Coinbase

Coinbase Wants to Become Your Primary Financial Platform

Coinbase Wants to Become Your Primary Financial Platform
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Coinbase, Daily news
  • Coinbase is evolving beyond crypto into an “everything exchange,” adding AI-powered advice, agentic trading, tokenized stocks, and expanded credit offerings in a bid to become consumers’ primary financial platform.
  • The new launches highlight two major fintech trends: AI moving from financial guidance to autonomous action, and the continued blurring of lines between banks, brokerages, fintechs, and crypto platforms.
  • By combining investing, lending, payments, wealth management, and AI tools into a single experience, Coinbase is betting that convenience and integration will define the next generation of financial services.

Crypto exchange platform Coinbase wants users to think of it as much more than a cryptocurrency exchange. This week, the company unveiled a series of new products as part of its effort to become a primary financial platform for consumers.

Since it was founded in 2012, the company has been slowly building out a comprehensive banking platform. What started as a crypto wallet has evolved into a full service financial platform with debit and credit cards, prediction markets, derivatives, crypto-backed lending, and more.

“Coinbase is building the future of finance, where you can manage your money with just one interface, and one login,” the company said in its blog post announcement. “We’re saying “no” to financial fragmentation, and the new products we’re introducing today take us several steps closer to that future.”

Here’s a rundown of the top five new tools and features Coinbase is unveiling this week and why each matters:

Coinbase advisor

Coinbase has launched an AI financial advisor to provide personalized financial guidance based on a customer’s holdings and financial situation. While many fintechs are hesitant to give financial advice because of the regulatory requirements, Coinbase registered with the SEC as a Registered Investment Advisor and with the CFTC and NFA as a Commodity Trading Advisor.

Why it matters: The move places pressure on both traditional financial institutions and fintechs offering robo-advisory technology to offer more sophisticated, real-time financial guidance at a lower cost. Offering AI-powered financial advice caters to consumers of all levels because it allows them to communicate using natural language, comes at a lower cost, and does not require the consumer to change their existing habits or switch apps. When compared to traditional wealth management, which has historically been reserved for affluent customers, the advisor tools will have a wider reach and be a valuable tool for customer retention.

Agentic trading

Customers can deploy AI agents to execute personalized trading strategies on their behalf while maintaining ultimate control over the account. Investors can confine their agent to an isolated sub-account and set limits around capital allocation, asset permissions, and trade sizes. Coinbase joins Robinhood, which launched agentic trading earlier this month, in pioneering this feature.

Why it matters: With agentic tools, AI implementation makes the leap from informing decisions to taking action. Having an agent move funds on an investor’s behalf can help with treasury management, cash flow management, and micro-investing decisions that would be too tedious for human investors.

Expanded stock and options trading

In a move that continues to expand Coinbase beyond crypto, the company announced broader access to stock trading and options trading. The company first unveiled stock trading in December 2025 and expanded it to all US users in February of this year. This week’s announcement highlights the next phase of Coinbase’s strategy that will focus on transforming it into a full-service financial platform.

Why it matters: Even though stock trading is not new for Coinbase, it highlights the company’s new position as a universal investment platform. Similar to how Robinhood expanded into banking and SoFi branched out into investing, Coinbase’s move to broaden its offerings will make the company a more holistic banking platform. The move is also an example of how lines across financial services are beginning to blur. The distinction between crypto platforms, brokerages, and banks is increasingly disappearing.

Tokenized US stocks

Coinbase plans to enable non-US customers to trade tokenized US equities around the clock. Tokenized stocks are backed 1:1 by the underlying asset, representing true equity ownership, including dividend payouts and complete shareholder rights. Additionally, investors will be able to lend their shares to earn yield, use them as collateral for a loan, or even gift them directly to someone else.

Why it matters: Tokenized trading offers 24/7 trading, potentially faster settlement, and broader global access to US markets. This changes the traditional models of limited trading hours, clearinghouses, and custodians that have dictated the legacy stock market since its inception.

Expanded access to Coinbase One Card

The company expanded USDC-backed access to the Coinbase One Card, a card built for users who are generally overlooked by traditional credit bureaus. The update allows users who aren’t approved for a traditional line of credit to secure a Coinbase One Card using USDC as collateral. The card offers Bitcoin rewards on everyday purchases while paying rewards on the underlying USDC deposit every week.

Why it matters: Offering a credit builder card allows Coinbase to tap into a new set of users who have historically been ignored by traditional financial institutions. And because Coinbase’s credit builder card still pays out rewards and offers additional benefits like the new Travel Portal that provides cardholders access to all of the same travel protections and benefits offered through the American Express Network.

From the looks of these new products and tools, it appears that Coinbase is making a bid to become a full-service financial institution without calling itself a bank. Combining investing, lending, payments, wealth management, and AI-powered tools into a single experience will allow Coinbase to provide a more unified experience to customers that care less about traditional financial categories and more about convenience. As the lines between banks, brokerages, fintechs, and crypto platforms continue to blur, Coinbase’s latest moves offer a glimpse into what the next generation of financial services may look like.

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MassPay and Coinbase Ink Strategic Stablecoin Partnership

MassPay and Coinbase Ink Strategic Stablecoin Partnership
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Coinbase
  • Global payout orchestration platform MassPay has announced a strategic partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase.
  • The partnership will combine MassPay’s global payout network with Coinbase’s infrastructure and institutional-grade security of digital assets.
  • Coinbase was founded in 2012 by Brian Armstrong. The company made its Finovate debut at FinovateSpring 2014.

