NYS Office of Information Technology Services

Mobile Technical Architect

Temenos

Principal Technical Consultant

Senior Technical Lead

Kony, Inc.

Associate Technical Lead-UI at Kony, Inc.

Sr Ui Designer

Prithvi Information Solutions Ltd

Sr.Software Engineer

NINE DEGREE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS PRIVATE LIMITED

Founder

Vector Geospatial Services Pvt.Ltd

UI Developer

With over 16 years of experience in digital banking implementation and delivery, I am a highly skilled Mobile Technical Architect and a leading expert in the field of mobile development. My expertise encompasses a broad range of programming languages, including Temenos Infinity, Kony, React, React Native, Angular, JavaScript, HTML, Java, jQuery, SQL, XML, JSON, Webpack, and Babel. I specialize in web and mobile development, digital banking cloud services, API development, NLP and Chatbots, with a profound knowledge of Temenos Infinity, Micro Services, T24, and Non-Transact core integrations.

Throughout my career, I have distinguished myself as a leader and innovator. I have effectively led teams, mentored colleagues, and delivered comprehensive and clear documentation to clients, always prioritizing effective communication, leadership, and teamwork. My commitment to continuous learning drives me to constantly explore, assess, and adopt new technologies to enhance development efficiency.

I am certified as an AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate and a Kony Certified Developer, and have been recognized multiple times for my exceptional contributions to the field. My innovative spirit was notably acknowledged when I won the Best Innovation Award in 2015 for the Photoshop Visualizer Extension during an Innovation Hackathon. Additionally, my global perspective is enriched by over six years of experience working at various client locations.

My proficiency in managing all phases of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), employing both Waterfall and Agile (SCRUM) methodologies, further cements my status as a top-tier professional in mobile development. My unique blend of technical acumen, innovative thinking, and leadership skills positions me at the forefront of the industry, driving success and setting new standards in digital banking and mobile technology solutions.

Sastry Kasibotla

Marcel van Oost

Founder/CEO 

Connecting the dots in FinTech...

Connecting the dots in FinTech...

The largest FinTech community in the world of 100k+ FinTech Fanatics!

Join here: https://www.connectingthedotsinfin.tech

FinTech Running Club

Whether you're a seasoned runner or just starting out, the FinTech Running Club is the perfect place to connect with like-minded professionals who share your enthusiasm for both running and FinTech.

Connecting the dots in payments...

Founder & News Editor

Choice Financial

Choice Fin provides thoughtful and tailored global banking services. An accomplished BaaS sponsor bank since 2017, Choice Fin provides a wide array of financial and technological solutions guided by a #PeopleFirst mission. 

Choice Fin is a part of Choice Bank, a community bank dedicated to enhancing the quality of life and economic viability of families and businesses.

Advisory Board Member

Treinta

Investor

Mozper

Lana

Sokin

Penta Network

Advisor

Nufi (Techstars Western Union 2021)

Advisor and Investor

Email for brand collaboration: bonjour @ marcelvanoost.nl 

About me:

What do I want to become when I grow up? That's a question I asked myself for a long time. My childhood dream, playing for Ajax, was soon out of the question (I wasn’t even close…). So what's next? 

I studied Communication & Media, dropped out, and started working at an Acquiring Bank.

After these first steps in the Payments Industry I founded a Payments consultancy business, followed by a Collecting Payment Service Provider, with an exit in 2017. 

Nowadays I'm back in (FinTech-) Media, and invest as an Angel Investor in FinTech startups on the side.

NO, I don't do any speaker gigs, podcasts, webinars etc. 

I DO share the latest FinTech Industry trends and news updates here on Linkedin, and in my daily newsletter. 👉 Get the most important FinTech news and analysis in a 5 minute daily briefing you’ll actually look forward to reading, by signing up here: https://www.connectingthedotsinfin.tech

🚨 𝘽𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂: Revolut secures $3 BILLION at $75 BILLION valuation 🤯

I repeat:

Revolut nears the end of a $3 billion fundraising spree, valuing the company at a record $75 billion, cementing its position as Europe’s most valuable startup: https://lnkd.in/dpudWzGb

The oversubscribed round, managed without investment bankers, drew far more demand than Revolut could accommodate. 

Some investors reportedly received smaller allocations than requested.

