Robinhood has submitted a proposal to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a federal framework for tokenized real-world assets. The proposal introduces the Real World Asset Exchange (RRE), a blockchain-based trading platform that modernizes securities infrastructure by integrating offchain trade matching with onchain settlement. The proposal aims to simplify compliance for broker-dealers and asset managers across the US and reduce regulatory uncertainty. The RRE will treat tokenized assets as direct representations of their traditional counterparts, allowing regulated brokers to manage these assets within existing compliance systems. The platform will support 24/7 trading of tokenized assets under established regulatory protections, with offchain trade matching for speed and onchain settlement for finality and auditability. The proposal could redefine the U.S. tokenization landscape and pave the way for other financial institutions to enter the market confidently.
Google’s updates to media apps on Android Auto to allow apps to show different sections in the browsing UI and offer more flexibility in layout to build richer and more complete experiences
Google introduced two new changes to media apps on Android Auto. The first change is to the browsing interface in media apps. The new “SectionedItemTemplate” will allow apps to show different sections in the browsing UI, with Google’s example showing “Recent search” above a list of albums. The other change is the to “MediaPlaybackTemplate,” which is used as the “Now Playing” screen. It appears that Google is going to grant developers more flexibility in layout here, with the demo shown putting the media controls in the bottom right corner instead of the center, and in a different order than usual – although that might become the standard at some point. The UI isn’t drastically different or any harder to understand, but it’s a different layout than we usually see on Android Auto, which is actually a bit refreshing. Google is also allowing developers to build “richer and more complete experiences” for media apps using the “Car App Library.” This could make it easier to navigate some apps, as most media apps on Android Auto are shells of their smartphone counterpart in terms of functionality. This category is just in beta for now, though.
Banking groups led by ABA want the SEC to revoke its cybersecurity incident disclosure requirement because of need for confidentiality about critical infrastructure
American banking groups want the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to revoke its cybersecurity incident disclosure requirements. These groups, led by the American Bankers Association (ABA), wrote to the SEC last week, contending that disclosing cybersecurity incidents “directly conflicts with confidential reporting requirements intended to protect critical infrastructure and warn potential victims.” Joining the ABA were the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, the Bank Policy Institute, Independent Community Bankers of America, and the Institute of International Bankers, who argue the rule hinders regulatory efforts to bolster national cybersecurity. The letter was flagged in a report Monday (May 26) by Cointelegraph, which noted that the rule in question — the SEC’s Cybersecurity Risk Management rule, published in July 2023 — requires companies to quickly disclose incidents such as data breaches or hacks. But the banking groups say this rule was flawed from the beginning and has been problematic in practice since going into effect. The letter said that the “complex and narrow disclosure delay mechanism” interferes with incident response and law enforcement, while also breeding “market confusion” between mandatory and voluntary disclosures.
Square’s new pop-up store in San Francisco to provide hands-on support in one-on-one consultations with Square experts and act as community hub for networking and collaboration
Square announced the opening of The Corner Store, a new community space for local businesses located at 1100 Valencia Street (corner of 22nd and Valencia) in San Francisco’s Mission District. Opening May 27th and running through June, this pop-up initiative will provide hands-on support and educational resources to area merchants and create a point of connection where home-grown businesses can network and collaborate. In 2024, Square processed more than 20,000 transactions per day in the Mission. The Corner Store will serve as both a daytime resource center and an evening community hub with programming for local business owners and operators. During business hours, sellers can access one-on-one consultations with Square experts, receive personalized guidance on Square’s suite of business tools, and get hands-on experience with the company’s latest innovations, including products and tools recently announced in Square Releases. A selection of curated goods from Mission-based Square sellers will be available, and hardware devices, including the recently announced Square Handheld, can be purchased on-site.
Curve Pay launches on iOS as Apple Pay alternative; to leverage iPhone NFC feature to offer more than tap-to-pay experience that includes split payments, rewards stacking and real-time spending
Curve announced the launch of Curve Pay on iOS, the first payment solution to leverage the newly accessible iPhone NFC interface after Apple’s acceptance of the European Commission’s ruling. As a staged wallet with built-in smart features — including real-time spending insights, the ability to switch payment sources post-transaction, and rewards stacking — Curve Pay gives iOS users more functionality than ever before. Now with Apple’s hands forced to open to competition, Curve Pay ushers in a new era of choice for iOS consumers,” said Shachar Bialick, CEO & Founder of Curve. “With Curve Pay also recently going live on Android, we are bringing universal access to all Curve users, regardless of device — so everyone can now manage their money, on any phone, with all the unique Curve benefits that comes with it.” Unlike pass-through wallets like Apple Pay, which simply transmit existing card credentials, Curve’s staged architecture means it actively sits in the payment flow. That allows Curve to offer far more than a tap-to-pay experience. Customers can retroactively change the card they used, split payments, earn cashback, track spending in real time and even pay from accounts like PayPal — all through a single app.
