MBWay to Reach 100 Million Europeans by 2026
Weekly news up to Tuesday, 20th of May 2025
👀 NEWS HIGHLIGHT
When bank payments first emerged in Europe in the mid-2000s, they offered more than just another way to pay; they solved a growing problem. At the time, card payments were expensive and relied on an aging infrastructure.
Payments by bank did things differently, using open banking technology to connect directly to consumers' accounts: no middlemen, no added complexity - just trust, simplicity and speed.
💡INSIGHTS
The rise of vertical SaaS by Mollie. Discover how vertical SaaS platforms are driving growth and unlock new revenue streams with embedded finance. Businesses using vertical SaaS get a simpler, more connected experience that’s tailored to the industry. Read the complete article
NOW, ON TO THE SUMMARY OF LAST WEEK'S NEWS
🌎 FINTECH HIGHLIGHTS
⭐️ Billie first B2B ‘Pay Later’ solution generally available on Stripe.
⭐️ MBWay to reach 100 million Europeans by 2026.
⭐️ Iceland's Arion Bank upgrades payments infrastructure with Volante.
⭐️ coeo Inkasso Sweden partners with Neonomics.
FINTECH
Checkout.com launches the inaugural Digital Economy Trust Index. This Index offers a clear view of how people interact with, trust, and adopt digital systems, helping businesses, policymakers, and tech providers understand key trust drivers to boost digital and economic growth. Discover more
Paysafe reports first quarter 2025 results. Reported revenue for the first quarter of 2025 was $401.0 million, a decrease of 4%, compared to $417.7 million in the prior year period, reflecting a decrease of 6% from the Merchant Solutions segment, driven by the business disposal.
CaixaBank and BBVA process the first requests to pay between banks in Europe. BBVA and CaixaBank claim it will transform how citizens and companies manage their payments in Europe, providing a safe and efficient digital alternative for B2B invoicing, such as paying taxes and public sector charges.
PAYMENTS
Digital euro central to ECB plan for payment sovereignty. The ECB Executive Board Member made the case that Europe’s payments market is structurally dependent on foreign providers, a condition he argued must be addressed not just for competitiveness, but for sovereignty.
Apple is placing warnings on EU apps that don’t use App Store payments. The company is trying to dissuade Europeans from using iOS apps that support alternative payment options by making them look scary. A red exclamation mark icon is being prominently displayed, with a message warning.
Nuvei joins the EPI to launch Wero for e-commerce. The collaboration will enable Nuvei merchants to integrate this European payment solution through the use of their existing connection to the company’s core payments platform. Businesses will be enabled to accept Wero payments.
DIGITAL BANKING
Irish people are global frontrunners for digital bank adoption. A strong majority of 62% have remained with their main bank for at least seven years, but 81% now engage with multiple banking providers, one of the highest proportions in Europe.
Swiss Online Bank Alpian deep in the red. Despite strong growth, the operating result remained negative: the loss increased to CHF 29,2 million, up from CHF 23,0 million a year earlier. Continue reading
Revolut opens a branch in Greece and will offer a Greek IBAN. Greek IBAN will allow it to provide more services, such as payroll accounts and broader credit provision. This move comes as a result of the high penetration that Revolut already has in the Greek market. Meanwhile, Revolut adds travel cover for Premium and Metal users. The service will be available to new and existing Premium and Metal customers. They will gain access to travel insurance benefits.
Wizink will start receiving deposits in Portugal. The digital bank will start accepting deposits in 2026 and will launch Aplazame, the Buy Now Pay Later technological tool, later this year. Read more
CRYPTO
Bitstamp secures CASP license under MiCA. The newly acquired CASP license will cover the operation of Bitstamp’s trading platform, execution of orders on behalf of clients, and custody of crypto-assets across the European Economic Area.
PARTNERSHIPS
iplicit extends partnership with GoCardless with in-app direct debit functionality. This will bring GoCardless’s Direct Debit capabilities to customers using its cloud accounting platform. Continue reading
SCRYPT selects OpenPayd to power Euro payment infrastructure. The collaboration expands SCRYPT’s Euro (EUR) payment capabilities, reinforcing its commitment to delivering fast, seamless, and compliant settlement services to its institutional clients.
StanChart-Backed Algbra to help Gatehouse with UK accounts. The partnership will allow for faster onboarding, seamless verification, and a smoother property purchase journey for international homebuyers and will provide access to Islamic finance products.
Juuli partners with Visa and Stripe to launch the Juuli Visa Corporate Card. The newly launched corporate card was developed to respond to documented challenges freelancers face in the financial sector. It was designed with multiple benefits, including both physical and virtual corporate card options without the need for activation or annual fees.
TransferGo teams up with Griffin for GBP wallets and savings as it launches multi-currency business accounts. This partnership allows TransferGo to leverage Griffin’s safeguarding infrastructure for its GBP wallets and offer savings accounts with competitive interest rates to UK businesses.
Lloyds Banking Group selects Moneyhub as data enrichment partner. This will support customers to understand what they spend their money on and improve their personalized digital banking experiences. Moneyhub’s technology will categorise all of the bank’s transactions for both income and expenditure.