Revolut plans to deploy this new firepower to:

👉 Expand into 30 new markets
👉 Secure full banking licenses globally
👉 Grow from 65M to 100M users
👉 Invest $13 billion into international expansion

At this pace, 1 million new users every 17 days ‼️ (https://lnkd.in/dm_SSz7b), Revolut is now chasing an even bigger target:  a $150 billion valuation, which would put it just behind HSBC in Europe’s banking ranks.

More about this in my newsletter!


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Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ]

🚨𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙀 𝙒𝙀 𝙂𝙊! Revolut acquires AI travel agent startup Swifty.

Here’s what this means for Revolut’s AI strategy:

Swifty, acquired by Revolut’s conversational AI can book flights, hotels, and even handle payments, fully autonomously. 

Now, this tech (and its founding team) joins Revolut to supercharge its Loyalty & Lifestyle products.

The move builds on Revolut’s new AI financial assistant, aiming to create a single platform that not only manages your money, but plans your life.

💬 Christopher Guttridge, Head of Loyalty at Revolut:

"This acquisition strengthens our position at the intersection of finance, AI and lifestyle. Through this move we’re gaining both talent and expertise in AI driven travel solutions, which will help us deliver even more personalised and seamless experiences to our customers.”

Swifty Co-founders Stanislav Bondarenko and Tomasz Przedmojski added:
 
"We’re excited to bring the power of Swifty to tens of millions of Revolut users. Joining forces with one of the world’s leading fintechs is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to scale our vision globally and enhance the lifestyle of over 65 million customers. Together, we’ll build an AI concierge that not only simplifies travel but anticipates everyday needs across all aspects of life."

More about this in my next newsletter! Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/dzj26JSZ


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Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ]

🚨Mastercard plans to phase out traditional 16-digit card numbers by 2030. 

Here is what you should know:

This shift aims to reduce fraud, improve user experience, and align with the growing trend of tokenization and biometric authentication in payments.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀?

Traditional card numbers, printed on physical cards, have long been a target for fraudsters. 

Whether through data breaches, skimming, or phishing attacks, stolen card details fuel billions of dollars in fraud losses annually. 

By removing the visible card number, Mastercard seeks to eliminate a critical vulnerability in the payment ecosystem.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿?

Instead of a fixed 16-digit number, Mastercard will implement tokenization—a process where a unique, encrypted token replaces the actual card number. 

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀:

✅ No static card number to steal or misuse.
✅ Each transaction will have a unique identifier, making fraud much harder.
✅ Users will store their cards digitally, linked to biometric authentication (e.g., fingerprint, face recognition).

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁?

1️⃣ Consumers – More security and fewer worries about stolen card details.
2️⃣ Merchants – Reduced fraud risks and chargebacks.
3️⃣ Banks & Payment Providers – A stronger, safer payments ecosystem.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?

💳 The physical card may become obsolete, as mobile wallets and biometric authentication become the standard.

🔐 Data security will improve, making payments safer for consumers and businesses.

📱 Digital-first banking will accelerate, favoring smartphone-based transactions over plastic cards.

This shift marks a significant evolution in how we pay, shaping a more secure, seamless, and digital-first future. 

Get ready to say goodbye to 16-digit card numbers—and hello to a new era of payments! 


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Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ]

🚨 𝘽𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂: 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 🇮🇳 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗜-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗨𝗣𝗜 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗚𝗣𝗧 

👀 Here's how it works: 

India's payments authority National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and FinTech firm Razorpay have collaborated with OpenAI to launch AI-driven payments on ChatGPT. 

👉 Users can now shop on ChatGPT and pay seamlessly via UPI, India’s real-time payments network.

👉 Partners include Axis Bank, Airtel Payments Bank, and Bigbasket (as the first e-commerce platform).

👉 The system uses UPI’s new “Reserve Pay” feature, allowing users to pre-authorize payments for specific merchants.

Razorpay calls this the next step in “agentic payments”, where AI assistants evolve from discovery tools into autonomous shopping agents.


Looks super cool to me! What do you think?

🚨 𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝙄𝙉: Revolut has committed $𝟲𝟲𝟵.𝟮 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 (about Rs 5,941 crore) to the Indian 🇮🇳 market over the next five years as it rolls out a suite of payment and forex products.

This is according to group chief banking officer Siddhartha Jajodia.

The UK-headquartered fintech, valued at around $75 billion globally, said the investment will be directed towards building new products, investing in expanding its global capability centres (GCC), and securing additional regulatory licences in India.

