TokenFi, a tokenization project by the Floki ecosystem, has launched its real-world asset (RWA) tokenization platform, aiming to make it easier for businesses to bring physical and financial assets on-chain in a fully compliant way. The platform, which will go live on May 23, offers a no-code platform for companies to create and issue regulatory-compliant tokens backed by real-world assets. These tokens are built on the ERC-3643 standard, embedding compliance capabilities directly into the token itself. The platform’s core is ONCHAINID, a smart identity framework that links token ownership to verified investor identities, allowing companies to issue tokens that can only be held or traded by qualified investors who pass KYC and meet regulatory requirements. The platform works across all EVM-compatible blockchains, giving projects flexibility on where to launch.
More Americans say they might need BNPL just to keep up, to help them manage household expenses in the next six months
The latest CivicScience data show that both usage and intent in Buy Now, Pay Later have risen steadily since before the 2024 holiday season. As of May 27, 37% of those aware of BNPL use these services, up from 32% in Q3 2024. The percentage of those who are planning to use BNPL has also increased, ticking up to 12% from 9% in Q4 2024. Notably, usage and intent have also increased among high-income households ($100K+), with experience rising five percentage points since late last year. Users and intenders are particularly leery of looming tariffs – 84% of users and 83% of intenders are at least ‘somewhat’ concerned about the impact of tariffs and trade policies on their household expenses, outpacing non-users by at least eight percentage points (75%). While consumers are turning to BNPL for discretionary purchases, such as live events or food delivery, additional data finds that a noteworthy percentage of Americans worry they’ll have to utilize BNPL just to get by. More than one-third (36%) of consumers who don’t currently use a BNPL service are at least ‘somewhat’ concerned they might need to turn to a Buy Now, Pay Later program to help them manage household expenses in the next six months. This concern is most common among households earning under $50K, but notably, 19% of those expecting to make $100K also share this anxiety.
Mambu offers a composable payments platform that integrates seamlessly with any core banking ecosystem and supporting instant payments and ISO 20022
Mambu, a global cloud banking firm, has launched Mambu Payments, a composable banking platform designed to help financial institutions modernize their core infrastructure and accelerate innovation across the entire banking stack. The platform, which integrates seamlessly with any core banking ecosystem, is designed to help financial institutions face regulatory pressure, the rise of instant payments, industry-wide shifts like ISO 20022, and increasing customer expectations for speed and reliability. Mambu connects institutions to a growing network of pre-integrated clearing systems, partner banks, and payment schemes, enabling end-to-end automation through a modern payments hub. The service is gaining traction, with Western Union, INDEXO Bank, and BCB Group all expanding their partnerships with Mambu to modernize their payment systems. Mambu Payments will be officially unveiled at Money20/20 Europe, where the company will showcase its expanded platform and meet with banks, fintechs, and partners shaping the future of finance.
Mitigating run risks from payment stablecoins would require enacting regulatory provisions such as prescriptive reserve composition standards, maturity limits on reserve assets and mandatory deposit of cash reserves at FDIC-insured banks
Payment stablecoins and MMFs share a crucial structural similarity in their susceptibility to run risk during financial stress. Both are designed to provide investors with a stable, cash equivalent asset, backed by underlying reserves — but neither is explicitly guaranteed by the government. As policymakers consider stablecoin regulations, it is essential to recognize the parallels between stablecoins and MMFs, particularly regarding run risks and potential threats to financial stability. Drawing on lessons from past MMF reforms, regulators have the opportunity to craft a regulatory framework for stablecoins that mirrors the credit and liquidity safeguards applied to MMFs. To mitigate systemic vulnerabilities, stablecoin regulation could include the following provisions: Credit quality requirements for reserve assets backing payment stablecoins; Prescriptive reserve composition standards, limiting assets to cash and high-quality liquid securities; Liquidity requirements, such as a minimum percentage of reserves in daily and weekly liquid assets; Maturity limits on reserve assets to reduce duration risk; Liquidity fees triggered when liquid assets fall below predefined thresholds; Custodian requirements mandating securities and other noncash assets reserves be held at regulated custodians; Cash reserves mandated to be deposited at FDIC-insured banks; Daily disclosure of the reserve assets with monthly audits, published on the issuer’s website to enhance transparency; Prohibition on the payment stablecoin issuer lending reserve assets or using reserve assets as collateral; Requiring issuers to assess through stress tests their ability to maintain a $1 net asset value under adverse scenarios;. By drawing on the regulatory lessons learned from MMFs, policymakers have an opportunity to get ahead of the curve. Implementing sensible, risk-based safeguards for stablecoins will not only protect investors and preserve financial stability but also foster growth in the digital asset space. With proactive regulation, the promise of stablecoins can be realized without repeating past mistakes.
