Mastercard Launches Stablecoin Acceptance and Payments Capabilities

Mastercard Launches Stablecoin Acceptance and Payments Capabilities
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Daily news, MasterCard
  • Mastercard is enabling global stablecoin payments, allowing consumers and merchants to use stablecoins like cash using Mastercard’s network of merchant locations.
  • The launch is powered by Mastercard Crypto Credential and Mastercard Move, ensuring secure, compliant blockchain transactions and seamless conversion between stablecoins and bank accounts.
  • The new stablecoin payments capabilities are made possible by partnerships with major crypto partners like MetaMask, Binance, and OKX.

Stablecoins are going mainstream, and Mastercard wants to lead the charge. The payments company announced this week that it is launching global stablecoin acceptance and payments capabilities in order to allow consumers and businesses to use stablecoins as easily as the money in their bank accounts.

The new capabilities will allow Mastercard to ensure that people can make and receive stablecoin payments at any time of day, in any geography. Key to this launch is Mastercard Crypto Credential, which ensures secure, compliant, and user-friendly blockchain transactions by verifying user identities and metadata.

“When it comes to blockchain and digital assets, the benefits for mainstream use cases are clear,” said Mastercard Chief Product Officer Jorn Lambert. “To realize its potential, we need to make it as easy for merchants to receive stablecoin payments and for consumers to use them. We believe in the potential of stablecoins to streamline payments and commerce across the value chain. Unlocking this is core to how we navigate the rapidly changing world, giving people and businesses the freedom they want by providing the choices they deserve.”

The payments company is leveraging partnerships with MetaMask, Kraken, Gemini, Bybit, Crypto.com, Binance, Monavate, and Bleap to offer consumers many of the same benefits they enjoy when paying with their credit cards. For example, customers in the crypto ecosystem can earn rewards, pay, and spend the stablecoins in their crypto wallets using their traditional payment cards at the over 150 million merchant locations that accept Mastercard payments across the globe. Customers can also withdraw stablecoins into their bank accounts with Mastercard Move.   

Mastercard Move is the company’s comprehensive suite of money movement solutions designed to facilitate fast, secure, and flexible payments across channels. It enables individuals and businesses to send and receive funds globally through methods such as person-to-person transfers, business disbursements, and cross-border payments. Mastercard Move is particularly beneficial for crypto users as it allows them to seamlessly withdraw stablecoins into traditional bank accounts, bridging the gap between digital assets and traditional financial systems.

Mastercard is also partnering with crypto exchange platform OKX to launch the OKX Card, as well as with Nuvei, Circle, and Paxos to give merchants the option to receive their payments in stablecoins.

“OKX is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of digital assets,” said OKX Chief Marketing Officer Haider Rafique. “Our strategic partnership with Mastercard to launch the OKX Card reflects our commitment to making digital finance more accessible, practical, and relevant to everyday life. Together, we’re taking a significant step toward integrating stablecoins into daily transactions and creating richer experiences—while bringing new users on-chain through OKX’s leadership in crypto trading and our growing Web3 ecosystem.”

The stablecoin scene has been erupting this year. Not only have stablecoins been granted more regulatory clarity in the US, but they have also seen more mainstream institutional adoption, retail integration, and cross-chain interoperability, making them more easily transferrable across ecosystems. Additionally, they are used as a payments rail for smart contracts and tokenized assets, both of which have experienced recent growth.

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Implementing AI in Your Organization: Three Key Steps in Your Journey

Implementing AI in Your Organization: Three Key Steps in Your Journey
By Lili Nguyen Posted on
Categories: Sponsored

This article is sponsored by Intelygenz.

Successfully integrating AI into core business services isn’t a straightforward approach—this requires strategic foresight into AI and how it best aligns with business, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.

Putting this into action and delivering AI solutions can drive real impact, especially for those in the financial industry. At Intelygenz, we personalize services for our customers, automate their manual operations, and improve efficiencies. We work through the whole AI project lifecycle, conceptualizing, developing, deploying, and maintaining custom AI solutions that solve real business problems. All of which are reshaping how financial institutions operate by enhancing their client interactions and uncovering new market opportunities.

