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
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Blackhawk Network
  • 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

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SRM Teams Up with Cooperative Credit Union Association

SRM Teams Up with Cooperative Credit Union Association
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, SRM Technologies
  • Independent financial services advisory firm SRM has announced a strategic partnership with the Cooperative Credit Union Association (CCUA).
  • The partnership will enable CCUA’s member credit unions to access SRM’s complete portfolio of advisory solutions for sourcing and payments, as well as for corporate and technology strategy.
  • Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, SRM made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023 in New York.

The Cooperative Credit Union Association (CCUA) and advisory firm SRM have forged a strategic partnership that will grant CCUA member credit unions preferred access to SRM’s complete portfolio of advisory solutions.

“Our collaboration with CCUA is rooted in a common goal: driving meaningful results for credit unions through insight-led advisory and technology solutions,” SRM Chief Growth Officer Stephen Johnston said. “SRM’s expertise aims to unlock new opportunities in payments, sourcing, technology, and member experience for the CCUA’s member credit unions.”

SRM’s advisory solutions portfolio includes sourcing advisory, with analysis, benchmarking, vendor selection/RFP management, vendor contract negotiations, and other strategic sourcing plans; payments advisory, covering commercial, consumer, and instant payments, credit/debit card portfolio optimization, fraud prevention, product development, and market expansion; corporate advisory, including strategic planning, digital strategy, mergers & acquisitions, AI enablement, organizational design, compliance and risk, policy development, research, and analytics; and technology advisory, including core processing and digital banking strategy, migration and integration services, project management, and expert staff augmentation.

The company offers SRM Boost Programs that provide a strategic growth platform for onboarding new members, cross-selling and card optimization, and fueling new membership growth. As part of the strategic partnership, SRM will also facilitate seasonal roundtables for CCUA’s member organizations and will be featured at CCUA events to help credit union leaders engage with SRM’s team of experts.

“Ensuring access to SRM’s proven advisory capabilities strengthens CCUA member credit unions’ position in contract negotiations, payments innovation, and technology transformation,” CCUA EVP and Chief Operating Officer Melissa Pomeroy said. “This partnership directly supports credit unions’ commitment to deliver exceptional member service and financial performance.”

The Cooperative Credit Union Association is a leading regional trade organization representing nearly 200 credit unions across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Rhode Island. Combined, the Association’s member credit unions manage more than $75 billion in assets and serve more than five million members. Founded in 2015, the Association is headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

An independent advisory company specializing in payments, sourcing, operating strategies, and technology, SRM serves clients ranging in size from credit unions and community banks to international financial services firms. Returning more than $10 billion in value to more than 1,000 clients since inception in 1992, SRM is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. The company made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023 in New York.

Photo by Gabriel Tovar on Unsplash

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Cash App Launches Group Payments Feature Called Pools

Cash App Launches Group Payments Feature Called Pools
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Daily news
  • 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

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Streamly Snapshot: Faster Closings and Smarter Decisions—AI-powered Lending Delivered by Tavant

Streamly Snapshot: Faster Closings and Smarter Decisions—AI-powered Lending Delivered by Tavant
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Streamly, Tavant

How can enabling technologies like traditional and generative AI, as well as automation, help solve major pain points in the mortgage industry? Can challenges like high costs and lengthy processing times be alleviated by technological innovation?

Mohammad Rashid is Senior Vice President and Head of Innovation at Tavant. In this week’s Streamly interview, we talk with him about how AI and automation can streamline the mortgage application process by eliminating manual tasks and reducing the overall amount of human involvement. Rashid also discusses some of the challenges that financial institutions encounter when adopting new technologies like AI, and the integrated, unified platforms for lenders that Tavant creates.

“This industry has two of the biggest problems plaguing any industry: armies of people that address rivers of paper. Whenever you have a mortgage application you have hundreds of digital (documents) that (are) flowing through the application process. And you have hundreds of people behind the scenes who are looking at that paper, extracting data from that paper, and trying to decision as fast as possible for that loan. That has a lot of side effects.”