International payout orchestration platform MassPay and cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase have teamed up to give businesses around the world stablecoin-powered cross-border payout capabilities.

“Stablecoin rails are becoming the standard for how global businesses move money, and our partnership with MassPay is a great example of that shift in action,” Coinbase Head of Infrastructure Products Alec Lovett said. “MassPay’s enterprise clients can now fund in USD, settle in USDC, and pay recipients globally—all within the infrastructure they already use. Coinbase handles the custody, compliance, and onchain infrastructure in the background, so MassPay can stay focused on delivering high-quality service to their clients.”

The partnership will combine MassPay’s single-API global payout network with Coinbase’s regulated digital asset infrastructure and institutional-grade security, as well as the company’s extensive global licensing footprint. This will enable corporate customers, marketplaces, and platforms using MassPay to fund disbursements in USD—converting to USDC via Coinbase—or make deposits directly in USDC. These entities can then pay recipients in USDC, other digital assets, or in local fiat currency. While Coinbase’s APIs manage wallet infrastructure, custody, and the onchain layer, MassPay manages last-mile payout orchestration worldwide.

The integration is designed to remove the operational complexity of managing stablecoin onramps, wallet infrastructure, liquidity, and compliance independently. Instead, the strategic partnership between Coinbase and MassPay will give businesses a single, unified platform to move money and make payouts to anyone, anywhere.

“Stablecoins have moved from experiment to infrastructure—and businesses need a way to operationalize that shift without rebuilding their entire payment stack,” MassPay CEO Ran Grushkowsky said. “Our partnership with Coinbase gives enterprises a turnkey path to fund in USD, move value onchain, and pay anyone in the world in the currency that works best for them. That’s what the future of global payouts looks like, and we’re building it now.”

Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, MassPay offers a payout orchestration platform that enables businesses, marketplaces, direct sales organizations, content creator platforms, and other companies to make payouts to local rails, stablecoins, mobile wallets, and more in 180+ countries. The company offers fast onboarding, customized solutions, and the ability to work with the customer’s payment provider of choice.

MassPay’s partnership with Coinbase comes just weeks after the company announced an expansion of its integration with financial platform Circle and its Circle Payments Network (CPN) Managed Payments settlement solution. The integration allows MassPay customers to fund, manage, and send payouts using stablecoins, without having to manage digital assets or blockchain infrastructure directly.

A Finovate alum since 2014, Coinbase today offers a wallet and platform for digital currency trading, staking, safekeeping, spending, and transferring. The largest US-based cryptocurrency exchange and the world’s biggest custodian of bitcoin, Coinbase has ecosystem partners in more than 100 countries, and has $294 billion in assets on its platform. Founder Brian Armstrong is Coinbase’s CEO.

Photo by Sean Pollock on Unsplash

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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: Coinbase, Daily news, Fintech Rundown, Jack Henry, Payoneer

After rumors swirled last week about Nuvei’s plans to acquire Payoneer, the deal has been made official this week. Nuvei has agreed to acquire the global payments solutions company for $2.75 billion to bolster its payments infrastructure. There’s plenty of other fintech news to catch up on this week, so we’ll continue to add more announcements as the week progresses.

Digital banking

CorTrust Bank selects Jack Henry to provide for local communities with competitive, flexible offerings.

Glia launches AI outreach as a growth engine for banks and credit unions.

Fiserv appoints Takis Georgakopoulos CEO.

First American Bank and Trust taps Jack Henry Technology to power next phase of growth.

Payments and commerce

Nuvei to acquire Payoneer for $2.75 billion.

Coinbase’s new tool can help agents trade and pay for premium research.

PayNearMe announces launch of Cash App Pay for real-money gaming.

CheckAlt joins U.S. Bank Connected Partnership Network to expand access to integrated receivables solutions.

Adyen announces Adyen Agentic as the universal translator for the next era of commerce.

Financial literacy

Barclays to acquire GoHenry.

Lending

AKUVO launches AKUVO IQ, a new portfolio intelligence solution.

Small business banking

Mercury launches Command, a new way to run business banking.

Brex and Tekion partner to bring embedded spend management to the modern auto dealership.

Fraud and compliance

Shield extends the compliance perimeter to AI-generated records and image-based content.

Photo by Marina Leonova

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Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News

Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Coinbase, Finastra, Fintech Rundown, Pendo, SoFi, VISA

Welcome to Finovate’s final Fintech Rundown of 2025! DeFi and crypto have dominated the fintech news in recent weeks, with some companies in the space launching stablecoins and stablecoin-related services, while others announce expansion into new markets. We will update this post over the next several days to keep you informed on the final big headlines of the year.

Investing and wealth management

An investor group led by Permira and Warburg Pincus has announced plans to acquire Clearwater Anaytics in a transaction valued at $8.4 billion.

DeFi and crypto

Coinbase launches Stablecoins-as-a-Service solution, Custom Stablecoins.

Cryptocurrency exchange Bybit re-launches in the UK.

SoFi launches fully reserved stablecoin.

US-based digital currency platform CoinFlip opens its Crypto Center in Mexico City.

AI

Pendo announces the general availability of its Agent Analytics solution.

Insurtech

AI-native commercial insurer Nirvana Insurance raises $100 million in Series D funding.

Payments

Visa and Aldar announce strategic collaboration and live implementation of end-to-end voice-enabled agentic payments.

Digital banking

Financial services software company Finastra announces opening of new offices in Atlanta and in Trivandrum, India.

