Following the web redesign and other changes, Google is introducing a new prompt bar for the Gemini app on Android and iOS. Gemini is going from a pill-shaped text field to a rounded rectangle (even before you enter text). Underneath the “Ask Gemini” field, you get a row of actions, starting with the ‘plus’ menu that’s now much shorter. You just get Camera, Gallery, Files, and Drive in this bottom sheet. Next up are pill-shaped buttons for “Research” and “Canvas.” Tap the three-dot icon in a circle to see those items in list form with brief descriptions, as well as “Video” (Veo 2 generation). Chips will stay highlighted upon tap. Deep Research: Get in-depth reports; Canvas: Create docs and code; Video: Generate with Veo. If you open the model picker, Google has removed Deep Research and Veo 2 (for Advanced subscribers). They are better thought of as Gemini capabilities than general-purpose models, with the new chips having the benefit of being always visible. As such, the menu is now down to four models: 2.0 Flash: Fast all-around help; 2.5 Flash (preview): Our next reasoning model built for speed; 2.5 Pro (preview): Reasoning, math & code; Personalization (preview): Based on your Search history. The voice input microphone and Gemini Live button round out this prompt bar redesign. Overall, it’s not as minimalist as before, but allows Google to introduce more features and matches the web UI. It’s also rolling out to the Gemini app for iPhone and iPad. Google is using this redesign to switch to standard iOS menus.
364-day bridge loans are funding acquisitions in a ‘sponsor-backed LBO’ style lowering the holding risk, but without requiring selling of bonds or leveraged loans
Junk-rated companies and private equity firms have lined up about $17 billion of debt recently for purchases of everything from power plants to a chain of gas stations. But they are using an unusual tool for that financing: the 364-day bridge loan. Wall Street firms look to sell that debt to investors but often agree to provide that funding even if markets are closed, and they have to hang onto the risk for years. “It is very rare to see this structure in a sponsor-backed LBO,” said Peter Toal, Barclays’ global head of fixed income, referring to 364-day loans. “In times of volatility, it’s an easier structure for the banks to commit to, no question about it.” After junk-bond and leveraged-loan markets effectively closed last month in the wake of President Donald Trump’s tariff announcements, banks were stuck holding onto billions of dollars of debt they couldn’t sell to investors. Hanging onto that debt can translate to hits to earnings for Wall Street firms. Now, borrowers are getting 364-day bridges that are effectively lines of credit for their acquisitions, which they can tap if they can’t sell bonds or leveraged loans before they close their acquisition. A significant number of buyouts financed in the leveraged loan market feature ratings in the B tier. Most of the companies getting 364-day bridge loans now, though, have grades in the BB tier, and sometimes their secured debt carries investment-grade ratings. Herc, for one, has an overall high-yield profile with a Ba2 rating from Moody’s Investors Service and an equivalent BB from S&P Global Ratings while its $750 million loan earned the lowest rung of investment-grade with a Baa3 rating by Moody’s and BBB- by S&P. At NRG, the firm’s senior-secured debt is rated BBB- by Fitch Ratings and S&P, the company said in an investor presentation detailing its acquisition plans this week.
UK’s new BNPL rules to require upfront checks to assess borrower’s repayment ability, confer the right to complain to the Financial Ombudsman, and shifts the oversight to the FCA bringing BNPL in line with other credit products
After years of wrangling, the UK Government is finally introducing new rules to clamp down on what it describes as the ‘wild west’ of buy now, pay later lending. Under the changes, millions of BNPL shoppers will gain stronger rights and clearer information as the Government reforms the 50-year-old Consumer Credit Act to better reflect modern borowing trends. That means upfront checks to make sure people can repay what they borrow, fairer and faster access to refunds, and the right to complain to the Financial Ombudsman — bringing BNPL in line with other credit products. The Government says outdated and confusing rules will be removed, with oversight shifting to the FCA. The legislative shift comes as a report by the FCA showed that one in ten people were unable to pay essential bills while millions more Brits were using buy now pay later products over the last three years. New figures from Money Wellness reveal a 68% increase in the number of people seeking help with BNPL debt in the past year, highlighting the growing strain the sector is placing on household finances. Sebrina McCullough, director of external relations at Money Wellness, says: “We’ve seen a significant rise in people struggling with Buy Now Pay Later debt, often because they’ve used it to plug gaps in everyday budgets. For many, it’s become a way to spread the cost of essentials like food shopping, rather than to cover large expenses. The legislation bringing BNPL into regulation will be laid in Parliament on 19 May.
