Mesa Brings Home $24 Million in Funding

Mesa Brings Home $24 Million in Funding
  • Mesa has secured $24 million in strategic funding from Lowe’s, Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Trinity Capital, and other mortgage industry partners, bringing its total funding to over $33 million since its 2023 launch.
  • The Texas-based platform rewards homeowners through its fee-free Mesa Homeowners Credit Card and Mesa Mortgage, allowing members to earn points on mortgage payments, home-related spending, and everyday purchases.
  • Today’s funding will help Mesa accelerate growth by expanding product development, adding industry partners, and growing its team.

Mortgagetech company Mesa announced a $24 million funding round today. The investment comes from Lowe’s and Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, with Trinity Capital and other strategic mortgage lenders and servicers also participating.

Mesa is a homeowner membership platform launched in 2023 with a mission to make homeownership both more affordable and more rewarding. The Texas-based company has spent the past two years building a loyalty ecosystem centered on homeowners. At its core, Mesa offers two standout products:

  • The Mesa Homeowners Visa Credit Card
    The fee-free card allows homeowners to earn 1× Mesa Point for every $1 spent on their monthly mortgage (up to 100,000 points annually), as long as they spend a minimum of $1,000 per month. The card also offers 3× points on home‑related categories (such as home improvement, utilities, and even daycare); 2× points on groceries, gas, and EV charging; and 1× point on other purchases.
  • Mesa Mortgage
    The mortgage product helps users secure a new home loan or refinance their current loan to earn Mesa Points on the principal amount of their mortgage.

CEO and Founder Kelley Halpin said the funding comes at a time when homeowners face mounting financial pressures. “In today’s economy, homeowners are being hit from every angle—high interest rates, insurance premiums, and aging homes in need of repair. We must work across every part of the homeownership ecosystem to drive positive change,” said Mesa CEO and Founder Kelley Halpin. “Together, we’re building a platform that makes it easier for brands to reach this key consumer and puts a lot of value back in the homeowner’s pocket.”

The round boosts Mesa’s total funding to over $33 million since it was founded in 2023. The company will use the investment to fuel its growth by accelerating product development, signing on new partners across industries adjacent to homeownership, and hiring new employees.

“We are proud to partner with the team at Mesa as they work to redefine the homeownership experience,” said Trinity Managing Director of Asset Based Lending Steven Lambe. “Their innovative model not only rewards homeowners but also promotes long-term financial well-being for today’s homebuyers.”

Lowe’s and Paramount Residential Mortgage Group are joining the funding round as strategic investors. The addition of these strategic backers illustrates how Mesa operates at the intersection of financial services, retail, and the home improvement sector. Aligning with partners like these that are key to the homeowner journey will help Mesa expand its reach, enrich its rewards ecosystem, and deepen customer engagement.


Photo by Kelly

1Kosmos Raises $57 Million in Series B Funding for Identity-First Security

1Kosmos Raises $57 Million in Series B Funding for Identity-First Security
  • 1Kosmos has secured $57 million in Series B funding for its passwordless identity verification technology.
  • The company will use the investment, which includes a $10 million line of credit from Bridge Bank, to fuel product innovation, expand integrations with IAM, CIAM, PAM, and zero trust platforms, and accelerate global growth.
  • Today’s momentum comes amid recent achievements for the company, including FedRAMP High and Kantara certification, a $194.5 million Login.gov contract, and a Microsoft Entra ID integration.

Passwordless identity verification company 1Kosmos raised $57 million this week in a Series B round. The investment, which boosts the company’s total funding to $72 million, consists of a $10 million line of credit from Bridge Bank, as well as contributions from Forgepoint Capital and Origami’s Oquirrh Ventures, which led the round, and Craig Abod, NextEra Energy Ventures, Gula Tech Adventures, and the 1Kosmos management team.

