OCC’s Gould justifies conditional trust charter approvals

“We don’t have a zero risk tolerance anymore,” the comptroller said at an event Wednesday, adding that “a reasonable chance of success” is “how we evaluate applications.”

By Caitlin Mullen • May 21, 2026

Bitcoin Depot files for bankruptcy as crypto ATMs go offline

Alex Holmes, who has led the company since March, cited “stringent compliance obligations” from states, increasing litigation and tougher transaction limits.

By Daniel Muñoz • May 20, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Artificial intelligence

Banks must decide whether to forge AI tools in-house or partner with outside firms. AI’s importance can’t be understated, but legacy tech may also constrain the budget for banks looking to innovate.

By Banking Dive staff

Warren demands national trust charter details from Gould

National trust charters have been awarded to firms that “intend to engage in activities that appear to go far beyond the narrow set of activities permitted by law,” the Democratic senator told the head of the OCC.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • May 20, 2026

Trump order seeks to open Fed rails

The administration mandated a review of how the Federal Reserve and other agencies can aid fintech firms through greater central bank access.

By Justin Bachman • May 20, 2026

Chime CEO: Pursuing bank charter is ‘a when, not if’

The fintech regularly reevaluates the potential timing of an inevitable push for a charter, Chime CEO Chris Britt said Monday, as regulators see an influx of applications.

By Caitlin Mullen • May 19, 2026

Designing digital banking experiences that win Gen Z and millennial loyalty

Empowering financial institutions to connect with Gen Z demands crafting an holistic experience that caters to their evolving expectations, behaviors and lifestyles.

By Sarah Lambert • May 18, 2026

Senate panel approves crypto bill

The Clarity Act – with stablecoin yield language intact – moved to the full Senate. Some last-minute amendments resurfaced, but an anti-money laundering measure was denied.

By Dan Ennis • May 15, 2026

Dive Deposits: Affirm’s AI stance runs counter to trend

While some fintechs are content to do more with less through AI, BNPL platform Affirm simply aims to do more, as its top execs eschew human layoffs in favor of artificial intelligence.

By Dan Ennis • May 13, 2026

Fintech Parker files for bankruptcy

“Three weeks ago, I thought Parker was going to be acquired in a deal worth nearly $90M,” the fintech’s co-founder, Yacine Sibous, wrote Saturday. “Yesterday, we filed for Chapter 7.”

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • May 13, 2026

Kraken parent seeks OCC charter

Payward said a national trust charter would complement its special-purpose depository institution, Kraken Financial, which recently became the first crypto firm to receive a Federal Reserve master account.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • May 11, 2026

Kraken parent boosts card capabilities in $600M Reap acquisition

The deal, set to close in the second half of this year, opens Payward’s pathway to the Asia-Pacific region.

By Dan Ennis • May 8, 2026

How Chime overcame trust challenges when deploying its AI agent

Customer satisfaction rose after the fintech deployed Jade. “Automation and cost savings don’t need to come at the expense of a great experience,” COO Janelle Sallenave said.

By Kristen Doerer • May 8, 2026

Hacktivist group stole Chime customer information, lawsuits allege

Three separate lawsuits allege that a hacker group known as Team 313 stole personal information from Chime customers when it attacked the fintech’s systems April 1.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • May 6, 2026

Banks, crypto firms battle over stablecoin yield

A compromise from two senators is reigniting debate over how far a ban on rewards for stablecoin holdings should extend.

By Dan Ennis • May 6, 2026

Crypto exchange Bullish makes a $4.2B deal

In buying Equiniti, Bullish gets a blockchain-native transfer agent that could allow investors to engage in 24/7 transactions, instant settlement and frictionless asset movement.

By Dan Ennis • May 5, 2026

Coinbase axes 700 employees

The cryptocurrency exchange joins a growing list of companies swapping out their workers for AI, following Block, Crypto.com and Bolt in making job cuts this year.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • May 5, 2026

Trump-backed crypto firm countersues billionaire Sun over ‘smear campaign’

World Liberty Financial accused Justin Sun of attempting to “tank” the price of the $WLFI token. Sun last month alleged World Liberty froze his assets when he refused to invest in a second token.

By Daniel Muñoz • May 5, 2026

Fintech OppFi to buy Arizona bank for $130M

The Chicago-based subprime lender said pairing its online platform with BNC’s national bank charter lets it offer more banking services on a broader scale.

By Caitlin Mullen • April 29, 2026

Adyen to buy German loyalty platform Talon.One for $876M

The deal will let the Dutch fintech connect a shopper’s online and in-store interactions so promotions and pricing can be adjusted midstream.

By Dan Ennis • April 28, 2026

Mercury nabs conditional OCC charter

The fintech has received conditional approval four months after it applied for a national bank charter, when it named SoFi alum Jon Auxier as CEO of the proposed Mercury Bank.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • April 28, 2026

Sezzle eyes checking accounts

The buy now, pay later provider is exploring additional financial services, including deposit accounts, as it seeks to build a “super app.”

By Justin Bachman • April 27, 2026

Fintechs push bill for Fed payment rail access

House legislation introduced Tuesday would let financial technology firms access Federal Reserve payments rails.

By Justin Bachman • April 21, 2026

How proactive DEX strengthens IT compliance in financial services

Discover how TeamViewer DEX helps financial services IT teams stay compliant, reduce risk and work proactively.

April 20, 2026

Kraken to buy derivatives firm Bitnomial in $550M deal

Bitnomial bills itself as the first crypto-native business in the U.S. to hold CFTC-issued licenses required to operate an exchange, a clearinghouse and a brokerage.

By Dan Ennis • April 17, 2026

OpenAI buys personal finance fintech Hiro

This is OpenAI’s second fintech purchase, following its acquisition of personal finance app Roi in October.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • April 16, 2026