Polish Blik Expands into the Eurozone

Polish Blik Expands into the Eurozone
Polish Blik Expands into the Eurozone

Hey FinTech Fanatic!

If you've spent time in Poland over the last decade, you've likely noticed that BLIK has become the most common and convenient payment system in the country.

Now BLIK is expanding beyond Poland, connecting over 21 million users with e-commerce in the eurozone. 

Following the rollout in Slovakia, Polish users will be able to pay with BLIK in Slovak online stores. After successful pilot transactions in March, the solution enters the friends & family phase in April, confirming readiness for further scale.

Payments will be processed in euros, while users in Poland will see the converted amount in złoty before confirming. 

But the BLIK expansion news doesn't exist in a vacuum, and connecting the dots is exactly what this newsletter is here for. 

Just weeks ago, on February 2nd, a group of Europe's leading mobile payment platforms; Bizum (Spain), Bancomat (Italy), SIBS-MB WAY (Portugal), Vipps MobilePay (Nordics), and EPI's Wero (France, Germany, Belgium), signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build a pan-European interoperability hub, targeting full cross-border coverage by 2027. 

And BLIK? It's already named as one of the solutions set to plug into that very network.

What's taking shape is a more coordinated European payments stack, built on SEPA instant rails, driven by banks, and designed to reduce reliance on global payment networks. 

BLIK's Eurozone push is not just a growth story; it's another piece of the same puzzle clicking into place.

More from FinTech below. Let's go! 👇

Cheers,

Marcel


POST OF THE DAY

⚽ Old school football. Old school finance.

But the game is changing. Let's dive in👇

Old School Football. Old School Finance

INSIGHTS

🇺🇸 Verified IP Location: Know Where Your Web Traffic is Actually Coming From by Incognia. Incognia introduced Verified IP Location, a solution that provides fraud teams with accurate, real-time location intelligence for web traffic by using observed device data rather than unreliable IP assignment records. Rafael Gouveia explains that the innovation helps detect threats like VPN masking and account takeovers without adding friction for legitimate users.

Verified IP Location

FINTECH NEWS

🇬🇧 VibePay and SmartLayer shut down amid ongoing market pressures in the UK FinTech sector. Both companies cited financial and operational challenges, reflecting broader industry strain and signaling continued volatility as firms navigate a tougher economic environment.

🇺🇸 Bolt has laid off one-third of its staff as it struggles with cash flow and unpaid obligations. The once $11B-valued FinTech faces funding challenges, weak product adoption, and a shift toward a leaner, AI-focused model amid ongoing operational and financial pressures.


PAYMENTS NEWS

🇨🇳 UnionPay introduces its Agentic Payment Open Protocol (APOP) to support AI-driven transactions. The framework streamlines secure, interoperable payments across agents, merchants, and institutions, aiming to build a trusted and scalable global ecosystem.

🇵🇱 BLIK expands into the eurozone, giving over 21 million Polish users access to e-commerce in Slovakia. The expansion enables seamless cross-border payments in euros, marking a step toward broader interoperability and connecting local systems with the wider European online retail network.

🌏 Vietnam and China launch cross-border QR payments, allowing Chinese tourists to pay via Alipay across NAPAS’ network. The initiative supports local currency transactions, enhances travel convenience, and strengthens digital payment connectivity between both markets.

🇪🇸 Bizum will enable contactless payments in physical shops across Spain from May 2026, expanding beyond peer-to-peer transfers. Using NFC, customers can pay instantly via bank apps, with funds settled in real time, positioning Bizum as a strong alternative to cards.

🇺🇸 MoonPay earns PCI DSS 4.0.1 recertification, maintaining its Level 1 compliance and reinforcing its commitment to payment data security. This update refines existing standards, supporting consistent implementation as MoonPay continues to strengthen its broader security framework. 

