Skip to content
Archive · April 13, 2026

Five critical payments insights.
Zero noise.
Daily.

The 5-minute briefing for payments professionals who need to know what happened, what it means, and what to do about it — before their 9am.

Trusted by payments operators

Joined by 60+ product, risk, and partnerships leads at networks, issuers, acquirers, and fintechs.

The Lead

Story 01

Wise Moves Primary Listing to US, Shifting Fintech Gravity From London

Wise will transfer its primary stock listing from London to the US next month, following strong Q4 growth in volumes, customers, and income. The move gives Wise greater access to US capital and puts pressure on London’s fintech ecosystem, while intensifying competition among US-listed payment firms. UK-based shareholders may face new tax and regulatory considerations. Other UK fintechs could follow Wise’s lead if US markets offer better liquidity and valuation.

Source: Finextra
Also Worth Knowing
№02

FedNow Eyes Cross-Border Payments, Threatening Legacy International Rails

The US Federal Reserve is consulting on enabling cross-border transfers via FedNow, its real-time payments system. If implemented, this would give US banks and fintechs a faster, more transparent alternative to SWIFT and correspondent banking for international payments. Global financial institutions relying on legacy rails could lose volume to FedNow-connected providers. Banks and PSPs should assess integration options and prepare for new compliance and FX workflows.

Source: Finextra
№03

GoCardless Hits Profitability, Raising Stakes for Payment Processors

GoCardless reported its first profitable quarter, driven by a 22% revenue increase. Profitability gives GoCardless more firepower to invest in product and market expansion, putting pressure on rivals still chasing scale at a loss. Payment processors competing on price alone may see margin erosion as GoCardless reinvests in value-added services. Renewed competition is expected in direct debit and account-to-account payments across Europe and North America.

Source: Finextra
№04

Embedded Payments Speed Up Fraud, Forcing Platforms to Rethink Detection

As embedded payments become standard in digital commerce, fraud is getting harder to detect and faster to execute. Payment processors, platforms, and merchants face new risks as transaction flows bypass traditional controls, making advanced fraud detection a must-have. Vendors offering AI-driven and real-time fraud tools stand to gain share as platforms upgrade defenses. Regulatory scrutiny may increase if losses spike or consumer complaints rise.

Source: PYMNTS
№05

HSBC Completes Tokenized Deposit Pilot, Signaling Next Phase for Bank-Led Tokenization

HSBC finished a pilot of its Tokenised Deposit Service on the Canton Network, simulating issuance, transfer, and atomic settlement of tokenized deposits. This positions HSBC at the forefront of regulated tokenization, prompting other global banks to accelerate similar projects. Tokenized deposits are now being tested as alternatives to stablecoins and CBDCs for institutional settlement and treasury operations, with banks seeking to leverage existing regulatory frameworks and infrastructure.

Source: Finextra
The Long Memory
“The first magnetic stripe payment card was introduced by IBM in 1969, paving the way for modern electronic payment systems and card-based transactions.

Filed under: Payments History · The Long Memory

What's Hot