“Identity has become the first step in the kill chain. This investment allows us to strengthen the proactive controls organizations need to prevent impersonation-based attacks—whether it’s a sophisticated hacking group or a state-sponsored developer hiding in plain sight,” said 1Kosmos CEO Hemen Vimadalal, noting the rise in impersonation-based attacks from sophisticated hacking groups and state-sponsored actors. “1Kosmos identity verification is the only practical solution that can be quickly deployed in a matter of hours to effectively combat this threat.”

1Kosmos will use the funds to advance product innovation; deepen technology integrations with identity and access management (IAM), customer identity and access management (CIAM), privileged access management (PAM), and zero trust platforms; and accelerate global expansion across North America, EMEA, and APAC.

Founded in 2018, 1Kosmos uses live biometrics to facilitate passwordless access for workers, customers, and citizens to digital services. The company’s BlockID platform creates a distributed digital identity that prevents identity impersonation, account takeover, and fraud while reducing friction. 1Kosmos’ technology performs millions of authentications each day for some of the largest banks, telecommunications, and healthcare organizations across the globe.

“The mission at 1Kosmos since its inception has stayed remarkably focused on providing individuals with a secure digital identity, one they control and use to prevent identity fraud when accessing digital services,” said Forgepoint Capital Managing Director Ernie Bio. “As the largest investor in the company, we are proud of their track record of innovation and delighted to see their accelerating growth.”

1Kosmos’ announcement comes amid a string of successes. Recent wins for the New Jersey-based company include:

  • Integrating its BlockID platform with Microsoft Entra ID for streamlined identity and access management.
  • Becoming the only full-service Kantara-certified credential service provider with FedRAMP High authorization, making it eligible for the US government’s most security-sensitive workloads.
  • Winning a 10-year, $194.5 million blanket purchase agreement, in partnership with Carahsoft, to supply identity proofing for Login.gov.

As organizations seek to eliminate passwords and reduce identity fraud, while improving the customer experience, 1Kosmos’ biometrics-driven approach positions it to capture the identity verification market. With fresh funding and new federal certifications, the Best of Show-winning company is aiming to scale quickly across North America, EMEA, and APAC.


Photo by George Becker

Stripe Taps EBANX to Facilitate Pix Payments in Brazil

Stripe Taps EBANX to Facilitate Pix Payments in Brazil
  • Stripe is expanding in Brazil with Pix integration via EBANX.
  • The move will enable Stripe’s business customers, as well as merchants using ecommerce platforms tied to Stripe, to accept the central bank’s instant payment system at checkout.
  • The partnership targets financial inclusion and growth, giving global merchants access to 60 million Brazilians without credit cards while allowing settlements in domestic currency.

Stripe is continuing its busy season this week. The California-based fintech has deepened its partnership with payment gateway company EBANX to expand the coverage of Brazilian payment methods.

The two unveiled this week that Stripe’s business customers can now offer Pix as a payment method. Pix is Brazil’s central bank–operated instant payment system that the country launched in November 2020 to modernize its retail payments. It enables real-time money transfers in Brazilian reais. The transactions are settled in seconds, available 24/7 (including weekends and holidays), and are designed for person-to-person, person-to-business, and even government transactions. Users send funds using simple Pix keys, such as a phone number, email address, or a QR code.

Brazil-based EBANX was founded in 2012 to help expand international ecommerce. The company combines its technology with market expertise and infrastructure to enable companies across the globe to offer hundreds of local payment methods and streamline cross-border payments.

Today’s collaboration will enable businesses that are directly integrated with Stripe and those with ecommerce management platforms that use Stripe to offer Pix at checkout. Adding the new payment method will expand merchants’ prospective clients in Brazil while making settlements available in their domestic currency.

“Our partnership with EBANX is important for increasing Stripe users’ reach in Brazil, Latin America’s largest market,” said Stripe global head for Expansion, Strategics, and Incubation Partnerships Krishnan Rajagopalan. “For global commerce today, enabling how customers pay is often just as important as what’s being sold. Customers prefer payment methods they know and trust, which directly impacts the bottom line. Our research found businesses on Stripe that offered at least one additional relevant payment method beyond cards grew revenue by 12% and improved conversion by 7% on average.”