Fraud prevention and financial crime

ComplyAdvantage partners with Sutherland to launch an AI-powered compliance solution for banks and fintechs.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

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Coinbase Bridges TradFi, DeFi Gap; Empowers Retail, Institutional Clients

Coinbase Bridges TradFi, DeFi Gap; Empowers Retail, Institutional Clients
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alumni profile, Coinbase

As interest in digital assets and decentralized finance grows among both retail and institutional users, offering a platform that caters to both communities is a major point of differentiation for companies in the DeFi space. Further, companies that provide services that bridge the gap between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance will be best positioned to serve those retail and institutional users who increasingly need to efficiently manage both traditional and digital assets.

This context helps understand two recent announcements from digital asset platform Coinbase. First, this week, the company announced that it had selected Chainlink CCIP as the exclusive bridging solution for its Coinbase Wrapped Assets. “We chose Chainlink because they are an industry leader for cross-chain connectivity,” Coinbase Senior Director, Product Management, Josh Leavitt said. “Their infrastructure provides a reliable means to expand Coinbase Wrapped Asset offerings.”

A leading oracle platform, Chainlink connects blockchain-based smart contracts with real-world, external data, events, and systems. Integrated with numerous blockchains—including Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain, Avalanche, and more—Chainlink powers thousands of decentralized applications and protocols across DeFi, NFT, and enterprise use cases. The company’s CCIP leverages the same decentralized oracle networks that secure more than 70% of DeFi around the world, and has enabled more than $27 trillion in transaction volume.

Coinbase Wrapped Assets are tokenized versions of cryptocurrencies issued and managed by Coinbase. A 1:1 equivalent of the underlying digital asset, Coinbase Wrapped Assets are built to operate on a blockchain other than its native blockchain. For example, a Coinbase Wrapped Bitcoin can be used on a blockchain, such as Ethereum, that does not natively support Bitcoin.

Coinbase Wrapped Assets include cbBTC, cbETH, cbDOGE, cbLTC, cbADA, and cbXRP. Combined, they have a market capitalization of $7 billion. In partnering with Chainlink, Coinbase will use Chainlink CCIP to provide a foundation for bridging Coinbase Wrapped Assets across and beyond ecosystems.

“CCIP was selected by Coinbase for their cross-chain needs due to CCIP’s security and reliability,” Chainlink Head of Strategic Initiatives William Reilly said. “As the leading publicly-listed firm for digital assets, Coinbase takes security and reliability for their products seriously. I am excited about accelerating the growth of Coinbase’s wrapped assets and look forward to helping bring global finance onchain.”

Coinbase’s partnership announcement with Chainlink comes just days after the company reported that it was expanding its institutional collaboration on digital assets with international banking group Standard Chartered. “By leveraging Standard Chartered’s global banking expertise and Coinbase’s leadership in the digital asset space, we are creating a secure and seamless framework for institutions to access and manage digital assets with confidence,” Coinbase Institutional Co-CEO Brett Tejpaul said. “Together, we are driving the evolution of the financial ecosystem and enabling institutions to unlock new opportunities in this rapidly growing market.”

The partnership builds on an existing relationship between the two firms in which Standard Chartered provides banking connectivity to facilitate real-time SGD transfers for Coinbase customers. Standard Chartered has a reputation as a “pro-crypto” financial institution that was among the first major global banks to offer deliverable crypto trading for institutional clients. In addition to its collaboration with Coinbase, the bank has also partnered with crypto platform Crypto.com to enable users in 90+ countries to deposit and withdraw in major currencies through Crypto.com’s app.

Founded in 2012, Coinbase made its Finovate debut at FinovateSpring 2014. Today, the company has $516 billion in assets on its platform and facilitates $295 billion in quarterly trading volume. Co-Founder Brian Armstrong is Chief Executive Officer.

Coinbase also recently published its State of Crypto Q4 2025 report: “Younger investors are rewriting the investing playbook.” The cross-generational report surveyed 4,350 US adults, including 2,005 with investment accounts, on their thoughts about the financial markets and what role digital assets played in their own investing strategies.

Photo by Tim Umphreys on Unsplash

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Finovate Global Canada: Wealthsimple’s $10 Billion Valuation and a Look at Investment Trends

Finovate Global Canada: Wealthsimple’s $10 Billion Valuation and a Look at Investment Trends
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Coinbase, Finovate Global, Nubank, Salt Edge, Tink

This week’s edition of Finovate Global features recent fintech news from Canada.

Wealthsimple secures $750 million at valuation of $10 billion

Canadian fintech Wealthsimple has raised CAD $750 million at a post-money valuation of CAD $10 billion. The funding round includes both a CAD $550 million primary offering and a secondary offering of up to CAD $200 million. Dragoneer Investment Group and GIC led the round, which also featured participation from new investor Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) as well as existing investors Power Corporation of Canada, IGM Financial Inc. ICONIQ, Greylock, and Meritech.

“This raise reflects deep confidence from new and returning investors in our mission and our role as a defining Canadian company,” Wealthsimple Co-Founder and CEO Michael Katchen said. “We were intentional in choosing partners committed to the long-term future of Wealthsimple. These are well-respected, global leaders with a proven track record (of) scaling category leaders, and who believe in our vision for the future of financial services.”

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Wealthsimple offers a suite of low-cost financial solutions to help Canadians build wealth. The company’s platform features self-directed investing, managed portfolios, digital asset investing, tax filing, advisor services, and more in a single, integrated experience. Wealthsimple serves three million Canadians and has $100 billion in assets under administration.

