Salt Edge, a global provider of API technology for financial services, has confirmed its Open Banking API suite is compatible with IBM LinuxONE and IBM Z platforms, allowing global banks to implement a fully managed API access layer that meets evolving open banking compliance requirements. The solution leverages IBM Z’s performance, security, and scalability to help financial institutions modernize customer-facing services without overhauling their core systems. Salt Edge’s platform supports a broad range of open banking regulatory frameworks, simplifying compliance by exposing consent-based APIs that align with local laws and market needs. When deployed on IBM LinuxONE or IBM Z, Salt Edge’s platform enables banks to: Meet global open banking regulations without incremental development; Offer API-based services to fintechs and third parties with reduced operational burden; Accelerate time-to-market with built-in consent management, developer tools, and third-party onboarding; Leverage the reliability and performance of enterprise-class infrastructure to support critical workloads.
ThetaRay’s compliance solution allows users to build, modify, and simulate AML rules independently through no-code interface with customization and aggregation and safely test the impact of rules without affecting live systems
ThetaRay has introduced the Rule Builder Simulator, an AI-powered tool that enables banks and other financial institutions to build, test, and implement anti-money laundering rules faster. The tool offers a no-code interface for defining complex rule logic, reducing operational friction and approval bottlenecks. The Self-Service Rule Builder allows teams to test and analyze the impact of new rules in a secure environment before deployment without affecting live systems. This is part of ThetaRay’s mission to equip financial institutions with AI-enhanced tools that strengthen compliance, support growth, and innovation. Key Compliance Benefits: Autonomy and Speed: Users can build, modify, simulate, and deploy AML rules independently, reducing the rule lifecycle times from weeks to hours. Tailored Risk Coverage: Complex rule logic using no-code customization and aggregation, addressing institution-specific compliance needs with precision. Safe Testing Environment: Validate new rules in a secure simulation environment before going live, ensuring confidence in compliance decisions. Optimized Detection: Simulations help teams evaluate rule and AI combinations for optimal results in detecting financial crime. Seamless Production Deployment: Approved simulations can be applied to production with built-in governance and oversight workflows
PCI DSS new rules for ecommerce sector requires employing targeted risk analysis to address client-side attacks and implement API and payment script security, rapid detection and response to compromised credentials, and regular vulnerability scans
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) has expanded its guidance to include numerous security controls for retailers and e-commerce providers. These controls include payment script security, API protection, rapid detection and response to compromised credentials, and regular vulnerability scans. Client-side attacks, such as infostealers and malware, can harvest user credentials and be used for account takeovers and fraud. Web application firewalls (WAFs) are still a strategic security control, but the speed of modern application development requires additional capabilities to dynamically detect and automatically protect endpoints. Attackers constantly retool to bypass defenses, pivoting from web apps to mobile apps or escalating their tactics. The updated PCI DSS includes recommendations for employing targeted risk analysis versus traditional enterprise-wide risk assessments. It addresses the growing threat of client-side attacks with two client-side requirements effective March 31, 2025. Content security policies (CSPs) and subresource integrity (SRI) web methods are difficult to implement and maintain, especially in the e-commerce sector where competition for customer mindshare is driving continuous enhancements to digital experiences. Customers expect seamless and secure transactions, and widely used security controls may not adequately extend protections to client browsers or backend APIs. Bot management solutions that inject user challenges via Captcha are ineffective at deterring sophisticated bots but are effective at frustrating users. To meet PCI DSS compliance mandates, e-commerce providers should consider unified security platforms designed to protect web apps, APIs, and customers throughout the digital life cycle from actual threats targeting their industry.
KredosAi combines conversational intelligence, RCS and real‑time customer data to deliver branded, interactive, two-way messaging that enables enterprises to offer deeply personalized experiences to late paying customers at scale
KredosAi announced a successful seed fundraise to scale its platform and accelerate go-to-market expansion. The raise follows its recent RCS deployment with UScellular, the fourth-largest U.S. wireless carrier, showcasing the platform’s traction and enterprise readiness. KredosAi cuts through the digital noise to help enterprises engage past-due customers with empathy, making it easier for them to resolve payments while preserving and strengthening customer relationships. By integrating RCS, KredosAi delivers branded, interactive, two-way messaging that enables enterprises to offer deeply personalized experiences at scale. This approach sets a new benchmark for digital engagement. KredosAi is already trusted by Tier 1 Telcos and national auto lenders to drive better outcomes across the customer lifecycle. KredosAi’s AI‑native engagement platform unifies conversational intelligence, advanced messaging formats like RCS, and real‑time customer data. By experimenting with, and testing, thousands of messages at scale, KredosAi can increase engagement rates, reduce churn, and enhance customer loyalty by delivering messages that are timely, relevant, and human‑first. KredosAi is the first to deliver RCS at production scale with a proprietary AI feedback loop that’s driving measurable ROI not just in engagement, but in cash conversion and payment recovery.