Finley’s Monthly Servicer Reporting (MSR) solution for corporate borrowers with warehouse facilities offers a centralized hub for MSR management through integrated visibility
Finley has launched enhanced Monthly Servicer Reporting (MSR) capabilities to help corporate borrowers with warehouse facilities overcome logistical and technological challenges. The new capabilities address collaboration, data management, and knowledge management issues in MSR generation and management. The market for private credit is projected to reach $3.5 trillion by 2028, making MSRs crucial in asset-based transactions. Finley’s MSR capability is integrated into its Deliverables module, providing a centralized hub for all MSR needs. This module offers: Clear Deadline Visibility: Borrowers gain instant access to “Due Soon” reports and historical submissions, ensuring a single source of truth for preparing current MSRs and reviewing past outputs. Structured Requirements: MSRs often require 14-16 distinct input files, each with specific formatting requirements. Finley clearly outlines these needs, whether the files are programmatically generated or manually entered. A Collaboration and Analysis Hub: After submission, Finley customers can see all MSR data points, team discussions, historical files, and relevant analytics in the same Deliverables module. This moves MSR management from the email inbox into a purpose-built system. Finley tackles the complexities of data aggregation head-on, ensuring files are correctly formatted and easily managed: Guided File Generation: Within the platform, Finley provides a clear breakdown of required files and their exact formatting specifications. Each requirement comes with a “data dictionary” that provides crucial context, especially when Finance teams are collaborating with Data or Engineering teams for historical or point-in-time reports. Enhanced Collaboration and Versioning: Recognizing that generating files correctly on the first attempt isn’t always possible, Finley includes robust collaboration tools and versioning capabilities. This allows teams to track changes, view previously submitted files, and work with internal and external collaborators.
Vercel’s AI model enables creating independent, scalable web-based checkout systems on developers’ own domains by offering customisable template with frontend components through API
The team behind Vercel’s V0, an AI-powered platform for web creation, has developed an AI model it claims excels at certain website development tasks. Available through an API, the model, called “v0-1.0-md,” can be prompted with text or images, and was “optimized for front-end and full-stack web development,” the Vercel team says. Currently in beta, it requires a V0 Premium plan ($20 per month) or Team plan ($30 per user per month) with usage-based billing enabled. Vercel’s model can “auto-fix” common coding issues, the Vercel team says, and it’s compatible with tools and SDKs that support OpenAI’s API format. Evaluated on web development frameworks like Next.js, the model can ingest up to 128,000 tokens in one go. The launch of V0’s model comes as more developers and companies look to adopt AI-powered tools for programming.
IBM’s two-pronged approach to modern application management automates applications and manages them through observability, simplifying triage with AI-generated problem summaries
AI, observability and automation at scale are converging to redefine how modern applications are built, monitored and optimized. IBM Corp.’s approach is two-pronged — automating applications with AI and creating a conducive environment, through observability, to manage them. Chris Farrell, group product manager of Instana observability at IBM. “We’re focused on both those things at the same time, simultaneously. One of the things that we’re doing is putting AI into the observability aspect of managing the applications. We have recently released integration with watsonx to create summarizations of problems in plain English so that anyone can get a summarization and print it out.” Central to IBM’s approach is the integration of AI into observability tooling, particularly through Instana and its connection with watsonx. This powerful combination enables AI-generated problem summaries in plain English, simplifying issue triage for both technical and non-technical teams. Additionally, IBM is taking steps toward AI-based remediation. With watsonx, problems can be detected and suggestions — or even automated actions — can be triggered to resolve them. This shift reduces the time between incident detection and resolution, enhancing uptime and operational efficiency, according to Farrell.
Elastic’s database is to offer hybrid search capabilities for Microsoft’s Semantic Kernel allowing users to combine multiple search techniques and run them at scale for enhanced retrieval quality
Elastic has announced the availability of its hybrid search capabilities for Microsoft’s Semantic Kernel project, making Elastic’s vector database the first to feature this capability. Users can now combine multiple search techniques when using Elasticsearch with Semantic Kernel, enhancing information retrieval and delivering the most significant results to queries. “What sets Elastic apart is our powerful hybrid search capabilities, which our customers can run at vast scale,” said Ken Exner, chief product officer at Elastic. “As the first vector database to bring hybrid search capability to Microsoft Semantic Kernel, our .NET users benefit from significantly improved retrieval quality, making it easier for them to build enterprise-grade AI applications.”
OpenAI is considering a “Sign in with ChatGPT” feature to better compete with Apple, Google, and Microsoft
OpenAI is exploring ways for users to sign in to third-party apps using their ChatGPT account. OpenAI is currently gauging interest from developers who might want to integrate this service into their apps. To capitalize on this popularity, OpenAI seems eager to try and expand into other consumer areas, such as online shopping, social media, and personal devices. A potential “Sign in with ChatGPT” feature could help OpenAI compete with other massive consumer technology companies — such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft — that help people with a wide range of online services, including a quick way to sign in to third-party apps. OpenAI seems to be interested in integrating the sign-in service with a broad array of companies. The developer interest form asks for companies to specify their app’s user base, ranging from tiny companies with fewer than 1,000 weekly users to massive apps with over 100 million weekly users. The form also asks developers how they charge for AI features today and whether they’re customers of the OpenAI API. It’s unclear when the sign-in feature would go live for users of ChatGPT or how many companies have signed up to be part of it.