EBANX estimates—based on data from the Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence (PCMI), the World Bank, and the Central Bank of Brazil—that offering a local payment option in cross-border transactions will enable global ecommerce companies to reach twice as many consumers in Brazil compared to relying solely on international acquirers. Over a six-month period, the data showed that merchants offering Pix experienced a 16% increase in revenue and a 25% growth in consumers.

“Working with Stripe to offer Pix is a no-brainer,” said EBANX CEO and Co-Founder JoĂŁo Del Valle. “There are 60 million people in Brazil who lack a credit card. Meanwhile, 93% of Brazilian adults use Pix and, by the end of this year, its usage is projected to surpass credit cards in online purchases, according to PCMI in EBANX’s study Beyond Borders 2025. Working together with Stripe ultimately empowers Brazilian consumers and businesses to participate more fully in the global economy.”

Stripe, which processed more than $1.4 trillion in total payment volume in 2024, has made two notable acquisitions recently, scooping up real-time payments platform Orum last month, user data API company Privy in June, and stablecoin platform Bridge in February.


Photo by Caio

The Latest Trends at FinovateFall 2025 May Not Be the Ones You Think

The Latest Trends at FinovateFall 2025 May Not Be the Ones You Think

We’ll have 60+ demos on stage at this year’s FinovateFall conference, taking place September 8 through 10 at the Marriott Marquis in New York. As always, the lineup blends first-time startups with established players, with all demos running on a single track. That concentrated view makes it easy to spot the patterns shaping bank roadmaps for the next 12 to 18 months.

To get a pulse on what trends lie ahead, we distilled common threads across this year’s demo companies. Below are the big themes to watch.

Agentic AI moves from pilots to production

If 2024 was about AI leveraging LLMs, 2025 is about agents that actually do the work. At FinovateFall 2025, we can expect live demos of AI agents that triage alerts, auto-draft responses, and fetch context across systems, with guardrails for compliance and trust. Look for Lyzr AI’s autonomous agents, WNSTN’s human-in-the-loop agents, Castellum.AI’s agents that clear L1 AML alerts, LemonadeLXP’s InsightAI for training and knowledge at scale, and Clarista’s productivity push.

Identity, authentication, and scam defense sharpen

Identity verification and step-up authentication continue to improve, especially now that they are paired with real-time scam and dispute tooling. Watch for ID-Pal, which combines identity verification and AML; Keyless, which offers passwordless biometrics replacing legacy OTP MFA; and LexisNexis Risk Solutions that will be showcasing IDVerse. AirKey leverages card rails to secure high-value transactions, while Charm Security and Quavo spotlight dynamic risk profiling and faster, more transparent dispute resolution.

Personalization and customer experience now come with measurable ROI

Technology to improve the customer experience is getting more predictive and robust. Vertice AI translates data into next-best-product recommendations, Mall IQ uses location intent for hyper-personalized engagement, WaveCX brings AI-powered support and documentation flows, and CollaborationRoom.ai re-creates the contact center virtually. Expect demos to quantify the increase in acquisition and retention.

Product launch without rip-and-replace

Banks want speed without having to completely take out their core. FintechOS will show how to create products and modernize experiences without swapping their core, ebankIT focuses on omni-channel orchestration, Chimney aligns data and automation to loan growth and digital engagement, and Appli adds AI-driven approvals and payment estimates.

Small business lending, portfolio growth, and risk ops

Small business lending remains a battleground in today’s post-COVID environment. Kaaj AI helps institutions deeply understand small-business needs and grow portfolios; Abacus unlocks the power of enterprise search to offer lenders valuable time savings and loan asset growth; and Conductiv uses data combined with AI to detect fraud, predict charge-offs, and safely increase approvals without lowering standards.

From wellness to wealth: deposits, planning, and advice

The wealthtech industry has accelerated from PFM technologies into engagement engines that grow not only balances, but also trust. Eko helps banks bring digital investing to everyone, BankingON’s Boucoup funnels parents and teens into new accounts, Gentreo meets families where they are with estate planning, and Zeplyn streamlines advisor workflows to help reduce manual tasks and surface growth opportunities.