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Tavant provides AI-powered fintech solutions that help businesses become more agile, optimize costs, and benefit from continuous innovation. The company’s AI-powered agents, predictive intelligence, and scalable machine learning models help firms move beyond conventional automation to intelligent, adaptive, and outcome-driven processes. Businesses working with Tavant have reported a 54% increase in speed to market, a 45% reduction in costs, and a 33% improvement in productivity. Tavant’s AI solutions power one in three mortgage loans in the US, with 3.5 million lending applications and 33 million lending transactions enabled.

Rashid has been a part of Tavant for more than two decades. Starting as VP of Lending and Capital Markets in 2003, Rashid was honored with the Housing Wire Vanguard Award in 2017. The Award recognizes leaders in fintech whose work is helping transform the lending business for the better.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

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Palo Alto Networks to Acquire ID Security Company CyberArk

Palo Alto Networks to Acquire ID Security Company CyberArk
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Daily news, Mergers & Acquisitions
  • 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

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The CFPB Takes 1033 Back to the Drawing Board: 4 Things to Know

The CFPB Takes 1033 Back to the Drawing Board: 4 Things to Know
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: List series, Thought Leadership

The future of open banking in the US just hit another curve. Yesterday, July 29, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) filed a surprise motion to pause the legal battle over its Section 1033 data access rule. The move, which comes the day that final arguments were due in the case, signals that the Bureau plans to rewrite the rule altogether, a dramatic shift that could reshape how financial data flows between banks, aggregators, and fintech apps.

Because this case is a rollercoaster, let’s start from the beginning. In the fall of 2024, the CFPB issued the final rulemaking on Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act. The new rule, issued in the form of a 594-page document, aimed to enhance consumers’ rights, privacy, and security over their own personal financial data. Hours after the CFPB issued the rule, Forcht Bank, the Kentucky Bankers Association (KBA), and the Bank Policy Institute (BPI) filed suit, arguing that the CFPB overstepped its authority and violated the Administrative Procedure Act. They later filed an amended complaint in November, and the CFPB responded in December.

Then, things got even more complicated. After the new administration placed new leadership over the CFPB early this year, both sides agreed to temporarily pause the case and delay the rule’s compliance deadlines. The court granted the pause and extended it again in March. Meanwhile, the Financial Technology Association (FTA), a group that represents fintechs and aggregators, was granted permission to join the case in May. All sides submitted their main arguments to the court at the end of May, and their responses to each other’s arguments were due by July 29, 2025.

The next interesting twist in the story came out yesterday, when the CFPB filed for a motion to “reconsider the rule with the view to substantially revising it and providing a robust justification” because of “recent events.” The recent event the Bureau is referring to is JPMorgan’s announcement to data aggregators that it plans to charge them a fee to access consumer data. This move has sparked multiple heated conversations over who owns consumer data and how many services banks should be expected to provide for free.

Many conversations highlighted the fact that the CFPB’s 1033 ruling stipulated that banks cannot charge third parties for data access. However, now that the CFPB has indicated it plans to revise the rule, some experts are wondering whether the agency is backing away from that stance. Critics fear the Bureau may soften the ban on data access fees in response to pressure from JPMorgan, the biggest bank in the world by market capitalization. Others argue that resetting the rule could allow for broader industry consensus and a more durable framework.

Either way, the move reopens a regulatory debate that many thought was settled. Now that you’re caught up, here are the four highlights of the CFPB’s latest motion:

