Latest long reads: Finextra Research

The rise of Erebor: What SVB’s fall sparked in venture finance

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

The rise of Erebor: What SVB’s fall sparked in venture finance

Erebor - a new bank with ties to President Donald Trump’s administration and backed by Peter Thiel’s venture firm Founders Fund - has been approved to launch by the OCC. Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan V. Gould highlighted today that this is “also proof that the OCC under my leadership does not impose blanket barriers to banks that want to en...

13 hours /wealth

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

The state of payment processing in 2025

Small and medium sized business (SMB) owners are continuously challenged with not only running their business, but also adapting to evolving technologies and consumer demands at the checkout. New payment options like buy now pay later (BNPL) and embedded finance have become essential, which has impacted the relationship between merchants and their...

17 hours /Sibos

EU Sustainability Omnibus Act passed – what does it mean for the future of sustainable reporting?

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

EU Sustainability Omnibus Act passed – what does it mean for the future of sustainable reporting?

This week the European Parliament passed a vote to cut sustainability reporting and due diligence laws. The Sustainability Omnibus Act was proposed on 26 February 2025, pushing for cuts to sustainability regulations as outlined in the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) to...

15 October 2025 /sustainable

How do corporates measure satisfaction in global banking providers today?

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

How do corporates measure satisfaction in global banking providers today?

“90% of the corporates (surveyed) are happy with bank services, and they are likely to stay.” "70% (of corporates) are already using third parties (for bank services.)” - Results from a recent Swift survey of corporates regarding satisfaction with their banking partners These two stats – curious in what they really mean when considered togethe...

14 October 2025 /Sibos

Hamish Monk Senior Reporter at Finextra

What is Open Finance?

On 13 October 2025, the FCA announced a partnership to accelerate the delivery of Open Finance in the UK: “We've been working with the industry to deliver Open Finance,” it said in a press release, “which will give people control over how they manage their money and plan their finances for the future.” This news came ahead of the launch of the FC...

13 October 2025 /payments

What Swift’s blockchain ledger means for stablecoin innovation

Ram Gopal Professor at University of Warwick

What Swift’s blockchain ledger means for stablecoin innovation

At Sibos in Frankfurt, Swift announced it will add a blockchain-based shared ledger to its infrastructure stack. For a co-operative best known for messaging standards, this is a profound shift: moving from coordinating instructions to coordinating on-chain state, with the aim of enabling 24/7, instant, and programmable cross-border transactions at ...

13 October 2025 /crypto

Europe’s Instant Payments Regulation and the 9 October deadline, explained

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

Europe’s Instant Payments Regulation and the 9 October deadline, explained

Adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council in March 2024, the Instant Payments Regulation (IPR) was set in motion to speed up the roll-out of instant payments in Europe and cover credit transfers denominated in euro within the EU. This regulation also amends the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) regulation, adds specific provisions...

10 October 2025 /regulation

Why the Government has the wrong approach to digital ID

Chris Holmes Peer at House of Lords

Why the Government has the wrong approach to digital ID

Digital ID holds the promise of improved lives, services and systems for citizen, consumer and country. But the Government’s current approach, suggesting mandatory digital ID to stop illegal immigration, is going about it in precisely the wrong way. Fintech benefits I have been writing about the potential benefits of digital ID for years. There...

09 October 2025 /identity

The devil is in the details: Delivering on the UK-US Digital Asset Taskforce

Simon Jennings Executive Director at UK Cryptoasset Business Council

The devil is in the details: Delivering on the UK-US Digital Asset Taskforce

Last month, the UK and US governments announced the creation of a new ‘Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future’ - a joint initiative to enhance collaboration on digital assets and foster innovation in cross-border markets. This is a huge step forward, and I want to take this moment to congratulate both sides on getting this over the line...

08 October 2025 /crypto

AI-powered banking agents: How FIs can support Europe’s micro-business long tail

Hamish Monk Senior Reporter at Finextra

AI-powered banking agents: How FIs can support Europe’s micro-business long tail

The small and micro-business long tail of Europe’s economy is vast. According to the European Commission, small businesses represent 99% of all European enterprises, and account for 48% of total employment within enterprises. Despite being the backbone of the economy – and critical to growth, innovation, and productivity – the small and micro-bus...

07 October 2025 /ai

Could FX strategies be a game-changer for corporate treasurers?

Hamish Monk Senior Reporter at Finextra

Could FX strategies be a game-changer for corporate treasurers?

With the macroeconomic outlook seeming more unpredictable than it has in years, the foreign exchange (FX) market is experiencing considerable volatility. Shifting trade policies are proving a notable headwind – driving liquidity and working capital challenges, as well as geopolitical uncertainty. Fortunately, there are opportunities to be seized a...

06 October 2025 /payments

Regulatory impact on cross-border payments

Dominique Dierks Senior Content Manager at Finextra

Regulatory impact on cross-border payments

This is an excerpt from a Sibos special edition report: The Future of Cross-Border Payments 2026: Strategies for Success. Cross-border payments are booming and show no sign of slowing down, with research from January 2025 forecasting the market to grow to $320 trillion by 2032. Yet as fintech firms and other tech-first financial institutions re&#...

03 October 2025 /Sibos

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