February 18, 2026 @ 12:33 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In an environment that is increasingly being dominated by artificial intelligence advancements, key perspectives from financial institutions and professional services reveal that energy is quietly emerging as the defining force in the global economy, while AI itself drives considerable changes in how services are delivered…. Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 12:03 pm By JD Alois  |  

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong joined Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno on CNBC today, as both appeared at the World Liberty Forum at Mar-a-Lago. Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) is the first crypto exchange to go public and one of the largest marketplaces of its kind. Moreno, at one point, was… Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 11:08 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Oliver Wyman has noted that since the 1944 Bretton Woods conference established the postwar financial framework nearly eight decades ago, central banks and regulators have held primary responsibility for maintaining monetary stability. Oliver Wyman pointed out that they have overseen both government-issued currency and the… Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 11:05 am By JD Alois  |  

Unicity Labs has raised $3 million in a Seed round led by Blockchange Ventures, with participation from Tawasal, a Middle East-based communications super app, and Outlier Ventures. Unicity Labs is creating an Artificial Intelligence (AI) autonomous marketplace as software evolves from concept to actual tools…. Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 10:56 am By JD Alois  |  

Caption has chosen Mangopay to help scale its investment infrastructure platform. Caption is licensed in France as an asset management company regulated by the AMF (Clint Capital) and by the ACPR. It operates a proprietary technology platform that supports private and professional investors, issuers, and… Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 10:44 am By JD Alois  |  

Shares of Fiserv (NASDAQ:FISV) received a bid yesterday after news that Jana Partners had purchased 2.2 million shares of the Fintech company for approximately $151 million. Jana Partners is an activist hedge fund that will push for strategic or operational changes at Fiserv. Jana was… Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 10:16 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Recent economic research and forecasts paint an insightful and detailed picture of the Eurozone’s recovery, distinguishing between lasting and short-lived inflationary pressures while projecting modest expansion ahead. A new Bank of England staff working paper, released on 13 February 2026, offers fresh analysis of post-pandemic… Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 10:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a significant trilateral operation on November 19, 2025, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), working closely with authorities in the United Kingdom and Australia, imposed sanctions on a network of Russian bulletproof hosting providers central to worldwide cybercrime, particularly ransomware campaigns…. Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 8:05 am By Omar Faridi  |  

UK private equity firm Hypha has completed the acquisition of Pass, a fast-growing education technology company headquartered in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The move was enabled by a £5 million loan from digital bank OakNorth, highlighting the increasing role of specialist financing in fueling sector consolidation… Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 7:36 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken continues to strengthen its position in the digital asset market with four significant announcements this week, blending cutting-edge technology, community support, user incentives, and robust regulatory practices. These developments underscore the platform’s focus on accessibility, innovation, and long-term value for both retail… Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 7:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Aave has indicated that the decentralized finance landscape is maturing and that liquidations serve as an essential safeguard, protecting lenders and maintaining protocol integrity even when borrowers face challenges. Since its inception in 2020, the Aave protocol has managed more than 310,000 liquidation events, amounting… Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 7:29 am By Omar Faridi  |  

UK Finance has indicated that the landscape of financial transactions has evolved considerably and the United Kingdom has witnessed a remarkable transformation over the past 20 years. According to insights from UK Finance, this month marks the anniversary of when Chip and PIN technology fully… Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 1:19 am By Omar Faridi  |  

KPMG has indicated that the global fintech sector experienced a notable recovery in 2025, with total investments climbing to $116 billion across approximately 4,700 deals, marking an increase from the previous year’s $95.5 billion. Research from KPMG  and other pointed out that this uptick, driven… Read More

February 18, 2026 @ 12:18 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a move impacting alternative investments, Banco Itaú International and Banco Itaú (Suisse) SA—collectively known as Banco Itaú—have deepened their alliance with Fintech platform iCapital. Announced recently, this enhanced partnership introduces various types of digital tools to streamline private markets investments for Banco Itaú’s affluent… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 10:19 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

A recent announcement impacting the insurance technology sector by Branch, an insurer based in Columbus, Ohio, aims to further strengthen an existing collaboration with Akur8 by integrating the latter’s Discover tool. This expansion, announced this month, now aims to enhance Branch’s access to real-time regulatory… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 9:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

As part of the ongoing global effort to effectively bridge traditional finance (TradFi) and the digital asset ecosystem, Binance has recently teamed up with investment firm Franklin Templeton to introduce a new institutional collateral program. This development, which went live recently, enables qualified institutional clients… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 9:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

SlowMist has indicated that in a recent surge of interest surrounding the open-source AI agent framework OpenClaw, its official plugin repository, ClawHub, has become a hotspot for developers. However, this rapid growth has drawn the attention of cybercriminals, leading to widespread supply chain attacks through… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 4:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital assets firm Circle has formally responded to the Bank of England‘s consultation on establishing a regulatory framework for systemic sterling-denominated stablecoins. This move underscores the UK’s efforts to balance financial stability with the promotion of various payment solutions. The debate over payment stablecoins, or… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 3:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR), a leading AI, data integration, and analytics firm used by large corporations and the federal government, has relocated its headquarters to Miami. The move is part of a broader migration away from high-tax, less business-friendly jurisdictions to the booming South Florida market. It has been widely… Read More

February 17, 2026 @ 2:59 pm By JD Alois  |  

A battle line has been drawn between states that want to maintain control over wagering and betting and prediction markets that offer event-driven markets for a wide range of binary outcomes. Earlier today, CFTC Chairman Mike Selig threw down the gauntlet, declaring that the Commission is ready… Read More