Pix, Please - Pay Later
Future of Fintech - Edition #160 (8th - 14th April, 2025)
Hola fintech nerds — the pipes have been busy. This week was light on noise, and heavy on substance. Fintech’s rewiring itself to serve better, not just scale bigger.
✔️ Payroll meets purpose
✔️ Open rails find new homes
✔️ Crypto sheds its suit for sneakers
Let’s explore where the signal’s pointing this week »
And speaking of deeper shifts…
Crypto players are quietly stitching together the next layer of infrastructure. Across trading, custody, stablecoins, and even on-chain attribution, the focus is on owning more of the stack—not just building on top of it.
This wave of acquisitions points to four strategic plays:
📍 Tighter vertical control
From issuance to settlement, firms want to control the flow of assets without relying on third parties or fragmented tooling.
📍 Distribution through diversification
By picking up platforms in adjacent segments, companies are broadening their offerings and meeting institutional demand across asset classes.
📍 Infrastructure as a margin play
Owning core systems—from stablecoin rails to algorithmic trading engines—improves economics and operational leverage at scale.
📍 Positioning for the next cycle
These moves aren’t short-term bets. They’re designed to anchor firms deeper in the value chain ahead of a more mature crypto market.
What we’re seeing is less about expansion and more about consolidation with purpose. The foundations are being set. The next cycle will build on top of this 👇
🔗We’ve broken it down further on LinkedIn — jump in here.
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What’s on the fintech menu today?
🌟 Fintech Fiesta: The Week's Hot 10!
🌐 ‘Byte’ Buzz: Fintech highlights, sorted by segment!
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The Week's Hot 10!♨️🔟
Inclusion in Action
⤷ Nubank launched the Worker's Credit—a payroll-deducted loan with low rates for Brazil's formally employed, aiming to expand affordable credit.
⤷ Yapily and Allica Bank are enabling SMEs to top up accounts directly from bank apps via open banking rails, simplifying access to working capital.
Global Money, Local Rules
⤷ Revolut secured RBI approval to launch digital wallets and UPI-based payment interfaces in India, unlocking domestic payments for global users.
⤷ Xoom and Tenpay Global now allow remittances from the U.S., Canada, and Europe to flow directly into Weixin Pay wallets in China, streamlining international transfers.
Crypto Goes Practical
⤷ Standard Chartered and OKX launched a collateral mirroring program, allowing institutions to use crypto and tokenized assets as off-exchange collateral.
⤷ Mastercard and Kraken partnered to enable crypto payments across Europe, letting users spend digital assets with millions of merchants.
Building at Speed
⤷ Toqio unveiled a Design Studio that lets businesses spin up embedded finance solutions in under 16 weeks.
⤷ Paysend and Tink partnered to level up global open banking payments, speeding up integration for developers and businesses alike.
Flexible by Default
⤷ Affirm and Shopify expanded Shop Pay Installments globally, starting in Canada and heading to Europe and Australia.
⤷ Pix Parcelado, launching in Brazil in September 2025, will allow consumers to split payments via Pix while merchants receive full upfront settlement.
Now, for the ‘byte’-sized fintech buzz –
Embedded finance is stretching beyond payments, quietly weaving protection and perks into everyday purchases.
Cover Genius expanded its partnership with Luxury Escapes to introduce "Cancellation Protection," an embedded travel insurance product offering full refunds for various unforeseen events. This initiative aims to provide travelers with greater flexibility and confidence in their bookings.
Klarna partnered with Canadian retailer Aritzia to provide interest-free payment options across Canada and the U.S. This collaboration aims to enhance customer purchasing flexibility and expand Klarna's presence in North America.
Banking-as-a-Service startup Solid, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to funding challenges and ongoing litigation. The company seeks to restructure or sell its assets while continuing operations during the process.
Open finance is quietly upgrading the pipes—making global transfers and crypto moves smoother by design.
Neonomics and Finnish fintech Ovoro partnered to integrate Nello Pay, Neonomics' open banking payment solution, into Ovoro's crypto platform. This collaboration aims to streamline crypto transactions across the Nordics.
CurrencyFair partnered with open banking platform Tell Money to enhance its global money transfer services. This collaboration aims to provide customers with faster, more secure, and transparent cross-border payment experiences.
Digital finance is settling in as your smarter sidekick—handling savings, salaries, and home dreams in one sweep.
Revolut announced plans to allow users to open Belgian bank accounts starting May 2025. This move aims to provide local IBANs to Belgian customers, facilitating salary deposits and access to savings products.
GXS Bank launched the GXS Reno Club, offering renovation loans starting at 1.88% per annum and additional savings incentives. This initiative aims to provide flexible financing options for homeowners in Singapore.
Fintech Infrastructure is getting a major upgrade—more capital, more coverage, and smarter tools behind the scenes.
Fiserv acquired Australian payment facilitator Pinch Payments, known for its PayFac enablement tools and the "Glassbox" management platform. This acquisition aims to strengthen Fiserv's service offerings and expand its merchant base across the Asia-Pacific region.
Bengaluru-based Juspay raised $60M in Series D funding. The funds will be utilized to expand Juspay's global operations, scale its open-source platform Hyperswitch, and enhance AI-driven payment innovations.
DeFi is blending into the mainstream - merging back-office muscle with regulatory moves that speak the bank's language.
Ripple agreed to acquire prime brokerage firm Hidden Road for $1.25B. This acquisition aims to integrate Hidden Road's post-trade operations into the XRP Ledger, enhancing Ripple's institutional DeFi capabilities and expanding the use of its RLUSD stablecoin.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority released new guidelines for authorized institutions offering virtual asset staking services. The guidelines focus on risk management and operational controls, aiming to ensure consumer protection and financial stability.
And that's a wrap 👋
We hope you enjoyed this edition of the Weekly Fintech Brew!
As a reward for making it this far, enjoy a curated list of awesome fintech resources to keep your curiosity cuppa full to the brim. Cheers to continuous learning!
🔗 Link Up! –
How the “3 Opens” Will Redefine Digital Payments in Africa 2025 Report - Agpaytech
State of Fintech Q1’25 Report - CB Insights
Navigating Crypto: Industry Map Report - Binance
The Hong Kong Report Fintech Ecosystem Report - Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), HKUST Business School, the FinTech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK), and the Financial Services Development Council (FSDC)
The State of Embedded Finance (Q1 2025) Report - WhiteSight
The State of Digital Finance (Q1 2025) Report - WhiteSight
If you're someone who likes to read think pieces, you will likely love our monthly blog, Fintersections, where our team members analyse the convergence of fintech with the world.
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