Hey FinTech Fanatic,
This last week, I covered the sudden shutdown of a sustainability-focused FinTech that couldn’t make it past its first year.
Zero, the “ethical money app” launched in early 2025, has ceased trading after failing to raise additional funding, leaving thousands of users scrambling to withdraw their deposits before the app goes offline.
Zoom out, and the takeaway is simple. A strong mission doesn’t replace fundamentals. Without scale, funding, and a path to profitability, even well-positioned propositions struggle to survive.
There’s also a trust layer.
The gap between “ethical” positioning and how money is actually protected became very real the moment things unraveled.
As funding tightens, expect more quiet exits like this.
And the question remains: is differentiation enough, or do fundamentals still win?
Curious what else is shifting across FinTech, Payments, and Digital Banking? Scroll down 👇
Cheers,
FinTech app Zero has ceased trading as of March 18 after failing to secure additional funding. All accounts are being closed, and users are advised to withdraw their funds before March 31, when the app is expected to shut down.
NOW, ON TO THE SUMMARY OF LAST WEEK’S NEWS
⭐️ Paysend partners with BVNK to expand stablecoin payments and cross-border settlement. By integrating stablecoin rails, Paysend aims to enhance the speed and flexibility of its global payments network, which already spans more than 170 countries and supports over 80 currencies.
⭐️ Federal Reserve orders Oaknorth to set up UK holding firm. OakNorth has been asked by the U.S. Federal Reserve to move its holding company from Jersey to the UK as a condition for approving its acquisition of Community Unity Bank. The change would support regulatory approval and the bank’s broader expansion in the U.S. market.
⭐️ Swissquote lifts profit, expands the Yuh ecosystem, and doubles down on AI investment. Swissquote reported strong 2025 results, with client assets rising 16.3% to CHF 88.7 billion and total accounts approaching 1.2 million, supported by CHF 8.5 billion in organic net new money, robust trading activity, and the full consolidation of neo-bank Yuh.
⭐️ Spanish prosecutor seeks more than $200 million fine on BBVA over its alleged role in a corporate spying scandal involving a former police commissioner’s investigation firm. The case also includes charges against former executives, with a trial yet to be formally opened.
Mastercard launches the third edition of "Mastercard For Fintechs", reinforcing its commitment to Europe’s fintech ecosystem. The initiative aims to guide high‑potential fintechs along a structured growth path, providing access to Mastercard’s expertise, strategic connections, and operational resources to strengthen their market positioning and scalability.
Ecommpay takes home two wins at the FStech Awards 2026. Ecommpay won Anti-fraud Solution of the Year and Financial Inclusion Award at the FStech Awards 2026, recognizing its innovation in secure and accessible e-commerce payments. The awards highlight the company’s commitment to improving payment security and expanding inclusive financial solutions for merchants.
zerohash expands European headquarters in Amsterdam to support EU growth. The Amsterdam office now serves as zerohash’s central base for European operations following the company’s licensing under the EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCAR), which enables passporting across EU and EEA markets.
J.P. Morgan Payments rolls out virtual B2B card in Europe in collaboration with Mastercard. European corporates can now access J.P. Morgan Payments’ expertise through its virtual card offerings to optimize their working capital by automating payment creation and reconciliation.
Klarna reaches 7 million consumers in France, now used by 1 in 7 adults. The growth is driven by strong adoption of its app, flexible payments, and broader financial features, alongside partnerships with over 48,000 merchants. Read more
The European Union has approved that Turkey join the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) to improve economic integration and reduce the cost of cross-border euro payments. The move could deliver significant savings for businesses and consumers.
WearablesHuawei Watch GT Runner 2 brings useful features with Curve Pay, enabling users to make contactless payments directly from their smartwatch without needing a phone or physical wallet. The feature allows users to link multiple cards into one digital wallet and even works when the device has a low battery.
Mollie expands its in-person payments offering in the UK with Tap. The launch combines a portable contactless payment terminal with a standalone Tap app, enabling UK businesses to accept payments in-store, on location, or directly from any NFC-enabled device, such as a smartphone or tablet.
Revolut and CaixaBank in the race to sponsor Barca. Revolut is reportedly in talks with FC Barcelona to become a new financial sponsor, as the club seeks a replacement after failing to renew its long-standing partnership with CaixaBank. While discussions are ongoing and other banks are also interested, Barça has shown strong interest in Revolut’s proposal.
Starling launches the UK’s first Agentic AI financial assistant. The in-app ‘Starling Assistant’ offers an all-new conversational banking interface that responds to voice and natural language prompts before carrying out banking tasks on the customer’s behalf, from setting up personalised saving goals to organising bill payments.
Cortena integrates Yapily to automate reconciliation and cash visibility with AI and open banking. By combining Cortena’s workflow automation with Yapily’s reliable bank connectivity, finance teams can move beyond fragmented tools and manual reconciliation towards more continuous and connected finance processes.
Flowpay partners with Teya to expand embedded SME financing across Europe. Through this collaboration, Teya’s merchant base can access flexible financing of up to €100,000 (or 2.5 million CZK) directly within the same platform they already use to manage payments and business operations.
Noru raises €560K to develop an agentic compliance platform. Noru plans to use the funding to expand its customer base and hire across engineering and marketing. Noru is developing what it describes as an “agentic compliance” approach to managing regulatory requirements.
CAB Payments rejects StoneX's possible acquisition offer. CAB Payments said today that the Independent Board, together with its advisers, has carefully evaluated the StoneX Possible Offer and concluded unanimously that it significantly undervalues CAB Payments and its prospects.
Monika Liikamaa steps down as co-CEO of Enfuce. The company has announced that Denise Johansson has taken the reins as sole CEO. Liikamaa will transition out of her role as co-CEO, although she’ll remain closely connected to Enfuce as a founder and shareholder.
Lhoft chief Nasir Zubairi to step down and lead Paytm’s Europe push. Zubairi will leave the organisation in the summer of 2026 after nine and a half years at the helm. His departure marks a leadership transition after nearly a decade shaping Luxembourg’s FinTech ecosystem.
Bernie Miles has been named the Chief Data and Technology Officer of Tide’s C-suite. He will oversee the business’s push into a new AI-first business management platform approach. The appointment is part of Tide’s ambition to move from a financial services pure-play firm into a more holistic business service provider.
Revolut appointed Alexander Kressner, a former Danske Bank executive, as Country Manager Denmark. The digital challenger bank is rolling out new banking services in Denmark. Led by a former Danske Bank CEO, the forward-thinking bank will challenge the established banks.
Crypto exchange OKX hires former LSEG European trading chief. Adam Wood, who was chief executive of LSEG’s Turquoise platform until the end of February, is joining OKX as chief operating officer of its MiFID II-licensed business. Continue reading
Yaspa names Cameron Flood Head of Product for the UK and Europe. Flood will lead product development and launches across the UK and Europe, taking responsibility for product direction in both regions. He joins from Shieldpay, where he served as Head of Product.
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