However, AI is not as simple as flipping a switch. According to a Gartner research, only 15% of AI solutions deployed by 2022 will be successful, let alone create ROI positive value. The path from implementation to achieving measurable ROI can feel complex and daunting. Identifying the right solutions, navigating the complexities of AI, and ensuring AI initiatives deliver measurable ROI have often led financial institutions to a standstill when it comes to their AI implementation.

With over two decades of expertise in machine learning and AI, we’ve helped financial institutions unlock the potential of AI to deliver real business value. Here, we outline three key lessons to keep in mind as you start your AI implementation process.

1. Align AI With Your Business and Change Management Strategy

The most successful AI initiatives start with a clear alignment to your business goals. Instead of jumping into technology innovations, identify the core challenges your organization is facing and determine how AI can address them. Are you looking to reduce operational costs? Improve customer retention? Prevent fraud? Only then should you consider which AI solutions will address these challenges.

Actively involve key stakeholders, including leadership and operational teams, during the implementation phase. This collaborative approach ensures that everyone understands the strategy, leading to smoother implementation and better ROI.

It’s integral that you invest in training and communication to help employees adopt AI tools with confidence, so they become champions of the technology rather than resistors.

2. Make Sure to Implement AI Safely

While the potential of AI-powered solutions in finance are vast, the risks are equally significant. Financial organizations deal with highly sensitive information and operate in tightly regulated environments. Implementing AI safely is non-negotiable.

The finance industry is a signifier of importance when it comes to balancing innovation and compliance. AI systems within finance that automate credit scoring or detect fraudulent activities must adhere to strict regulations and industry-specific requirements. Before adoption, ensure that your AI solutions meet ethical guidelines, operational standards, and legal compliance.

Another critical consideration is explainability. Stakeholders, from board members to customers, need clarity on how AI systems get to their conclusions. Choose solutions that incorporate transparency tools, such as explainable AI models, so you can maintain trust while also fulfilling regulatory requirements.

3. Have Confidence in Proof of Concepts (PoCs)

AI is advancing rapidly, and businesses that hesitate to move beyond pilot projects risk missing out on its full potential. To maximize ROI, you must scale your first steps into AI with a fully integrated, organization-wide solution.

While pilot projects allow you to test AI solutions on a small scale, their impact remains limited without transitioning to full-scale deployment. Leading organizations are fast-tracking this process, transforming successful PoCs into actionable, large-scale AI systems. This shift enables businesses to get ahead of their competition, enhance profitability, and reduce costs.

Implementing AI successfully into your financial organization involves more than just an interest in emerging technologies. It requires alignment with your unique business strategy, identifying your challenges as well as having ROI in the forefront of your mind.

At Intelygenz, we bring over 20 years of experience to the table, with a proven process that streamlines AI adoption, from scoping opportunities to rapid experimentation, so you can unlock value quickly and deliver ROI faster. We’re committed to helping financial institutions unlock the true potential of AI.

Want to learn more about this topic? Join us at our presentation at FinovateSpring on May 7th at 2:45pm to explore real-life examples and strategies for implementing transformative AI. Find out more here.

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FinovateSpring 2025 Sneak Peek Series: Part 7

By Madeline Clines Posted on
Categories: Auditive, Bolder Money, Contour, FinovateSpring 2025, FinovateSpring 2025 Sneak Peek, Hyperdesk, Invesst, OnestPay, Stack AI

A look at the companies demoing at FinovateSpring in San Diego on May 7 – 9. Register today using this link and save 20%.

Auditive

Auditive allows financial institutions to onboard third parties or vendors 4x faster while monitoring risk confidently and continuously.

Features

  • Measures third-party risk
  • Monitors risk continuously
  • Showcases vendor risk posture
  • Processes RFPs faster

Who’s it for?

Financial institutions, banks, and credit unions.

Bolder Money

Bolder Money helps banks become leaders in the relationship banking revolution with an easy-to-implement, all-in-one platform that meets customer needs.

Features

  • Provides personalized, step by step financial guidance
  • Offers real-time insights on balances and spending
  • Delivers product recommendations in the moment of need

Who’s it for?

Community banks and credit unions.

Contour

Contour delivers remarkably human AI voice and chat assistants to handle complex customer inquiries 24/7, reducing support costs while improving customer satisfaction.

Features

  • Provides human-sounding voice interactions 24/7, eliminating IVR menus and hold times
  • Takes real actions to auto-resolve customer issues
  • Securely integrates with existing systems for easy deployment

Who’s it for?

