eToro Is Buying Its Way Deeper Into US Equities

Hey FinTech Fanatic!

eToro is going after more US stock traders.

The trading platform has agreed to buy TradeZero for up to $231 million, adding a brokerage focused on active US stock and options traders. The deal comes as eToro reports a strong Q2, with funded accounts up 18% to 4.28 million and net contribution reaching $229 million.

The timing is interesting. Equities, commodities and currencies generated $141.6 million in net trading income, while crypto became a much smaller part of the business. After several crypto acquisitions this year, eToro is now adding more firepower on the traditional markets side.

It also shows how brokers are expanding: not necessarily by building every product themselves, but by buying the businesses and technology that can get them there faster. And eToro clearly isn't done shopping yet.

You'll also find a look at how banks are measuring marketing ROI across paid, owned, web, app and re-engagement channels, and why unified attribution is becoming increasingly important when customer journeys move between devices and channels.

And finally, SoFi just posted another record quarter: $1.21 billion in adjusted net revenue, $156.6 million in net income, 15.8 million members and $14.8 billion in loan originations.

Now, let's dive into today's biggest FinTech stories. 👇 See you tomorrow!

Cheers,

Marcel

INSIGHTS

💡 AppsFlyer: How Banks Measure Marketing ROI Across Every Channel. Banks often measure paid acquisition while lacking unified attribution across email, SMS, push, web, QR codes, apps, and cross-device journeys. AppsFlyer’s omnichannel attribution connects these channels to outcomes such as deposits and loans, helping banks identify the most cost-efficient channels and allocate budgets across acquisition and retention while maintaining banking-grade compliance. Read the full article here

FINTECH NEWS

🇺🇾 dLocal recognized among the World's Top FinTech Companies 2026 in a ranking by Statista published by CNBC. The achievement reflects its work helping global merchants navigate payment complexity across emerging markets with local expertise.

🇸🇬 TaxBit officially launches Asia Pacific operations, anchored in Singapore to support clients facing CARF and CRS 2.0 obligations. The expansion covers crypto and e-money reporting for large service providers across the region.

🇺🇸 Fiserv and FIS face pressure to shed businesses as FinTech competition intensifies. Activist investor Jana Partners is pushing Fiserv for a full portfolio review, while FIS evaluates strategic alternatives for selected Capital Markets products.

🇦🇿 Bir launches Azerbaijan's first AI-powered e-wallet assistant called Ey-ay in its m10 digital wallet app. Users can now pay utility and phone bills and access services through a conversational chat interface without navigating menus.

🇫🇯 BSP launches Fiji's first bank-backed electronic wallet called BSP eDollar. Customers can manage up to five wallets, use QR payments at merchant locations and move funds between bank accounts and mobile wallets via the app.

🇿🇦 Sumsub launches real-time bank account verification in South Africa. The tool uses SARB infrastructure to combat fraud and streamline digital onboarding without requiring physical documents.

🇬🇧 Plus500 sees 20% margin on its US business, double what CEO David Zruia calls market practice. The non-OTC unit covering futures and prediction markets generated about $70M in H1 revenue, roughly 15% of group total.

🇻🇳 Vietnam fines Grab US$52,000 over data and disclosure failures. The National Competition Commission cited six breaches of consumer protection rules, including lack of user consent for data sharing with third parties and incomplete reviews.

PAYMENTS NEWS

🇮🇳 India's NPCI eyes UPI expansion into Japan, Malaysia and Bahrain. The initiative would extend India's real-time payment rails to new cross-border corridors across Asia and the Middle East.

🇧🇩 Banglalink gets Bangladesh Bank licence to launch digital payment service Mukto Pay. The telecom operator will offer transfers, merchant payments and disbursements targeting unbanked individuals and micro-merchants nationwide.

🇮🇳 Indian FinTech Skydo tops $1B in annualized payment volume, reaching the milestone while serving exporters and freelancers. The cross-border firm focuses on delivering lower-cost international transfers from India to global recipients.

🇮🇳 RBI to provide a Digital Payment Intelligence Platform to banks for tackling fraud. Governor Malhotra stressed AI's growing role alongside human oversight, board-level governance and red-team stress testing.