  1. Plans to rewrite the rule
    In its motion, the CFPB announced that it intends to throw out its current version of the Section 1033 rule and start fresh. The Bureau says it will kick off a new, “accelerated” rulemaking process with an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) expected within three weeks. The CFPB has decided on a pivot. Rather than defending its original rule in court, the CFPB is acknowledging its change in leadership and “recent events in the marketplace” (which is very likely JPMorgan’s controversial move to charge data aggregators) as the reason it plans to take the rule back to the drawing board. A substantially revised rule could reshape the boundaries around consumer data access and fees.
  2. Requests a pause
    The CFPB is asking the court to pause the current legal proceedings while it works on rewriting the rule. The Bureau reasons that if it is about to replace the rule that’s being challenged, then it doesn’t make sense for the court to keep spending time on the existing version.
  3. Promises communication
    To assure the court that the motion isn’t a stall tactic, the CFPB is promising transparency throughout the rulemaking process. If the court grants the pause, the Bureau will submit status reports every 90 days to update the judge on its progress. This is meant to maintain communication with the court and demonstrate that the agency is moving swiftly.
  4. Cites opposition
    In the motion, the CFPB acknowledges that not all parties are on board. The Financial Technology Association (FTA), which represents data aggregators and fintech firms, does not oppose the pause. But the plaintiffs (Forcht Bank, the KBA, and the BPI), however, do oppose it. They plan to file a formal objection, likely arguing that the pause is a delay tactic and that the rule should be struck down based on the current legal merits.

What happens next will most certainly have ripple effects across the entire financial ecosystem. If the CFPB follows through on its promise to rewrite the rule, we could see a very different version of Section 1033, one potentially shaped by politics, institutional pressure, consumer rights, and innovation. At this point, it is clear that the future of open banking in the US is once again uncertain and very much up for debate.

Photo by Christian Wasserfallen

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Darwinium Launches AI Tools to Identify Adversarial Fraud

Darwinium Launches AI Tools to Identify Adversarial Fraud
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Darwinium, ThreatMetrix
  • Cyberfraud prevention company Darwinium launched a pair of new agentic AI solutions this week.
  • The new agents—Beagle and Copilot—enable red-teaming simulations and AI-assisted remediation to help financial companies enhance their fraud defenses.
  • Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Darwinium made its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope 2023 in London.

San Francisco, California-based security and fraud prevention firm Darwinium unveiled new tools to help organizations deal with the challenge of adversarial attacks, detect hidden vulnerabilities, and enhance overall fraud defense. This week, Darwinium launched a pair of AI agents—Beagle and Copilot—to give companies their own autonomous AI capabilities to combat those AI agents deployed by fraudsters.

“Consumers are using AI agents to shop faster. Fraudsters are using them to bypass defenses at scale,” Darwinium CEO and Co-Founder Alisdair Faulkner said. “The challenge isn’t detecting bots anymore, it’s distinguishing AI agents acting on behalf of good users versus malicious automation. Solving that problem requires a platform that speaks the same language: agentic AI.”

Beagle enables firms to conduct AI agent red-teaming to detect blind spots in their fraud defenses. Beagle simulates complex adversarial behavior, which enables fraud prevention teams to test their detection and mitigation strategies. Beagle generates realistic user profiles, spoofed devices, geolocation variance, and other tactics to emulate synthetic identities. The technology simulates a variety of attacks, including credential stuffing, behavioral mimicry, captcha solving, and more, and integrates directly into Darwinium’s architecture to provide real-time detection and responses.

Darwinium’s Copilot acts as an intelligent assistant that supports an organization’s remediation strategy, decision optimization, and platform interaction. The technology streamlines fraud team queries for different types of fraud detection circumstances such as “users who exhibit bot-like activity or are creating synthetic accounts.” Once these users are identified, Copilot can then conduct fraud investigation recommendations and offer remediation strategies. The solution automates the feedback process from detection to decisioning to business impact, making Copilot especially helpful in high-scale environments.

The new offering from Darwinium comes as fraudsters are becoming increasingly effective at exploiting AI bots for nefarious purposes. Because of this, as Faulkner noted in a recent thought leadership piece for Dark Reading, it is all the more important for security and fraud teams to focus on and discern the intent of AI agents rather than the mere presence of these entities. Legitimate agents, Faulkner explained, tend to act in ways that resemble trusted user behaviors and patterns. AI agents that are malicious, on the other hand, conduct themselves in identifiable ways—such as skipping normal browsing steps to access high-value endpoints (like login and checkout) or generating a sudden high volume of API calls. In Faulkner’s estimation, technologies such as Beagle and Copilot help institutions and their fraud teams move from “What is this AI agent doing?” to “Why is this AI agent doing this?”