Banks, credit unions, and consumer fintechs.

Hyperdesk

Hyperdesk is an AI sales agent and CRM that finds and qualifies local business leads for banks so that their teams can close more deals, faster.

Features

  • An AI sales agent that finds leads for users
  • A search engine that helps banks pull in more leads
  • An AI-first CRM purpose-built for banks

Who’s it for?

Banks and credit unions that offer business lending.

Invesst

Invesst compresses hours of research into minutes, automating analysis, valuation, memo creation and more for investors, analysts, and advisors desiring speed, precision, and freedom from terminals.

Features

  • Unifies brokerages, APIs, and market data into one compliant AI platform
  • Automates up to 70% of investment research workflows

Who’s it for?

Investors, analysts, financial advisors, research teams, RIAs, asset managers, hedge funds, fintech platforms, and firms.

OnestPay

OnestPay™ is a next-gen payment system replacing gift cards with flexible merchant credits—buy at a discount, earn bonuses, and use, gift, trade or pool credits online or in-store.

Features

  • Customers save with discounts and flexible use of credits
  • Merchants boost revenue, cut fees, and control loyalty
  • Both gain a smarter, more rewarding payment experience

Who’s it for?

SMBs, retail chains, banks, fintechs, consumers, nonprofits, and loyalty providers.

Stack AI

Stack AI is an enterprise platform allowing organizations to build and deploy autonomous AI agents for customer support, data analysis, workflow automation, and other tasks.

Features

  • Build AI agents quickly with no-code tools
  • Automate workflows across departments
  • Secure deployment with enterprise-grade compliance

Who’s it for?

Any enterprise looking to automate workflows.

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Trust & Will Raised $4.5 Million from Credit Union Collective Curql

Trust & Will Raised $4.5 Million from Credit Union Collective Curql
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Credit Unions, Funding, Trust & Will
  • Digital estate planning company Trust & Will raised $4.5 in funding from credit union collective Curql.
  • The investment takes the company’s Series C round total to $32 million.
  • San Diego, California-based Trust & Will won Best of Show in its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023 in New York.

Digital estate planning innovator Trust & Will secured an investment of $4.5 million from collaborative credit union ecosystem, Curql. The funding adds to the company’s Series C funding round, announced last month, bringing the total raised to $32 million.

“This partnership with Curql is incredibly meaningful, not just strategically, but personally,” Trust & Will CEO and Founder Cody Barbo said. “Curql represents a network of mission-driven credit unions committed to innovation, member service, and values that deeply align with ours. From our first credit union partnership in 2018 to today, we’ve seen the power of integrating estate planning into holistic financial wellness. This investment validates the work we’ve done and accelerates our ability to scale solutions that directly benefit millions of credit union members.”

Trust & Will will use the capital to expand estate planning access. Since inception in 2017, Trust & Will has helped more than one million Americans begin legacy planning. The San Diego, California-based company offers secure, attorney-approved online solutions to empower users to build wills, trusts, healthcare directives, and other critical estate planning documents—all in compliance with state-specific regulations. Trust & Will’s platform supports more than 17,000 financial advisors, as well as 150+ enterprise partners and financial institutions.

The company will also leverage the funds to launch a credit union service organization or CUSO that is designed to serve credit union members nationwide. Trust & Will has been a friend to the credit union industry from the beginning, announcing its first credit union partnership in 2018. Today, the company counts more than 200 credit unions among its partners.

“Forming a CUSO is a natural next step,” Barbo explained. “Over the past several years, we’ve built trust and traction with more than 200 credit union partners. Establishing a CUSO allows us to deepen those relationships, tailor our offerings, and collaborate in a structure credit unions are familiar and comfortable with. This isn’t just about scalability, it’s about alignment. A CUSO enables shared investment, shared values, and shared outcomes.”

Curql is a collaborative ecosystem consisting of more than 130 credit unions who jointly invest in fintechs with a goal of bringing innovative new technologies and solutions to credit union members. Launched in 2020, Curql includes former founders, operators, and leaders from both the fintech and investment worlds. The collective’s flagship—Curql Fund I—invests in firms that develop financial services technology that “revolutionizes and innovates” the way people deal with their finances.

