp to enhance open finance offerings. The cryptocurrency and DeFi landscape saw several announcements, such as Coinbase's credit card offering bitcoin rewards and Kraken securing a MiCA license in Ireland. On the other hand, the regtech landscape saw fewer developments, with Erebor's U.S. charter bid indicating an environment conducive to fintech innovation and compliance advances. Investors in the fintech industry should keep an eye on these developments as the industry continues to evolve.