Tracelight’s tech simplifies building financial modelling by integrating directly into the spreadsheet workflow, writing complex formulas, validating models and autonomously running analysis from simple natural language prompts
Tracelight, the UK-founded AI company making financial models easier to build and trust, has raised $3.6 million in seed funding. Tracelight bridges the gap between financial models and large language models (LLMs) by turning spreadsheet logic into LLM-friendly data, allowing financial analysts and consultants to harness the benefits of Generative AI when building complex financial models. By integrating directly into the spreadsheet workflow and enhancing how LLMs interpret and work with Excel, Tracelight eliminates repetitive modelling tasks. From writing complex formulas and validating models to autonomously running analysis from simple natural language prompts, it is a force multiplier for analysts, augmenting their skills with AI, letting them model faster and smarter without needing to change the way they work. Since launch, Tracelight has gained early traction among analysts at investment banks, private credit investment and private equity houses and leading professional services firms. Early users are already reporting >90% time savings on laborious modelling tasks like building common analyses, formatting, and finding errors. Crucially, Tracelight keeps humans in control of decision-making. Rather than replacing analysts, it enables them to build better financial models and focus on high-stakes decisions where human judgment is essential.
Gen Z prefers trustworthy online retailers that are using transparent tech—online queues over crashes, bot defenses, and fair access systems—to earn loyalty, recommendations, and program signups
Unlike their older counterparts, Gen Z consumers are significantly more likely to stay loyal, spend more, recommend and join the loyalty programs among online businesses they trust most, according to “The Age of Online Trust,” a new survey from virtual waiting room provider Queue-it. Trust also trumps cost for a majority of Gen Z shoppers. Specifically, 90% reported they would buy a product from a trustworthy business even if it costs 10% more (88% of their older counterparts agree). A majority of these younger shoppers (68%) not only expect more from retailers than they did last year, they place more value on trust in online businesses. For example, 70% are likely to spend more at trustworthy retailers compared to 60% of millennials and Gen X. Meanwhile, 69% are likely to be more loyal vs. 63% of their older counterparts. More than three-quarters (76%) of these digitally-native shoppers are more likely to recommend trustworthy retailers, and 68% are more likely to join their loyalty program, the report said. To gain Gen Z’s trust, retailers need to emphasize reliability and transparency. For example, 88% of Gen Z shoppers prefer an online queue to an error page or crashed website. This drops to 84% among millennials and Gen X. Almost three-quarters of Gen Z shoppers (73%) are more likely to trust businesses that block bots and 65% are more likely to trust businesses that ensure fair access during limited-inventory sales or registrations. This is important to 54% of older counterparts.
Tariffs disrupt Adyen’s growth, with lost de minimis exemptions hitting cross-border e-commerce; suggesting payments industry faces headwinds as inflation and trade wars raise costs
Adyen’s financial outlook has been hit by tariffs and the global trade war, with CEO Ingo Uytdehaage noting that “the tariffs are impacting some of our Asia Pacific merchants.” First-half 2025 net revenue came in at $1.27 billion versus a $1.3 billion forecast, and earnings before interest, taxes and amortization were $635 million, below estimates. The firm said its earlier forecast of “slight net revenue growth” is now “unlikely” amid macro uncertainty. While Adyen reported wallet share gains and new customer wins, analysts warned that “the downward revision in full year net revenue growth guidance and commentary suggesting a persistent macro headwind… will likely overshadow the positive data points.” To offset U.S. tariff exposure, Adyen plans to route more transactions from China to non-U.S. consumers. A key pressure point is the suspension of the U.S. de minimis rule, which had exempted imports under $800 from tariffs—impacting large Chinese e-commerce firms like Temu and Shein and thus slowing APAC merchant growth. Analysts caution that cross-border e-commerce and discretionary online retail are most at risk, while a weaker dollar could provide some relief. “Tariffs are a tax on imports and are increasing the price of goods… they will very directly reduce commerce and consequently payments,” said Eric Grover of Intrepid Ventures. Adyen’s exposure outside the U.S., particularly in Asia, makes it more vulnerable, and with inflation rising and labor markets weakening, its underperformance may be an early warning for the wider payments industry.
