Monzo secured a full banking licence from the European Central Bank and the Central Bank of Ireland, enabling the UK-based digital bank to operate as a fully regulated lender within the European Union.

Coinbase announced a partner model that lets companies issue custom-branded stablecoins backed by assets like USDC, while Coinbase manages issuance and operations. Early partners including Flipcash, Solflare, and R2 are evaluating launches, highlighting stablecoins’ shift toward embedded financial infrastructure.

PayPal has submitted applications to the Utah Department of Financial Institutions and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to establish a Utah-chartered industrial loan company, proposed as PayPal Bank.

With last month’s Canadian federal budget announcing amendments to the Consumer-Driven Banking Act to enable effective and regulated open banking, and introducing “write access” targeted for 2027, open banking in Canada is entering its next phase.

J.P. Morgan Chase is preparing to introduce its first tokenized money market fund, extending its use of blockchain infrastructure into regulated fund products. The private fund, titled ‘My OnChain Net Yield Fund (MONY)’, is being deployed on the Ethereum blockchain and will be seeded with USD 100 million of internal capital before being opened to external investors.

Trulioo, a Vancouver-based identity verification platform, has joined Google’s Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) to support trusted agent-led payments across digital ecosystems. The collaboration extends Trulioo’s existing role in providing identity verification for Google’s payments operations, including KYC processes, fraud mitigation, and authorization controls

AI isn’t just recommending products anymore - it’s shopping for you. It is estimated that by 2030, the US B2C retail market alone could see up to $1 trillion in revenue from agentic commerce.

Instacart introduced an app within ChatGPT that enables users to search for grocery items, generate a ready-to-review cart, and complete payment through Instant Checkout without leaving the conversation.

Revolut appointed Jan Pilbauer as CEO of its Canadian business, marking the firm’s first concrete step toward reassessing a market it exited in early 2021.

The $800M acquisition strengthens EQ Bank’s scale across credit cards, deposits, and loyalty-linked services.

Recently we saw QCAD become Canada’s first fully compliant CAD stablecoin. The Issuer, QCAD Digital Trust, has received final approval for its prospectus filed with Canadian Securities Administrators under Canada’s interim regulatory framework for value-referenced crypto assets (VRCAs).

Canada’s two biggest modern investing platforms are stepping into 2026 with ambition: Wealthsimple and Questrade.

Toronto-based digital lending player Propel Holding has received regulatory approval from the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico (OCFI) to establish Propel International Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Propel that will operate as an International Financial Entity.

Worldpay has released the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open, developer-friendly framework that lets AI agents connect directly to payment systems.

Stablecoins gain traction as Visa expands settlement with USDC and Klarna launches its own payment-focused stablecoin.

The QCAD Digital Trust has received final approval for its prospectus under Canada’s new stablecoin rules, officially making QCAD the first CAD-denominated stablecoin to meet national securities regulations.

Mastercard is expanding its Crypto Credential framework to self-custody wallets through new partnerships with Polygon Labs and Mercuryo. The update introduces verified, username-style aliases that replace long wallet addresses.

Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is preparing to launch a new Life Sciences Fund in 2026, marking its return to the sector six years after spinning out its previous healthcare vehicle, Amplitude Ventures, into an independent firm.

Interac Corp. has introduced Interac e-Transfer Cards, a new feature that lets people and businesses attach digital cards to their money transfers.

Stablecoin payouts are becoming part of global money-movement rails as Visa and Mastercard roll out new wallet-based payout capabilities.