Launched in 2021 by the co-founding team that built and scaled ThreatMetrix, Darwinium made its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope 2023. The company raised $18 million in funding in the fall of 2023 in a Series A round led by U.S. Venture Partners.

Photo by elnaz asadi on Unsplash

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PayPal Unveils PayPal World to Facilitate Global Payments

PayPal Unveils PayPal World to Facilitate Global Payments
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Daily news, PayPal
  • PayPal’s new launch, PayPal World, is a new global platform designed to connect major digital wallets and payment systems.
  • The new platform will enable users to shop and send money across borders using their domestic wallets without needing international payment methods.
  • PayPal is partnering with Venmo, Mercado Pago, UPI, and Tenpay Global to create wallet interoperability for nearly two billion users and expanding cross-border capabilities for both consumers and merchants.

Fintech pioneer PayPal is unveiling PayPal World this week, a new platform that connects global payment systems and digital wallets.

At launch, PayPal is partnering with Mercado Pago, NPCI International Payments Limited (UPI), Tenpay Global, and Venmo to promote wallet interoperability for the more than two billion users of these platforms.

PayPal World aims to transform the way people send money, as well as how they shop online, in-store, and with AI agents across borders. The new capability will allow PayPal users to use their app to scan and pay when they shop across borders. With PayPal World, consumers won’t need to carry an international payment method to shop overseas. Instead, the platform will use the user’s domestic payment system or digital wallet to complete the transaction, even if the payment type at checkout is different from their home currency.

“PayPal World is a first-of-its-kind payments ecosystem that will bring together many of the world’s largest payment systems and digital wallets on a single platform. It is a testament to the passion our partners share for an inclusive, global digital economy and has the potential to revolutionize cross-border commerce,” said PayPal President and CEO Alex Chriss. “The challenge of moving money across borders is incredibly complex, and yet this platform will make it so simple for nearly two billion consumers and businesses. We believe the changes we are announcing today have the potential to be a real game changer over time. We can’t wait to welcome many more global partners, wallets, and their users soon.”

Merchants can benefit from PayPal World with no additional integration. The platform will connect millions of businesses to digital payment systems and wallet users worldwide, making it possible for businesses to automatically accept new digital payment options at checkout when more partners join the platform, expand their global client base, and increase payment options beyond online and in-store payments into AI agent payments.

PayPal is piloting the new platform through a partnership with peer-to-peer (P2P) payment app Venmo in which the two platforms will become seamlessly interoperable and expand access to global P2P payments. Under the collaboration, PayPal and Venmo users can send money to each other, regardless of geography.

While PayPal World’s wallet connectivity to PayPal and Venmo will go live this fall, Venmo users will be able to shop at millions of merchants across the globe that accept PayPal starting next year. The expanded purchasing capabilities will help merchants reach Venmo’s base of young, affluent, and digitally native consumers.

PayPal World is doing to the US what Revolut did to payments in the EU in the sense that it is breaking down borders, simplifying cross-currency transactions, and reshaping expectations around how money moves. By making digital wallets interoperable across platforms and regions, PayPal is positioning itself not just as a payment processor, but as a universal payment translator that bridges the gap between local payment habits and global commerce. As more wallets and systems join the platform, PayPal World could become a foundational layer in the next era of international payments.

PayPal’s new launch comes at a time when cross-border e-commerce is rising and consumers expect payments to be seamless. While players like Revolut, Alipay+, and Western Union have made strides in international money movement, PayPal’s scale and merchant network give it an edge in solving interoperability at both the consumer and merchant level.

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Uprise Teams Up with HoneyBook to Bring Tax Planning to Small Business Owners

Uprise Teams Up with HoneyBook to Bring Tax Planning to Small Business Owners
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Uprise
  • Embedded financial advisory platform Uprise has teamed up with business management platform HoneyBook.
  • The partnership will enable HoneyBook to offer financial and tax planning advisory to its users, which include independent creatives as well as small business owners.
  • Founded in 2021, Uprise made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023 in New York.