🇺🇸 Cash App has launched a “pay later” feature for P2P transfers, allowing users to split payments over time for a fee. This extends buy now, pay later into everyday transfers, offering flexibility as FinTechs expand short-term financing options for consumers. Read on


DIGITAL BANKING NEWS

🌏 MobilityOne shares spiked after receiving conditional approval to launch an Islamic digital bank in Labuan. The move expands its offering beyond payments into Shariah-compliant offshore banking, though no revenue from the new venture is expected in 2026.

🇪🇹 Dashen Bank launches major Super App expansion, introducing a virtual card, digital onboarding, and a 6M birr creator campaign aimed at accelerating adoption, expanding access to global payments, and strengthening its position in Ethiopia’s growing digital banking market.

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan tightens digital banking verification rules. From April 22, it will introduce stricter registration and verification requirements for digital banking services, aiming to enhance security across mobile apps and online platforms. The new system introduces additional verification stages for user registration and bank card linking.


BLOCKCHAIN/CRYPTO NEWS

🇺🇸 Coinbase has secured conditional U.S. approval for a national trust charter, advancing its plans to operate as a federally regulated crypto custodian. This development could boost its appeal to institutional clients and support new offerings, including payment services.

🇨🇦 Canada has introduced a new stablecoin framework to regulate fiat-backed issuers, requiring 1:1 reserves, registration, and redemption at par. The initiative aims to enhance consumer protection, support innovation, and align with global standards as digital payments evolve.


PARTNERSHIPS 

🇰🇪 Kenswitch partners with Visa as Kenya’s national payments switch race heats up. The deal combines local infrastructure with global technology to support real-time, interoperable payments and strengthen processing, settlement, and acceptance across the ecosystem.

🌎 Adyen expands international partnership with adidas. Adyen is expanding its Adyen Giving donation feature globally with adidas, enabling customers to support charities like UNHCR and Special Olympics at checkout. The initiative builds on strong adoption, with over $1 million already raised in North America, and is now scaling across Europe and Latin America.

🇵🇭 du Pay and GCash partner to enable near-instant remittances from the UAE to the Philippines, allowing funds to reach wallets within minutes. In a statement, the companies said the partnership is designed to “enhance the overall cross-border payment experience” for overseas Filipinos, a segment that remains among the most active remittance senders globally.

🇱🇦 M moneyX partners with Visa to expand digital payment services in Laos, introducing a co-branded prepaid card and exploring Visa Pay integration. The initiative aims to enhance access, enable domestic and international transactions, and support the country’s shift toward a cashless economy.


DONEDEAL FUNDING NEWS

🇺🇸 Mercury in talks to raise at over $5B valuation. The FinTech continues expanding beyond startups into broader banking and CFO tools, as competition intensifies across spend management and financial services. Learn more

🇹🇼 OwlTing secures a $10M investment with access to up to $50M in total funding to support expansion of its OwlPay infrastructure. The capital will be used for global growth, regulatory licensing, and strategic initiatives as the company scales its FinTech operations.

🇬🇧 Claret Capital Partners has made a $25M follow-on investment in Paysend to support the scaling of its global payments platform. The funding will drive international expansion, product development, and continued growth across its consumer and enterprise payment services.

🇬🇧 AccuQuant has raised $20M to advance AI-driven financial infrastructure, focusing on automation, data analysis, and system scalability. Funding will support technology development and enhance efficiency as FinTech shifts toward more data- and algorithm-based models.


M&A

🇺🇸 Mercury enters payroll through the acquisition of AI payroll platform Central, also expanding into benefits and compliance services. The acquisition strengthens its financial ecosystem as it deepens its offering beyond banking into integrated back-office tools for startups.


MOVERS AND SHAKERS

🇺🇸 Unit21 appoints Tyler Allen as CEO, bringing deep AI and technical expertise from his previous roles as Head of AI and founding engineer. He has led the development and scaling of the company’s AI-driven risk platform, positioning him to drive its next phase of growth.


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Connecting the Dots in FinTech