“Few companies have achieved what Wealthsimple has in the last few years,” Dragoneer Investment Group Partner Christian Jensen said. “The Wealthsimple team has built an expansive financial platform that millions of Canadians trust. They’re not just participating in Canada’s financial services industry; they’re redefining it.”

Earlier this year, Wealthsimple unveiled a waitlist for its first credit card, which topped 300,000 Canadians in the first six months. The company’s fundraising news follows a profitable 2024 and current profitability in 2025, as well. The capital infusion will help Wealthsimple accelerate its product roadmap in investing, spending, and credit, as well as support the company’s efforts to expand its platform.

Fintech investment slows in H1 ahead of potential rebound in H2

Speaking of investment and Canadian fintech, KPMG’s Canada Fintech Investment Report is a great way to get up to speed on the investment trends that are supporting fintech innovation in Canada. The report was published in August, and focuses on investment trends from the first half of 2025.

While the report indicates that Canadian fintech investment fell significantly compared to international trends, the report authors suggest that the first half of 2025 represented a normalization in the wake of record high levels of investment in 2024. Areas of investor interest include AI, especially agentic AI, and digital assets, which represent a continuation of trends from 2024. A more positive regulatory tone toward cryptocurrencies—especially stablecoins—in the US has been credited for this rebound in interest in digital assets. The report also noted some interest in quantum computing among insurers.

“Last year was exceptionally strong for fintech investment, thanks to two major take-private deals,” Dubie Cunningham, a Partner in KPMG in Canada’s Banking and Capital Markets Practice, explained. “Since then, investment activity has dropped to more stable levels. In fact, when you consider the economic shifts such as tariffs affecting global trade, investment in the first half was quite robust compared to historical levels. There’s still a lot of dry powder ready to be deployed by investors, but they are demonstrating more selective behavior than in previous years. They’re looking for quality companies and we’re seeing longer tails for maturing mid-to-large stage private equity deals.”

Read the full report.

Coming to Canada: Atlanta’s Rainforest and Lebanon’s Whish Money

This week reminds us of how attractive Canada is to a growing number of fintechs around the world. Rainforest, a embedded payments company based in Atlanta, Georgia, announced recently that it is looking to expand to Canada. The company, founded in 2022, secured $29 million in funding in September, taking its total capital raised to $57.5 million. The idea of expanding to Canada, as Rainforest Founder and CEO Joshua Silver explained to Global Atlanta, represents more than a regional expansion for the company itself. The move would also help Rainforest’s platform client expand their offerings in a new market.

Rainforest specializes in payments partnerships with software providers that target businesses in underserved industry sectors. These software providers themselves are an underserved segment of the industry—processing $50 million to $2 billion in annual payments. Rainforest offers an embedded payments solution that enables software platforms to provide a robust payments experience for their end merchants without having to register as a payment facilitator with card networks.

Hailing from even farther away than the Peach State where Rainforest resides is Whish Money. Headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, and regulated by the country’s central bank, Whish Money announced this week that it had secured financial services licenses in Canada. The regulatory approvals are the first for the company outside of the MENA region, and is part of a global expansion that includes entering markets in the US, the UK, the EU, and Australia.

“Securing our Canadian license is a monumental step that validates our compliant, customer-focused model and sets the foundation for our international expansion,” Whish Money board chairman Toufic Koussa said. “This move is about more than just entering a new market; it’s about strategically connecting high-diaspora communities with reliable financial infrastructure, beginning with North America. We are committed to building a regulated, transparent global ecosystem that truly serves our users.”

Whish Money offers a range of digital financial services including payroll, fund transfers, and billpay. Founded in 2019, the company’s e-wallet, money remittance, and e-distribution platform has a user base of more than 1.5 million. The company’s global expansion is being supported by partnerships with companies such as Visa, Mastercard, Ria, and Terrapay.

Here is our look at fintech innovation around the world.

Central and Southern Asia

  • Pakistan-based fintech startup ZAR raised $13 million for its technology that enables consumer to convert cash into stablecoins.
  • Indian fintech infrastructure company Falcon announced a partnership with technology consulting firm Tech Mahindra.
  • Alipay+ and HUMO, Uzebekistan’s national payment system, teamed up to facilitate cross-border payments.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Blockchain infrastructure and cryptocurrency provider Binance unveiled QR code payments in Argentina
  • Kueski and dLocal team up to bring Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services to merchants in Mexico.
  • Nubank and OpenAI partnered to launch ChatGPR Go in Brazil to give individuals greater access to ChatGPT’s advanced capabilties at a lower cost.

Asia-Pacific

  • Remittance provider Viamericas partnered with Dong Phuong Money Transfer to expand access to remittance services throughout Vietnam.
  • Japanese fintech JPYC launched the country’s first yen-denominated stablecoin.
  • Malaysian fintech Instapay earned a spot on CB Insights’ Global Fintech 100.

Sub-Saharan Africa

  • South African fintech SME Snapshot launched updated version of its business management dashboard.
  • Nigeria’s Flutterwave partnered with Polygon to launch a stablecoin payment network across 34 African countries.
  • Kenya’s Choice Bank teamed up with Safaricom to power cross-border money transfers.

Central and Eastern Europe

  • Coinbase and Tink teamed up to bring Pay by Bank crypto payments to customers in Germany.
  • Lithuanian regtech IDenfy partnered with Australian remittance service provider J Forex Money Transfer.
  • Finlayer and Salt Edge annnounced a partnership to bring open banking to small and medium-sized businesses in Romania.