Uprise, a startup that offers an AI-powered platform that empowers financial services companies to embed personalized, actionable financial advisory into their products and services, has announced a new partnership. The San Francisco, California-based company has teamed up with HoneyBook to enable the firm to offer financial and tax planning advisory to its user base of independent creatives, small business owners, and more.

“Excited to announce we’ve partnered with HoneyBook to offer personalized financial and tax planning to their users,” Uprise noted on its LinkedIn page, “helping independent creatives, consultants, and business owners stay ahead of the biggest changes that impact their bottom line.”

The partnership will enable HoneyBook users to access tax and financial guidance from a Certified Financial Planner who is both a small business specialist and supported by smart technology. This helps set HoneyBook apart from traditional financial advisory services, which tend to cater to high net worth individuals, feature significant costs, and often lack small business expertise.

The announcement comes as recently passed legislation in Washington brings changes to the way that many small businesses manage their taxes and expands eligibility for a variety of programs and credits. “If your company supports small business owners and wants to help them take advantage of complex tax and legal shifts like this—let’s talk,” Uprise wrote.

Founded in 2021 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Uprise made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023 in New York. At the conference, the company demonstrated how its technology helps banks, credit unions, insurance providers, fintechs, and more embed personalized, actionable financial advisory services into their offerings. Uprise combines human financial expertise with AI to offer comprehensive financial plans and advice at a fraction of what a traditional financial advisor would cost. Jessica Chen Riolfi is Co-Founder and CEO.

HoneyBook is a business management platform for small businesses. The platform supports a wide variety of business operations including lead capture, client communication management, contract management, and payments. The solution also leverages AI—embedded throughout—that enables users to derive actionable insights and leverage automation to streamline processes. Founded in 2013, HoneyBook has powered more than 25 million client relationships and processed more than $12 billion in transactions. Earlier this month, the company announced enhancements to its client portal to provide full branding control, easier access to proposals and important sites, the ability to share client task lists, and more.

Photo by Braden Collum on Unsplash

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Japan’s Zerobank Design Factory to Power New Digital Bank for MUFG

Japan’s Zerobank Design Factory to Power New Digital Bank for MUFG
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni profile, Zero Bank Design Factory

MUFG’s new digital bank will feature the cloud-based banking system developed and operated by Zerobank Design Factory (ZDF), a subsidiary and the technological development arm of Fukuoka Financial Group (FFG). The announcement was made by Minna Bank, a fellow subsidiary of FFG that runs on ZDF’s core banking technology. In collaboration with Accenture and operating on the Google Cloud, the MUFG deployment will be the first time Zerobank Design Factory will see its solution used by an organization outside of FFG.

“Since its inception (Minna Bank) has accumulated and updated its technologies and expertise related to systems, functionalities, and design required for a digital bank,” Minna Bank and ZDF President and CEO Kenichi Nagayoshi said. “As a result, we believe that the recent first external provision of our system marks a valuable milestone. Moving forward, we hope to contribute, even if just a little, to the development of the digital banking market both domestically and internationally through the provision of this system.”

Japan’s first digital bank, Minna Bank was founded in 2021 and currently boasts 1.3 million accounts. The name means “a bank for everyone” and the institution posits that its mission is to “deliver valuable connections to everyone.” In 2022, ZDF announced that it would offer its technology to both local and international financial institutions. Non-financial organizations looking to add banking services are also eligible to deploy the system.

The MUFG deployment is designed to meet the need for faster management speed, greater efficiency, and lower costs. Banking systems that leverage multi-cloud, microservice architecture, DevSecOps, and other advanced technologies offer an effective way to meet these goals. The core banking system designed by ZDF offers a modular design capable of partial integration with existing systems to give banks, non-bank financial institutions, and non-financial entities a range of versatile applications to better serve customers and clients.

“Our collaboration with Minna Bank reinforces that cloud-based technology can deliver flexibility, speed, and reliability for core systems within global banks,” Google Cloud Global Managing Director, Regulated Industries, Toby Brown said. “Minna Bank’s use of Google Cloud’s advanced technologies—like Google Kubernetes Engine for elastic scale, Spanner for global data consistency, and Vertex AI for intelligent insights—is a blueprint for accelerating digital transformation far beyond banking, enabling industries from retail to mobility to seamlessly embed financial services and create new value for their customers.”

