Recent News

According to the Financial Times, Poland’s broad-based stock index WIG has emerged as one of the strongest performers on global markets in 2025. With a year-to-date gain of 28.6%, it has outpaced high-growth markets such as Chile and Greece. This impressive surge is fueled by a combination of macroeconomic stability, declining inflation, anticipated interest rate cuts, and increased investor interest in Central and Eastern Europe. For business owners and portfolio investors seeking emerging opportunities, the Polish market offers a compelling case. The WIG index reflects the health of both large-cap companies and key sectors like banking, energy, IT, and manufacturing. Key drivers of the rally include: strong performance in the banking sector, with rising profits and loan recovery; gains in energy stocks amid high commodity prices and modernization efforts; growth in tech and IT companies, driven by rising exports to EU and US clients. Analysts note that Polish equities still remain undervalued compared to Western European markets, suggesting room for continued upward momentum. Moreover, Poland is increasingly viewed as a hub for logistics,...

The Dubai government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Crypto․com, allowing both citizens and businesses to pay for government services using cryptocurrency wallets on the platform, CNBC reports. This move aligns with Dubai’s broader vision of becoming a global leader in digital economy and blockchain innovation. For business owners, the integration brings key advantages: paying licensing fees and service charges in crypto; streamlining interactions with government agencies; embedding crypto into everyday business operations; strengthening the UAE’s position as a crypto innovation hub. The partnership also offers Dubai a real-world environment to test digital payment models and attract more Web3 and fintech firms to the...

In June 2025, Switzerland officially recorded 0% inflation, according to The Wall Street Journal — a rare milestone in today’s global economy. For business owners and investors with international interests, this sends a strong signal: Switzerland remains a low-risk, financially stable jurisdiction. Price stability supports: predictable long-term financial planning; reallocating operations to stable markets; preserving capital or distributing dividends in a strong currency; using Switzerland as a strategic banking or corporate base in Europe. The Swiss franc continues to be one of the most trusted global currencies. With inflation at zero, its appeal for international entrepreneurs operating in volatile regions only increases. As inflation remains a challenge elsewhere, Switzerland offers a clear alternative — especially for those seeking to relocate assets, register holding companies, or diversify...

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS), together with several European central banks, has successfully demonstrated how wholesale payment systems like RTGS can interoperate for foreign exchange transactions using new technologies, including distributed ledger technology (DLT). The joint initiative included the BIS, Bank of England, Banque de France, Bank of Italy, Bundesbank, and the European Central Bank. Its core objective was to enable synchronized settlements where asset transfers occur simultaneously, following the “payment-versus-payment” (PvP) model. At the heart of the Meridian FX project is a synchronization operator — a technically neutral interface designed to coordinate the exchange between payment systems. The project connected a synthetic version of the UK RTGS system with three experimental DLT platforms developed by the Eurosystem: DL3S — developed by Banque de France TIPS Hash-Link — developed by Bank of Italy Trigger Solution — developed by Bundesbank In each case, the synchronization operator successfully executed PvP settlements. Meridian FX also explored value-added features such as liquidity-saving...

According to CoinDesk sources, payment giant Visa is set to join the Global Dollar Network (USDG) — a stablecoin consortium initiated by U.S.-regulated digital asset firm Paxos. Current members of USDG include major players in crypto and fintech such as Robinhood, Kraken, Galaxy Digital, Anchorage Digital, Bullish (owner of CoinDesk), and Nuvei. Visa will be the first traditional financial institution to join the consortium. So far, the company has not commented on the decision. Paxos also declined to confirm, citing confidentiality around potential partners. The stablecoin sector is increasingly seen as highly profitable, especially amid growing regulatory clarity. Standard Chartered predicts that if legislation passes in the U.S., the market size could surge from $236.2 billion to $2 trillion by 2028. Such explosive growth may trigger demand for U.S. Treasury bills worth up to $1.6 trillion — or around $400 billion annually — potentially making stablecoin issuers the largest buyers of government debt. Currently, the stablecoin market is dominated by two issuers: Tether (USDT), which retains profit from reserves Circle (USDC), known for...

According to the latest Consumer Fraud Report by Revolut, over one-third of scams tracked by the neobank now originate from just two encrypted messaging platforms: WhatsApp (21%) and Telegram (18%). The sharp rise in fraud through these apps has raised concerns about their perceived safety. The second half of 2024 witnessed a dramatic spike in scam cases linked to encrypted messengers. Telegram-related fraud surged by 121%, while WhatsApp saw a 67% increase. Revolut points out that scammers are quickly adapting, exploiting platforms that users wrongly assume to be secure. Despite these numbers, Meta-owned platforms — Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — remain the primary breeding ground for scams globally, accounting for 54% of all cases reported to Revolut. It’s the third consecutive report placing Meta at the top of this undesirable ranking. Revolut is calling for tougher accountability from social media giants, urging them to share responsibility for scams occurring on their platforms and contribute to victim reimbursements. Woody Malouf, Head of Financial Crime at Revolut, stated: “Scammers are evolving fast, shifting to encrypted...

A recent report published by Genesis Analytics on behalf of Mastercard projects that Africa’s digital payments market will reach $1.5 trillion by 2030, driven by increasing internet access and financial inclusion. To support this growth, Mastercard aims to onboard 15 million users to its Community Pass platform over the next five years, focusing on small businesses and underserved populations. One of the key initiatives is the MADE Alliance: Africa (Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy), launched in collaboration with the African Development Bank. It targets 100 million individuals and businesses for digital integration over the next decade. Internet penetration across the continent is expected to rise by 20% annually, while financial inclusion is projected to grow by 6%. Mastercard is also strengthening ties with regional banks like Access Bank, Equity Bank, and Bank of Africa to streamline cross-border transactions. The report highlights Morocco, where 75% of consumers already use modern payment methods. Statista estimates the country’s digital payment volume could exceed $8.46 billion by 2028. Source:...

Visa has announced that its newly formed fraud-fighting division has successfully intercepted fraudulent activity worth more than $350 million in 2024 alone. Operating within Visa’s Payment Ecosystem Risk and Control (Perc) unit, the team consists of AI engineers, data analysts, ex-law enforcement professionals, military intelligence experts, and cybersecurity specialists — all collaborating to dismantle complex fraud schemes. “Over the last five years, we’ve invested more than $12 billion in security technologies — but our people are our greatest strength,” said Paul Fabara, Visa’s Chief Risk and Customer Experience Officer. He emphasized the importance of combining proprietary tools with human insight. Using generative AI for correlation mapping and deep data visualization, the team recently uncovered a vast phishing scheme involving fake ID verification pages on dating websites. Victims were lured into providing sensitive information, which enabled recurring unauthorized charges. By linking transactions with IP data and using advanced analytics, Visa traced and dismantled the entire network — shutting down nearly 12,000 websites and...

Belvo, a prominent provider of financial infrastructure across Latin America, has introduced Biometric Pix — a breakthrough solution aimed at enhancing Brazil’s instant payment ecosystem through biometric authentication. With this system, users can authorize payments using a fingerprint or other biometric methods, eliminating the need for passwords or banking apps. The result is a faster, more secure, and seamless transaction experience. Biometric Pix is fully compatible with digital wallets, enabling consumers to pay with a simple touch at any point-of-sale terminal. The service also includes account tokenization, allowing credentials to be stored securely for future use without re-entry. Belvo offers this service under an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) model, which makes implementation cost-effective for companies. OneKey Payments became the first client to adopt this technology and enhance their instant payment...