Middle East and Northern Africa

  • Saudi Arabian Buy Now Pay Later firm Tabby boosted its valuation to more than $4.5 billion in the wake of a secondary share sale.
  • Israel-based Viola Credit closed its third credit fund at $2 billion, topping its original target of $1.5 billion.
  • Lebanon-based fintech Whish Money secured financial services licenses in Canada.

Photo by Harrison Haines

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Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News

Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Coinbase, Fintech Rundown, Parlay Protocol, Q2, Tink, WorldPay

The week begins as platforms, websites, and applications around the world are reeling from a major Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage. The impact, which affected more than 500 companies and generated millions of outage reports according to Downdetector, is among the most significant Internet disruptions since the Crowdstrike incident in 2024.

Meanwhile, here on Finovate’s Fintech Rundown, we’re looking at a handful of newly announced partnerships in payments and a pair of announcements in the crypto commerce space. Be sure to check back all week long for the latest in fintech headlines!

Payments

Payment orchestration platform Gr4vy announces collaboration with Mastercard.

Worldpay inks deal to provide payment processing services for food retailer Kroger.

Emerging markets payment orchestration platform MoneyHash teams up with Saudi Arabia-based financial services app Tabby.

Coinbase launches the Coinbase One credit card.

CellPoint Digital launches One Source Orchestration, a payment optimization platform that meets the demand of OOSD retailing models.

Salt Edge and Sola partner to power instant payments across Europe.

Digital identity

IDenfy unveils new email and SMS verification tools.

Open banking

Bill sharing and expense app Splitwise expands its partnership with Tink to bring Pay by Bank to more markets in Europe.

Insurtech

Insurtech bolt launches boltAI for Agencies, a conversational and workflow AI agent that brings automation to property and casualty (P&C) insurance firms.

Crypto and DeFi

Coinbase introduces new business payment tools.

Crypto payments company MoonPay launches crypto commerce platform.

Lending

First Internet Bank goes live with Parlay Finance’s Loan Intelligence System.

Appli reaches one-year milestone with 10 credit union partners.

Digital banking

Financial intelligence platform Monit announces expanded integration and partnership with digital banking solutions provider Q2 Holdings.

YouTube star MrBeast files trademark indicating a planned move to expand into finance.

Photo by Alice Kotlyarenko on Unsplash

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PNC Teams with Coinbase to Offer Digital Asset Solutions

PNC Teams with Coinbase to Offer Digital Asset Solutions
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Coinbase, Daily news, Thought Leadership
  • PNC Bank has partnered with Coinbase to offer crypto services to its banking clients, institutional investors, and corporate treasurers, using Coinbase’s Crypto-as-a-Service (CaaS) platform.
  • The collaboration enables PNC clients to securely buy, hold, and sell cryptocurrencies while Coinbase gains access to PNC’s banking services.
  • The partnership follows the passage of the GENIUS Act, which brings regulatory clarity to stablecoins and is prompting traditional banks like PNC and JPMorgan to explore crypto-powered financial products.

PNC Bank announced it has teamed up with crypto exchange platform and wallet Coinbase to expand access to digital asset solutions for its banking clients, institutional investors, and corporate treasurers exploring onchain settlement.

Under the agreement, PNC will also provide banking services to Coinbase. The $557 billion bank will leverage Coinbase’s Crypto-as-a-Service (CaaS) platform to offer secure, scalable crypto access for its clients. With CaaS, Coinbase provides the underlying crypto infrastructure while allowing PNC to maintain full control over the client experience, brand, and compliance framework. At launch, PNC’s new crypto offering will allow clients to buy, hold, and sell cryptocurrencies.

“PNC is a market leader in delivering best-in-class products for their clients,” said Head of Coinbase Institutional Brett Tejpaul. “We’re thrilled to support their entry into the digital asset market with our leading Crypto-as-a-Service platform, which provides PNC with a powerful set of tools to develop a scalable, high-growth business, built on a foundation of uncompromising security.”

Coinbase was founded in 2012 and has proved resilient in offering crypto capabilities that make it easy for people to engage with crypto assets by trading, staking, safekeeping, spending, and making global transfers. The company provides infrastructure for onchain activity and seeks to support builders who want to build onchain.

“Partnering with Coinbase accelerates our ability to bring innovative, crypto financial solutions to our clients,” said PNC Chairman and CEO William S. Demchak. “We will also provide PNC’s best-in-class banking services to Coinbase. This collaboration enables us to meet growing demand for secure and streamlined access to digital assets on PNC’s trusted platform.”

Until recently, Coinbase was under fire from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), for allegedly operating as an unregistered securities exchange. The company fired back, engaging in a legal battle by suing the SEC and FDIC over the need for more regulatory transparency in crypto. In February, Coinbase and the SEC jointly filed to dismiss the enforcement action and end the lawsuit. The lawsuit with the FDIC, however, is still ongoing, as the FDIC is still refusing to fully comply with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests concerning “pause letters” sent to banks.

Despite historical and present legal battles, Coinbase’s tenacity may soon pay off. The company will likely see a boost from the recently passed GENIUS Act as it creates regulatory clarity and certainty around stablecoins. The Act will even go as far as allowing Coinbase to apply for a banking license, which would enable Coinbase to obtain Fed master accounts and connect directly to Fedwire.

