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Archive · March 20, 2026

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Story 01

Visa Unifies Authorization With Single API, Streamlining Transaction Routing

Visa has launched a single API for intelligent authorization, enabling acquirers to optimize transaction routing and outcomes across new payment types. According to Finextra, this move consolidates legacy systems and aims to simplify integration for acquirers and merchants seeking higher approval rates and lower fraud. Payment providers with complex, outdated technology stacks may find it increasingly difficult to keep pace with Visa’s streamlined approach, prompting competitors to accelerate their own API and routing strategies.

Source: Finextra
Also Worth Knowing
№02

Huawei and Yowpay Target Wearable Payments With Open Banking Smartwatch POS App

Huawei and Yowpay have launched an open banking smartwatch POS app, letting users pay directly from their wrists and bypassing traditional card rails. This challenges Apple and Google’s dominance in wearable payments and opens new distribution for fintechs leveraging open banking APIs. Device makers and POS providers now face a more complex, API-driven landscape where partnerships and open standards are as critical as brand recognition. The competition to control the wearable checkout experience is now truly multi-platform.

Source: Finextra
№03

Amazon Acquires RIVR to Accelerate AI-Driven Last-Mile Delivery Automation

Amazon has acquired RIVR, a robotics company specializing in AI-powered doorstep delivery, to strengthen its last-mile logistics. This move signals Amazon’s intent to automate fulfillment at scale, raising the bar for delivery speed and cost efficiency in e-commerce. Retailers and logistics providers will need to invest in their own automation strategies or risk falling behind on both margin and customer experience. The automation race in delivery is now a defining battleground for payments-adjacent commerce.

Source: PYMNTS
№04

Revolut Secures UK Banking Licence, Forcing Incumbents to Rethink Digital Defenses

Revolut has finally secured a UK banking licence after five years, unlocking the ability to offer full banking services and deposit protection to UK customers. This gives Revolut a regulatory and trust edge over fintech-only rivals and puts direct pressure on traditional banks to accelerate digital transformation. Banks and fintechs in the UK must now treat Revolut as a full-spectrum competitor, not just a payments app. Expect a renewed scramble among incumbents to upgrade digital onboarding, compliance, and product breadth.

Source: Sifted
№05

Apex Group and Coinbase Launch Tokenized Bitcoin Yield Fund for Institutional Investors

Apex Group and Coinbase Asset Management have launched a tokenized Bitcoin Yield Fund, giving institutional investors on-chain access to bitcoin yield products. This move deepens the mainstreaming of tokenized assets and positions Coinbase as a bridge between crypto-native and regulated asset management. Asset servicers and fund distributors must now consider tokenization as a core product feature, not a side bet. Regulatory scrutiny will intensify as institutional flows into tokenized funds accelerate.

Source: Finextra
The Long Memory
“Did you know that in 1998, the Federal Reserve introduced the Check 21 Act, allowing banks to process checks electronically by using digital images instead of physical paper? This innovation significantly expedited the check clearing process and laid the groundwork for modern electronic payments.

Filed under: Payments History · The Long Memory

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