Nick Evens, President and CEO of Curql, underscored Trust & Will’s innovation, calling the firm “the rare fintech that’s both mission-aligned and market proven.” He added:

“Estate planning is one of the most overlooked components of financial wellness, yet it touches everyone. What impressed us was not just their growth or technology, but their understanding of the credit union ethos. They’re not just selling a service; they’re providing peace of mind, generational planning, and value that strengthens the member relationship. That’s the kind of value that makes a difference.”

Trust & Will’s funding announcement and CUSO launch come at a pivotal time for credit unions. These membership-based financial institutions continue to grow—topping 143 million total members as of the end of 2024—but from technological change to policy uncertainty, credit unions are facing new challenges to attract new members and better engage current members.

“Credit unions are navigating a lot: rapid digital transformation, increasing member expectations, and pressure to stay competitive while remaining values-driven,” Evens said. “At Curql, our role is to be the bridge; to identify, invest in, and help scale fintech solutions that address those challenges. Whether it’s digital estate planning, cybersecurity, or fraud prevention, our job is to help credit unions deliver the tools their members want today and tomorrow, without compromising who they are—doing it with the speed and relevance of today’s market demands.”

For more from Evens on the state of credit unions today, check out his recent podcast interview with Finovate VP and podcast host, Greg Palmer.

Trust & Will won Best of Show in its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023 in New York. At the conference, the company showed how its platform provides easy-to-use solutions to help individuals create their estate plans, as well as access affordable, online probate services. More recently, Trust & Will introduced Delegate Access for Trust & Will Advisors. This enhancement will enable advisors to grant trusted assistants the ability to manage tasks on the advisor’s behalf. Delegate Access promotes seamless collaboration, improves client communications, and helps advisors save time. Also this month, Trust & Will announced that they have been selected to join Moderne Ventures’ 2025 Passport Class. A strategic venture capital and growth equity firm, Moderne Ventures offers a six-month industry immersion program—the Moderne Passport Program—that provides “education, exposure, insight, and relationships to drive customer growth.” Trust & Will was one of six companies selected for this year’s cohort.

“2025 is a big year for us,” Barbo said. “With this new capital, we’re focused on expanding our enterprise offering, continuing to grow our partner network, and investing in the tools that make estate planning even more intuitive and accessible for consumers and advisors alike. Expect to see deeper integrations with financial institutions, more personalization for users, and continued leadership in bringing trust, transparency, and simplicity to an area of finance that has long been overlooked.”

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

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Pinwheel Integrates with Q2’s Digital Banking Platform

Pinwheel Integrates with Q2’s Digital Banking Platform
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Q2
  • Account activation company Pinwheel announced an integration with Q2’s Digital Banking Platform.
  • The integration will make it easier for Q2 customers to facilitate direct deposit switching as part of the account onboarding process.
  • Q2 won Best of Show at Finovate’s all-digital FinovateSpring event in 2021.

Frictionless account activation and engagement product provider Pinwheel announced an integration with Q2‘s Digital Banking Platform. The integration comes courtesy of Pinwheel’s participation in Q2’s Partner Acceleration Program, and will enable financial institutions to access income and employment data from Pinwheel’s data network of payroll providers. This coverage includes 1,800 platforms, representing up to 100% of US workers paid through direct deposit. The integration will empower banks and credit unions to offer their customers and members instant direct deposit switching as part of the account onboarding process.

“Removing friction from the deposit switching process is critical for financial institutions to boost activation rates and secure primacy,” Pinwheel Head of Revenue Brian Karimi-Pashaki said. “We’re thrilled to help Q2 customers take advantage of Pinwheel Deposit Switch by making it available through Q2’s Partner Acceleration Program. We are committed to helping credit unions and banks offer the best possible customer experience.”

In a statement, the companies highlighted research that indicated that 40% of newly opened accounts are never activated. One reason for this, according to the study by veteran banking analyst Jim Marous, was friction in the direct deposit switching process. By contrast, integrating Pinwheel’s technology with the Q2 Digital Banking Platform will give all Q2 customers the ability to embed one-click deposit switching.

Pinwheel began the year teaming up with digital banking provider Narmi to help Berkshire Bank launch its new service that enables customers reroute their direct deposits to their Berkshire accounts. Last month, Pinwheel partnered with human capital management software solutions provider Paychex to expand its PreMatch coverage to 45 million Americans.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Q2 made its Finovate debut in 2011, won Best of Show at our all-digital conference in 2020, and most recently demoed their technology on the Finovate stage at our all-digital FinovateSpring event in 2021. The company provides digital transformation solutions for banks, credit unions, fintechs, and other financial services companies in the US as well as around the world.

