Coinbase Backs Out of Largest-Ever Stablecoin Deal

Coinbase Backs Out of Largest-Ever Stablecoin Deal
Coinbase Backs Out of Largest-Ever Stablecoin Deal

Hey FinTech Fanatic!

Coinbase has just called off its $2 billion plan to acquire stablecoin infrastructure startup BVNK.

In a statement to Fortune, a spokesperson for Coinbase said that "both parties mutually agreed not to move forward.

The deal was quite advanced, already in the due diligence phase. It is not clear what made it fall through.

Last month, the American crypto exchange was reportedly competing with Mastercard to acquire BVNK.

If it had gone through, it would have been the largest stablecoin acquisition ever.

But... not this time.

👇 Scroll down for more FinTech stories shaping the week, and I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow!

Cheers,

Marcel


FINTECH NEWS

🌍 FRC is expanding! The FinTech Running Club will have a new chapter in Madrid! If you’re passionate about the FinTech Community and live in Madrid, sign up for the FRC Newsletter to get all the news before anyone else!

🇨🇱 Integrated finance is growing hand in hand with the rise of digital payments and e-commerce. In Chile, Pomelo is driving the growth of embedded finance, enabling non-financial companies to quickly and securely offer services like payments, loans, and insurance through their platforms, advancing financial inclusion amid the country’s digital payments boom.


PAYMENTS NEWS

🇨🇴 Colombia’s Bre-B Instant Payment System Transforms Transactions and Financial Inclusion. Bre-B is an instant payment system that enables transfers using simple “keys” like phone numbers or emails. It allows payments for services, transport, and salaries directly from mobile apps. ACI Worldwide noted that the system will let companies and freelancers send and receive payments instantly, improving efficiency and financial inclusion.

🇺🇸 Venmo introduces 'Venmo Stash' to reinvent rewards. Venmo Stash is an innovative rewards program designed to give customers more value that grows with every interaction. Unlike many traditional rewards programs, it is always on and flexible, evolving alongside customers as they engage across Venmo's expanding suite of products and services. 

🇺🇸 Samsung wants to launch a U.S. credit card and challenge Apple in consumer finance. South Korean tech giant and Barclays are in advanced talks to launch a credit card, with both seeking bigger inroads into Americans’ financial lives. Keep reading

🇮🇳 RBI clears path for UPI wallet that lets children pay without bank accounts. The wallet will let customers scan any UPI QR code to pay, much like regular UPI users. This capability aligns closely with the UPI Circle initiative launched by NPCI, enabling youngsters to make UPI payments using their parents’ linked UPI accounts.

🇨🇳 Tencent launches TenPay Global Checkout, a new payment solution for Weixin Mini Program to enable merchants to accept local payments outside of China. Tencent said in a statement that with a single integration of TenPay, Weixin Mini Program overseas merchants can support multiple payment methods, including digital wallets, local real-time payment networks, and credit and debit cards. 

🇧🇷 Pix transactions totaled R$15 trillion in the first half of the year, according to the Central Bank. In total, Brazilians made 72.5 billion payment transactions, which moved R$59.7 trillion between January and June. This number represents a 15.2% increase in the number of transactions. Additionally, the Central Bank will allow the preventive blocking of PIX key opening. The measure, scheduled to take effect in December, aims to offer more security to users and reduce the number of frauds in the instant payment system.

🇳🇱 Adyen forecasts 20% annual net revenue growth after 2026. The figure is in range with analyst forecasts. The company’s shares rose as much as 3.3% in Amsterdam. Adyen sees “significant potential” to expand market share and is positioned to become “one of the largest players” in its industry.

🌎 Visa unveils 2025 Creator Report and introduces creator agent pilot with Karat to make the business side of creativity easier. Monetized: Visa 2025 Creator Report is a comprehensive study of the creator economy spanning five regions: the United States, Brazil, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. 

🇺🇸 Visa and Mastercard agree $38bn settlement over swipe fees. Under the proposed deal, the networks said they will reduce the combined average effective credit interchange rate by 10 basis points for five years and cap posted standard consumer credit rates at 1.25% through an eight‑year term following court approval. 

