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 FCAโs 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 countryโs 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. ๐And see you on Monday!
Cheers,
INSIGHTS
โก๏ธ USDC: ~2 seconds. Wire transfers: ~5 days.
Same money. Same destination. ~216,000ร slower ๐คฏ

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PAYMENTS NEWS
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And two names dominate the entire industry:

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๐จ๐ฆ 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 clubโs operations. In addition, its award-winning platform will enable the club to manage global payments seamlessly through a single point of access.
๐บ๐ธ 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
๐ฐ๐ช FinTech Fanatics, this is where FinTech actually connects in Nairobi.
FRC Nairobi with Alexis Akena x Hakim Luyima x Squeezers Run Club
๐โโ๏ธ 7:00 AM ยท 5KM from Lemon Studio๐ Spots are limited. RSVP now.

DIGITAL BANKING NEWS
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๐บ๐ธ Backbase launches the AI-Native Banking OS, defining a new category for agentic banking. The Banking OS introduces the Unified Frontline: the operating model for AI-native financial institutions, where customers, employees, and AI agents collaborate as one - across digital channels, front office, and operations.
BLOCKCHAIN/CRYPTO NEWS
๐บ๐ธ Wall Street giants Mastercard, BlackRock & Franklin Templeton take notice of XRP Ledger. The article highlights rising real-world asset activity on the network and positions DeFi as a key layer enabling faster, more transparent global transactions.
๐ฌ๐ง Coinbase has listed the fiat-backed stablecoin tGBP, expanding access to local currency digital assets and supporting the UKโs 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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๐ฐ๐ฟ 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.
๐บ๐ธ 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.
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๐ธ๐ฆ 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
๐ต๐ญ 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.
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M&A
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MOVERS AND SHAKERS
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