Weekly FinTech & Financial News
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter
✉️
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter ✉️
March 16-20, 2026
Top FinTech Updates this Week
💼 Mastercard is acquiring BVNK, the global provider of stablecoin infrastructure for up to $1.8b, including $300m in contingent payments
🤝 PWL Capital, a Montreal-based wealth management firm selects d1g1t, a Toronto-based wealthtech as its partner to accelerate growth and elevate client experiences
💰 Remitian, an US & Ottawa-based tax remittance platform raised USD $7M in seed round and introduced tax payment API to modernize tax payments with AI-first platform for accounting and financial firms
💰 Gumloop, a Vancouver-founded and US-based work automation platform raised a $50M USD ($68M CAD) Series B round to help enterprise employees automate their work
💼 Legora, a Sweden-based legaltech acquired Walter, a Vancouver-based legal AI startup to expand in Canada market
🚀Visa launches ‘Agentic Ready’ Programme, designed to support the payments ecosystem as it prepares for a new era of agentic commerce
🚀 1Password, a Toronto-based password management firm launched its Unified Access Platform to help companies securely deploy AI agents, allowing autonomous work without sacrificing company control over authentication credentials
🚀 OneVest, Calgary and Toronto-based wealth management platform launches OneVest GO: the AI-native wealth relationship workspace built for the modern independent advisor
Top Financial Institutions Updates this Week
🌟 Bank of Canada maintains policy rate at 2.25%, with the bank rate at 2.5% and the deposit rate at 2.20%
🌟 Payments Canada approved Meridian Credit Union as first new provincial credit union member
🌟 Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC) revoked the registrations of 50 MSBs so far this year, with 47 related to crypto
-
Visa launches ‘Agentic Ready’ Programme, designed to support the payments ecosystem as it prepares for a new era of agentic commerce. Launching first in Europe, including the UK, this builds on Visa Intelligent Commerce - Visa’s strategic framework for enabling trusted, AI-driven commerce experiences at scale. In its first phase, Visa Agentic Ready focuses on issuer readiness, providing issuing partners with a structured pathway to test and validate agent-initiated transactions, working in close partnership with Visa and selected merchants to explore how these transactions could operate securely, at scale, in controlled production environments. Through the programme, participating issuers will gain firsthand experience of how agentic commerce platforms can securely initiate and complete transactions on behalf of consumers, while maintaining the trust, control and protections that underpin the Visa network. | Visa
Mastercard is acquiring BVNK, the global provider of stablecoin infrastructure for up to $1.8B, including $300M in contingent payments. The deal further expands Mastercard’s end-to-end support of digital assets and value movement across currencies, rails and regions.The acquisition adds to the company’s recent commitments, such as the Mastercard Crypto Partner Program, to foster more collaboration and innovation to maximize the opportunity in the next phase of on-chain payments for all involved. The transaction, which is anticipated to close before the end of the year, is subject to regulatory review and other customary closing conditions. | Fintech Finance News
Remitian, an US & Ottawa-based tax remittance platform raised USD $7M in seed round and introduced tax payment API. The funding will accelerate product development and go-to-market as the company expands its footprint with leading North American partners, including accounting firms, wealth managers and global financial institutions. In addition, while most tax software ends at the point of filing, Remitian’s new API empowers partners to embed payment initiation, validation and confirmation directly into their own ecosystems. By providing a single gateway to multiple tax jurisdictions, Remitian eliminates the need for manual bank portal entries and reduces the risk of costly penalties. | Remitian
Visa and Fiserv, a global payments and financial technology firm expanded its partnership to deliver the Visa Acceptance Platform within Fiserv’s merchant acquiring and processing solutions across Europe. The collaboration introduces a unified, API driven acceptance layer designed to simplify integration for acquirers while helping merchants improve authorisation rates, reduce fraud and deliver seamless customer experiences. By combining Visa’s front end authorisation capabilities with Fiserv’s acquiring and processing stack, the companies are delivering a cloud-based acceptance infrastructure that supports intelligent routing, enhanced data and embedded value-added services. | Fintech Finance News
-
Bank of Canada maintains policy rate at 2.25%, with the bank rate at 2.5% and the deposit rate at 2.20%. The war in the Middle East has increased volatility in global energy prices and financial markets, and heightened the risks to the global economy. The breadth and duration of the conflict, and hence its economic impacts, are highly uncertain. Prior to the war, the global economy was on pace to grow at around 3%. Economic growth in the United States has moderated but remains solid, driven by consumption and strong AI-related investment. The Canada-US dollar exchange rate has remained relatively stable. | Bank of Canada
Payments Canada approved Meridian Credit Union as first new provincial credit union member. This milestone follows the approval of five new PSP members in January — the first wave of new members since the expansion of Payments Canada’s membership eligibility late last year. Traditionally, provincial credit unions have been represented by their central in Payments Canada governance forums. As a result of amendments to the Canadian Payments Act, membership has been expanded to include credit union locals (i.e., provincial credit unions) that are members of a central. This provides them with expanded flexibility for how they engage with Payments Canada. Membership also provides access to policy development, research and payment expertise, allowing organizations to help shape the future of payments in Canada. It is also the first step towards qualifying for direct participation on Payments Canada systems for those who choose to do so. | Payments.ca
