FICO has introduced a digital hub designed to connect organizations with data and analytics providers. This innovative new Marketplace offers easy access to data, artificial intelligence (AI) models, optimization tools, decision rulesets, and machine learning models, which deliver enterprise business outcomes from AI. With FICO Marketplace, FICO® Platform users can fast-track their journey to becoming an intelligent enterprise, because they will be able to: Unlock Value from Data Faster: by experimenting with new data sources and decision assets to determine predictive power and business value. Users can expect to cut the time required to access, validate and integrate new data sources by half. Leverage Decision Agents Across Multiple Use Cases, Improving Collaboration: with its open API architecture, it allows for any decision asset, data service, analytics model, software agent or third-party solution to address a wide range of use cases including customer management, fraud, originations, and marketing. The reusability of decision agents across multiple departments breaks down silos and improves collaboration. Drive Better Customer Experiences: by enabling a holistic view of each individual customer, as well as building innovative new intelligent solutions and analytic capabilities that come from industry collaboration. “FICO Marketplace will facilitate the type of collaboration across the industry that drives the next generation of intelligent solutions,” said Nikhil Behl, president, Software, FICO.
Splitit expanding its orchestration service to let processors participate in the transaction while giving them issuer channels through which to make direct offers to the consumer and also adding digital wallets to the mix
Splitit’s approach in the service economy is to construct an orchestration layer that lets customers pay for purchases over time using cards. “We’re expanding our service offering with more capabilities via the processor and the issuer based on the demand by these various players,” John Beisner, head of client success at Splitit, said. Among the near-term initiatives lies the ability to let processors participate in the transaction and give the issuer channels through which to make direct offers to the consumer amid a merchant interaction. As to the changing dynamics in the competitive arena of installment payments, Beisner said, “you’ve got the typical buy now, pay laters. You also have bank financing offers and other FinTechs involved in making financing offers to consumers.” “We think that by orchestrating that, bringing it into a single experience… we’re doing that at a level where it’s not just eCommerce, but it’s also for in-store transaction,” he said. “So, we’re trying to bring all of that together and provide a very focused capability to enhance the consumer experience. We’re also making sure that we maintain the relationship between the merchant and the consumers.” Consumers, in turn, discover that they can manage their funding more adroitly and find the spending power to “upgrade” their purchases to bigger-ticket choices as they don’t have to take out new loans to do so, he said. “We’re spending time getting out front of the transactions so that the consumer understands that they have options and that these are not loan-based options,” Beisner said. The checkout experience remains the same, as consumers enter their card details (or if they are already registered with a merchant, one-click checkout is an option). Splitit is also adding digital wallets to the mix, including Google Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, he said, “where the merchant does not even need to be signed up, where the customer can walk in with their wallet into any storefront and make a purchase — and then decide how they want to split those payments up,” he said. Splitit will also be rolling out a service where the merchant and the consumer share in the cost — “and we’ll still be using the ‘open to pay’ on a card to make that decision,” rather than a new loan, he said.
Rain to offer closed loop financing utilizing stablecoins by fully tokenizing its credit card receivables to lower the total cost of capital and need for collateral for fintechs
Rain, a global card issuing platform built for stablecoins, has joined Visa’s pilot program for stablecoin settlement. Rain has fully tokenized its credit card receivables and has transitioned all settlement transactions for its Visa cards to USDC, to now be able to settle with Visa 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Rain provides backend infrastructure – APIs, compliance layers and settlement logic – that enables fintechs and wallets to build and launch stablecoin-linked card programs. Rain’s technology stack allows for card transactions on the Visa network to be interoperable with stablecoins across multiple blockchains. When a user makes a payment with a Rain-issued Visa card, Visa settles with the merchant acquirer as usual. Rain’s platform has also fully tokenized its credit card receivables, enabling more efficient capital management and transparency across the system. These capabilities help fintechs go to market faster with new products. While giving consumers access to digital-first globally interoperable payment experiences. Rain also announced a world first: closed loop credit card receivable financing utilizing stablecoins. By borrowing from and programmatically repaying lenders Rain has been able to reduce the total cost of capital for consumer and b2b credit programs while providing lenders access to superior collateral and programmatic repayments powered by smart contracts. This powerful construct has the potential to unlock credit access for users in underdeveloped financial markets, all while unlocking significant operational and capital efficiencies for Rain and Rain powered programs. “USDC settlement allows us to be more capital efficient – helping to reduce the need for collateral while providing our counterparties the same level of protection. This sets a new standard for issuers and further enhances digital asset utility,” said Farooq Malik, CEO & Co-founder of Rain.
