REPAY closes $372m KUBRA deal to scale US bill payments
REPAY has closed its $372m cash acquisition of KUBRA, betting on recurring, non-discretionary consumer bill payments over the crowded checkout arms race.
Rick Steves
Senior Reporter, Regulation and Fintech
Rick Steves has seen business and economics through many lenses. He joined the financial services industry in 2009, and has been a financial journalist since 2011. He holds a degree in Business Administration and has experience producing real-time news, from both buy-side and sell-side, as well as for retail traders, brokers and service providers. Steves' work has appeared in a variety of online publications including FX Street, NewsBTC, FinanceFeeds, and The Industry Spread. Rick has great interest in the dynamics of the trading industry. The never-ending clash between technology, economics, regulation, and more importantly, the people.
July 2026
Equifax buys Círculo de Crédito for $750m to expand Mexico
Equifax pays a $750m enterprise value — about 12x EBITDA — for Mexico's Círculo de Crédito, answering TransUnion's Buró de Crédito move in the LatAm data race.
CFTC’s no-deny reversal resets US enforcement settlements
The CFTC scrapped its 28-year no-deny settlement policy weeks after the SEC — firms can now settle and publicly deny. How the US, UK and Australia diverge.
JPMorgan taps SambaNova as AI chip maker raises $1bn
JPMorgan Chase picks SambaNova for on-prem AI inference as the chip maker closes a $1bn Series F at $11bn — and bank AI strategy visibly bifurcates.
Nuvei installs COO, CFO and CPTO ahead of Payoneer close
Nuvei names its first-ever COO plus a new CFO and CPTO three weeks after the $2.75bn Payoneer deal — the integration org chart arriving before closing.
FinCEN PPSI rules land July 18: stablecoin issuers become banks
Six US agencies face the GENIUS Act's July 18 deadline. Inside the FinCEN-OFAC PPSI framework — and how the US, EU, UK and Singapore regimes now diverge.
Klarna files for US bank charter to end partner-bank reliance
Klarna applies to the FDIC and Utah for an industrial-bank charter — deposit-funded BNPL, a Southwest Airlines tie-up, and what it means for BaaS banks.
FCA final crypto rules set up the UK’s October 2027 gateway
FCA final crypto rules: five policy statements, applications from September 30, 2026, regime live October 25, 2027 — and how the UK now splits from MiCA.
UK big four go live on Swift consumer payments scheme
Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest are first worldwide on Swift's consumer payments scheme — full-value, minutes-fast transfers aimed at Wise's moat.
Visa takes agentic payments live with 30 European issuers
Visa's AI agents now buy from real European merchants, backed by 30+ issuers, Payment Passkeys and a trust protocol wired into Cloudflare and Akamai.
Why the SEC’s crypto ETF fast track stops at staking
The SEC's generic listing standards cut spot crypto ETP launches to ~75 days - but staking funds still need individual review. Four jurisdictions compared.
Prop trading regulation diverges as CFTC acts, ESMA waits
US prop firms are registering with the CFTC and NFA while ESMA drops the sector from its priorities — the July 2026 split that defines funded-trader rules.
Intesa Sanpaolo moves core banking to Google Cloud in Italy
Intesa Sanpaolo completed its core banking migration to Google Cloud's Turin and Milan regions — 800+ apps moved, and a sovereignty template for EU banks.
Crédit Agricole buys 100% of CAWL as Worldline refocuses
Crédit Agricole has bought out Worldline's stake in French merchant-payments JV CAWL, converting the tie-up to a commercial deal. Why banks want payments back.
EU AI Act delay spares credit-scoring AI; Aug 2 duties remain
The EU omnibus defers AI Act high-risk rules for credit scoring to December 2027, but August 2, 2026 transparency duties and penalties still land.
Microsoft taps Checkout.com for EMEA payments on Xbox, Azure
Microsoft hands Checkout.com its EMEA card acceptance for Xbox, 365 and Azure — why the regional unbundling matters for Adyen, Stripe and enterprise payments.
Event contracts split the CFTC from state gaming regulators
Event contracts pit the CFTC's exclusive jurisdiction against state gaming law: Third Circuit ruling, Michigan's ban and a September 4 SCOTUS deadline, mapped.
DORA’s third-party oversight splits EU, UK and US resilience rules
DORA designates and fines critical ICT providers, the UK oversees without fining powers, and the US relies on guidance — a three-track resilience map for 2026.
Also filing this week: Karthik Subramanian and Abdelaziz Fathi.