TLDR Fintech 2026-05-21

Most issuing platforms force a trade-off: debit infrastructure here, credit capabilities bolted on elsewhere, and flexible credentials nowhere in sight. That's three vendors, three integrations, three sets of compliance headaches.

Marqeta's end-to-end global platform issues all three from a single stack. Here's what that actually means:

• Debit, credit, and flexible credentials issued and managed in one place, not stitched together
• Global reach without rebuilding your program market by market
• One integration, one partner, one platform to scale on

Flexible credentials let a single card switch between payment types based on context. See how flexible credentials work and let's build the future of payments together.

Mercury raised $200 million at a $5.2 billion valuation in a TCV-led Series D, with participation from Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, and Coatue. The startup banking platform now has more than 300,000 customers, $650 million in annualized revenue, four years of profitability, and conditional OCC approval to become a federally regulated bank, which could let it expand lending, join Zelle, and reduce reliance on partner banks.

Polymarket partnered with Nasdaq Private Market to power prediction contracts tied to private-company valuations, secondary market activity, and IPO timing for firms like OpenAI and SpaceX. The move reflects surging retail demand for exposure to private tech growth that is otherwise inaccessible before IPOs. It also highlights the convergence of prediction markets, secondary share trading, and alternative investing around high-profile AI and startup companies.

Deel, the global people platform trusted by 40,000+ businesses to hire, manage, and pay teams across 150+ countries, today launched stablecoin salary payouts and announced the formation of a dedicated crypto division, headed by Thierry Edde as Head of Crypto at Deel.

A Federal Reserve survey found that cash remains the third most-used payment method in the US, behind debit and credit cards, with 76% of consumers still carrying physical cash as a backup payment option. The report highlights that cash usage remains especially prevalent among older Americans, lower-income households, and rural residents, even as broader payment behavior continues shifting toward digital methods.

In digital commerce, customer acquisition often receives the majority of strategic attention. Businesses invest heavily in marketing, personalization, loyalty programs, and user experience to attract and retain customers. Yet one of the most important drivers of long-term customer value is frequently underestimated: payment experience. While a single moment of friction may appear minor, its cumulative impact on customer lifetime value (CLV) can be substantial.

Over the last five years, we have seen technology progress at neck-breaking speeds. Just the mention of AI elicits the collective sentiment: “Can you believe how far it's come in such a short time?” There was a time when alternative payment methods were novel, and the likes of PayPal and Stripe were used only by the tech-savvy few. Fast forward to today, and not only are the companies that started off as alternatives to traditional banking methods household names, but they are also making moves to become banks themselves. However, having a plethora of choices does not equate to systems that work equitably for everyone.

Revolut has introduced its first physical crypto debit card, a Dogecoin-themed card usable anywhere Visa and Mastercard are accepted, as crypto-linked card spending continues to rise globally. The launch reflects broader convergence between traditional payments infrastructure and digital assets, with firms increasingly treating crypto cards and stablecoin spending as core financial products. Revolut's expansion also aligns with its broader push into banking, remittances, and potentially stablecoin issuance.

Legacy has launched a non-profit donation platform that lets users manage and distribute monthly contributions across more than 11,000 charities through a single app. The platform includes impact tracking, tax-ready reporting, donation controls, and a discovery feed designed to make charitable giving feel more interactive and transparent. Unlike traditional startups, Legacy says any surplus revenue will be redirected back into charitable causes rather than returned to shareholders.

JPMorgan Chase is expanding its European retail banking ambitions with the launch of a fee-free digital bank in Germany, marking its second major push into the region after entering the UK in 2021. The expansion follows strong traction in the UK, where Chase's digital bank has already grown to nearly three million customers.

A new executive order is pushing federal agencies to remove barriers that prevent fintech companies from accessing core US financial infrastructure, including payment rails like FedNow, FedACH, and Fedwire. The move could make it easier for nonbank financial companies to compete directly with traditional banks and lower the cost of moving money for consumers and small businesses. Industry groups say the directive signals growing momentum in Washington toward modernizing the US payments system and expanding access to digital financial services.

Moment raised $78 million in a round led by Index Ventures, with participation from existing investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Avra. The company, founded by former Citadel Securities quants, helps financial institutions automate fixed-income and equities trading workflows and says its infrastructure lets AI agents operate with unified data and regulatory-grade controls.

A new study from Queen Mary University of London found that nearly 90% of financial influencer posts on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube contain more negative than positive quality signals, with very few creators disclosing credentials, risks, or conflicts of interest. Researchers say YouTube content tends to be more credible than short-form platforms, while most users still rely on weak verification methods like reading comments before acting on financial tips. Despite the concerns, one in three people surveyed said they followed financial guidance from social media in the past year, highlighting how influential finfluencers have become even as regulators struggle to keep pace.

Citadel founder Ken Griffin said agentic AI is already compressing weeks or months of analytical work typically performed by highly trained finance professionals into hours or days.

The SEC is expected to introduce an “innovation exemption” allowing tokenized versions of public stocks to trade on decentralized crypto platforms, including tokens created without issuer consent.

SpaceX is expected to acquire AI coding startup Cursor roughly 30 days after its planned IPO, reinforcing Elon Musk's push to vertically integrate AI software capabilities across his companies.