Earlier this month, Q2 announced that Signature Bank had selected the company as its new digital banking partner. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Illinois, the bank went live with Q2’s Digital Banking Platform as part of its overall digital banking transformation. In March, United Federal Credit Union reported that it had tripled member engagement within 12 months of deploying Q2 Composable Dashboard. Part of Q2 Engage, the company’s suite of consumer banking solutions, Q2 Composable Dashboard gives financial institutions curated dashboards and the ability to build personalized experiences.

Q2 is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker QTWO. The company has a market capitalization of $4.9 billion. Matthew Flake is CEO.

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

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People Get Ready: FinovateSpring 2025 Comes to San Diego Next Week

People Get Ready: FinovateSpring 2025 Comes to San Diego Next Week
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: FinovateSpring 2025

FinovateSpring 2025 launches next week, May 7 through 9, at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina in San Diego, California. The event will be Finovate’s first conference in Southern California and we can’t wait to share what we have in store.

Registration is still open. If you have not picked up your ticket yet, then be sure to stop by our FinovateSpring 2025 registration hub and save your spot.

There’s so much going on in fintech right now, from the rise of AI-powered banking solutions to the challenge of managing a dramatically shifting regulatory environment. Here are some last-minute details to help you make the most of your visit to this year’s FinovateSpring.

Get Connected

Our ConnectMe app is a great way to track the conference agenda, set up your schedule, and network with your fellow attendees. Download the ConnectMe app and build your profile today.

What, Where and When

Each day of FinovateSpring begins at 8am with registration, breakfast, and networking. A light breakfast will be served in the exhibition hall, and sponsor booths will be open for networking.

The general sessions for all three days begin at 9am with remarks from Finovate Vice President Greg Palmer.

Demos will be presented on Wednesday, May 7 (Day One) and Thursday, May 8 (Day Two) of FinovateSpring. The Best of Show winners will be announced at 5pm on Day Two.

Special highlights

FinovateSpring will hold its special, invitation-only, Leaders+ event on Tuesday, May 6th. This session, curated for senior executives from banks, credit unions, insurers, and asset management offices, will feature keynotes, fireside chats, special addresses, and a networking opportunity at the end of the evening. To learn more about the program, including eligibility requirements and opportunities to apply, contact our event VIP Relationship Manager at [email protected].

Interested in learning more about deploying AI in financial services? FinovateSpring is hosting an exclusive, closed door AI Business Briefing for banks and financial institutions Wednesday afternoon, May 7th. Featuring experts from VASS Intelygenz, VASS FSI, Banco Popular, and McKinsey & Company, this session will discuss how banks and fintechs are leveraging AI-powered solutions to unlock new revenue streams and cut costs. Contact [email protected] for eligibility and invitation information.

Also on Wednesday afternoon, FinovateSpring will feature its Credit Union Spotlight. This special event is a unique opportunity for our credit union attendees to meet with fintechs who are building solutions specifically designed for credit unions and their members. Credit union attendees will also have an opportunity to meet, learn, and network with each other at the end of the session.

Interested? Reach out to [email protected] for details on eligibility.

Last-minute reminders

Bring your badge / Wear your badge. Make sure you’ve got your badge on when at the conference. It’s your key to entry and the easiest way to be recognized by your fellow attendees!

Business casual to business formal is the dress code for the event. Save the shorts, sandals, and sunglasses for poolside.

We look forward to seeing you next week in San Diego for FinovateSpring! Travel safe—and don’t forget your sunscreen!

Questions? Reach out to us at [email protected].

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Thunes Raises $150 Million for US Expansion

Thunes Raises $150 Million for US Expansion
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Daily news, Funding, TransferTo
  • Thunes raised $150 million in Series D funding from Apis Partners and Vitruvian Partners.
  • The funds more than double its previous 2023 round.
  • Thunes plans to use the funding to fuel US growth, drive AI innovation, and expand interoperability with the digital asset ecosystem, positioning itself against competitors like Wise and Airwallex.

Cross-border payments company Thunes has raised $150 million in Series D funding. The investment comes from private equity firms Apis Partners and Vitruvian Partners.

