Stripe powers instant checkout in ChatGPT, launches agentic commerce protocol with OpenAI (4 minute read)
Stripe and OpenAI unveiled Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, which lets US users buy from Etsy merchants—and soon over a million Shopify stores—directly in the chat. Transactions use Stripe's new shared payment token, which protects credentials while enabling fraud checks and seamless API handoff to merchants. The launch also debuts the open-standard agentic commerce protocol (ACP), which gives businesses a single integration to sell through AI agents while retaining brand control, fulfillment, and payment flexibility. |
Wealthfront files for US IPO after revenue jumps 42% in 2025 (3 minute read)
Wealthfront disclosed $308.9M in revenue for the year ended January 31, up from $216.7M a year earlier, as it filed for a US IPO under the ticker WLTH. The Palo Alto–based robo-advisor, once set to be acquired by UBS, offers automated portfolios, cash accounts, trading, and loans, with AI-powered financial planning tools. IPO underwriters include Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and Citigroup. Analysts expect solid demand, though they caution that investor enthusiasm may hinge on pricing after Chime and eToro's post-IPO declines. |
Better Tomorrow Ventures closes $140M, remains bullish on fintech (6 minute read)
Sheel Mohnot, co-founder of Better Tomorrow Ventures, believes finance remains far from fully digital, leaving room for massive disruption. The firm is leaning into AI-driven fintech, backing startups like Basis, Layer, and InScope to tackle accounting shortages and streamline compliance, fraud detection, and customer support. With plans to fund 30–35 companies, BTV sees AI and upcoming fintech IPOs as key drivers of the sector's next wave of growth. |
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Global payments growth slows as North America faces profitability challenge (3 minute read)
Global payments revenue is projected to rise just 4% annually through 2029, down from 8.8% since 2019, per BCG's 2025 Global Payments Report. North America will grow only 5.6% annually, outpacing Western Europe (4.3%) and Asia-Pacific (4.5%) but lagging Latin America (10.5%) and Eastern Europe (13%). With cash-to-card largely maxed out, firms are shifting from volume to value, embedding payments into software, scaling real-time systems, and using AI to modernize infrastructure as interest-rate tailwinds fade. |
Apple Pay turns 11 with BNPL for every card, smarter boarding passes, and on-device order tracking (5 minute read)
Apple Pay, now live in 84 countries with 11,000 banks, debuts major upgrades in iOS 26. Boarding passes link to real-time gate info, luggage AirTags, and airport maps. A universal BNPL interface lets any bank card offer installments (with Citi, HSBC, Monzo, Klarna, and Affirm among launch partners). Rewards points can now be converted to cash in-wallet via issuers like Discover and Citi. Apple Intelligence adds privacy-preserving, on-device order tracking, while Apple Cash gains group-split payments—all reinforcing Apple's bank-friendly, CX-first strategy. |
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PayOS completes first live agentic token transaction with Mastercard (2 minute read)
Payos executed a landmark payment using Mastercard's new agentic token, enabling AI-driven checkout with secure tokenization, consent, and fraud protection. The startup will now onboard customers to its platform, which offers three pillars: tokenized payments for agentic commerce, Mastercard-backed value-added services for fraud/risk, and monetization tools like bill pay. Mastercard said the collaboration helps define the "trust layer" for a future where agentic commerce becomes native to the internet. |
Brex announces launch of stablecoin payments (6 minute read)
Brex is rolling out native stablecoin payments, making it the first global corporate card to allow instant balance settlements with digital dollars. Businesses will be able to accept stablecoins with automatic USD conversion, pay card balances directly with USDC, and move funds globally at zero cost in seconds. The service offers 24/7 cross-border reliability with instant settlement, giving companies faster liquidity and always-on access to payments outside traditional banking hours. |
PayPal Honey to add agentic commerce features by black friday (6 minute read)
PayPal is rolling out new agentic commerce features to its Honey extension, enabling AI-powered chatbots to surface real-time pricing, merchant links, and cashback offers directly within conversations. The update, arriving before Black Friday in the US, will first be available on Chrome desktop and later on other major browsers. PayPal says this evolution transforms Honey from a coupon tool into a commerce intelligence platform, streamlining how consumers discover and purchase products through AI-driven recommendations. |
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YC and Coinbase urge founders to build in the era of fintech 3.0 (6 minute read)
YC and Coinbase released a joint RFS calling on founders to build "onchain," arguing infrastructure is finally ready with cheap chains, stablecoins, and clear US rules under the GENIUS Act. They frame fintech 3.0 as a shift from APIs on legacy rails (Stripe, Plaid, Brex) to a new system where payments settle instantly and assets live in wallets. Key opportunities include stablecoin apps, tokenization of real-world assets, onchain credit markets, programmable cap tables, and AI-powered agents with wallets. |
Frank founder Charlie Javice sentenced to 7 years in prison for defrauding JPMorgan Chase (6 minute read)
Charlie Javice, once a Forbes 30 Under 30 star, has been handed a seven-year prison sentence for inflating Frank's customer numbers ahead of its $175 million sale to JPMorgan Chase. Prosecutors revealed she enlisted outside help to fabricate data after an engineer refused, with testimony from a math professor proving pivotal in the case. Javice and co-defendant Olivier Amar now face $278.5 million in restitution, underscoring one of fintech's most high-profile fraud scandals. |
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