Notably, PNC isn’t the first traditional bank to make moves in the crypto segment after the passage of the GENIUS Act last week. The Financial Times reported this morning that JPMorgan is considering offering loans backed by clients’ Bitcoin and Ethereum holdings. If JPMorgan follows through, its clients could leverage their crypto holdings as collateral for cash loans, which would offer them liquidity without requiring them to sell their digital assets. The GENIUS Act’s clear federal framework for stablecoins may be giving traditional banks like PNC and JPMorgan new confidence to enter the crypto arena with clarity on compliance and risk boundaries.

Photo by RDNE Stock project

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Coinbase Unveils New Business Platform

Coinbase Unveils New Business Platform
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) Posted on
Categories: Alumni News, Coinbase
  • Coinbase announced plans to launch Coinbase Business, a crypto operating account designed to help small businesses send, receive, and manage crypto payments with no fees.
  • The platform offers instant settlements, high-yield USDC savings of up to 4.1% APY, and integrations with QuickBooks and Xero to streamline crypto-powered financial workflows.
  • With this move, Coinbase enters the commercial crypto space, competing with Circle and Fireblocks.

Crypto exchange platform and wallet Coinbase is expanding its horizons into the business world. The California-based company revealed plans to launch Coinbase Business, a crypto operating account that small businesses can use to manage payments, crypto assets, and automated payouts.

“At Coinbase, we’ve spent over a decade building the trusted foundation for the cryptoeconomy to increase economic freedom around the world,” the company announced on its blog. “Now, we’re bringing that same security, scale, and compliance to everyday businesses with Coinbase Business—a modern financial stack built with the speed and scale of crypto.”

The new, fee-free accounts will allow businesses to benefit from the fast, borderless, and low-cost aspects of transacting in crypto and stablecoins. Coinbase built its Business accounts to streamline financial workflows and create a single place for businesses to send and receive payments, manage crypto assets, and automate payouts.

Coinbase Business is designed for startups managing global contractors, ecommerce companies accepting stablecoin payments, DAOs distributing tokens, or service providers working with clients in emerging markets. With automated USDC payouts and integration with QuickBooks and Xero, Coinbase is allowing businesses to leverage crypto as not just an investment tool, but also use it as a part of their working capital infrastructure.

Among the features of Coinbase Business are: crypto payments with instant settlements, no delays, and no chargebacks; the ability to buy, sell, and exchange crypto directly from the business account; high interest savings of up to 4.1% APY earned on USDC; simplified onboarding; and streamlined accounting with reconciliation into QuickBooks and Xero.

Coinbase’s entrance into the commercial space highlights a growing interest that small businesses have shown in crypto infrastructure. As traditional banking systems remain slow, expensive, and siloed across regions, crypto can serve as an alternative for faster money movement, especially across borders. With Coinbase Business, companies can avoid high foreign exchange fees, streamline vendor payments, and integrate crypto into day-to-day operations without needing specialized knowledge.

The launch places Coinbase in competition with other crypto-native business tools like Circle’s USDC treasury services, Fireblocks, and even legacy fintech platforms that are starting to explore stablecoins. Coinbase, however, can differentiate itself with its built-in user base, regulatory compliance, and direct access to a deep liquidity pool via its exchange.

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Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News

Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Coinbase, Fintech Rundown, Themis

This week in Finovate’s Fintech Rundown, we highlight big fundraisings in wealthtech and mortgagetech, as well as an acquisition in the world of money movement. Check back all week long as the Fintech Rundown keeps you informed on the latest news in fintech!

Wealth management

Global wealthtech solutions provider Masttro announces upgrades to its platform, including real-time wealth visualization and AI-powered efficiency.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) agrees to acquire Japanese robo-advisory firm WealthNavi for $664 million.

Cryptocurrencies

Taiwan expedites implementation of its new Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations for cryptocurrency companies.

Coinbase elects to withdraw its pre-application to enter the Turkish market, citing regulatory concerns.

Digital banking

Lumin Digital secures $160 million in growth funding.

Mortgagetech

U.K.-based digital savings and mortgage platform Tembo raises $17.8 million (€16.8 million) in Series B funding to support first-time homebuyers.

Payments

Digital payroll company Deel acquires U.K.-based money transfer firm Atlantic Money.

Razorpay teams up with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to boost cybersecurity for digital payments in India.

Mollie and PayPal join forces to enhance marketplace payments in Europe.

Greenlight launches child safety alerts and location sharing tools to its Infinity family plan.

GNC brings Early Warning Services’ Paze to its online checkout.

East of England Co-op extends its relationship with NCR Atleos to provide ATMs through the Cashzone Network across its stores.

Red River Bank selects Allied Payment Network to expand digital payments offerings.

Insurtech

Embedded solutions provider YAS teams up with QBE Hong Kong to offer Pay-As-You-Sell product liability insurance for ecommerce merchants.

Aviva strikes five-year partnership with NatWest to distribute its insurance solutions through NatWest U.K.’s retail banking brands.

Luma Financial Technologies partners with Advantage Insurance Network to enhance annuity and life insurance access.

Fraud and security

Finovate Best of Show winner Themis launches KYC/AML company, Tathabbat, in Saudi Arabia. Check out our recent Finovate podcast interview with Themis Founder and CEO Neepa Patel.

Revolut selects Metomic to enhance SaaS data security across its SaaS environment.

Middesk launches Address Risk Insights to help reduce risk and boost KYB compliance.

Business financial management

KPay raises $55 million in Series A funds.

Data analytics and management

ACERA taps Clearwater Analytics to transform data validation and simplify total plan reporting.

SOLO lands funding from BankTech Ventures to transform credit underwriting for banks.