What’s missing?

Two once-hot categories feel comparatively quieter on the demo stage this year:

  • Standalone AI as a theme
    Companies are no longer touting AI as a feature. This is not because the technology is absent, but because it’s everywhere. It’s baked into identity, customer experience, lending, operations, and training. This year, it is assumed that most solutions out there use AI. Companies now need to differentiate themselves by how outcomes are measured.
  • Consumer BNPL
    While BNPL is still growing, it is no longer cutting edge. These point-of-sale installments aren’t front-and-center like they were a few years ago.

FinovateFall isn’t just demos, but the demos offer a good preview of the storylines you’ll hear on stage: cybersecurity and financial crime, data-driven personalization, agentic AI in production, faster product launch without core swaps, and practical growth plays in deposits and SMB. We’ll see you in New York!


Photo by Alexandr Borecky

Digital Bank Grasshopper Bank Raises $46.6 Million

Digital Bank Grasshopper Bank Raises $46.6 Million
  • Grasshopper Bank raised $46.6 million in a funding round led by Patriot Financial Partners to support its April merger with Auto Club Trust SDB and expand its digital banking platform.
  • The investment was led by Patriot Financial Partners LP with additional participation from Glendon Capital Management.
  • The bank plans to scale its tech and broaden offerings, adding four new board members to help guide its next phase.

Digital small business bank Grasshopper Bank announced it landed a $46.6 million round of funding. The investment was led by Patriot Financial Partners LP with additional participation from Glendon Capital Management.

The digital bank will use the funds to support its merger with Auto Club Trust SDB, completed in April of this year. Following the deal, Grasshopper’s total assets grew 53% to $1.33 billion, its total deposits increased 81% to $2.37 billion, and its $961.8 million in loans were up 49% from December 31, 2024 to June 30, 2025.

The New York-based company also plans to use the investment to scale its technology and expand its product offerings to create digital banking solutions that meet its clients’ evolving needs.

“The backing from this seasoned group of investors is a powerful vote of confidence in our mission, our strategy, and our team,” said Grasshopper CEO Mike Butler. “We’re incredibly proud of the momentum we’ve built, and we’re just getting started. This capital gives us the opportunity to continue pushing boundaries, broaden our reach, and unlock new possibilities in how we deliver meaningful, future-ready digital banking experiences that meet people where they are and anticipate where they’re headed next.”

Grasshopper Bank was founded in 2016 as a full-service digital bank that tailors its products and services to specific industries, including small businesses, startups, venture capital, private equity firms, BaaS and commercial API platforms, lending, and white-labeled consumer banking.

“From the beginning, our vision has been to redefine what digital banking can do for entrepreneurs, modern businesses, and the ecosystem that supports them. With our recent acquisition, we are excited to expand that vision to serve consumers through our affinity banking partnership with The Auto Club Group,” added Butler.

In addition to the funding announcement, Grasshopper also revealed that it has added four new members to its board, including James Fitzgerald, retired former Chief Administrative and Chief Financial Officer of Eastern Bankshares Inc. and Eastern Bank; Brian Graham, co-founder and partner in the Klaros Group; Karen Solomon, a bank regulatory lawyer with more than three decades of experience spanning the public and private sectors; and John M. Surgent, Founder of GMS Surgent CPAs, Surgent Professional Education, and JM Surgent Capital.

2025 Finovate Awards Finalists Announced!

2025 Finovate Awards Finalists Announced!

The finalists are in! We have just announced the finalists of our 2025 Finovate Awards! Now in its seventh year, the Finovate Awards celebrate the best in fintech across a wide range of categories—from digital banking and payments to sustainability, AI, and consumer lending. The awards aim to spotlight the companies and individuals driving the future of financial services.

This year’s finalists represent a diverse mix of startups, established players, and forward-thinking financial institutions and individuals. There are 30 categories in this year’s awards, including Best Embedded Finance SolutionExecutive of the YearMost Impactful AI-Based Solution, Best Banking-as-a-Service Provider, plus many more.

