Fintech: Top 5 Stories From the Week
N26 has made its first move beyond financial services by entering the German telecommunications market with a digital mobile plan offering.
The Berlin-based digital bank has launched N26 SIM, providing customers in Germany with mobile plans that can be activated directly through the N26 app without paperwork or physical SIM cards.
This strategic expansion comes at a time when digital banks across Europe are seeking new revenue streams and exploring opportunities to embed additional services within their platforms.
For N26, which processes over €140bn in transactions annually, the move represents a natural extension of its digital-first approach.
Stripe Unveils AI Payment Model and Stablecoin Accounts
Stripe has introduced its AI foundation model for payments and expanded its money management capabilities to include stablecoin-powered accounts, the firm announced at its annual user event, Sessions.
The payment processing company reported that businesses using its platform processed US$1.4tn in payment volume last year, representing 38% growth from 2023 and equivalent to 1.3% of global GDP.
Stripe currently serves half of the companies in the Fortune 100 and 78% of firms on the Forbes AI 50 list.
“There are not one, but two, gale-force tailwinds dramatically reshaping the economic landscape around us: AI and stablecoins,” says Patrick Collison, Stripe Co-founder and CEO.
“Our job is to pull these technologies forward so businesses on Stripe can benefit from them right away.”
Sage Taps AWS to Build Domain-Specific AI for Accounting
Sage has expanded its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop AI solutions for accounting and compliance tasks. The partnership builds on Sage's existing status as an AWS partner with SMB Software Competency recognition.
The accounting software firm is utilising AWS AI services including Amazon Bedrock—a managed service that offers foundation models through an API—alongside purpose-built AI chips such as AWS Trainium and AWS Inferentia to accelerate development of financial management tools.
This infrastructure combination enables Sage to test and deploy AI models specifically designed for accounting workflows.
Green Dot to Power Samsung Wallet P2P Payment Service
Green Dot Corporation, the banking-as-a-service provider and registered bank holding company, has announced a partnership with Samsung Electronics to introduce new payment features to Samsung Wallet in the United States.
The collaboration will initially focus on a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment service called "Tap to Transfer", with additional functionality planned for future releases.
The feature will allow Samsung Wallet's reported 12 million US users to transfer funds within minutes to other digital wallets or contactless debit cards.
The service will be powered by Green Dot's Arc platform, a modular embedded finance system that provides banking infrastructure to businesses.
Visa Takes Strategic Stake in Stablecoin Platform BVNK
Visa has made a strategic investment in BVNK, a stablecoin infrastructure provider that processes over US$12bn in transactions annually. The move follows BVNK's US$50m Series B funding round completed in December 2024.
The investment represents growing institutional interest in stablecoin technology – digital assets designed to maintain price stability by being pegged to a reserve asset such as the US dollar.
“We're proud to support BVNK as they help accelerate global adoption of stablecoin payments,” says Rubail Birwadker, Head of Growth Products and Partnerships at Visa.
“Stablecoins are fast becoming a part of global payment flows, and Visa invests in new technologies and builders like BVNK, staying at the forefront of what's next in commerce to better serve our clients and partners.”
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