Lending, credit, and underwriting

Shastic partners with MeridianLink to provide AI workflow automation for banks and credit unions.

Photo by David Dibert

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5 Tales from the Crypto: Acquisitions, New Markets, New Rules, and New Tools

5 Tales from the Crypto: Acquisitions, New Markets, New Rules, and New Tools
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Coinbase, Cryptocurrency, Nubank

This week in 5 Tales from the Crypto we look at a pair of acquisitions, an expansion into a new market, new guidelines for crypto providers, and a new solution for executing cryptocurrency swaps.

Crypto.com acquires Australia’s Fintek Securities

Cryptocurrency trading platform Crypto.com has acquired brokerage service and trading company Fintek Securities. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The acquisition will help Crypto.com extend its services to crypto traders and investors in Australia. Fintek Securities holds an Australian Financial Services license and is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

“The path of the Crypto.com roadmap is to ambitiously expand our offering by providing customers (with) the most comprehensive set of financial services, and this acquisition is the latest step in that journey,” Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek said. “The goal is to create one destination for all financial services where users can simplify their experience and maximize rewards.”

Crypto.com offers eligible customers financial products including deposits, derivatives, securities, foreign exchange, managed investment schemes, and more. Investors and traders on its platform can buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more than 350 other cryptocurrencies. They can also access, manage, and spend their funds at any time using their Crypto.com Visa Card, which offers 5% cash back on all purchases.

Founded in 2016, Crypto.com has its corporate headquarters in Singapore and American headquarters in Tyler, Texas. The company serves more than 100 million customers around the world, and is a leader in regulatory compliance, security, and privacy in the crypto space. Crypto.com’s latest acquisition comes less than a month after it announced the purchase of SEC-registered broker-dealer Watchdog Capital. In August, Crypto.com added PayPal as a payment method to fund cryptocurrency purchases on its platform.

Cryptocurrency platform Gemini goes live in France

Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license in hand, cryptocurrency platform Gemini has gone live in France. The platform secured its VASP registration earlier this year, and this week announced that it is taking advantage of growing interest in crypto in France to begin operations in the country.

Gemini Head of Europe Gillian Lynch wrote on the company’s blog that the percentage of crypto owners in France has grown to 18%, a two-point increase since 2022. Gemini’s 2024 Global State of Crypto report further revealed that trust in crypto is higher in France (23%) compared to both the U.S. (21%) and the U.K. (19%). Additionally, most crypto owners in France (62%) are so-called HODLers who see their holdings as part of their long-term investments rather than as short-term trading vehicles. Nearly half of those responding bought their first crypto assets more than three years ago.

“Gemini’s entry into France is a strategic choice for our next phase of growth,” Lynch wrote. “France’s proactive engagement with and support of the crypto sector has fostered the development of a crypto hub, making it a key market for us.”

Lynch credited regulators for much of the positive sentiment in France toward crypto. Specifically, Lynch pointed to France’s VASP regime, as well as the European Union’s passage of the Markets in Crypto Assets regulation (MiCA) in 2023. MiCA provides a comprehensive framework and regulatory guidance for E.U. companies involved in digital assets.

“We believe in empowering individuals through crypto, and our expansion into France marks a significant milestone in our mission to make crypto accessible to everyone,” Lynch said. “Gemini’s research into the French market shows its growing interest in digital assets. (A) robust regulatory framework presents a unique opportunity to introduce our platform to the trading community and extend our presence in the European market over the coming months.”

Founded in 2015, Gemini is headquartered in New York.

EBA publishes new regulations for crypto providers

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has issued two sets of guidelines that specify measures that Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASPs) and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) must adhere to when transferring funds or cryptocurrencies. In effect as of December 30, 2025, the regulations will require CASPs and PSPs that transfer funds or crypto assets to use a reliable screening system that will ensure compliance with their “restrictive measures” obligations.

“These Guidelines clarify how restrictive measures policies and procedures interact with financial institutions’ wider governance and risk management frameworks, to avoid operational and legal risks for financial institutions and ensure an effective implementation of restrictive measures,” the EBA wrote.

Further, CASPs and PSPs must screen relevant information to manage the risk that entities or individuals could violate the EU’s restrictive measures or seek to circumvent them.

The new compliance requirements are designed to address perceived vulnerabilities in the banking system that can lead to both legal and reputational risks for financial institutions. This can weaken the effectiveness of the E.U.’s restrictive measures regime and, ultimately, destabilize the region’s financial landscape.

The regulations build on legislation first issued in 2021 by the European Commission as part of a reform of the EU’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) program. These regulations, adopted in June of last year and going into effect on December 30 of this year, include a proposal for new rules with regard to fund and crypto asset transfers.

Coinbase acquires Utopia Labs

Digital currency wallet and platform Coinbase announced that the team from Utopia Labs will join its efforts to enhance Coinbase’s onchain payments roadmap within Coinbase Wallet.

“The Utopia team has been on the ground floor building onchain payments products for years. We’re pumped for them to join us to accelerate our goal of bringing low-cost, fast, and global payments to everyone around the world,” Coinbase Head of Base and Coinbase Wallet Jesse Pollak wrote on the company’s blog. “Together, we’ll create a future where individuals and businesses large and small use onchain payments to make their lives better every day.”

Specifically, the Utopia Labs team will join Base, Coinbase’s decentralized Ethereum Layer 2 scaling network. Base provides a secure, low-cost, and developer-friendly way to build decentralized apps onchain. Coinbase Wallet enables users to store and manage all of their digital assets — from cryptocurrencies to NFTs — as well as multiple digital wallets in a single location. The wallet provides support for hundreds of thousands of coins, as well as many decentralized apps, and can readily be funded from bank accounts, local payment options, or card payments in more than 130 countries.