The bar to become a finalist has never been higher. We saw a huge number of high-quality nominations, and that’s reflected in the quality of the finalists. Check out the list of organizations and individuals who made the cut. Congratulations to this year’s finalists!

What’s next?

Winners will be chosen by a panel of esteemed industry judges who will spend the next month deliberating. The winners will be unveiled on September 9 at FinovateFall in New York City. If you’re attending FinovateFall, you won’t want to miss it!

If you have any questions about the awards, please let us know [email protected].


Photo by Ivan Samkov

EverC Announces Merger with G2 Risk Solutions

EverC Announces Merger with G2 Risk Solutions

AI risk classification platform EverC revealed today that it is joining forces with G2 Risk Solutions (G2RS). The two are combining to pursue a collective mission to protect global digital payments and defend e-commerce from threats. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.

Moving forward, the two will leverage EverC’s AI capabilities and bring G2RS’s risk and compliance capabilities to the payments risk ecosystem. When the deal is finalized, the two companies will collectively serve most major payment providers across the globe, including banks, merchant acquirers, marketplaces, and online platforms.

EverC was founded in 2015 to help marketplaces and online sellers grow by bringing trust and security to the ecommerce ecosystem. The company combines AI with its expertise in risk intelligence, data science, fintech, payments, and financial risk. In addition to its Risk Insights solution, EverC also offers two products, MerchantView, a merchant onboarding and monitoring platform; and MaketView, an automated, AI-driven solution that identifies and eliminates hazardous, counterfeit, and illicit products in online marketplaces.

G2RS offers risk and compliance management for financial institutions and online platforms. The California-based company offers a suite of solutions covering merchant risk, digital commerce monitoring, transaction laundering detection, identity verification, bankruptcy risk, and regulatory data services. Founded in 1989, G2RS leverages data, analytics, and human-curated insights to help its clients navigate evolving regulatory landscapes and complex risk challenges. Today’s deal isn’t G2RS’s only change to its operations this year. In the first quarter, the company acquired WebShield owner ZignSec AB for an undisclosed amount.

“G2RS and EverC have long traveled toward the same North Star, safeguarding digital commerce and the people who depend on it,” said G2RS CEO Brian Longe. “We move forward as one team with a shared vision to redefine what market leadership looks like in the merchant risk space. Leveraging each other’s strengths as a unified force on a singular track, we will accelerate to deliver faster, smarter business outcomes and solutions for our clients and the global digital economy. We’re poised to achieve more together than we ever could apart, aligned in our commitment to root out fraud and illegal activities and help our customers grow with confidence and integrity.”

Logistically, Longe will serve as CEO of the combined company, while EverC CEO Ariel Tiger will serve as an adviser through the end of the year as the companies transition into a single entity. Employees of both companies will continue to operate globally with offices in the US, Europe, India, and Israel.

“We share a purpose to stop the increasingly sophisticated global threats from bad actors who seek to exploit the payments ecosystem,” said Tiger. “With our two teams working together, our impact can be exponential. This elevates our game in every facet of the business, pushing the envelope technologically and setting new standards for merchant portfolio performance.”

At FinovateFall 2021, EverC demoed how MerchantView helps mitigate transaction laundering by identifying illicit activity in order to help clients reduce and avoid fines, maintain regulatory compliance, and protect their brand.


Photo by DS stories

Cloud Data Services Firm Wix Launches Financial Services Suite

Cloud Data Services Firm Wix Launches Financial Services Suite
  • Wix launched two new embedded financial tools, Wix Checking and Wix Capital, to help small businesses streamline their finances and access their capital directly from the Wix platform.
  • Wix Checking integrates with Wix Payments to offer a free business checking account with a debit card and real-time financial insights.
  • Wix Capital provides merchant cash advances as an alternative financing option.

Small business owners often have to toggle among multiple platforms to manage their finances, from payment processors to bank accounts to loan providers. Website building platform Wix is seeking to simplify this. The Israel-based company unveiled a new financial services suite this week, launching two new solutions, Wix Checking and Wix Capital.