🇧🇷 Central Bank changes risk management rules in payment arrangements. In a statement, the BC stated that the regulation seeks to ensure the soundness, efficiency, and proper functioning of the Brazilian Payment System. The rules come into effect immediately, but the payment arrangement providers will have up to 180 days to adapt. 

🇰🇪 Airtel Money launches cloud-native platform to transform mobile financial services across Africa. This strategic deployment marks the beginning of a continent-wide digital transformation program, designed to redefine how Airtel Money delivers financial services to its 49.8 million customers. 

🇿🇦 FNB and Mastercard unite to advance Africa’s cross-border payments with the launch of Globba. The new solution, unveiled in Johannesburg, supports transfers to more than 120 countries, reaching destinations via bank accounts, mobile wallets, or cash pickup locations.

🇬🇧 PPRO launches Buy Now Pay Local solution to help merchants and PSPs access Europe’s booming BNPL market. New solution provides a single integration point to access a curated portfolio of high-growth, locally preferred Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) providers across Europe.


OPEN BANKING NEWS

🇸🇦 Saudi FinTech Startup Lean explores deals on Pathway to IPO. The company aims to grow beyond open banking and finance by investing in other businesses that can help offer more solutions to clients, according to Chief Executive Officer Hisham Al-Falih.


REGTECH NEWS

🇺🇸 Visa reaches proposed settlement in payment card antitrust litigation. The settlement addresses claims from the injunctive relief class and is subject to court approval. The proposed settlement outlines several key terms for U.S. merchants accepting credit card payments.

🇬🇧 Crypto leaders flag ‘deep concerns’ over Bank of England’s stablecoin rules. Sarah Breeden, Deputy Governor for Financial Stability at the Bank of England, said that the central bank’s "objective remains to support innovation and build trust in this emerging form of money."

🇬🇧 Crypto firm backed by XTX, Nasdaq, and Nomura scores FCA approval. ClearToken, a clearing and settlement infrastructure provider for digital assets, became authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority on October 11th. The firm has scored support from a host of institutional investors.


DIGITAL BANKING NEWS

🇳🇱 Mollie has entered its next chapter with the launch of a unified business banking platform. The new offering aims to eliminate friction in money management by providing fast, intuitive tools that deliver real-time insights, automate administrative tasks, and scale alongside business growth, replacing outdated, costly financial systems with a smarter, more efficient solution.

Mollie Unified Business Banking Platform

🇬🇧 OpenPayd expands European payment capabilities with additional domestic virtual IBANs and payment rail. Building on its existing virtual IBAN offering, OpenPayd now provides clients with NL-issued virtual IBANs alongside its existing UK, FR, and MT options. 

🇧🇷 New Nubank loan and Caixa Turbo promise fast credit and returns of up to 120% of the CDI rate directly in the app. The proposal combines practicality and control, allowing customers to choose amounts, terms, and payment start date, while the Turbo Box offers an alternative source of income that can reach 120% of CDI for those who want to set short- and medium-term goals without complications.

🇨🇭 StanChart explores reopening its private bank in Switzerland as part of the lender’s efforts to bulk up its offerings for wealthy customers. The deliberations come about a decade after Standard Chartered was forced to wind down its Swiss private banking operation after trying and failing to find a buyer for the business. 


BLOCKCHAIN/CRYPTO NEWS

🇺🇸 Jack Dorsey’s 4 million+ Square merchants can now access Bitcoin payments. The launch provides access to instant settlement with no fees until 2027. The feature is accessible to traders from the Square dashboard to activate. Buys are executed on the Bitcoin blockchain, making transactions transparent and traceable.

🇪🇸 Santander's digital lender Openbank launches crypto trading in Spain. Openbank's service operates under the EU's Markets in Crypto-assets framework, and will allow clients to buy, sell, and hold bitcoin, ether, Litecoin, Polygon, and Cardano directly on its app and website.