As Pollak explained, the connection between the acquisition, Base, and Coinbase is a strong one. “There’s a natural flywheel here,” Pollak said. “Base is supporting developers who build onchain apps, those apps attract users onchain, Wallet onboards those users, and in turn more users incentivizes more developers to build onchain.”

Operating in more than 100 countries, Coinbase supports $185 billion in quarterly volume traded on its platform, and safeguards $273 billion in assets. The company was founded in 2012 and made its Finovate debut at FinovateSpring 2014. Brian Armstrong is CEO.

Earlier this month, Coinbase launched a new engineering hub in Singapore to support the local developer community. Also in November, Coinbase introduced USDC Rewards for Coinbase Wallet users. The new program enables them to earn 4.7% APY by holding USDC onchain in their wallets. Rewards are paid directly into user wallets on Base every month. Currently available “in most regions” around the world, U.S. Coinbase Wallet users are gaining access to the service this week.

Nubank introduces cryptocurrency swap tool

Brazilian fintech giant Nubank has introduced a new solution to help simplify cryptocurrency transactions for its customers. The new tool enables Nubank customers to trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Uniswap for the digital dollar USDC and vice versa.

“Swap is in demand by customers as they start including crypto assets into their strategies,” Nubank Executive Director of Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets Thomaz Fortes said. “The initial implementation involving USDC and the four most popular cryptos is a way to ensure potential profits from value appreciation without losing market position and with a lower fee compared to selling for value in reais.”

Integrated into the firm’s Nubank Cripto solution, the new functionality will be released over the coming weeks. Additional token pairs will be introduced within the next few months.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil, Nubank made its Finovate debut at our developers conference, FinDEVr New York in 2016. Today, Nubank offers one of the largest digital banking platforms in the world. In fact, the company’s swap tool news arrives a few days after it reported reaching the 100 million customer milestone in Brazil. This figure represents 57% of the country’s adult population. Nubank also recently noted major gains in other Latin American markets, reporting nearly nine million customers in Mexico and more than two million in Colombia.

Photo by Michel Meuleman

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Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News

Fintech Rundown: A Rapid Review of Weekly News
By David Penn Posted on
Categories: Alkami Technology, Alumni News, Coinbase, Daily news, Envestnet, Fintech Rundown, VISA

We’re starting off the newsweek with a bang as Bain Capital announces that it will take wealthtech and Finovate alum Envestnet private in a deal valued at $4.5 billion. Be sure to check back all week long with the latest fintech news and headlines.

Crypto / DeFi / Web3

Payment orchestration platform FinMont partners with Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payment servics firm, BitPay.

Coinbase launches new web app to help users better manage their digital assets portfolio.

Blockchain payment network Partior secures $60 million in Series B funding.

Wirex and Visa announce an expanded partnership to promote Web3 payments.

Payments

Mangopay teams up with European marketplace ManoMano to bring new payment capabilities to marketplace merchants.

Allied Payment Network introduces new Chief Financial Officer Hank Vanjaria.

U.K. payments platform Payset partners with ClearBank to access the U.K. payment system for local and cross-border transactions.

BNPL company Affirm teams up with Canadian retailer RONA, enabling the store to offer flexible online payment options.

Singapore based fintech Qashier launches its payment linked loyalty program, Treats.

TerraPay partners with YeePay to enhance the customer experience.

Nala raises $40 million to build B2B payments platform, scale remittance services.

Stripe reaches $70 billion valuation.

Klarna considers Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan for lead banking positions for a potential 2025 IPO.

Payments processor Tapi lands $22 million.

Temenos teamed up with Visa to integrate Visa Direct with Temenos Payments Hub and make available to banks via Temenos Exchange.

Investing and wealth management

Apex Fintech Solutions launches its real-time, B2B investment infrastructure, Ascend for Fintechs.

Bain Capital to buy Envestnet for $4.5 billion.

InvestFi forges partnership with HiFin Technology.

Small business finance

America First Credit Union turns to Loquat to enhance onboarding for small business members.

J.P. Morgan Payments selects Slope to provide clients access to a short-term financing solution, leads the fintech’s new round of $252 million in combined debt and equity.

9Spokes launches automated cashflow tool to help financial organizations elevate financial insights for SMBs.

Digital banking

Digital wealth management solutions company Quantifeed forges partnership with banking technology firm Thought Machine.

Digital banking solutions provider Alkami receives certification by J.D. Power for its mobile banking platform.

Banco Santander introduces a new digital service for customers with hearing challenges that translates the bank’s website into British Sign Language (BSL).

Flybits integrates with Q2’s Digital Banking Platform.

Trexis launches suite of digital banking solutions.

Anne Boden quits Starling Bank to focus on AI.

Brightfin launches healthy spending app to remove anxiety around money.

Insurtech

Digital insurance firm Lemonade launches new home insurance offering in the U.K.

Insuritas partners with Integral Group Solution (IGS) to integrate home services product into its embedded insurance platform.

Lending

Mexican fintech OCN secures $86 million in Series A funding.

Open banking

Salt Edge launches the latest version of its Open Banking Gateway API, API V6.

Goldman Sachs’ alternatives unit is leading a consortium investing $540 million in a continuation vehicle created by VC firm NEA, which includes stakes in 11 of NEA’s companies, including Plaid.

Photo by Lukas

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