Fed ‘skinny’ account idea draws criticism

A prototype payment account carries undue restrictions, fintech groups said in response to a Fed proposal that offers expanded real-time payments access.

By Justin Bachman • Feb. 9, 2026

Payoneer CFO eyes stablecoin, AI innovation amid ‘stop-start’ economy

Bea Ordonez said the New York City-based payments company is focusing on expanding its core ecosystem, strengthening partnerships, and building out strategies for stablecoin and AI.

By Grace Noto • Feb. 4, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Artificial intelligence

The heavily regulated banking sector rarely gets to trailblaze. But with AI, an all-in mentality is fueling both research and adoption.

By Banking Dive staff

Varo raises $123.9M, adds 2 board members

Morgan Stanley’s former marketing chief and an 18-year veteran of JPMorgan Chase have joined the digital bank’s board, which also counts Coliseum Capital Management among its new investors.

By Dan Ennis • Feb. 3, 2026

Why some payments companies want to be banks

Banking charters let those companies streamline their services and save money by not partnering with banks.

By Patrick Cooley • Feb. 3, 2026

Nubank gets conditional OCC approval for charter

The Brazilian digital challenger “will focus on fully capitalizing the institution within 12 months and opening the bank within 18 months” as it awaits green lights from the Fed and FDIC.

By Caitlin Mullen • Jan. 30, 2026

Nomura spinoff Laser Digital applies for OCC charter

The digital-asset firm is vying for a national trust banking charter, the same license for which Circle, Ripple and Paxos were conditionally approved.

By Dan Ennis • Jan. 28, 2026

Brex CFO Erica Dorfman’s take on the Capital One deal

In a rare look inside a major fintech transaction, Dorfman describes the speed, scale and boardroom logic that led Brex to Capital One.

By Adam Zaki • Jan. 27, 2026

Why voice-based scams are a growing threat to banks

Voice scams can cost banks and customers millions in seconds -- why phone lines remain one of finance's biggest blind spots.

By Mike Pappas, CEO & Co-founder, Modulate • Jan. 26, 2026

Capital One nabs Brex for $5.15B

The deal, expected to close in mid-2026, lets the bank absorb a fintech player that specializes in corporate cards, payments and expense-management tools.

By Justin Bachman • Jan. 23, 2026

Inside the explosion of banking charter applications

Pent-up demand led to at least 18 applications being filed with the OCC last year. And that influx could continue in 2026, as two applications have been submitted to the agency in recent weeks.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • Jan. 22, 2026

Dimon: AI’s effect on labor market ‘may go too fast for society’

The JPMorgan CEO expects AI will result in the bank employing fewer people in five years, even as the company grows globally.

By Caitlin Mullen • Jan. 22, 2026

Fintech Oportun’s CEO to step down

Raul Vazquez’s departure comes months after one of the fintech’s investors blamed the CEO for “disastrous acquisitions” that decimated the company’s stock price.

By Dan Ennis • Jan. 21, 2026

Klarna to offer after-purchase BNPL

Shoppers will be able to convert purchases into installment loans after the transaction, the company said Tuesday.

By Patrick Cooley • Jan. 21, 2026

Payments fraud risks grow with AI

The artificial intelligence threats are mounting, but so are the defenses, as new industry trends take hold, from agentic commerce to passkey adoption.

By Lynne Marek • Jan. 21, 2026

Wyoming has big plans for stablecoin

The first state-issued stable token is being deployed to reduce card interchange costs and simplify payments to vendors.

By Justin Bachman • Jan. 21, 2026

Crypto lender Nexo fined $500K by California regulator

Nexo issued loans without a state license and without considering borrowers’ ability to repay, the regulator said. A Nexo spokesperson said the “legacy issues” do not “reflect the company’s current operations.”

By Daniel Muñoz • Jan. 21, 2026

Affirm to offer BNPL for rent

The buy now, pay later player is one of the first to offer pay later installment financing for tenants paying their monthly rent.

By Patrick Cooley • Jan. 15, 2026

M&A in 2026 may put more distance between big, small banks

Expect the acceleration in bank M&A to pick up further, especially in advance of this year’s midterm elections.

By Caitlin Mullen • Jan. 15, 2026

Coastal Financial buys ‘climate-friendly’ fintech GreenFi

The Everett, Washington-based bank will take on responsibility for “governance, oversight and long-term brand stewardship,” arguably deepening a partnership in its BaaS stable.

By Daniel Muñoz • Jan. 14, 2026

Checkout.com grabs Georgia banking charter

The payments processor received conditional approval for the state's merchant acquirer limited purpose bank charter.

By Patrick Cooley • Jan. 12, 2026

Digital adoption is accelerating across credit unions — but are the systems underneath ready?

Tech adoption is rising fast at small CUs, but infrastructure issues could stall progress.

By Erin Raese • Jan. 12, 2026

Plaid hires ex-FDIC chief Jelena McWilliams

The fintech’s CEO praised the incoming president of corporate and external affairs as a “consistent voice for transparency, consumer protection, and innovation” in a blog post Thursday.

By Dan Ennis • Jan. 9, 2026

Marqeta names Stripe, JPMorgan alum as CFO

The Stripe veteran is joining the card issuer as it continues to focus on profitability following a 27% jump in gross profit for its most recent quarter.

By Grace Noto • Jan. 8, 2026

Brazil’s PicPay files for US IPO

The São Paulo-based fintech previously sought a U.S. listing in 2021 but withdrew a year later. Fellow Brazilian challenger Nubank applied for a U.S. banking license in September.

By Dan Ennis • Jan. 7, 2026

Bunq re-applies for OCC license

The Dutch neobank sought a U.S. license in 2023 but withdrew after a 301-day wait. It obtained a broker-dealer license in October from FINRA.

By Dan Ennis • Jan. 7, 2026