The two new tools help eligible businesses manage cash flow and fund growth, streamline their finances, and access capital in order to help them focus on their business.

Wix tapped embedded finance company Unit to power Wix Checking to offer a fully integrated business checking account directly within the Wix platform. The free checking account offers a real-time view of the business’ cash flow and performance, allowing them to access their funds, track revenue, and view outgoing expenses in a single place in order to make more informed business decisions.

The new checking account syncs with Wix Payments, the company’s payment acceptance tool. This integration eliminates the need for businesses to conduct manual reconciliations or use third-party tools. Merchants can access their funds with the Wix business debit card and they also have the option to transfer funds into an external bank account.

Wix has partnered with Lincoln Savings Bank, which will be providing banking products and services, including issuing the Visa debit card.

The other new tool launched, Wix Capital, is a Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) service embedded into the Wix platform that offers a faster, more accessible alternative financing tool for organizations that have had difficulty securing financing from traditional banks. To access working capital, a business can request a cash advance for a fixed fee plus a percentage of future sales.

“With Wix Checking and Wix Capital, we’re giving users a complete financial solution built into the platform they already use,” said Wix Payments Co-Heads Amit Sagiv and Volodymyr Tsukur. “It’s fast, simple, and designed to help small businesses access their money and fuel growth—all in one place. This is part of our broader commitment to supporting the full journey of business ownership, from managing day-to-day operations to making smarter financial decisions.”

Wix’s move further underscores how companies outside of the fintech sector have the opportunity to offer financial services thanks to the power of embedded finance. In Wix’s case, integrating financial tools directly into its platform will allow its business clients to manage their operations and finances from a single interface.

The move also helps Wix compete with Square, which offers a similar suite of integrated financial services including Square Banking and Square Capital. As more platforms embed financial tools directly into their ecosystems, the lines between fintechs and SaaS companies will blur as they help small businesses to offer faster, simpler access to money management tools.

Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News

Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News

August has arrived, which means we have just five months left to complete our 2025 goals. Given some of the recent regulatory shakeups, perhaps it’s time to adjust your goals to fit new objectives, as well. Will this month bring any more changes? Here’s a look at the latest fintech news this week. We’ll continue adding news to this post throughout the week, so stay tuned!

Payments

Blink Payment taps Cashflows as acquiring partner.

GoCardless launches industry-leading AI tool for faster, more reliable same-day payments.

Tax

Blue J announces $122 million in Series D funding led by Oak HC/FT and Sapphire Ventures.

Insurtech

Insuritas partners with $1 billion credit union to serve their 68,000 Members with embedded full-service insurance agency.

Financial data

Daloopa closed on its $18 million Series B for its AI-powered fundamental and historical data source.

Lending

Carrington Labs teams up with DigiFi to integrate cash flow underwriting and credit risk solutions directly into DigiFi’s platform.

HSLC taps Vine for AI-powered commercial lending.

LendingClub and BlackRock partner on loan transactions up to $1 billion.

Digital banking

Credit Sesame teams up with Green Dot to power its new digital banking service.

Saudi Arabia’s Bank Albilad selects Intellect Design Arena to enhance its cash management operations.

Crypto and Defi

Ripple announces its acquisition of Toronto, Canada-based stablecoin payments platform Rail for $200 million.


Photo by Boris Pavlikovsky

Gifting Bitcoin: Fold and Blackhawk Network Launch Crypto Gift Card for Everyday Shoppers

Gifting Bitcoin: Fold and Blackhawk Network Launch Crypto Gift Card for Everyday Shoppers
  • Fold has partnered with Blackhawk Network (BHN) to distribute its Bitcoin Gift Card, expanding consumer access to bitcoin through BHN’s large retail gift card network.
  • The Fold Bitcoin Gift Card allows users to gift bitcoin without technical knowledge.
  • The Bitcoin Gift Cards are currently available at select online retailers and will soon be available both online and in physical retail stores.