MoneyGram launches API for embedding crypto on/off-ramp functionality enabling fast, compliant cash-to-crypto and crypto-to-cash integration through a single implementation
MoneyGram has launched MoneyGram Ramps, a developer-centric API that enables fast, compliant cash-to-crypto and crypto-to-cash integration through a single implementation. With just a few lines of code – wallets, exchanges and fintech apps can instantly access the MoneyGram global cash network, making it easier than ever to embed crypto on/off-ramp functionality at scale. Built for speed, MoneyGram Ramps equips developers with tools to get started in minutes: No banking integrations required; Instant API credentials and sandbox access; Comprehensive documentation and SDKs; Live onboarding. Powered by the Stellar blockchain, Circle’s USDC and MoneyGram’s global network, MoneyGram Ramps bridges physical and digital currencies, enabling movement between cash and crypto and expanding access to the digital economy. With MoneyGram Ramps, developers can easily offer users – even those without a bank account – the ability to deposit or withdraw cash at thousands of participating MoneyGram locations worldwide. “With this launch, MoneyGram is quickly becoming the connective tissue between traditional finance and the digital economy,” said Anthony Soohoo, MoneyGram Chief Executive Officer. “We’ve taken the complexity out of integration, opening the door to seamless connection with the world’s largest cash on/off-ramp for digital wallets1.”
Visa invests in Stabelcoin infrastructure platform BVNK that processes more than $12 billion annually for companies like Ferrari and Rapyd
Stabelcoin infrastructure platform BVNK received an investment from Visa. The new capital comes on the heels of a $50 million Series B funding round in December. “We’re proud to support BVNK as they help accelerate global adoption of stablecoin payments,” Rubail Birwadker, head of growth products and partnerships at Visa, said. “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.” There was $27 trillion in total stablecoin transaction volume globally across 1.25 billion transactions in 2024, per Visa Onchain Analytics. BVNK processes more than $12 billion annually for companies like Ferrari and Rapyd. “We’re experiencing a once-in-a-generation shift to a new foundational payment technology, powered by stablecoins,” BVNK co-founder and CEO Jesse Hemson Struthers said. “At BVNK, we’re building the infrastructure to make these new rails accessible to businesses, empowering them to operate at the speed of today’s economy.”
Indiana’s HEA 1125 recognizes that On-Demand Pay is a unique financial product, and mandates appropriate consumer protections
Indiana has passed earned wage access (EWA) legislation into law. “Indiana’s HEA 1125 codifies the industry’s best practices into law, including recognizing that On-Demand Pay is a unique financial product, and mandating appropriate consumer protections,” EWA provider DailyPay said. The company added that Indiana joins other states, including California, Nevada, Utah, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and South Carolina. Indiana’s HEA 1125 codifies the industry’s best practices into law, including recognizing that On-Demand Pay is a unique financial product, and mandating appropriate consumer protections. Indiana now joins multiple states across the country, including California, Nevada, Utah, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and South Carolina, which have also taken affirmative steps to ensure appropriate regulation is in place for the product. “We applaud Indiana legislators for responding to the realities facing working people in the state and ensuring continued access to a crucial financial option with common-sense guardrails that allow consumers and businesses to benefit,” DailyPay Vice President of Public Policy Ryan Naples. The company will make its On-Demand Pay platform available to new and existing clients with operations in Canada, DailyPay said. “Expanding into Canada is a major step in our mission to better serve our multinational clients and partners and to provide On-Demand Pay to everyone, everywhere,” DailyPay Vice President of International Josh Durodola said.
Balance’s new RTP-powered Instant Bank Connection allows buyers to link their accounts using only routing and account numbers
Balance, the financial infrastructure platform for B2B commerce, launched Instant Bank Connection, a new capability powered by Real-Time Payment (RTP) rails that simplifies ACH setup for buyers and speeds up payments to merchants—improving cash flow and reducing processing costs. Balance’s new RTP-powered Instant Bank Connection capability allows buyers to link their accounts using only routing and account numbers. This real-time verification streamlines the buyer experience while giving merchants immediate payment confirmation, faster payouts, improved cash flow, and the ability to release goods sooner with confidence—accelerating fulfillment and strengthening customer relationships. Balance’s RTP-powered bank connection is more than just a faster onboarding method—it’s a strategic lever for B2B merchants looking to scale with efficiency. By making ACH payments as seamless as cards, merchants can unlock significantly lower processing costs. By combining RTP-powered bank verification with AI-powered credit management, billing, collections, and cash application, Balance empowers merchants to reduce overhead, improve cash flow, and scale with confidence. Bar Geron, CEO and Co-founder of Balance said “With RTP-enabled ACH payments, they can reduce costs and accelerate access to funds—all while giving buyers a smooth, payment experience.”