🇺🇸 SoFi Bank launched SoFi Crypto, a crypto trading platform for consumers. With SoFi Crypto, members will be able to buy, sell, and hold dozens of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL), on a platform built for both first-time and experienced crypto investors and users.


PARTNERSHIPS

🇬🇧 Cashflows partners with Boodil to bring card payments to UK e-commerce merchants in time for the golden quarter. The new partnership addresses merchant requests for a full payment stack. Designed to streamline checkout processes, reduce cart abandonment, and boost conversion rates, the solution is rapid and low-friction.

🇬🇧 Coinbase partners with ClearBank to launch ​​​​savings accounts in the UK.  Through ClearBank Embedded Banking, Coinbase’s savings accounts will offer its customers the ability to earn high interest rates (3.75% AER paid daily) on GBP cash balances while offering FSCS protection for eligible balances up to £85,000, which will provide users with the opportunity to earn as they trade.

🇵🇭 GoTyme Bank and Wise Platform team up to make international remittances seamless for millions of Filipinos. GoTyme integrated with Wise to enable fast and easy international payments over SWIFT. Customers can now receive money from over 11,000 banks worldwide in 23 major currencies with full pricing transparency and faster settlement times.

🇳🇵 Central Bank of Nepal approves LemFi partnership with Esewa for enhanced remittances. The partnership means Nepalese in North America and Europe can continue sending money low-cost, reliably, and at competitive exchange rates to Nepal and other countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe.


DONEDEAL FUNDING NEWS

🇮🇳 Digital lending FinTech Finnable raises R₹ 250 crore from Z47 and TVS Capital. The firm plans to invest the fresh funds in technology, expand its branch network, and build new product lines. Continue reading

🇨🇴 Addi secures a $71m credit upsize from Goldman Sachs, Fasanara Capital, and BBVA Spark, reinforcing global confidence and accelerating its growth. The capital will support Addi’s growing merchant footprint and the rollout of new, innovative products that help consumers better manage cash flow while building positive credit outcomes. 

🇳🇱 Czech startup Flowpay launches in the Netherlands with €30 million backing to close Europe’s SME financing gap. The new line of credit will accelerate Flowpay’s mission to close Europe’s €400 billion SME financing gap by providing “fast, accessible, and flexible growth capital” to SMEs.

🇬🇧 Falkin raises $2 million to protect bank customers from AI-powered scams. The funding will be used to accelerate hiring, product development, and integrations with financial institutions while supporting the launch of Safety Labs, which gives community banks and credit unions a structured way to easily deploy and evaluate customer-facing scam-prevention tools with minimal lift.

🇦🇺 Wisr announces $11 million equity capital raise. Wisr CEO Andrew Goodwin announced that the company’s latest capital raise marks a key milestone in its journey toward scale and profitability, highlighting strong backing from both existing and new institutional investors as a sign of confidence in Wisr’s strategy and long-term vision.


M&A

🇺🇸 Coinbase and stablecoin startup BVNK call off $2 billion acquisition. Coinbase Global Inc. has decided not to proceed with its planned $2 billion acquisition of stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK. The company stated that both parties mutually agreed to end discussions, while BVNK has not yet commented on the decision.

🇬🇧 FE fundinfo bolsters data analytics capabilities with Contengo acquisition. This integration aims to enhance personalised financial advice through improved fee visibility, automated data processing, streamlined cost monitoring, and real-time scenario modelling based on live valuations and transaction history.

🌍 African FinTech Moni rebrands to Rank, acquires AjoMoney and Zazzau MFB. The move strengthens Rank’s ability to offer regulated savings, lending, and deposit services, starting with a high-yield group savings product in Nigeria following a ₦16 billion pilot.


MOVERS AND SHAKERS

🇨🇳 Barclays names Jean-François Mastrangelo its Head of Markets, Asia Pacific. Based in Hong Kong, Jean-François Mastrangelo will lead the bank’s Global Markets business across the region, focusing on strengthening its platform, broadening product offerings, and deepening client relationships.


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