Velocity’s Stablecoin Payment Account allows businesses to seamlessly manage fiat and stablecoin transactions in one place, eliminating the need for parallel systems or complex integrations
Velocity announces a $10M pre-seed funding round and emerges from stealth to launch the Stablecoin Payment Account. Traditional financial systems were not designed for a multi-asset economy, limiting the seamless integration of digital assets into existing infrastructure. Velocity bridges this gap by providing a platform where businesses can manage fiat and stablecoin transactions in one place, eliminating the need for parallel systems or complex integrations. Velocity’s Stablecoin Payment Account provides enterprises with a frictionless way to move and manage capital across banks, blockchains, and borders. Designed for seamless integration, the platform combines the speed and programmability of stablecoins, with the rigour and reliability of traditional finance —- solving real-world challenges in cross-border settlement, liquidity management, and treasury operations.
FlavorCloud’s AI automates the process of assigning Harmonized System (HS) codes with 98%+ accuracy and in real-time by analyzing product descriptions, categories, and images directly from ecommerce storefronts
FlavorCloud announced the launch of Flash AI, the first AI-powered engine that classifies SKUs and estimates landed costs in real time, pulling descriptions directly from ecommerce storefronts like Shopify. With 98%+ accuracy and zero manual input, Flash AI automates the complex process of assigning Harmonized System (HS) codes enabling merchants to eliminate duty overpayments, and ship faster without risking customs delays or margin loss. Flash AI is now available as a standalone API within FlavorCloud’s suite of cross border enablement solutions. Flash AI replaces spreadsheets, broker lookups, and outdated classification tools with intelligent, real-time automation. The engine analyzes product descriptions, categories, and images to generate accurate 6-digit HS codes instantly without the need for customs expertise. When used within the FlavorCloud shipping platform, Flash AI generates full 10-digit HS codes as part of the end-to-end trade compliance workflow. FlavorCloud’s Flash AI product includes: Real-Time Classification and Estimation, Customs Accuracy at Scale, Scalable API Access, Supports All Import Models.
Akool’s Live Camera uses AI that simulates human presence dynamically, analyzing live audio/visual inputs to generate responsive avatars, translate video calls and swap faces in real-time
Akool Live Camera uses AI to capture human movement and mimic that movement with a generated virtual avatar in real time. Akool can also translate speech in real time during a virtual meeting and also provide instant face swapping during a call. The AI technology listens to conversations in one language and instantly translates them into the selected target language, providing real-time, synchronized audio that matches the avatar’s lip movements and facial expressions. The company also offers lip-syncing for avatars in real time, where the avatar lip movements can match the words being spoken by a person in real time. This Akool Live Camera tool is a part of the Akool Live Suite, a first-of-its-kind collection of products that features live, real-time video generation with minimal delay. The suite includes live avatars, live face swap, video translation, and real-time video generation. Akool Live Camera sets a new standard in AI-powered video generation technology, going well beyond scripted, text-based prompts. This opens up a new array of possibilities for virtual meetings and live streams, especially when connecting with international audiences. Akool Live Camera is an interactive engine that simulates human presence dynamically, analyzing live audio/visual inputs to generate responsive avatars with expressions and contextual awareness. The combination of Akool’s AI and intuitive design empowers creators, educators and enterprises to connect more authentically and efficiently than ever. Key capabilities of Akool Live Camera include: Unmatched live interaction, Real-time multilingual translation, Dynamic expression and gesture mapping, Cross-platform versatility, Privacy-forward design,` and Market- and audience-specific customization.