BMO in collaboration with Deloitte Canada launches 2026 BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program to advance real financial progress for women-led businesses. BMO is pledging a total of $100,000 for ten Canadian women-owned businesses that can demonstrate measurable, community‑building impact while advancing at least two United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Each grant recipient will receive a $10,000 grant, be paired with a BMO for Women Advocate, and gain access to tailored resources designed to accelerate business growth – including access to BMO for Women programming, educational events, organizational memberships, a feature on bmoforwomen.com, and a digital BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program recipient social badge. | BMO
-
Experian is launching UK’s first ever credit score app within ChatGPT app. Experian is introducing a new postcode based credit score comparison tool that brings Experian’s trusted data directly into ChatGPT. The tool uses aggregated and anonymised Experian Credit Score data, the UK’s most trusted score, to show how typical scores compare across postcode areas and age groups. In a few seconds, consumers can see local and demographic score averages, providing helpful context as part of everyday financial education. | Business Wire
-
PWL Capital, a Montreal-based wealth management firm selects d1g1t, a Toronto-based wealthtech as its partner to accelerate growth and elevate client experiences. PWL Capital partnered with d1g1t to modernize operations and give advisors real-time insights to make confident decisions and strengthen client relationships. Operating in both French and English markets, PWL Capital required a platform built for multilingual delivery, a capability central to serving its Québec-based clientele. By consolidating portfolio management, trading, performance reporting, compliance, billing, and client engagement on a single integrated platform, PWL Capital will eliminate manual spreadsheet-driven processes, simplify workflows, and create the operational capacity to scale. | Newswire
OneVest, Calgary and Toronto-based wealth management platform launches OneVest GO: the AI-native wealth relationship workspace built for the modern independent advisor. OneVest GO delivers an AI-native foundation that allows independent firms to manage prospects, clients, and complex workflows with unprecedented speed. By moving beyond the limitations of legacy CRMs and disconnected communication tools, OneVest GO empowers advisors to operate with the sophisticated infrastructure of a global institution while maintaining the personalized touch of an independent practice. | Fintech Finance News
-
Boreal Ventures, Montreal-based VC firm officially launched its second seed fund after securing a $43M CAD first close towards its $60M target. Boreal’s second fund will invest in capital-efficient, business-to-business (B2B) Canadian technology startups. It also shared that ex-Lightspeed Commerce president and chief revenue officer (CRO) JD Saint-Martin has officially stepped in as co-managing partner of Boreal, alongside founder David Charbonneau. Current investors in Boreal’s second fund include returning limited partners (LPs) such as the Government of Québec through Investissement Québec, BDC Capital, Teralys Capital, and Desjardins Capital. Lightspeed founder and CEO Dax Dasilva is also an LP in Boreal Fund II. | BetaKit
-
1Password, a Toronto-based password management firm launched its Unified Access Platform to help companies securely deploy AI agents, allowing autonomous work without sacrificing company control over authentication credentials. The Unified Access platform promises to discover existing AI agents and credentials, secure them, then continuously authorize access and audit every action made by humans and AI agents. The platform tracks AI tools and agent activity across company systems, identifies and secures exposed credentials and secrets (like unencrypted security keys), and maps AI usage to specific users and devices. | BetaKit
-
Manulife, Toronto-based insurance firm partnered with Guardant Health, US-based precision oncology company, to bring the Shield Multi-Cancer Detection test to customers across Asia. Under the partnership, Manulife's customers will have exclusive access to the Shield MCD test in Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Singapore markets in 2026, marking the first introduction of this innovative test in Asia to Manulife customers. This collaboration underscores both companies’ shared commitment to expanding access to innovative and proven health solutions that address real, unmet health needs. | Manulife
-
Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC) revoked the registrations of 50 MSBs so far this year, with 47 related to crypto. FINTRAC said it took its most recent action, revoking 23 MSB registrations. Any revoked MSBs have 30 days to request a review to have it overturned. Minister of Finance François-Philippe Champagne said that it is part of the government's latest effort to combat money laundering, with FINTRAC also “strengthening enforcement and increasing transparency on compliance actions.” He added that the 23 cancellations represented “a significantly increased pace of action, and the government will maintain this momentum.” | Cointelegraph
Legora, a Sweden-based legaltech acquired Walter, a Vancouver-based legal AI startup to expand in Canada market. The two companies announced the acquisition just one day after Legora secured $550M USD at a $5.5B valuation. Legora also already had a Canadian presence before the acquisition, including a legal engineering team in Toronto. The entire Walter team is joining Legora to rebuild its core technology into Legora’s platform. Also, Walter's all nine employees are moving to Stockholm except it's Chief Customer Officer Lauren Cappell, who will lead Legora’s Canadian operations out of Toronto. | BetaKit
Gumloop, a Vancouver-founded and US-based work automation platform raised a $50M USD ($68M CAD) Series B round to help enterprise employees automate their work. The Series B round was led by San Francisco-based venture firm Benchmark, with participation from Nexus VP, First Round, Y Combinator, Box Group, The Cannon Project, and Shopify Ventures. Gumloop will use its new funding to build out its go-to-market efforts, marketing, and to attract talent in both the US and Canada. It was an all-equity round. | BetaKit
Fathom4sight has launched FathomPRO!
Book a Demo to gain access to the Ultimate FinTech Intelligence Tool, keeping you ahead of industry news.
