tGBP vs UK Banks: The Speed War Begins

tGBP vs UK Banks: The Speed War Begins
tGBP vs UK Banks: The Speed War Begins

Hey FinTech Fanatic!

Coinbase is listing a new fiat-backed stablecoin, tGBP, which makes the race to localize stablecoins take a meaningful step forward.

While USD stablecoins still dominate the landscape, this move signals a growing appetite for currency diversification in on-chain finance.

Starting today, Coinbase users in the UK and other supported regions can buy, sell, convert, send, and receive tGBP on the Coinbase app and Coinbase Exchange.

The issuer of tGBP, BCP Technologies, is registered with the FCA and has participated in the FCAโ€™s regulatory sandbox. 

tGBP is less a replacement for UK banks than a parallel GBP layer that competes where banks are weakest (speed, cost, and 24/7 usability). 

That makes it a practical threat to specific bank revenue streams, even if it is not yet a broad consumer banking substitute.

As regulators in the UK continue to shape stablecoin policy and push for greater oversight, credible, regulated GBP stablecoins could play a key role in the countryโ€™s ambition to become a digital asset hub. 

Distribution via Coinbase only amplifies that potential, bringing more accessibility and liquidity.

See what else is happening in FinTech today. Dive in. ๐Ÿ‘‡And see you on Monday!

Cheers,

Marcel


INSIGHTS

โžก๏ธ USDC: ~2 seconds. Wire transfers: ~5 days. 

Same money. Same destination. ~216,000ร— slower ๐Ÿคฏ

Payment Rails - Settlement Race

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PAYMENTS NEWS

๐ŸŒ The worldโ€™s top 10 payments companies are worth over $๐Ÿญ.๐Ÿฒ ๐—ง๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก ๐Ÿคฏ

And two names dominate the entire industry:

Worldยดs Largest Payments Companies

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๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Yuno receives payment technical service provider certification from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA). The PTSP certification confirms that Yunoโ€™s platform has completed the required technical testing and compliance procedures to operate within the Kingdomโ€™s payments ecosystem.

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Corpay cross-border named the official FX supplier of Toulouse Football Club. Through this partnership, Corpay Cross-Border will deliver comprehensive FX risk management solutions to support the clubโ€™s operations. In addition, its award-winning platform will enable the club to manage global payments seamlessly through a single point of access.

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ ACI Worldwide announced ACI Connetic for eight major U.S. networks on a single, cloud-native platform. ACI Connetic supports stablecoin and tokenized-deposit capabilities, providing a unified approach across traditional, instant, and digital-asset payment rails that helps banks reduce the operational burden of running multiple clearing systems.


FINTECH RUNNING CLUB

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ช FinTech Fanatics, this is where FinTech actually connects in Nairobi.

FRC Nairobi with Alexis Akena x Hakim Luyima x Squeezers Run Club

๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ 7:00 AM ยท 5KM from Lemon Studio๐Ÿ‘‰ Spots are limited. RSVP now.

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DIGITAL BANKING NEWS

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๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น Revolut aims to reach 2.5 million Portuguese users by 2026 and surpass CGD "in the coming years". The company plans to expand into savings and credit products, including mortgages, as it continues to grow faster than the European average. Additionally, Revolut launches an ultra-premium plan in New Zealand. The launch expands Revolut's local line-up above its existing Plus, Premium, and Metal tiers.

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BLOCKCHAIN/CRYPTO NEWS

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๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Coinbase has listed the fiat-backed stablecoin tGBP, expanding access to local currency digital assets and supporting the UKโ€™s position as a crypto hub. The move reflects the growing role of stablecoins in global payments, as adoption and transaction volumes continue to rise rapidly.


PARTNERSHIPS

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๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Airwallex launches its biggest-ever ad campaign with Arsenal FC, directed by Spike Lee. Featuring football legends like Thierry Henry and current players, the campaign supports Airwallexโ€™s partnership with Arsenal and showcases its role in enabling international business expansion.

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ UnionPay expands QR payments to Kazakhstan's Halyk Bank. Through this partnership, Halyk Bank customers can now make convenient QR code payments across the global UnionPay network via their mobile banking app, which also supports scanning WeChat Pay collection codes within China.

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ  Uber and Block expand global partnership to transform restaurant operations and launch Cash App Pay. This partnership underscores both Uber's and Block's commitment to innovation, supporting sellers and customers with intuitive technology that makes both running a business and paying for services easier, strengthening local communities globally in the process.

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Nexi and Visa aim to reshape card issuing in Germany with the Managed Model. The partnership aims to help banks modernise card issuing. Under the long-term agreement, Nexi will provide end-to-end managed issuing services for banks offering Visa cards.

๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡น myTU and E100 launch embedded business card solution to modernize logistics payments. The partnership enables E100 to offer digital business accounts and Visa payment cards directly through its own portal, helping fleet operators manage and control expenses across their operations.

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Paysight partners with Paymend to help merchants recover more failed payments. The partnership is built around a simple idea: recovery should not end with the first unsuccessful attempt. By combining Paysight and Paymend, merchants get another practical way to strengthen post-decline performance and reduce avoidable revenue leakage.

๐Ÿ‡ด๐Ÿ‡ฒ MoneyHash advances its payment infrastructure in Oman with Thawani Pay. By working with Thawani Pay, MoneyHash continues to expand the depth of its local coverage, enabling merchants to operate more effectively within Omanโ€™s payment ecosystem while maintaining consistency across markets.

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Persona and ConnectID partner to deliver privacy-first age verification for the Australian market. This integration enables organizations to verify the age of Australian users while ensuring personal data remains protected. Continue reading

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Tamara partners with Lean Technologies to expand credit access by 32% for the modern workforce. This allowed Tamara to better evaluate customers with non-traditional income sources, such as freelancers and gig workers, by gaining deeper visibility into cash flow and affordability, ultimately expanding access to credit and reducing unnecessary rejections.


DONEDEAL FUNDING NEWS

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ Netbank lands fresh Series B to power the invisible rails of Philippine FinTech. Netbank plans to use the new capital to deepen payments, lending, account, and card capabilities, while investing in automation, risk systems, and engineering.

๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท CloudWalk raises R$ 5.5 billion in a new funding round, surpassing its previous record and expanding access to credit for Brazilian entrepreneurs. The funds from the new FIDC will be used primarily for the early receipt of receivables related to credit cards, a practice that is becoming increasingly common among FinTech companies to improve the liquidity of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs.

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Varntix raises $20M in hours as demand for fixed crypto income surges amid the Ethereum ETF Boom. Offering fixed returns paid in stablecoins, the model reflects a broader shift as investors increasingly seek stable income and reduced volatility in crypto portfolios.


M&A 

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ  Repay attracts a $1B takeover offer. Repay is facing takeover pressure from Forager Capital Management, which criticized the company for adopting defensive measures against its offer and questioned its commitment to shareholder value. Read more


MOVERS AND SHAKERS

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ Temenos hires Daniel Schmucki as CFO. Temenos says Schmucki "will lead on advancing the finance function to the next stage to continuously drive efficiency and productivity, including the roll out of AI initiatives". Continue reading


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