Bitcoin personal finance app Fold announced that it is tying up with gift card and incentives platform Blackhawk Network (BHN) this week. Under the agreement, BHN will distribute the Fold Bitcoin Gift Card.

The distribution agreement is expected to increase mainstream consumers’ access to bitcoin by bringing the cryptocurrency into everyday commerce. Leveraging BHN’s retail distribution network will give Fold the opportunity to increase user and transaction growth.

“At BHN, we understand that consumers today expect more flexibility in how they give and store value, and cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are becoming part of that equation,” said BHN GVP of Global Commerce Jennifer Philo. “Fold exemplifies the kind of forward-looking partner BHN is proud to support—they are creating products that bring bitcoin into the center of how consumers engage with money and build long-term value. By bringing the Fold Bitcoin Gift Card into our expansive retail ecosystem, we’re delivering yet another practical, accessible way for shoppers nationwide to embrace cryptocurrency by helping them earn, save, and spend smarter.”

Fold opted to use BHN, a branded payments provider that was founded in 2001 and now has a global footprint of more than 400,000 consumer touchpoints, including top retailers, e-commerce platforms, loyalty programs and enterprise rewards. Fold’s launch of its Bitcoin Gift Card within this network will make it one of the most broadly distributed bitcoin gift products in the US market.

The card is already available on select online platforms, and Fold plans to add more online retailers in the coming weeks. The two are planning to make the cards available in brick-and-mortar retailer stores later this year.

Fold launched its Bitcoin Gift Card in May of 2025. The Atlanta, Georgia-based company allows consumers to gift bitcoin via gift cards, without requiring technical knowledge or a crypto wallet. Gift card recipients can redeem their gift card through the Fold App.

“Until now, bitcoin was difficult for the average person to access, let alone share,” said Fold Chairman and CEO Will Reeves. “By making bitcoin available as a gift card, we’re opening access to the millions of consumers who already buy, send, and use gift cards. This isn’t about novelty. It’s about meeting people where they are and integrating bitcoin into the financial tools and channels they already understand. We’re building infrastructure for everyday adoption. BHN gives us that path into mainstream retail, opening access to bitcoin across the $300 billion US gift card market, something the ecosystem has struggled with for over a decade.”


Photo by cottonbro studio

Cash App Launches Group Payments Feature Called Pools

Cash App Launches Group Payments Feature Called Pools
  • Cash App launched Pools, a new tool that lets users plan, contribute to, and track group payments for shared expenses.
  • Participants can contribute via Cash App, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, helping organizers avoid fronting costs and simplifying collection across different payment methods.
  • Pools is part of Cash App’s broader move toward becoming a full-service, socially driven digital banking platform, especially for younger users.

Block-owned Cash App launched a new peer-to-peer (P2P) payment tool called Pools this week. The new group payments feature makes it easy for users to manage payments and track shared goals in a single place.

With Pools, users can make contributions to do things like plan a vacation with friends, chip in on a joint gift, or reimburse friends for a group dinner. The new tool allows group members to plan, collect, and track contributions to a shared expense before the event occurs. Because the expense is shared before the transaction occurs, no single person has to front the entire cost.

The organizer starts a group by creating a name, setting a goal amount, and inviting members to join the pool. Once the group is created, the organizer can track the group’s contributions, which helps remove unnecessary logistics and brings clarity to the amount each person has (or has not) contributed. Once the organizer is ready to close the pool, they can transfer the money into their Cash App balance.

Pools also helps in situations where participants have varying payment preferences. Organizers can not only invite members in-app via their $cashtag, but can also text or share a link to members, who can make a contribution using Apple Pay or Google Pay.

“Cash App has always made sending money between friends and family feel effortless, and we know that many of our customers already use the platform as a way to collect payments from groups,” said Cash App Head of Product Design Cameron Worboys. “With Pools, our customers now have a dedicated, easy-to-use solution for group payments: they can start a pool to collect the money in seconds, and then instantly transfer the funds to their Cash App balance when it’s time to pay.”