💬 “India is a critical market as we see ourselves becoming a truly global bank. We're taking a long view on all the critical markets we enter. We're very optimistic of the growth in India and the future success point. So, we want to build for that future,” said Jajodia: https://lnkd.in/dPFNc_w9

Revolut has secured two licences so far — an Authorised Dealer (AD-II) forex licence and a domestic prepaid payment instrument (PPI) licence — allowing it to offer both domestic and cross-border payments on a single platform. 

The company launched a single app for both domestic and international payments through Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-linked prepaid cards and multi currency forex cards.

Revolut currently employs around 3,500 people in India, accounting for 35% of its global workforce.


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Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ]

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲?

Let’s dive in:

Every time a consumer swipes a card to make a purchase, the merchant pays an interchange fee.

Revenue from the fee gets divided among parties that facilitated the transaction: the banks that send and receive the payment, the card network, the payment processor, and—more recently—FinTechs and businesses that embed payments.

When you take the bird-eye view diagram below 👇 as an example: 

If a user swipes a card issued by a neobank, $1.70 (interchange fee) goes to the issuing bank and the card network, $0.50 (acquiring fee) goes to the acquiring bank. 

Interchange fees are not always the same though. 

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲?

► Credit 🆚 Debit

Interchange rates on credit cards are significantly higher than those on debit cards.

► Rewards programs

These benefits are financed through higher interchange rates, and have proven to be very popular with consumers.

► Online 🆚 Offline

Online purchases are less secure than in-person purchases. 

► Consumer 🆚 Commercial

Cards associated with business or corporate accounts carry higher interchange rates than consumer cards.

► Merchant Category Code (MCC)

Every merchant is categorized by the major card networks according to a Merchant Category Code (MCC). This means that there are different interchange rates depending on whether someone uses a card in a supermarket, a retail store, a gas station, or with some other form of merchant.

► The Card Network

Different card networks charge different rates. Visa and Mastercard are known for charging lower rates. Other networks like AMEX are known for charging higher rates.

► Network partner programs

Visa and Mastercard’s partner programs like VPP (Visa Partner Program) and MPP (Mastercard Partner Program) often give specific retailers interchange rates that are much lower than the networks’ published interchange rates.

► Size of the issuing bank (𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 in the US 🇺🇸)

Larger banks are subject to a regulation called the Durbin Amendment that caps interchange rates on consumer debit transactions. Smaller banks are exempt. 

As a result, these smaller banks can earn more revenue from interchange rates, which benefits FinTechs and embedded finance businesses that partner with them.

Read my complete source article for more info: https://lnkd.in/d-2jGByF

Any more factors you think we should ad to this list?


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Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ]

🚨 𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝙄𝙉: Wise secures Central Bank approval to launch in the UAE 🇦🇪

The FinTech has been granted two key licences:

1️⃣ Stored Value Facilities and 2️⃣ Retail Payment Services (Category 2) — paving the way for a local rollout of Wise Account and Wise Business in the UAE.

With over 200 nationalities and $40 billion moved across borders annually, the UAE represents a major opportunity for low-cost, transparent international payments. 

Wise currently serves 15 million+ customers worldwide, processing $48 billion every quarter and holding $28 billion in customer accounts.

Joyce L., Country Manager for Wise UAE, said the approval “marks a significant milestone” and will enable individuals and businesses to “manage money across borders faster, cheaper, and more transparently.”: https://lnkd.in/dyRA75CK

The UAE licence adds to Wise’s 70+ global regulatory approvals. Earlier this year, the company received in-principle authorisation from India’s central bank and expanded its investment services in Australia.


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Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ]

Here is how much money the big neobanks make per customer 👇

A comparison on Average Revenue Per User (ARPU): 

Source: Multiples & Sam Boboev 


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Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ]

FinTech firms have injected over $𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 into Formula 1 sponsorships for the 2025 season 🤯

Technology and financial services brands each represent approximately 20% of new sponsorship agreements signed for the 2025 season. 

This balanced distribution among tech-savvy sectors illustrates a strategic convergence, where brands leverage F1's precision engineering to mirror their own operational ethos.

This strategic alignment is exemplified by the newly announced title sponsorship between Revolut and Audi F1 Project F1 Team for 2026, marking one of the most prominent FinTech brand moves into the Formula 1 ecosystem to date. 

The multi-year deal (https://lnkd.in/duNk5Jav), reportedly valued in the 𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 🤯, positions Revolut alongside global tech giants while reinforcing Audi’s push to modernize its commercial image ahead of its F1 debut.

