Fintech
Innovation in financial technology — digital payments, neobanks, blockchain, and more.
Saudi Central Bank Begins Licensing Fintechs to Provide Open Banking Services
The Saudi Central Bank has begun licensing fintech companies to provide open banking services, with Lean Technologies among the first two firms licensed.
Hamilton Labs Gets AXIAN Funding for Africa Stablecoin Push
US-based fintech Hamilton Labs, founded by Egyptian entrepreneurs, has secured undisclosed funding from AXIAN Investment to expand its USDh digital dollar stablecoin across Africa, offering yield-bearing dollar savings and payment tools.
Maybank Pioneers On-Chain MYR-SGD Tokenised Deposits Pilot
Malaysia's Maybank has completed its first on-chain transaction converting tokenised ringgit deposits to Singapore dollars for Yinson Holdings, showcasing near real-time cross-border payments via its permissioned blockchain.
Philippines' UNO Digital Bank Hits Break-Even in Feb 2026
UNO Digital Bank in the Philippines achieved operating break-even in February 2026, signaling a shift to sustainability after four years. The lender targets an active loan book of over PHP 10 billion by the end of 2026.
Pathward Joins American Fintech Council Board
The Sioux Falls-based national bank joins the AFC board to strengthen responsible innovation and expand financial access for underserved communities and businesses nationwide.
IFC Teams Up With Cashi to Boost Chad Digital Payments
The International Finance Corporation has partnered with Sudan-founded fintech Cashi to expand digital payments in Chad, targeting underserved areas with low-connectivity solutions.
UAE's Fuze and Miden Partner on Private Blockchain Banking
A strategic collaboration between UAE-regulated fintech Fuze and blockchain company Miden aims to solve institutional adoption barriers by combining privacy-preserving infrastructure with regulatory compliance for digital assets across emerging markets.
Zopa Eyes Northern Europe Acquisition for Expansion
SoftBank-backed UK fintech Zopa is scouting acquisitions in Germany or Scandinavia to build a continental foothold. CEO Jaidev Janardana said the company is searching “opportunistically” for targets while keeping its focus on UK growth.
Ghana, UK Launch Digital Corridor to Bridge $7B Trade Gap
Ghana and the UK have kicked off talks on a digital trade finance corridor via the Neofingo network, targeting the West African nation's $7 billion annual trade finance shortfall. The initiative promises to empower SMEs with shared digital tools for global trade.
Rhinebeck Bank Teams with MANTL for Faster Digital Onboarding
Rhinebeck Bank has partnered with MANTL, an Alkami solution, to streamline business and retail account opening across digital and physical channels. MANTL says consumers can open a deposit account on its platform in under five minutes.
Lean Technologies Becomes Saudi Arabia's First Licensed Open Banking Provider Under SAMA Authorisation
Lean Technologies has received a major payment institution licence from SAMA, making it the first licensed open banking provider in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Germany's Solaris Pivots to AI-Native Banking with SBI Backing
Germany's Solaris is cutting about 20% of staff as part of its plan to become "Europe's first AI-native bank", backed by majority owner SBI Group. New CEO Steffen Jentsch aims to automate processes with AI agents while humans oversee governance.