CellPoint Digital and Checkout.com Announce Strategic Partnership
Weekly news up to Tuesday, 15th of April 2025
👀 NEWS HIGHLIGHT
UK financial regulator Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a new multi-firm review entitled Trading apps: high-level observations.
The publication aims to support new firms and traditional investment brokers seeking to offer these services, to help them better understand their existing obligations.
📊 INFOGRAPHIC
Adyen vs Stripe (2024)
Let’s take a closer look at how 2024 unfolded for these two payment giants 👇
NOW, ON TO THE SUMMARY OF LAST WEEK'S NEWS
🌎 FINTECH HIGHLIGHTS
⭐️ Kraken lets everyday traders access Wall Street-level trading speeds.
⭐️ Bitso Business launches Euro ramps to link LatAm and Europe via SEPA and stablecoins.
⭐️ Albanian banks apply to join SEPA credit transfer scheme.
⭐️ CurrencyFair Selects tell.money to Enhance Open Banking Capabilities for Seamless Global Money Transfers.
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FINTECH
auxmoney successfully issues 6th ABS bond, "Fortuna Consumer Loan ABS 2025-1", totaling €425 million. Despite tough market conditions, the deal saw strong investor demand. At least 50% of the loan portfolio meets social bond criteria, and the issuance is STS-certified and listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
Italy seeks $1.3 bln from FinTech group ION in tax evasion probe. The investigation adds to a series of tax evasion cases in Italy targeting U.S. tech companies, which are also at the centre of a wider EU response to the trade war sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.
Upvest focuses on growth in the UK market. With an FCA license in hand, a new London HQ, and three UK clients set to go live by year-end, Upvest says it is entering its next phase of growth in Europe’s “most dynamic” investment market: the UK.
PAYMENTS
Curve Pay takes on tech giants with alternative to Apple Pay. The company is also advocating for regulatory intervention to address Apple's fees for third-party access to NFC payment technology in the UK, aligning with the European Commission's push for increased competition in mobile payments.
Nets and BluOr Bank enter issuing and processing agreement to allow the latter to utilise its payment card issuing services and improve the customer banking experience. Through this move, Nets is set to process the bank’s customers' card transactions, with plans to deliver increased security when conducting transactions and withdrawing funds.
Klarna Plus marks first year in the US, signaling growing momentum in subscription services. Klarna Plus represents a key pillar in delivering enhanced value and deepening consumer adoption beyond the brand’s day-to-day services. In the last year, customers have saved a total of $5 million in discounts and fees.
DIGITAL BANKING
Salt Bank has reached half a million customers one year after its launch on the Engine by Starling Platform. The cloud-native bank was designed and built for Romanians, helping them navigate financial admin with a seamless mobile experience packed with self-serve features like card controls, spending insights, and saving spaces.
CRYPTO
Robinhood is coming to Europe. The Bank of Lithuania has granted Robinhood Europe a Category A financial broker license. It is the 14th company to be granted a financial brokerage license in Lithuania, and the WealthTech market participants licensed in the country serve more than 6 million clients across the EU.
PARTNERSHIPS
CellPoint Digital and Checkout.com announced a strategic partnership to maximise payment performance for Travel Merchants. This collaboration will enable travel brands to streamline payment complexity, optimise conversion rates, and deliver a frictionless payment experience through a single, AI-driven integration.
Ecommpay streamlines Italian market entry for e-commerce merchants. The company is providing access to the most popular local and global payment methods in the region. In addition to acquiring and credit card payments, seamless integration is available with popular payment methods, Satispay, MyBank, and BANCOMAT Pay.
Yapily and Allica Bank join forces to bring the power of open banking’s seamless, secure top-ups to UK SME current accounts. By leveraging Yapily’s open banking technology, Allica Bank is now building on its mission to give established businesses the banking they deserve by enabling them to top up their accounts even faster.
Weavr integrates B4B Payments, boosting European payment flexibility. B4B Payments allows Weavr to strengthen its position within its current markets, allows the company to expand into key European markets outside the Eurozone, and validates a model for expansion that can follow the customer beyond Europe.
Paysend partners with Tink to enhance open banking payments for faster, seamless transfers. This means more customers can fund their international transfers with minimal friction, greater security, and improved speed. Continue reading
Neonomics and Ovoro partner to enhance crypto investor payments with Nello Pay. This collaboration is set to redefine how users across the Nordics buy and sell crypto, making transactions faster, safer, and more cost-effective for investors. Users will connect their bank accounts directly, bypassing unnecessary intermediaries and reducing transaction costs.
DONEDEAL
FinTech Ryft raises £5.7M Series A to challenge Stripe and Ayden. It plans to use the new funding to support its international expansion and grow its team. The company's technology enables acquiring banks to split payments and process payouts at a much lower cost than alternatives.
Visa invests in spend management platform Mynt. The fresh investment will help fuel Mynt’s next phase of growth, with plans to expand into the UK and other European markets, broaden its product offering, and capitalise on growing demand for spend management among SMEs.
Fixed income trading FinTech TransFicc raises $25m. The company, which claims 20 market participants and three exchanges among its client base, plans to use the funding for a push into the EU and US. Continue reading
Damisa secures £2.25 million pre-seed to build the fastest and most secure stable-coin payment experience to date. The funds will enable Damisa to accelerate its go-to-market strategy, scale its operational infrastructure, obtain the necessary licenses, and advance technological capabilities ahead of its public launch.