Also, McLaren has recently ended its span of being without a title sponsor, and will become the 𝗠𝗰𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮 𝟭𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 from next year (https://lnkd.in/dmWHwHNi) in a deal worth in the region of $𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 per season 🤯

Source/more info: https://lnkd.in/d45WmmJc 


Missing Airwallex on McLaren Racing in the overview picture below by the way... Any others missing? 

And what's your favorite team(-sponsor)?


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Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ] 

(It’s free, but means a lot to me 👍)

🚨 The Banco de la República (🇨🇴 Colombia’s central bank) officially launched its new interoperable payments system, 𝗕𝗥𝗘-𝗕 today! 

The platform allows people and businesses to send and receive money instantly, securely, and across any bank or digital wallet, operating in real time all year round. 

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗕𝗥𝗘-𝗕 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀

BRE-B uses “keys” (llaves) that users can register to identify their bank account or digital wallet. 

Today, there are 8.2 Million Keys belonging to 3.2 million people in Colombia.

Since July 14, users have been able to link one of the following as their payment key:

- Mobile phone number
- National ID number
- Email address
- Custom alphanumeric code

Each account can have up to four keys, but each key can be linked to only one account, ensuring transfers are secure and easy. 

With BRE-B, sending money between different banks or wallets becomes as simple as sending a text message—replacing what was previously a slow and complicated process.

𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗥𝗘-𝗕

👉 Instant, 24/7 payments: Businesses can receive payments immediately, regardless of the customer’s financial institution. BRE-B operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year long.

👉 Easy payments via QR codes or keys: Merchants can accept payments using their registered BRE-B key or by QR code, making transactions seamless both in-store and online.

👉 Unified, user-friendly experience: Customers only need the merchant’s key or a QR code to complete a transaction—making payments simpler, faster, and consistent across all platforms.

👉 Boosting digital payments and security: The system encourages the adoption of digital payments with enhanced security, helping reduce cash usage and making transactions safer and more efficient.

👉 Better financial control for businesses: Each merchant will have a unique business key tied to one account, ensuring clear tracking of transactions and improved financial management.

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀

BRE-B supports transfers ranging from small daily payments to larger transactions of up to 11.55 million Colombian pesos (≈ USD 2,900). 

However, each financial institution may set lower limits, cap daily transaction volumes, or apply additional security measures.

𝗤𝗥 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

BRE-B will also incorporate QR codes to facilitate payments and transfers. 

Merchants will be able to use QR codes from the start of the system’s rollout in the second half of 2025, while individuals will gain access to this feature in the first half of 2026.

More info in the video below 👇


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Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ]

The new 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟭𝟬𝟬 just dropped! 👇

Do you agree? Which companies would you include (or take out)? 

CB Insights selected the 100 winners from over 15,000 companies using deal activity, industry partnerships, investor strength, hiring momentum, and CB Insights’ predictive scores for success (Mosaic Scores) and commercial traction (Commercial Maturity).

This year’s cohort spans 26 countries with a record 60 winners outside the US. 

The winners have an average Mosaic score of 775 (top 2% of private companies) and are scaling fast with 61% average headcount growth over the past year vs. the FinTech average of 13%.

Below, they map out the winners, categorizing them based on their core offering 👇

Source/more info: https://lnkd.in/dEhzXPmv

Every time a card payment is processed, 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 main types of fees are involved. 

Here’s a simple breakdown of the Three Core Fees:

1️⃣ Interchange Fee

This is paid by your acquiring bank (or payment processor) to the cardholder’s bank (the issuer). 

It’s set by the card networks (like Visa and Mastercard; sometimes regulated), and is designed to cover things like fraud, credit losses, and infrastructure costs.

2️⃣ Scheme Fee

Charged by the card networks themselves, this fee covers the operation of the payment system (“rails” that process the transaction).

3️⃣ Acquirer Markup

This is the fee your acquirer or payment service provider (PSP) charges you, the merchant. It includes their costs, risk management, and profit margin for processing and settling the payment.

The total cost a merchant pays is called the Merchant Service Charge, which is the sum of these three components.

The Main Pricing Models:

► Bundled Pricing

All fees are grouped into one flat rate. This is very common with small businesses. It’s easy to understand but doesn’t provide insight into what you’re actually paying for.

► Interchange+

The interchange fee and the acquirer’s fee are shown separately, but the scheme fee is typically bundled with the markup. This model offers some transparency.