#FINTECHREPORT

📊 SoFi Q2 2026

Here is a comparison of 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘀 👇️

DIGITAL BANKING NEWS

🇪🇺 N26 launches Wero, the EPI instant payment solution, in its app for Germany and France. Customers can now send money in seconds using only a phone number or email, removing the need to share an IBAN with recipients outside N26.

🇨🇦 KOHO introduces enhanced savings features for Canadian users. The digital banking app adds high-yield interest tools and automation designed to help customers grow savings and manage money more effectively.

🇪🇺 Worldline outlines how banks can simplify European digital identity wallet adoption under eIDAS 2.0. Banks must accept certified wallets for KYC by end of 2027, requiring early integration planning and technical readiness.

BLOCKCHAIN/CRYPTO NEWS

🇦🇪 Coinbase picks Abu Dhabi for its global tokenized asset push, securing a Financial Services Permission from ADGM. The licence allows the exchange to arrange investment deals and custody tokenized securities outside the US.

🇷🇺 Bank of Russia includes Bitcoin, Ether and USDT on the list of digital assets eligible for public trading on domestic exchanges. The central bank designated all three as approved for trading on Russian exchange platforms.

🇪🇺 EU authorizes 12 new crypto service providers under MiCA, bringing the total registered CASPs to 321. New additions include German cooperative banks, Spanish FinTechs and French firms such as Finary and Woorton.

PARTNERSHIPS

🇺🇸 Synchrony and PayPal bring special financing to the entire Mastercard network. PayPal Credit cardholders now get six months financing on purchases of $149 or more at millions of merchants both online and in physical stores.

🇵🇭 Visa and UMSI launch U Accept in the Philippines, letting MSMEs accept contactless card payments via NFC smartphones. The solution is integrated into UMSI's uGrow app, eliminating the need for traditional POS terminals.

🇪🇹 M-Pesa expands cardless ATM access, partnering with Bank of Abyssinia in Ethiopia. Customers can now initiate withdrawals via the M-Pesa app and collect cash at participating ATMs without a physical bank card in real time.

🇭🇰 Thredd powers Cashi's global stablecoin spending card, now live in Hong Kong with virtual Visa cards and Google Pay support. The programme plans to expand into Mexico with physical cards and Apple Pay by late 2026.

🇪🇺 Decta adopts stablecoin treasury settlement for international operations using USDC via OpenPayd. The payments firm operates in 32 countries and aims to speed up internal cross-border fund movements without changing user services.

🇸🇬 ShopBack and Visa expand tie-up to 20,000 physical stores in Singapore. Consumers now earn rewards when using ShopBack Pay with Visa at in-store checkouts spanning F&B, travel and marketplaces across the city.

🇻🇳 Vietcombank partners with Virtusa to build a next-generation corporate banking platform. The multi-year programme will deliver an AI-native, cloud-based, mobile-first digital experience for mid-sized and large corporate clients.

🇵🇱 XTB signs Olympique Lyonnais shirt deal, its third European football club partnership since April. The Polish broker's H1 marketing spend hit PLN 435.5M, up 64.7% YoY as it targets becoming the top investment app in France.

DONEDEAL FUNDING NEWS

🇺🇸 inKind secures $414 million in financing led by Citi and Cross River, surpassing $1.2B in total capital raised. The restaurant commerce platform now connects over 5 million diners with 8,500 restaurants representing $30B in GMV.

🇺🇸 Future FinTech Group raises $30 million in a private stock sale on Nasdaq, issuing new shares to institutional investors. Read more

🇧🇷 Brazilian FinTech FAZ Cred raises US$16 million via a credit rights fund (FIDC) in just 60 days, tripling its contract volume. The firm pivoted to private payroll credit serving health and education sector workers.

🇸🇬 Bitget commits $300M to crypto trading firms, aiming to deepen institutional liquidity on its exchange and attract professional market makers. Keep reading

M&A

🇺🇸 eToro to buy TradeZero for up to $231 million as equities lead Q2 growth. Net contribution rose 9% YoY to $229M, and TradeZero adds about $80M in annual revenue at an 81% gross margin, pending regulatory clearance.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

🇧🇷 PicPay names André Cazotto as new CFO, replacing Rodrigo Couto who becomes a special adviser. Cazotto previously led investor relations, M&A and strategy, and helped execute PicPay's Nasdaq IPO and capital markets operations.

Trusted reach among senior decision-makers in FinTech, Payments & Banking.

👉 Explore Partnership here