Advisor CRM debuts a GenAI marketing suite that drafts LinkedIn posts, emails, and client letters in an authentic voice while automating segmentation and scheduling
Advisor CRM has launched its Gen AI Marketing Suite, a fully integrated set of free and paid tools empowers advisors to automate content creation, streamline marketing workflows, and strengthen client relationships. The Gen AI Marketing Suite includes Agents for generating Facebook and LinkedIn posts, marketing emails, client letters, press releases, and more—with new tools added weekly. With minimal training, the AI quickly learns an advisor’s tone of voice, unique value proposition, and communication style, enabling it to write marketing copy and client communications in the advisor’s authentic voice. Key features of the Gen AI Marketing Suite include: AI-powered email creation – Draft messages from scratch or with AI assistance, including suggestions for subject lines, tone, and clarity. Authenticity at scale – With minimal training, the AI learns your style and unique value proposition, writing copy in your authentic voice. Smart segmentation – Organize contact lists with custom tags (e.g., high-value clients, VIPs, new clients). Scheduling & automation – Plan email campaigns in advance with seamless scheduling tools. “Advisor CRM’s Gen AI Marketing Suite turns hours of marketing work into minutes,” said Ryan Borer, Managing Partner at Advisor CRM. “By leveraging AI, we’re not only making content creation easier but also ensuring it’s brand-consistent and client-ready. Because the system adapts to each advisor’s voice and value proposition, the marketing content it generates feels authentic, personal, and true to the advisor’s brand.”
Agentic commerce goes live as Kite enables on chain purchases with traceability and programmable permissions letting PayPal and Shopify merchants become discoverable to AI shopping agents
Kite, a company building the foundational trust infrastructure for the agentic web, announced that it has raised $18 million in Series A funding, bringing total cumulative funding to $33 million. The round was led by PayPal Ventures and General Catalyst. Formerly known as Zettablock, Kite leverages years of experience in distributed infrastructure systems to bring forth a new architecture purpose-built for the agentic web. The company recently launched Kite Agent Identity Resolution, or “Kite AIR” – a pioneering solution that enables autonomous agents to authenticate, transact, and operate independently in real-world environments. The system delivers programmable identity, native stablecoin payment, and policy enforcement on a blockchain optimized for autonomous agents. Kite AIR includes two core components: Agent Passport, a verifiable identity with operational guardrails; and Agent App Store, where agents can discover and pay to access services such as APIs, data, and commerce tools. It is live now through open integrations with popular commerce platforms like Shopify and PayPal. Using publicly available APIs, any PayPal or Shopify merchant can opt in through the Kite Agent App Store and become discoverable to AI shopping agents. Purchases are settled on-chain with full traceability, using stablecoins and programmable permissions. Kite is also actively building additional integrations across commerce, finance, and data platforms. “Solutions like virtual cards provide only short-term workarounds. Latency, fees, and chargebacks further complicate things. Kite bridges this critical gap by providing stablecoin-based, millisecond-level settlement with low transaction fees and no chargeback fraud risks. This enables new economic models such as agent-to-agent metered billing, micro-subscription, and high frequency trading,” said Alan Du, Partner at PayPal Ventures.
Cognigy conversational and agentic AI will be enriched with NiCE’s purpose-built CX AI models to make agents smarter, deployments faster, and outcomes more impactful
NiCE announced the successful closing of its acquisition of Cognigy, following receipt of all required regulatory approvals. This brings together two AI industry leaders, each with a proven track record of market leadership, innovation, and customer impact to accelerate AI adoption in customer experience across the front and back office. By bringing together Cognigy’s AI and NiCE’s award-winning CXone Mpower CX AI platform, organizations of all sizes will transform how they deliver AI-powered customer experience. Cognigy conversational and agentic AI will be enriched with NiCE’s purpose-built CX AI models leveraging decades of CX intelligence, making agents smarter, deployments faster and outcomes more impactful. With this unified power, organizations can scale agentic and conversational AI at speed across CXone Mpower, delivering seamless, intelligent experiences across every customer touchpoint, from the contact center to enterprise-deep workflows. Scott Russell, CEO, NiCE, said, “With the completion of this acquisition, we are bringing together two AI market leaders to redefine the future of customer experience. Together, we are accelerating AI adoption and value realization for global enterprises by delivering one of the industry’s most powerful and comprehensive customer experience platforms leveraging CX models and agentic and human agents powered by decades of CX purpose-built data and insights.