Betterment to integrate Rowboat Advisors’ portfolio management tech with its custodial platform to enable offering direct indexing, tax optimization, expanded single stock support and personalized investing capabilities to RIAs
Betterment, the largest independent digital investment advisor in the U.S., announced the acquisition of Rowboat Advisors, a leading provider of portfolio management software with advanced capabilities in direct indexing, tax optimization, and personalized investing. The acquisition strengthens Betterment’s technology platform and accelerates its roadmap for delivering sophisticated tools to RIAs through Betterment Advisor Solutions. Rowboat Advisors developed a suite of portfolio optimization software purpose-built for investors seeking greater control, transparency, and tax efficiency. Its solutions will be integrated into Betterment Advisor Solutions, the company’s all-in-one custodial platform for modern RIAs, beginning in the second half of 2025. The deal reflects Betterment’s strategic focus on expanding product capabilities for advisor clients and follows a series of product launches earlier this year, including Solo 401(k) plans and securities-backed lines of credit (SBLOCs). Following the acquisition, Kourtidis will join Betterment’s engineering leadership team as Vice President of Portfolio Management, reporting to Chief Technology Officer John Mileham. Advisors can expect the following portfolio management enhancements this year, as well as direct indexing in 2026:
- Expanded single stock support: Manage portfolios across a wider range of securities, building on Betterment’s growing ETF and mutual fund universe.
- Tools for more control and transparency: Run sophisticated simulations and use critical data to trade portfolios.
- Powerful automation and tax management: Optimize portfolios with enhanced rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, tax-smart portfolio transitions, asset location and intelligent withdrawals.
SEC’s proposed rules to offer retail investors access to closed end funds that invest in private assets, such as hedge funds and private equity through fractionalization enabled by tokenization
Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) new Chair, Paul Atkins discussed the SEC’s approach to innovation under the new administration. Apart from discussing crypto, he also proposed relaxing rules for retail investors in closed end funds that invest in private assets, such as hedge funds and private equity. With more companies and “unicorns” staying private for longer, these investment opportunities are often only available to accredited investors. Though riskier, these opportunities offer upside that retail investors cannot currently access. According to SEC statistics, the aggregate value of private funds grew from $9.5 trillion in 2012 to $30.9 trillion in 2024. “This common-sense approach will give all investors the ability to seek exposure to a growing and important asset class, while still providing the investor protections afforded to registered funds,” Chair Atkins said. From an investor perspective, the fractionalization enabled by tokenization helps to lower the minimum investment amount, which is a benefit even for wealthier investors looking to diversify their portfolios. This advantage could be diluted if more permissive laws make private market assets more accessible in traditional formats with smaller denominations. That said, some younger investors that lean into crypto prefer to have the flexibility of holding other assets on chain. The real upside for tokenization is more likely to come from the asset manager side. Most firms are simply not set up for retail access – even big names like Blackstone and KKR face operational challenges when managing thousands of smaller investors. This is where tokenization offers clear advantages. Recognizing this opportunity, major private market players are already moving toward tokenized structures.
Agentic commerce would require payments on blockchain; use cases are emerging across: data-for-value exchanges, personal data negotiations and agent collaboration networks
Our current payment infrastructure was built for humans, not machines. It’s slow — settlements can take days — and expensive, with high transaction fees and middlemen at every step. Now, imagine these AI agents operating in real time. They’ll buy access to data, rent computing power, hire other agents for help and make split-second decisions. In this new economy, every delay and every fee becomes friction that eventually breaks the system. This new form of machine-driven trade — what we might call “agentic commerce” — will lead to a massive acceleration of economic activity. These agents won’t sleep, won’t wait and won’t tolerate inefficiencies. They’ll require a global ledger that can keep up — a payment rail that is always on, decentralized, fast and cheap. This is precisely what blockchain technology was built for, not for speculative assets but for programmable, frictionless payments at scale. Their use cases are already emerging across three broad categories: data-for-value exchanges, personal data negotiations and agent collaboration networks. Data is digital gold, yet its creators are not compensated for its use in training AI models. Imagine a new type of web crawler. But this time, instead of scraping content for free, it negotiates and pays other AI agents representing the data owners — publishers, platforms, creators — for access. These transactions are machine-to-machine and happen in milliseconds. With privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, individuals have more control over their data. In the future, consumers will deploy AI agents to manage and monetize their data. These agents could automatically reject any use of personal data (and save us from five clicks on each website we visit) or negotiate terms with companies seeking that data, granting access in exchange for compensation — again, small but frequent payments best handled by blockchain rails. Agents won’t act alone. A specialized travel planning agent may coordinate a complex itinerary. Still, it needs to consult other agents with deep knowledge, such as a hotel booking agent for Tahiti with real-time availability data. These agents will transact with one another, paying for services and data in a rapid-fire chain of collaboration, completing in seconds what used to take hours or days. This is the future of commerce: autonomous, collaborative and instantaneous.