A wholly-owned subsidiary of FFG, ZDF is the system development company that built Minna Bank’s core system. ZDF is also a pioneer in cloud banking, having been among the first developers in Japan to build a core banking system on a public cloud. The company made its Finovate debut at FinovateFall 2023.

The largest regional financial group in Japan, FFG was established in 2007. FFG’s network covers the entire Kyushu region, which is home to more than 10% of the country’s population and includes cities such as Fukuoka and Nagasaki.

Photo by Tayawee Supan on Unsplash

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EarnIn Helps Employees Receive Payment in Real-Time

EarnIn Helps Employees Receive Payment in Real-Time
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Daily news
  • EarnIn launched a new Live Pay tool and Visa card that let users access their earnings in real time as they work, up to $1,500, per pay period. with no interest and no credit check required.
  • The new earnings tool helps users align cash flow with expenses and avoid reliance on credit cards or payday loans.
  • Users who enable autopay benefit from reduced fees and may even help improve their credit score when they pay on time.

Earnings management company EarnIn is changing the game when it comes to payday. The California-based company recently announced the launch of Live Pay, a tool that lets workers get paid continuously.

While most earned wage access tools allow workers to receive a portion of their paycheck a few days early, EarnIn’s Live Pay allows users to gain access to their earned funds as they work. Live Pay provides a real-time earnings stream that grows when the user works.

Live Pay is available to users through the new EarnIn Card, which is available to the public starting this month. The EarnIn Card works everywhere Visa is accepted. Live Pay enables cardholders to redeem up to $1,500 per pay period. Because EarnIn reports account activity to credit bureaus, users who make on-time payments may be able to boost their credit scores. Users who set up autopay not only support their credit health but also benefit from reduced fees, an incentive that EarnIn offers to promote consistent repayment habits.

Live Pay is available to US workers who receive a W-2 tax statement. By enabling real-time access to earnings, EarnIn helps users better align income with expenses, reducing reliance on credit cards, payday loans, or overdraft fees.

“The natural evolution of any batch-based system is continuous—and payroll is no different,” said EarnIn Founder and CEO Ram Palaniappan. “Earned wage access was a step in that direction, but it was inevitable that pay would move like everything else in your life—in real time. We stream music, entertainment, news, sports, and more whenever we want—now, with EarnIn Card and Live Pay, you can stream your pay too. It’s a system that’s always on, always working. Live Pay gives workers access to money they’ve already earned, putting them back in control of their financial timing. It’s a long-overdue upgrade to how we get paid.”

The EarnIn Card comes with no interest on transactions and no credit check requirement. Instead, it uses a flat fee structure that varies based on user behavior:

  • One-time Processing Fee: Users pay a $5 fee when requesting their first card, which covers production and shipping. This fee is waived entirely for users who enroll in autopay.
  • Monthly Access Fee: The standard monthly fee is $12.99, but it drops to just $2.99 when autopay is enabled for the full month. This fee is charged as a transaction on the EarnIn Card and collected during the repayment process.
  • ATM Fee: Withdrawing cash from an ATM using the EarnIn Card incurs a $2.99 charge per transaction, not including any third-party ATM operator fees.
  • Penalty APR: If a user is more than 365 days late on a required payment and receives advance notice, a small penalty APR of 0.001% may be applied to the overdue balance until it is fully repaid.

Behind the scenes, Live Pay is made possible through EarnIn’s partnerships with BaaS providers like Evolve Bank & Trust and Lead Bank, and by leveraging real-time payment infrastructure that enables the fast, reliable delivery of funds.

EarnIn was founded in 2012 when it launched Cash Out, an earned wage access tool that allows customers to access their entire paycheck up to two days early. The company also offer other banking tools in addition to earned wage access tools, including credit monitoring, savings tools, and overdraft protection.