Startup Rove’s loyalty program allows users to earn airline miles without credit cards by shopping using the Google Chrome extension through affiliate marketing with over 7,000 merchants
Startup Rove claims to be the first universal mile loyalty program. Rove’s loyalty program allows airlines to expand the lucrative business of miles to millions more consumers, Co founder Max Morganroth said. But instead of allowing airlines to share fees with credit cards, Rove gives them a way to make money through affiliate marketing with over 7,000 merchants through the Rove shopping extension for Google Chrome. That’s a business model that’s similar to Honey and Rakuten. Morganroth explained that the points earned from shopping can be converted into airline miles, which hold more value than their equivalent in cash. In addition to the affiliate marketing scheme, Rove also offers its users miles for hotel bookings. Users can combine Rove miles earned on hotel bookings with miles from the shopping extension and even credit card miles if they have a card that earns airline points. The startup’s elaborate scheme may seem complicated, but Morganroth says that earning miles through Rove is straightforward, as long as users book hotels on its platform or shop using the Rove shopping extension. When users are ready to book flights with their miles, Rove’s travel portal helps them find the best award flight deals. The startup’s users can book award travel on about 140 carriers because it is often possible to transfer miles of one airline company to its affiliates in another region. “Gen Z wants to travel more than any other demographic, yet they have the least access to the tools like this that actually make it cheaper,” he said. “They no longer have to wait until they’re 28, have five years of credit history, and $700 fee to get one of these cards; they can just download a Chrome extension, book any of their existing travel through us, and they’ll immediately be in the game.”
LendingClub is buying AI-powered spending intelligence platform Cushion that ingests users’ bank transactions and purchase data to help them track their bills, make on-time payments, manage subscriptions, build credit, and monitor BNPL loans
LendingClub announced the acquisition of intellectual property and select talent behind Cushion, an AI-powered spending intelligence platform, providing a natural complement to LendingClub’s suite of mobile financial products and experiences. Cushion’s AI-powered technology ingests users’ bank transactions and purchase information to help them track their bills, make on-time payments, manage subscriptions, build credit, and monitor BNPL loans. Scott Sanborn, CEO of LendingClub said, “Cushion’s technology complements our DebtIQ experience to provide our members with the tools and information they need to take control of their debt and spending. With credit card balances and interest rates at historic highs and consumers seeking ways to keep more of what they earn, the need for our solution has never been greater.” Adopting Cushion’s technology will eventually allow LendingClub to provide much-needed visibility into a consumer’s financial obligations beyond traditional credit monitoring. It builds on LendingClub’s acquisition of Tally in Q4 2024, which will simplify credit card management, help users optimize payments, reduce interest, and improve credit health.
MIT researchers demonstrate the strongest nonlinear light-matter coupling in a quantum system that could help reach the fault-tolerant quantum computing stage with 10X faster operations and readout
MIT researchers have demonstrated what they believe is the strongest nonlinear light-matter coupling ever achieved in a quantum system. Their experiment is a step toward realizing quantum operations and readout that could be performed in a few nanoseconds. The researchers used a novel superconducting circuit architecture to show nonlinear light-matter coupling that is about an order of magnitude stronger than prior demonstrations, which could enable a quantum processor to run about 10 times faster. “This would really eliminate one of the bottlenecks in quantum computing. Usually, you have to measure the results of your computations in between rounds of error correction. This could accelerate how quickly we can reach the fault-tolerant quantum computing stage and be able to get real-world applications and value out of our quantum computers,” says Yufeng “Bright” Ye, lead author of a paper on this research. The new architecture, based on a superconducting “quarton” coupler, achieved coupling strengths roughly ten times higher than previous designs, potentially allowing quantum processors to run ten times faster. Faster readout and operations are critical to reducing errors in quantum computation, which depend on performing error correction within the limited lifespans of qubits. Researchers demonstrated extremely strong nonlinear light-matter coupling in a quantum circuit. Stronger coupling enables faster readout and operations using qubits, which are the fundamental units of information in quantum computing. (Christine Daniloff, MIT)