► Interchange++

Each fee—the interchange, scheme, and acquirer markup—is itemized separately. This is the most transparent model and is favored by larger or multi-country merchants who want to track costs precisely.

Who Chooses the Pricing Model?

Most acquirers and PSPs decide what pricing model you’re offered. Unless you negotiate or have significant transaction volume, you’re likely to get bundled pricing by default. 

Larger or more experienced merchants who understand payments often push for Interchange++ for its clarity and fairness. 

Smaller merchants often aren’t aware that alternatives exist or find it difficult to compare offers.

How Interchange Fees Vary Globally:

Some regions (like the EU, UK, China, and Brazil) cap interchange fees to lower costs for merchants and stimulate competition.

The US regulates only part of the system—such as capping debit card fees for large banks (the Durbin Amendment)—while credit card interchange remains uncapped and usually higher.

Other countries, like India and Brazil, regulate interchange as part of broader financial inclusion goals.

In markets with stricter regulation, merchants often benefit from lower, more predictable fees, making it easier to accept cards. 

Where fees are higher and less regulated, issuers can offer consumers more rewards (like cashback), but those costs are passed back to merchants—and sometimes their customers.

Every model shifts the balance of costs and benefits between banks, merchants, and consumers in different ways.

More info below👇, and I highly recommend reading my complete deep dive article about Interchange Fee and what factors impact the rate: https://bit.ly/44T4VJA

Deel has raised $𝟯𝟬𝟬𝗠 at a $𝟭𝟳.𝟯𝗕 valuation 🤯


They welcome Ribbit Capital as a new investor, co-leading this round alongside its long-time partners Andreessen Horowitz and Coatue Management.

Earlier this year, Deel surpassed $1 billion in annual recurring revenue (ARR). 

👉 𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁: Deel reached $1bn revenue faster than many high-growth tech industry peers due to its impressive organic growth engine and ability to scale at speed (see picture below). Source: S-1 Filings, GS Research, FactSet

In September, they marked three consecutive years of profitability and a major milestone - its first $100 million revenue month.

Deel processes $22 billion in payroll annually, and serves 35,000+ customers and 1.5+ million workers in 150+ countries. 

With this Series E, Deel will double down on expanding its infrastructure, advancing AI-powered payroll and HR products, and laying the foundation to serve 100 million employees worldwide.

I highly recommend reading this cool story from founder Alex Bouaziz about how he and Shuo Wang started about 6 years ago, struggling to even make $10K : https://lnkd.in/dGyfF4dC

More about this in my newsletter!


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Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ]

The Public FinTech Market Landscape - End-of-Week Market Recap👇

This weeks Key Takeaways: https://lnkd.in/dsvsS9Pn 

Visa ($649.5B, –1.32%) and Mastercard ($511.1B, –3.22%) continue to anchor the FinTech leaderboard. American Express ($238.1B, +0.29%) edged slightly higher.

 But further down, sentiment turned sour. 

Coinbase dropped –8.77% to $80.3B, and Circle sank –11.86% to $29.2B, a sharp reversal after last week’s rally. 

Robinhood ($108.2B, –2.40%) slipped but remains the largest listed crypto proxy.

Want more of his? Sign up for 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 for my weekly "𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀" newsletter that distills the most important financial and strategic developments in the FinTech sector into 5️⃣ clear, data-driven charts: https://lnkd.in/dsvsS9Pn 


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Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ] 

(It’s free, but means a lot to me 👍)

🚨 𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝙄𝙉: Tabby | تابي, GCC’s most valuable FinTech ($3.3B valuation), is building its own AI factory in Saudi Arabia.

Together with NVIDIA, Tabby is investing in sovereign, locally hosted infrastructure to power:

	•	Customer support automation
	•	Fraud detection & risk scoring
	•	Shopping personalization

By keeping data and compute local, Tabby ensures compliance with Saudi data residency rules while cutting latency for millions of users.

This move marks a bold evolution from BNPL to AI-powered financial services, and a step toward the IPO everyone’s watching.

More about this, and other FinTech News, in my next newsletter! 


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Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ]

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘃𝘀 𝗔𝗖𝗛 𝘃𝘀 𝗥𝗧𝗣 𝘃𝘀 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗡𝗼𝘄

Here's a beginner-friendly guide and comparison:

Payments move across different “rails”, or the infrastructure that carries money from point A to point B

Not all rails are created equal. Jason Heister breaks down the four most important ones for you 👇

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀

Card rails (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express) dominate retail payments. But their models differ:

🔹 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗮 & 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 are “open-loop” networks → They don’t issue cards or hold accounts. Instead, banks issue cards and connect into Visa/MC’s global networks

🔹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 & 𝗔𝗺𝗘𝘅 are vertically integrated → They both issue cards and run the network. That means they capture more revenue but often have more limited merchant acceptance outside the U.S.

