Payments
China prepares commercial launch of mBridge cross-border payments platform
China is preparing to take the central bank digital currency platform mBridge into commercial use, the Financial Times reported, with fees about half those of traditional networks.
Zelle plans US-to-India payments by the end of 2026 and unveils ZelleUSD stablecoin
Zelle said US consumers will be able to send money to family and friends in India, with availability expected before the end of 2026, and unveiled a dollar-backed stablecoin for other markets.
PayInc index falls to seven-month low as South Africa's economy slows
The PayInc Economic Index dropped 2.1% month on month to 102.6 in May, its lowest level since November 2025, as higher inflation, fuel costs and a rate hike weighed on activity.
RippleX launches XRPL AI Starter Kit to enable agentic payments
RippleX launched the XRPL AI Starter Kit, a developer toolkit aimed at enabling AI agents to make transactions, pay for services, and settle value on the XRP Ledger.
Mastercard launches Agent Pay for Machines service to automate business payments
Mastercard launched Agent Pay for Machines, a service that let businesses use AI agents and software systems to execute automated payments under predefined rules and limits for programmatic transactions.
Thunes opens New York office to expand US payments business
Thunes opened a New York office in Union Square to support cross-border payouts for American businesses, using capital from its $150 million Series D to expand its US footprint alongside existing operations in San Francisco and Atlanta.
Araxi shows it is on good footing in South Africa for FY 2027
CEO Bradley Sacks said Araxi's Halo Dot offering, which, as an Apple gateway service provider, enabled the May 2026 launch of Tap to Pay on iPhone in South Africa, left the firm on a really good footing going into FY 2027.
OpenWay and Visa partner to accelerate APAC banks' payment product launches
OpenWay and Visa collaborated to support selected Visa payment products on OpenWay's Way4 platform, enabling banks, processors and fintechs across Asia Pacific to bring new payment products to market faster.
DBS enables Singapore users to top up Weixin Pay RMB wallets
DBS enabled Singaporeans, Permanent Residents and foreigners residing in Singapore to transfer funds to Weixin Pay through DBS Remit on digibank, allowing them to fund the RMB e-wallet used in Weixin and WeChat.
Maplerad CEO says fragmentation slows Africa’s cross-border payments and commerce
Maplerad founder and CEO Obinna Chukwujioke said in a Nairametrics interview that fragmented cross-border payments slowed Africa’s digital economy and that interoperability would determine regional e-commerce success.
China and Russia's shift from the dollar exposes payment frictions, banker says
China and Russia had largely shifted bilateral trade settlement out of the US dollar, but cross-border payment bottlenecks persisted as Chinese banks managed exposure to US sanctions, Sberbank first deputy chairman Alexander Vedyakhin said, according to the South China Morning Post.
Visa India signs Shah Rukh Khan, launches Infinitely More campaign and Visa.co.in platform
Visa India signed film star Shah Rukh Khan and launched Visa.co.in under the Infinitely More campaign, offering curated lifestyle benefits and rewards for eligible cardholders targeting affluent Indian consumers.