Top 5 Stories This Week in FinTech

How Bolt’s AI Pivot Showcases an Evolution in Fintech Hiring

Fintech firm Bolt is reportedly cutting around one third of its workforce, according to Fintech Business Weekly.

The company, which positions itself as a provider of “best-in-class customer conversion through seamless and secure one-click checkout,” complemented by its finance and crypto SuperApp, appears to have made the decision to reduce headcount amid increasing investments in AI, Bolt says.

CEO and Co-Founder Ryan Breslow called the move “unavoidable” in an internal message shared via Slack, as first reported by Fintech Business Weekly.

His message says: “Going forward, Bolt will be operating as a much leaner organisation and leveraging AI at our core ”.

How is Ahold Delhaize Modernising the Checkout with Fiserv?

Ahold Delhaize USA has expanded its partnership with Fiserv to introduce a new digital payment option, Pay by Bank, for online grocery shoppers. 

This is the latest effort by the largest grocery retail group on the US East Coast – and the fourth largest in the country – to modernise its omnichannel infrastructure and provide customers with greater flexibility in how they pay.

The feature, available across The GIANT Company, Giant Food and Stop & Shop e-commerce sites and mobile apps, allows customers to pay securely and directly from their bank accounts. 

How StraitsX & KBank are Facilitating SE Asia's Tourism Boom

Tourism in Southeast Asia is booming. This year, Singapore expects to welcome 18 million visitors to its shores, with tourism receipts projected to reach S$31bn to S$32.5bn (US$24.1bn to US$25.3bn).

It is a similar story elsewhere in the region too, with Vietnam and Malaysia both having record years in 2025.

But while tourism is continuing to grow across Southeast Asian countries, cross-border transactions are still a sticking point for the region's overall popularity with travellers.

In particular, Thai travellers still face fragmented payments, foreign exchange costs and reliance on cash abroad.

So, what can be done to streamline this experience and make it more equitable for travellers, no matter where they are travelling to and from?

Aspire and J.P. Morgan Payments Bridge FX Gaps

Aspire, the finance stack serving more than 50,000 businesses globally, has entered a strategic collaboration with J.P. Morgan Payments.

The move is designed to sharpen FX efficiency and improve wallet-based fund conversion for firms navigating the complexities of international markets.

For modern startups and cross-border enterprises, friction in currency conversion often translates to delayed payments and unpredictable overheads.

By integrating J.P. Morgan Payments as a core FX provider, Aspire aims to bolster its pricing structures, corridor access and overall infrastructure resilience.

A Breath of Fresh AIR: Revolut’s Financial Literacy Chatbot

AIR, or AI by Revolut, is the latest innovation that the banking titan has introduced as it elevates its customer experience strategy. 

With over 70 million global customers, the bank’s innovation results in more than 1 billion transactions monthly. 

Revolut’s in-app assistant will provide users with more insight to spending habits, which the bank says empowers users to gain a “holistic view” of their money. 

The AI assistant is integrated within Revolut’s ecosystem, going “beyond” a traditional chatbot, it says. The product launch comes in with immediate effect.