The new funding is not only Thunes’ largest round to date, but it is also more than double the $72 million the company landed in 2023. The company will use today’s funds to fuel its US expansion. Thunes has obtained licenses in all 50 US states, subject to regulatory approval. Establishing a strong footprint in the US will open up new opportunities to serve fintechs, e-commerce platforms, and financial institutions seeking faster global transaction capabilities.

“Thunes’ latest funding round is a clear validation of our strategy and our commitment to sustainable growth,” said Thunes CEO Floris de Kort. “Our performance, marked by a revenue run-rate of $150 million and positive EBITDA, demonstrates our ability to balance rapid expansion with financial prudence, even in a tumultuous market. This new capital enables us to extend our Direct Global Network, including in the United States, drive technological innovation, from Artificial Intelligence to digital asset ecosystem interoperability, and deliver superior value to the Members of our proprietary Network. In a challenging funding environment, our progress and resilience set a new industry standard.”

Thunes was founded in 2016 as TransferTo and rebranded to Thunes in 2019. The company offers a cross-border payments and collection network that supports 80 currencies, enables payments to 130 countries, and offers 320+ payment acceptance methods. Unlike traditional cross-border payments providers that often rely on correspondent banking networks, Thunes offers a direct, proprietary global network. This delivers faster, cheaper, and more transparent transactions and allows it to compete against players like Wise and Airwallex.

Among the company’s use cases are cross-border payments, business payments, virtual payments, and virtual account issuance. Headquartered in Singapore, Thunes also has offices in London, Paris, Shanghai, New York, Dubai, Nairobi, Arizona, and Barcelona.

The fundraise comes at a tough time in the venture capital climate, where funding rounds, especially of this size, have become increasingly rare. Thunes’ ability to secure $150 million highlights a warming investor climate, as well as increased interest in cross-border payment infrastructure.

“Thunes has revolutionized global cross-border payments by seamlessly integrating robust technology with a disciplined financial strategy that inspires confidence,” said Apis Partners Managing Partner & Co-Founder Matteo Stefanel. “The company’s impressive growth record and positive EBITDA performance, even in these unprecedented times, clearly underpin the trust of its Members and their ability to scale effectively. We have been closely monitoring Thunes’ remarkable journey and are consistently impressed by the team’s innovative approach, operational rigor, and strategic foresight. Thunes’ pursuit of excellence redefines industry standards and sets a high bar for reliability and performance in global payments. Lastly, we are especially proud of the work Thunes is doing in accelerating access to affordable financial services across the next billion users in emerging markets, and for Apis to play a small part in continuing this journey.”

Photo by Pixabay

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Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News

Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Fintech Rundown

Fintech was relatively busy last week, and so was the Finovate events team. FinovateSpring makes its San Diego debut next week, kicking off on May 7, and our speaker roster is fabulous! Here’s a look at more of this week’s fintech news. We’ll continue adding news to this post throughout the week, so stay tuned!

Payments

Payoneer invests $2 million over the next three years to support Endeavor, the Global Network of Trust of, by and for entrepreneurs. 

Finzly’s AWS-powered platform Payment Galaxy completes a benchmarking initiative in collaboration with AWS, validating that it can handle large transaction volumes.

Thunes raises $150 million in Series D funding.

Business financial management

Versapay names Elizabeth Bramlage as Chief Marketing Officer.

Digital banking

NuMark Credit Union selects Alkami to power its digital banking platform.

Nubank’s Mexico arm receives regulatory approval from the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission to begin the process of becoming a full-service bank.

Photo by fauxels

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Amplify Credit Union Chooses IllumaSHIELD for Voice Authentication

Amplify Credit Union Chooses IllumaSHIELD for Voice Authentication
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Illuma Labs
  • Amplify Credit Union has partnered with Illuma to implement IllumaShield voice authentication, enhancing security and streamlining member verification.
  • IllumaShield’s passive audioprint technology verifies callers without security questions or special passphrases, leading to faster call center interactions and higher enrollment rates.
  • By automating identity verification, Amplify Credit Union expects to reduce call handle times, cut operational costs, and deliver a more seamless, trusted member experience.

Voice authentication solutions provider Illuma formed a strategic partnership with Amplify Credit Union this week. The Texas-based credit union selected Illuma for its IllumaShield caller authentication technology.