Cash App was founded by Block (then known as Square) in 2013. At the time, Cash App most directly competed with Braintree’s Venmo. Twelve years on, Cash App still has its roots in peer-to-peer payments, but has since diversified into a more robust digital banking platform that enables users to hold funds, deposit their paychecks, spend their money using a QR code or cash, invest, manage their Bitcoin, and file their taxes. With more than 57 million monthly active users in its network, Cash App plans to introduce more group features and services in the coming months.

“For younger customers in particular, managing money is often an inherently social experience that requires extensive discussion, planning, and collaboration between groups. Combining the scale of Cash App’s network with our robust suite of banking and commerce tools, we’re excited to introduce new solutions tailored to the next generation and their financial lives,” added Worboys.

Pools is currently available to a select group of Cash App customers. The company is planning to make it more broadly available in the coming months with an aim to reach all Cash App customers.

Cash App’s launch of Pools reflects the company’s shift from simple money transfers to a more social, full-stack financial experience. As users increasingly treat money as a shared experience, tools like Pools show how fintech is adapting to a more shared, communal economy.


Photo by Sarah Schorer

Palo Alto Networks to Acquire ID Security Company CyberArk

Palo Alto Networks to Acquire ID Security Company CyberArk
  • Palo Alto Networks is acquiring identity security company CyberArk for $25 billion.
  • The deal marks Palo Alto Networks’ first major move into the identity space as threats from AI-generated attacks and synthetic identities increase.
  • The deal will integrate CyberArk’s privileged access management tools into Palo Alto’s AI-driven platforms, expanding protection to human, machine, and AI agent identities under a unified security architecture.

Palo Alto Networks announced plans to acquire CyberArk this week. The Massachusetts-based identity security company agreed to be acquired for approximately $25 billion.

The deal will bring CyberArk’s privileged access management (PAM) and identity security technology into Palo Alto Networks’ existing AI-powered security platforms, marking the California-based company’s first entry into the identity space. Combining the expertise of the two organizations, Palo Alto Networks will extend identity protection to all identity types, including human, machine, and autonomous AI agents.

For CyberArk, the new backing will help to establish itself as an identity security platform by driving better combined security outcomes.

“Our market entry strategy has always been to enter categories at their inflection point, and we believe that moment for Identity Security is now,” said Palo Alto Networks Chairman and CEO Nikesh Arora. “This strategy has guided our evolution from a next-gen firewall company into a multi-platform cybersecurity leader. Today, the rise of AI and the explosion of machine identities have made it clear that the future of security must be built on the vision that every identity requires the right level of privilege controls, not the ‘IAM fallacy’. CyberArk is the definitive leader in Identity Security with durable, foundational technology that is essential for securing the AI era. Together, we will define the next chapter of cybersecurity.”

The deal comes at a time when identity and security are converging, especially as gathering credentials for both human and machine identities such as AI agents begins to challenge traditional security frameworks. The integration of CyberArk’s Identity Security Platform with Palo Alto Networks will provide a single solution to help eliminate security gaps; extend identity management to ensure the right level of privilege controls is applied to every identity, which includes humans, machines, and even agents; and help enforce just-in-time access and least privilege principles to ensure that AI agents are granted only the permissions they need.

Palo Alto Networks was founded in 2005 and has since provided more than 70,000 organizations across the globe with solutions across network, cloud, and security operations. The transaction has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both Palo Alto Networks and CyberArk, and is expected to close in the second half of 2026.

This deal marks a notable shift in cybersecurity, as it signals that identity security is no longer an add-on, but it is rather a central piece of the future of threat prevention. As organizations rely more on cloud infrastructure, machine-to-machine communication, and AI-driven operations, identity should be front and center. Palo Alto Networks’ move to integrate CyberArk’s technology doesn’t just add another product line, but instead redefines cybersecurity architecture around identity as the new perimeter.

The move also comes at a time when banks are fighting deepfake identity images at onboarding, struggling to distinguish synthetic identities created by AI from real images, and facing pressure to secure machine-to-machine communications. Each of these elements highlight the growing need for stronger identity verification and privilege management across both human and non-human users.


Photo by Brett Sayles