Walmart’s move to combine retail footprint, pharmacy logistics and insurance-based wellness programs and Amazon’s use of automation, personalization and AI points towards retail shifting beyond transactions toward ecosystems
Amazon and Walmart are no longer just retail competitors; they’re battling to control broader life infrastructures — shopping, healthcare, media and cloud. From AI-powered experiences to healthcare integration and strategic real estate moves to navigating economic uncertainty, the strategies of Amazon and Walmart are converging while remaining distinct. Their maneuvers paint a picture of a future where retail is not just about transactions, but about ecosystems. In a move that signals a future beyond visual browsing, Amazon recently began testing AI-generated audio summaries for products in its mobile app, a clear signal Amazon wants to reduce friction in product discovery, especially on mobile and voice-enabled platforms. This dovetails with the broader strategy of turning the shopping experience into a more passive, streamlined and personalized interaction, keeping users within its ecosystem. Amazon is also investing heavily in AI-enhanced developer tools (e.g., through Amazon Q Developer), suggesting that innovations like the audio summaries are only the beginning of a larger internal transformation. Amazon is diversifying revenue through digital services and AI tools, potentially offsetting retail volatility. Walmart is leveraging scale and supply chain efficiencies, aggressively expanding beyond its traditional domain, opening its largest centralized prescription fulfillment center. In tandem, Walmart is integrating Medicare Advantage benefits into its stores, allowing customers to use their supplemental health funds on wellness products. The aim to combine retail footprint, pharmacy logistics and insurance-based wellness programs represents a model that could rival traditional healthcare providers, especially in underserved areas. These developments signal a fork in retail strategy. For its own part, Walmart’s volume-based physical retail play is one that increasingly focuses on infrastructure and logistics (healthcare, fulfillment and real estate). On the other hand, Amazon’s experience- and tech-driven retail pushes automation, personalization and AI integration.
Discord’s new virtual reward system allows users to redeem exclusive digital items from Discord’s Shop using the rewards earned by watching product videos or playing games
Discord is experimenting with a new virtual reward system aimed at encouraging more users to engage with its interactive ads. This new feature, called “Orbs,” comes on the heels of the company preparing for a potential IPO. Users can earn Orbs by completing “Quests,” Discord’s ad format where advertisers incentivize users to watch product videos or play games by rewarding them with virtual items. The addition of Orbs gives users the chance to redeem exclusive digital items from Discord’s Shop, including Nitro credits, profile badges, avatar decorations, profile effects, and items from main collections. The goal of Orbs is to encourage more interaction with Quests as Discord seeks to demonstrate to partners that it can offer a scalable ad business. The Orbs experiment may also entice users who don’t have a subscription to try Nitro, as they can spend Orbs on credits instead of using a payment method. For instance, users need 1,400 Orbs to get three free days of Nitro, which typically costs $10 per month.
Pairzon’s AI platform uses actual in-store and online transactional data to generate predictive audience segments in real time and anonymously and securely shares personalized audiences with brands to enable precise targeting
Pairzon, an AI-powered marketing intelligence platform, launched its advanced Retail Media Solution, built to help retailers transform their first-party data into a powerful engine for growth, precision targeting, and revenue generation. Pairzon introduces a unique approach: enabling retailers to anonymously and securely share personalized audiences with brands. This unlocks AI-powered retail media campaigns that maximize ROAS across both in-store and online channels through precise shopper targeting. Unlike traditional solutions that rely on modeled or third-party data, Pairzon uses actual in-store and online transactional data to generate predictive audience segments in real time. These segments are seamlessly activated across major platforms including Meta, Google, TikTok, and Others—delivering performance at scale while maintaining strict data privacy and compliance (GDPR, CCPA). Retailers also benefit from closed-loop attribution, finally connecting ad impressions to physical or digital purchases. This transparency allows both retailers and brands to understand what truly drives performance, making each campaign fully measurable.