“Security and member experience are top priorities for Amplify Credit Union,” said Amplify Credit Union Chief Experience Officer Stacy Armijo. “Partnering with Illuma allows us to enhance both by implementing state-of-the-art voice authentication technology, ensuring that our members can access their accounts securely and effortlessly.”

IllumaShield helps banks and credit unions verify callers with its audioprint technology that continuously analyzes the unique characteristics of a caller’s voice and device using advanced signal processing, machine learning, and AI. This passive authentication eliminates the need for security questions or spoken pass phrases.

When a consumer calls into a call center using IllumaShield, they can complete enrollment simply by saying “yes” and continuing the conversation. The system does not require them to call into a specific line, wait on hold, or repeat a special phrase. As a result of the straightforward experience, Illuma reports that more than 95% of callers invited agree to enroll.

By automating the verification process, Amplify Credit Union can not only reduce call handle times but also lower operational costs associated with manual identity verification. At the same time, members benefit from a faster, frictionless experience that builds trust and loyalty.

Headquartered in Plano, Texas, and founded in 2016, Illuma specializes in voice authentication solutions for credit unions and community banks. Its flagship product, IllumaShield, is currently deployed at financial institutions across the U.S., helping streamline operations while strengthening fraud defenses.

Illuma is among the companies demoing their latest technologies at FinovateSpring 2025 on May 7 through 9 in San Diego. Check out more details or register today.

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

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BILL Launches New Procurement Capabilities for Small Businesses

BILL Launches New Procurement Capabilities for Small Businesses
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Bill.com, Daily news
  • BILL is expanding beyond payments by launching new procurement tools that unify accounts payable, receivable, expense management, forecasting, and payments into one centralized platform for small businesses.
  • The new release offers features like advanced approval routing, invoice matching, and bulk payments.
  • With the launch, BILL positions itself as a financial command center for SMBs, offering a holistic alternative to point solutions like Ramp by delivering integrated, customizable, and scalable cash flow management.

Small business financial software provider BILL unveiled new procurement capabilities this week. The California-based company is releasing new tools to help businesses and accountants take control of their cash flow. Adding this well-rounded set of procurement capabilities signals BILL’s intent to move beyond payments into a broader role as a small business financial command center.

BILL is enhancing its platform with new procure-to-pay capabilities, and bringing accounts payable, accounts receivable, payment cards, expense management, insights, and forecasting in a single solution. The additional procurement tools will enable businesses to efficiently manage, approve, and track purchase orders with greater accuracy. Features like advanced approval routing and automated invoice matching will help reduce fraud risk and payment errors, while streamlining workflows to minimize manual effort and increase operational efficiency.

While other platforms, such as Ramp, focus on specific elements of small business financial operations, BILL differentiates itself with a holistic approach that combines procurement, payments, and forecasting in one platform. Consolidating all of a business’ needs into one platform not only streamlines operations but also reduces the need for third-party add-ons and disjointed data reconciliation between systems.

“Our expansion into procurement reinforces how BILL is driving innovation and setting new standards for helping businesses and accountants to manage and control their cash flow, eliminate ‘busy work’, and make strategic decisions that drive long-term growth and success,” said BILL Founder and CEO René Lacerte.

The three new capabilities BILL is releasing include BILL Multi-Entity, which enables businesses and accounting firms to manage payments across multiple organizations from a single, centralized platform; the BILL API Platform, which allows businesses and accountants to tailor financial workflows to meet their own needs; and a bulk payments option that will save businesses time and money by paying thousands of bills at a time.

The new capabilities will allow, for example, a multi-location accounting firm to route purchase approvals through custom rules for each entity while managing all payments from a single dashboard. This reduces manual tracking, improves compliance, and frees up teams to focus on higher-value tasks.

“In an uncertain environment, control and visibility of cash flow is not only key to efficiency—it’s one of the most powerful levers a business has to be more resilient. Legacy spreadsheets and disparate tools are costing American businesses time, money and opportunity, and BILL is the only technology partner delivering more control, more value and more innovation SMBs need and deserve,” added Lacerte.

Founded in 2006, BILL helps 460,000 businesses automate their financial operations and has processed $266 billion in payments volume. The company, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BILL, went public in 2019 and has a market capitalization of $4.55 billion.

