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Archive · July 5, 2026

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Story 01

BNY, Visa, and Coinbase Launch Consortium Stablecoin Targeting Cross-Border Efficiency

BNY, Visa, and Coinbase launched a digital asset under the Open Standard, aiming to deliver a low-cost stablecoin for payments. The consortium seeks to reduce transaction costs and improve cross-border settlement, directly challenging established stablecoin providers and traditional correspondent banking. Banks and payment processors face pressure to integrate stablecoin rails or risk losing cross-border volume to consortium-backed alternatives.

Source: Banking Dive
Also Worth Knowing
№02

Aave’s Monad Market Surpasses $100 Million in Deposits Within Two Days

Aave’s newly launched Monad market attracted $100 million in deposits just two days after going live, underscoring strong demand for DeFi lending products. This rapid growth cements Aave’s position as a leader in decentralized finance and signals robust user appetite for new yield opportunities. Competing protocols are likely to accelerate product launches or incentives to capture liquidity before Aave consolidates its advantage.

Source: The Block
№03

ZEN.COM Rolls Out Mastercard Click to Pay for 1.5 Million Users in Europe and Singapore

ZEN.COM integrated Mastercard Click to Pay into its multicurrency platform, making the feature available to 1.5 million users across Europe and Singapore. This move strengthens ZEN.COM’s digital wallet offering and positions it to compete more directly with PayPal and Apple Pay on seamless checkout. Fintechs aiming to boost conversion rates may accelerate wallet integrations to keep pace in these regions.

Source: PYMNTS
№04

SoFi Launches Small-Business Lending, Expanding Beyond Consumer Finance

SoFi introduced a small-business loan product, marking its entry into the SME lending market and broadening its product suite beyond personal finance. By targeting business customers, SoFi opens new revenue streams and competes with fintechs and banks already serving SMEs. Digital lenders seeking growth may follow SoFi’s lead to capture more primary financial relationships as demand for SME credit rises.

Source: Banking Dive
№05

Klarna Partners with Money Wellness to Offer UK Users Financial Health Checks

Klarna teamed up with Money Wellness to provide UK users with personalized financial insights and budgeting tools directly within its app. The partnership deepens Klarna’s engagement with its user base and differentiates its BNPL offering in a crowded market. Fintechs looking to boost retention may pursue similar partnerships to expand their value proposition beyond payments.

Source: PYMNTS
The Long Memory
“The first online purchase using a credit card was a Sting CD bought in 1994, years before e-commerce became mainstream.

Filed under: Payments History · The Long Memory

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