Latest news headlines: Finextra Research

Visa unveils agentic commerce and stablecoin plays

Visa has unveiled its plans for two of the next big things in payments: agentic commerce and stablecoins.

10 mins

Stablecoins could reach $3.7 trillion by 2030 - Citi

The changing regulatory landscape being driven by the Trump administration could see 2025 being blockchain's 'ChatGPT' moment and also drive huge growth in stablecoins, according to research from Citi.

10 mins

/identity

Google Wallet brings ID passes to the UK

Brits will soon be able to use their passports to create digital ID passes and store them in their Google Wallets.

10 mins

/ai

Persona raises $200m to build verified identity layer for an agentic AI world

Persona, the verified identify platform used by a host of fintechs, has raised $200 million at a $2 billion valuation.

10 mins

/retail

Revolut takes on mobile network operators

Not content with disrupting banking, Revolut is now taking on telecomms operators with the launch of Mobile Plans in a direct challenge to traditional network providers.

10 mins

/payments

Smarter, faster, still relevant: Experts weigh future of US payment systems

Nacha’s Smarter Faster Payments conference in New Orleans highlighted the growing momentum behind real-time payments, emphasising their transformative potential across commercial and technological verticals. Yet, amid this digital shift, sessions also acknowledged the enduring relevance of traditional rails like wire transfers, ACH, and even cheques - each facing its own modernisation challenges.

8 hours

/predictions

IFGS 2025: The next frontier of smart data

At IFGS 2025 in London, Edie Lush moderated a panel titled ‘The next frontier of smart data’, with Liz Brandt, CEO at Ctrl-Shift; Dan Scholey, CCO at Moneyhub; Gavin Starks, CEO and founder at Icebreaker One; Marie Walker, open futurist at Raidiam; and Milly Zimeta, head of digital and data policy at Which?. The question is focus being ‘How can the UK become the world's first smart data economy?’.

8 hours

/payments

UK Treasury Committee says shops might have to be forced to accept cash in the future

The UK's Treasury Committee has floated the idea of introducing legislation to force shops to accept cash in the future, warning that a lack of action from the Government to tackle declining cash acceptance could lead to a two-tier society with the most vulnerable bearing the cost.

13 hours

/security

Anti-scam hotline receives one million calls

More than a million calls have been made to an anti-scam service that gives people a memorable number to contact if they suspect they may be dealing with a fraudster.

14 hours

/payments

Finastra releases message transformation service for MT to ISO 20022 switch

Finastra has launched a message format translation service for banks switching from Swift MT messages to the new ISO 20022 MX standard.

14 hours

/ai

Banking’s safest job? AI roles jump 13% amid layoffs

The world’s biggest banks increased their artificial intelligence headcount by 13% over the last six months, with one in every 50 banking employee now working in an AI-specific role, according to a study.

19 hours

/inclusion

UK Post Office and banks ink new cash access deal

The UK's Post Office has signed a five-year partnership agreement with the country's banks and building societies to provide millions of people and small business with access to cash.

30 April 2025