Europe

ACCEPTANCE & PROCESSING

Deutsche Bank has launched card acquiring services for Bolt, a leading European ride-hailing platform, across the EU and UK using Silverflow’s cloud-based infrastructure. The bank acts as acquirer routing Bolt’s payments through Silverflow, aiming to streamline Bolt’s payment operations and expand Deutsche Bank’s role in European payments.

Praxis Tech, a Cyprus-based payment orchestration provider, has introduced an AI-powered “Smart Routing” tool to boost first-time payment approval rates for merchants. The feature analyses transaction patterns across payment providers and recommends optimal routing sequences, helping businesses reduce declines and costs for multi-processor payment attempts.

CORPORATE ACTIVITY

Regnology, a Frankfurt-based regtech firm, has agreed to acquire Wolters Kluwer’s Finance, Risk & Regulatory Reporting unit for about €450 million. The deal will expand Regnology’s global footprint and strengthen its regulatory reporting capabilities by integrating FRR’s tools and expertise.

CRYPTOASSETS/BLOCKCHAIN/DLT

CoinShares Asset Management has become the first firm to receive an EU-wide MiCA crypto license. France’s AMF granted CoinShares authorization under the new Markets in Crypto-Assets regime, enabling it to offer crypto portfolio management services across the European Union under a unified regulatory framework. The milestone makes CoinShares the only European asset manager holding MiCA, MiFID and AIFM licenses simultaneously.

MOBILE MONEY/WALLETS

The Payments Group (TPG) has activated an e-money institution license from Malta’s MFSA and partnered with Bluecode, a European mobile payments scheme, to launch a prepaid mobile wallet service available across the EEA. TPG’s Bluecode-enabled solution allows users to make instant, prepaid mobile payments widely in Europe – a step touted as strengthening Europe’s independent payments infrastructure as an alternative to US card networks.

North America

OPEN BANKING

Ten major U.S. fintech and crypto trade associations have urged President Trump to block JPMorgan’s plan to charge fees for third-party access to bank customer data. In a letter to the White House, the groups warn that big banks imposing data access tolls would undermine America’s open banking efforts and could “de-bank” millions of users by crippling fintech services like crypto wallets and payment apps that rely on bank APIs.

LATAM

REGULATION

Brazil’s government is preparing new regulations to crack down on fintech companies suspected of facilitating illegal online betting payments. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said intelligence has been given to the Central Bank on platforms possibly used for organized crime and money laundering, with the federal police involved in enforcement. A six-month review will guide measures as officials seek to close loopholes that allowed billions in untaxed betting funds to flow abroad.

APAC

ACCEPTANCE & PROCESSING

Mitrade, a Melbourne-based trading platform, has rolled out Apple Pay and Google Pay support for its Australian users. The move comes as more Gen Z investors enter volatile U.S. markets and demand seamless mobile payment options; by enabling Apple Pay and Google Pay for funding accounts, Mitrade aims to provide a faster, familiar checkout experience for its growing base of mobile-first traders.

CASH(less)

The Australian Banking Association’s latest Bank on It report reveals Australians made a record A$160 billion in mobile wallet payments last year – over four billion taps, which is more than 11 times the country’s ATM cash withdrawals in the same period. Mobile wallet usage has surged 23-fold since 2019 and continues to rise (up 28% last year alone) as digital banking becomes the “new normal” for 99% of customer transactions.

Middle East and Africa

CORPORATE ACTIVITY

MTN Group has secured shareholder approval to spin off its Mobile Money (MoMo) business from MTN Uganda’s telecom operations. This is the first such separation within the pan-African telecom’s subsidiaries. The move, which MTN plans to replicate in other countries, is part of its “Ambition 2025” strategy to accelerate growth of its fintech and digital services. By structurally separating MoMo from the core GSM business, MTN aims to improve efficiency, scale, and service delivery for over 60 million active mobile money users across 16 African markets.