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Archive · March 3, 2026

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Story 01

Santander and Mastercard Complete Europe's First Live Agentic AI Transaction

Banco Santander and Mastercard have completed Europe's first live end-to-end payment executed by an AI agent, marking a significant milestone in the adoption of agentic AI in the financial sector. This development primarily impacts European financial institutions and technology providers involved in AI and payments, positioning Santander and Mastercard as leaders in this innovation. The move strengthens their positions as innovators in AI-driven payments, potentially challenging competitors to accelerate their AI initiatives.

Source: Finextra
Also Worth Knowing
№02

MoonPay Builds Infrastructure for PYUSD-Backed Stablecoins

MoonPay has launched PYUSDx, an infrastructure platform for creating application-specific stablecoins backed by PayPal USD (PYUSD). This development directly impacts developers, fintechs, and businesses interested in stablecoin applications, potentially driving innovation in stablecoin use cases. MoonPay's platform could challenge traditional payment methods and encourage new entrants into the market.

Source: Finextra
№03

Northern Trust Launches Tokenised Money Market Share Class

Northern Trust Asset Management has launched a tokenised money market share class, marking its entry into the digital assets market. This initiative directly impacts investors and financial institutions interested in digital assets and tokenization, potentially reshaping the asset management industry. Northern Trust's move could pressure other asset managers to explore tokenization, leading to increased liquidity and new investment opportunities.

Source: Finextra
№04

Visa to Anchor PayPay IPO with $200M Investment

Visa is set to invest over $200 million as an anchor investor in the upcoming US IPO of Softbank's PayPay, alongside Qatar Holding and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. This move directly impacts PayPay, Visa, and potential investors in the IPO, and could influence other fintech IPOs. Visa's investment signals confidence in PayPay's growth potential, possibly increasing competition in the digital payments space.

Source: Finextra
№05

Apple Plans to Launch Apple Pay in India

Apple is in discussions with Indian banks to launch Apple Pay in India later this year, expanding its digital wallet services to a new market. This development will affect Indian consumers, banks, and competing digital payment providers, as Apple's entry could disrupt the Indian digital payments landscape. The move challenges local players like Paytm and PhonePe, potentially leading to increased competition and innovation in India's digital payments sector.

Source: Finextra
The Long Memory
“Did you know that in the early 1980s, the first electronic payment networks were established, allowing for the electronic transmission of transaction data? This innovation laid the groundwork for the credit and debit card systems we rely on today.

Filed under: Payments History · The Long Memory

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