These rails power authorization, clearing, and settlement for card payments, with features like fraud monitoring, dispute handling, and global acceptance

𝗔𝗖𝗛 (𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲)

ACH is the workhorse of U.S. bank payments. It moves trillions annually for payroll, bill pay, and subscriptions

Key traits:

🔹 Batch-based → settles in bulk, not instantly
🔹 Low-cost → ideal for recurring or high-volume payments
🔹 Same-Day ACH exists → but it’s still not real-time

ACH is reliable and inexpensive, but not designed for speed

𝗥𝗧𝗣 (𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀)

RTP, built by The Clearing House, is the U.S.’s first real-time bank rail

🔹 24/7/365 settlement in seconds
🔹 Uses a prefunded joint account at a Federal Reserve Bank
🔹 Cap per payment (currently $1M, subject to change)
🔹 Access is via banks that join the TCH network

Merchants use RTP for payroll, instant disbursements, and bill payments.

𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗡𝗼𝘄

FedNow is the Federal Reserve’s instant payment service, launched in 2023. It shares RTP’s goals but with some key differences:

🔹 Broader access via Fed’s existing network
🔹 Liquidity management directly through Fed master accounts
🔹 Separate rail from RTP → no interoperability 

FedNow is designed to give smaller banks and credit unions access to instant payments, complementing RTP’s network

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

Each rail has unique trade-offs:

🔹 Card → global reach, fraud/chargeback tools, but higher fees
🔹 ACH → cheap and scalable, but not real-time
🔹 RTP → instant, private-sector rail with growing adoption
🔹 FedNow → instant, public-sector rail aimed at broad accessibility

For merchants and fintechs, understanding which rail to use (and when) is critical for optimizing cost, speed, and customer experience.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁

Payment rails aren’t interchangeable. Card, ACH, RTP, and FedNow each serve different purposes. 

Source: Plaid, ACI Worldwide & kudos to Jason Heister for breaking this down👌, I higly recommend following him for more technical breakdowns, and industry insights like this one!

#payments #paytech #digitalpayments #fintech

If you live and breathe FinTech news like me, this might just be your dream job.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲:

We’re looking for a FinTech News Sourcer / Researcher to sit at the very start of our content pipeline. 

You’ll be responsible for finding, filtering, and summarizing the most relevant FinTech news daily, making sure our editorial team always has the right raw material to build sharp newsletters and LinkedIn posts.

If you love staying on top of financial and tech trends, thrive under time pressure, and want to be part of a fast-moving media platform, this role is for you.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗗𝗼:

► Monitor global FinTech sources (media, press releases, reports, social feeds).
Identify which stories matter most for our audience.

► Summarize headlines + key takeaways in crisp sentences.

► Deliver a daily “shortlist” to our editorial team.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗿:

Requirements (must-haves):

👉 Strong ability to scan and monitor multiple FinTech sources quickly.
👉 Confidence in spotting what’s relevant for our audience.
👉 Clear, concise writing in English (Spanish fluency is a plus).
👉 Comfortable working under tight deadlines in a remote setup.
👉 Self-starter with an entrepreneurial, “all-in” mindset.
👉 Available full-time in LATAM/US timezone.

Nice-to-haves:

► Understanding of financial/FinTech terminology.
► Familiarity with tools like Google Alerts, Feedly, or social monitoring.
► Previous experience in research, journalism, or financial analysis.
► Passion for the FinTech ecosystem and eagerness to grow.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗿𝗲:

You’re sharp-eyed, fast, and thrive under time pressure. You enjoy scanning lots of information, spotting what matters, and boiling it down to the essence. 

Detail-oriented and reliable, you get energy from being the person who ensures the team is always working with the best material.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿:

The opportunity to shape one of the most followed FinTech media brands globally.

A dynamic, remote-first work environment with flexibility.

𝗪ant to be our FinTech Sourcer?

Apply here and let's have a chat 👉 https://lnkd.in/dfTWfxKZ 

Know someone who’d be a great fit? Tag them in the comments 👇

And if you could give this post a like or share to help spread the word, it’d mean a lot!

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