Photo by Valeria Boltneva

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Meet the Headliners at FinovateFall 2025

Meet the Headliners at FinovateFall 2025
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: FinovateFall 2025, Marketing

As summer winds down, it’s a good time to start looking ahead to FinovateFall. This year’s conference returns to the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, New York, from September 8 through 10 (register early to save!). With the event just over a month away, now is the time to lock in your travel plans and start mapping out your agenda.

Financial services continues to evolve rapidly, and this year’s keynote lineup reflects that urgency. From AI and customer experience to stablecoins and lending, these speakers will offer insights into where the industry is headed and how to stay ahead. Here’s a look at some of the voices you’ll hear on stage.

General session

Beth Haddock, Board Member and Global Policy Lead, Stablecoin Standard

Beth Haddock will take the stage at 4:20 PM on Monday, September 8 to explore how stablecoins are moving from the regulatory fringe to the strategic foundation of modern banking. With the GENIUS Act poised to redefine digital dollar issuance, Haddock will break down the operational, compliance, and competitive pressures facing banks and trust companies. From payments and custody to customer expectations, this session will spotlight what leaders need to know now as stablecoins become embedded in the financial ecosystem.

Jon Lakefish, Founder of the Lakefish Group

On Wednesday, September 10 at 9:45 AM, Jon Lakefish will examine how financial institutions can use AI to build customer trust and loyalty. In a world where technology drives personalization, Lakefish will share how banks can design AI-powered customer experiences that feel authentic and deliver long-term value.

Ben Feller, Partner at the Maslansky Partners

Also on Wednesday at 3:10 PM, Ben Feller, Partner at Maslansky + Partners and former Chief White House Correspondent for the Associated Press, will share his front-row view of presidential leadership and media. Drawing on six years covering Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Feller will offer a candid, behind-the-scenes look at high-stakes decision-making, communication strategy, and the power of narrative in moments that shaped history.

Industry Stage sessions

Yury Pukha, CEO of Intelligent Edge Consulting

At 10:50 AM on Wednesday, September 10, Yury Pukha will lead the AI industry stage with a deep dive into the current landscape of artificial intelligence in financial services. Drawing on insights from large-scale implementations, Pukha will explore what’s working, what’s not, and the critical lessons financial institutions must understand to scale AI successfully.

Stephanie Miracle, FedNow Client Specialist, Federal Reserve Financial Services

Also at 10:50 AM on Wednesday, September 10, on the Payments stage, Stephanie Miracle will tackle the evolution of real-time payments. As RTP and FedNow gain momentum, Miracle will discuss whether faster is always better and will also consider the challenges institutions face when building products on top of these instant payment rails.

Jason Mikula, Publisher, Fintech Business Weekly

On the Lending industry stage at 10:50 AM on Wednesday, September 10, Jason Mikula will share his perspective on the growing opportunity in small business lending. With demand for capital on the rise, Mikula will outline how financial institutions can effectively tap this market and deliver products that resonate with small business owners.

Nick Fok, Managing Partner, Erez Capital

At 12:05 PM on Wednesday, September 10, on the AI stage, Nick Fok will explore the rise of agentic AI and its potential to reshape financial services. As models become more autonomous and capable of making decisions, Fok will discuss what this shift means for innovation, risk, and the future of financial institutions.

Sarah Welch, Managing Director at Curinos

Also at 12:05 PM on Wednesday, September 10, Sarah Welch will join the Customer Experience industry stage to examine the power of brand distinctiveness. In a crowded marketplace, Welch will highlight how bold, differentiated branding is becoming a key driver of customer growth, and what it takes to stand out.

Ryan Miller, Vice President and Senior Counsel at the American Bankers Association

Rounding off the list, Ryan Miller will speak on the Open Banking stage at 12:05 PM on Wednesday, September 10. Miller will explore how open data could reshape the US banking landscape, what regulatory and strategic shifts are on the horizon, and why early movers stand to benefit the most.

These keynote and industry stage sessions offer timely insights from leaders at the forefront of innovation. Whether you’re focused on AI, payments, customer experience, or regulation, FinovateFall’s agenda is packed with ideas to inform your strategy and spark new thinking. Registration is now open! We look forward to seeing you in New York this September.

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