Photo by Amina Filkins

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Streamly Snapshot: Recognizing the Signs of a Financial Crash

Streamly Snapshot: Recognizing the Signs of a Financial Crash
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Interview, Speaker series, Streamly

If financial crashes are inevitable, then is there any way to anticipate them and mitigate their negative impacts—to say nothing of preventing them from happening in the first place?

Answering this question is Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics at Oxford University and author of The Great Crashes: Lessons from Global Meltdowns and How to Prevent Them. In this interview, conducted earlier this year at FinovateEurope, Yueh provides a three-step framework for identifying and mitigating financial crises. She also discusses the relationship between Big Tech, decentralized finance, and traditional finance, and how competition between these forces will foster innovation and economic growth.

Every crisis starts with a bubble, and bubbles repeat themselves mostly because of FOMO, “fear of missing out” … (T)he real danger is if you pile in because of FOMO, and you do it with debt. Because then, when the bubble bursts, that’s the second phase, the resolution. And that’s really challenging because it depends on having credible policies and credible policymakers.

A fellow in Economics at the University of Oxford and an Adjunct Professor of Economics at the London Business School, Linda Yueh is an economist, writer, and broadcaster. Her latest book, The Great Crashes: Lessons from Global Meltdowns and How to Prevent Them, was named to the Financial Times’ “The Best New Books in Economics” roster. Her previous book, The Great Economists: How Their Ideas Can Help Us Today, was named one of The Times’s Best Business Books of the Year.

Photo by Alexandre Bringer

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FinovateSpring 2025 Sneak Peek Series: Part 6

By Madeline Clines Posted on
Categories: Accend, Casca, Cascading AI, CoHome, Crosswise, FinovateSpring 2025, FinovateSpring 2025 Sneak Peek, Instarails, Parcha

A look at the companies demoing at FinovateSpring in San Diego on May 7 – 9. Register today using this link and save 20%.

Accend

Accend is an AI-powered, human-in-the-loop platform that delivers accurate, same-day financial spreading and analysis.

Features

  • AI-driven financial spreading with human validation for 100% accuracy
  • Same-day turnaround across all formats and geographies
  • Built-in credit memo, ratio analysis, and benchmarking

Who’s it for?

Commercial banks, community banks, credit unions, B2B fintechs, etc.

Casca

With Casca, FDIC-insured banks and non-bank lenders fund small business loans in under seven days with 90% workflow automation, reduced costs, and thousands of hours in operational efforts reclaimed.

Features

  • Automates document collection, saving 20 hours per week
  • Reads 10,000 pages in five minutes
  • Provides instant pre-qualification
  • Accepts applications 24/7 (63% come in after business hours)

Who’s it for?

Banks, community banks, credit unions, and non-bank lenders.

CoHome

CoHome aims to simplify real estate investing through affordable, fractional ownership—giving more people chances to own and benefit from property investments.

Features

  • Turns student rent into equity through co-ownership
  • Unlocks passive income from high-demand college housing
  • Enables banks to tap into a $55B new market

Who’s it for?

Individual real estate investors.

Crosswise

Crosswise is pioneering the future of compliance and risk management. Their agentic AI platform enables companies to build compliance documents and workflows in minutes.

Features

  • Provides AI-powered workflows for quicker compliance, improved cost efficiency, and risk reduction
  • Offers real-time regulatory intelligence
  • Delivers agentic execution of complex compliance tasks across verticals

Who’s it for?

Banks and large fintech companies.

Instarails

Instarails empowers financial institutions and businesses with a proprietary payment network that delivers instant, compliant global transactions with built-in fraud protection.

Features

  • Delivers instant global payments via bank accounts, e-wallets, and cash payout
  • Utilizes a single API connection with no additional infrastructure needed
  • Provides a white-label solution with automated compliance and fraud checks

Who’s it for?

Financial institutions and businesses requiring efficient international B2B, B2C, and C2C payment capabilities.

Parcha

Global banks and fintechs use Parcha to automate KYC/B manual reviews, accelerating account opening, increasing efficiency, and reducing costs.

Features

  • Create, test, and deploy AI agents for compliance in minutes, not hours or weeks
  • Automate any compliance workflow in one platform
  • Integrate with existing account opening systems

Who’s it for?

Small-to-medium-sized banks, global fintechs, and payment platforms.

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