Fiserv Clover debuts Checkless Payments which allows enrolled diners to leave at will; diners initiate experience by a Live Check sent via SMS message
Clover is continuing to actualize its commitment to trailblazing innovation in the industry through a unique new collaboration with Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG). The two have teamed up to launch Checkless Payments, an alternative payment solution that empowers diners to pay for their meal without the disruption of asking and waiting for the bill, ensuring a memorable, friction-free dining experience. Diners will have the option to enroll in Checkless Payments. This pre-dining experience not only sets up the functionality for Checkless Payments by enrolling the customer but also provides an opportunity to highlight any additional offerings. From showcasing menu items to recent events, this enrollment process enhances the overall dining experience even before they arrive. Seamless Enrollment & Setup: Diners are guided through a simple enrollment process, where they can securely enter their card information and select gratuity preferences. Branded Diner Engagement: Operators have full control over the content shared during enrollment. This is a prime opportunity to showcase the restaurant’s personality—from custom-branded menus and special messages to upcoming events, private dining options, and seasonal highlights. Diners can also provide notes or special occasions, and even explore the restaurant’s social media or get directions, all before stepping through the door. Marketing & Personalization Touchpoint: This pre-dining interaction not only enhances the diner experience but also serves as a powerful marketing tool.
Fed’s study shows widespread use and acceptance of ACH; 60% of businesses used standard ACH in 2024, up from 48% a year earlier vs 56% using Same Day ACH, an increase from 45% in 2023
The number of businesses using both standard and Same Day ACH grew significantly from 2023 to 2024, a new Federal Reserve report found. 60% said they use standard ACH, up from 48% a year earlier. And 56% reported using Same Day ACH, an increase from 45% in 2023. Additionally, 47% of businesses said they encourage using ACH. One study respondent, identified as a “very large diversified service business,” told researchers, “We are using Same Day ACH more—it’s a good value for the price.” Still, even as both forms of ACH continue to gain usage, checks use in fact rose from 68% to 73%. It was highest among small (83%) and very small (78%) firms. “One key takeaway is that checks are unlikely to be disappear completely in the near future—a trend to monitor,” researchers noted. “Nacha’s own figures show that ACH volume is rising,” said Michael Herd, Nacha Executive Vice President, ACH Network Administration. “Given this widespread use and acceptance of ACH, plus the increasing amount of check fraud, the industry needs to focus on why businesses of any size are still writing and receiving checks.” When it comes to pain points for business payments, high costs/fees was the top issue cited at 48%. Speed was tied for a distant second with security issues, cited by 32%.
Presearch’s tech enables highly targeted yet privacy-focused search advertising experience with dashboards displaying only relevant and campaign-specific performance metrics including impressions, clicks, and CTRs
Presearch, the ethical, non-profiling meta-search engine that prioritizes user privacy and does not track users or sell data to advertisers, today announced the launch of its Presearch Advertiser Dashboard, a new way for advertisers to acquire metrics and insights for user search behavior through Presearch Takeover Advertising (PTA) without compromising that user’s privacy. Through the Presearch Advertiser Dashboard, advertisers can gain secure individualized dashboards tailored specifically to their PTA campaigns, displaying only relevant metrics to streamline management and oversight, with staked keyword analytics also coming soon. In addition, advertisers can gain deep insights into campaign performance with detailed PTA campaign-specific metrics, including impressions, clicks, and CTRs, across individual PTAs or aggregated across all campaigns. The Presearch Advertiser Dashboard can also easily export detailed reports, empowering deeper analysis and strategic decision-making. As part of its reporting, the Presearch Advertiser Dashboard also has advanced capabilities that allow advertisers to effortlessly isolate and analyze PTA data by dates, durations, Share of Voice (SOV), PTA Mode (standard or NSFW advertising), user type (registered or non-registered), placement (homepage or search results), device (desktop or mobile) and geography. Presearch.com offers a privacy-focused search experience that delivers search results better to those of prominent search engines.
Chipotle’s new gamified promotion offers extra points and exclusive badges for completing up to four milestones; dashboard tracks Chipotle Rewards members’ performance against other users in their state based on transactions per month
Chipotle Mexican Grill will run a three-month program to give away more than $1 million in free burritos to its U.S. loyalty members. From June 1 to Aug. 31, 2025, Chipotle is offering a gamified promotion for members of its Chipotle Rewards loyalty program. Called “Summer of Extras,” it will let loyalty members earn extra points and exclusive badges for completing up to four milestones per month. Participating loyalty members will also be able to gain sweepstakes entries for a chance to receive free burritos for a year and a limited-edition stainless steel gift card. At the end of the summer, there will be one sweepstakes winner per state in the 48 states in which Chipotle operates, plus Washington D.C., for a total of 49 winners. Once Chipotle Rewards members opt into the “Summer of Extras” program in their account, they will unlock the seven-visit streak challenge described above. Milestones will reset at the beginning of each month, providing opportunities to earn extra benefits, extra points and extra free Chipotle. Participants are limited to two qualifying entrée purchases per day during Summer of Extras. Chipotle is further gamifying “Summer of Extras” with a dashboard that tracks Chipotle Rewards members’ performance against other users in their state based on transactions. Each week from June 1 through August 31, Chipotle Rewards members who have opted into the “Summer of Extras” program can enter the weekly drawings by making any in-restaurant or digital Chipotle entrée purchase or by submitting an online entry, during the applicable entry period for the weekly drawings.