Industry coverage by Tech.eu and Fintech Futures indicates that the funding will support hiring, international expansion, and further development of Silverflow’s infrastructure designed to replace legacy payment processing systems.

Founded in 2019, the company provides a modern payments platform that connects payment providers and financial institutions directly to major card networks through a single API. Reports from Fintech Futures note that the platform now handles around 1.75 million transactions daily, approaching one billion processed transactions annually.

CEO Anne Willem de Vries said the investment highlights growing demand for more flexible and transparent payment infrastructure.

Image: Silverflow

The company reported record net contribution of $868 million for 2025, up 10% year-over-year, including $227 million in Q4. Fourth-quarter Assets Under Administration (AUA) grew 11% year-over-year to $18.5 billion, reflecting continued platform growth. eToro also announced a $100 million increase to its share repurchase program.

“This was a milestone year for eToro,” 

said CEO Yoni Assia. 

“We became a publicly traded company and significantly advanced the build-out of our global financial super-app. In 2025, we accelerated product innovation and AI adoption.”

While the financial performance underscored balance sheet strength, the strategic emphasis was clearly on artificial intelligence, API-driven ecosystems, and blockchain-based market infrastructure.

AI as the Core of the “Financial Super-App”

At the center of eToro’s innovation push is Tori, the company’s newly launched AI Analyst. Designed to help retail investors interpret markets and strategies more effectively, Tori forms part of a broader AI layer embedded across the platform.

“Artificial intelligence and progress towards on-chain market infrastructure are reshaping how people invest and interact with markets and eToro is uniquely positioned to capture this opportunity,” 

Assia said.

Beyond AI-generated insights, eToro is opening its infrastructure through public APIs and a suite of AI-powered tools that allow users and partners to build, test, and scale trading strategies. This developer-oriented approach sets the stage for the upcoming eToro App Store, where third-party “investor builders” will be able to publish applications directly to eToro’s global user base.

The move signals a shift from a closed brokerage model to a platform ecosystem — blending fintech, AI tooling, and community-driven strategy development.

24/7 Trading and On-Chain Transition

Parallel to its AI expansion, eToro is aligning itself with what it sees as the next phase of market infrastructure: on-chain finance and continuous trading.

“With our long-standing leadership in crypto and tokenization, we are well placed to help shape this transition,”

Assia said.

This quarter, the company is introducing 24/7 trading access for select popular assets, with plans to expand round-the-clock availability across additional asset classes. The initiative reflects a broader industry shift toward always-on markets enabled by blockchain rails and digital asset infrastructure.

eToro’s positioning is notable: it describes itself as both a crypto-native company and a global equities platform, effectively bridging traditional and digital asset ecosystems within a single app architecture.

Data-Driven and Quant Strategies for Retail

The company also expanded its Smart Portfolio offerings through collaborations with major asset managers including Franklin Templeton, WisdomTree, ARK Invest, and Amundi.

Additionally, the launch of Alpha Portfolios brings quantitative, data-driven strategies to retail investors, leveraging eToro’s proprietary data and analytics capabilities.

Social investing — long a defining feature of the platform — is also becoming more algorithmically enhanced. More than 5,000 members participate in eToro’s Pro Investor Program, and Copy Trading is now live in the U.S., extending its social-finance model into a major regulated market.

Tech-Led Growth Heading into 2026

CFO Meron Shani highlighted the resilience of the company’s multi-asset model and diversified revenue streams.

“Our fourth quarter results reflect the strength and resilience of our multi-asset business model,”

Shani said. 

“We delivered compelling financial performance through a combination of diversified revenue streams, healthy funded accounts growth, and disciplined financial management.”

He added that early 2026 indicators point to continued momentum.

“We are off to a strong start to 2026 with our January capital markets KPIs demonstrating the ability of our platform to adapt and perform across all different market conditions, including the recent spike in commodities trading,” 

Shani explained.

 “With our strong balance sheet and a clear execution roadmap, we believe that we are well positioned to deliver accelerated growth in 2026.”

As AI capabilities mature and financial infrastructure increasingly shifts on-chain, eToro appears to be betting that the next phase of retail investing will be defined less by brokerage mechanics and more by intelligent tooling, open ecosystems, and continuous market access.

Material by Iva Abadjievа

Image: eToro

In a blog post outlining what it called “The big idea,” the crypto lending platform said recent macroeconomic and legislative developments signal deeper changes underway in the U.S. crypto ecosystem.

The past few weeks have delivered no shortage of headlines across crypto – from macro prints to regulatory drafts to institutional positioning,

the company wrote.

Individually, each development may have felt incremental. Taken together, they point to something more structural unfolding beneath the surface.

Regulatory Architecture Taking Shape

Nexo pointed to a softer U.S. inflation print last week, which modestly strengthened expectations for potential rate cuts later this year, easing macroeconomic pressure at the margin. More significantly, the company highlighted advancing digital asset oversight in Washington.

Implementation of the GENIUS Act is progressing, establishing supervisory standards for payment stablecoins. Meanwhile, Senate negotiations around the CLARITY Act continue to refine jurisdictional boundaries across decentralized finance (DeFi), commodity tokens, and tokenized securities.

The direction is becoming clearer: fewer gray areas, more defined accountability, and a regulatory architecture increasingly integrated with the broader U.S. financial system,

Nexo stated.

Against this backdrop, the company said it is relaunching its core platform in the United States under what it describes as a U.S.-compliant structure built around regulated partnerships.

Platform Relaunch and Product Offering

The relaunch will include Nexo’s Yield programs, an integrated exchange, loyalty benefits, and crypto-backed credit lines. According to the company, the move is not simply a product expansion but reflects alignment with what it views as a more codified and institutional regulatory landscape.

This is not simply product expansion. It reflects alignment with a regulatory landscape that is materially different from prior cycles: more codified, more institutional, and more durable,

the blog post said, adding:

The timing is not incidental.

U.S. as the New Center of Gravity

Nexo also underscored structural shifts in market liquidity and price discovery since the launch of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024, referencing the approval of products tied to Bitcoin.

Since then, liquidity has increasingly gravitated toward U.S. venues, the company noted, with regulated derivatives participation expanding and ETF-related flows exerting greater influence around the U.S. market close.

In 2026, hourly return dispersion has consistently skewed toward U.S. trading hours – a structural departure from earlier cycles when offshore sessions dominated volatility,

Nexo wrote.

The center of gravity has shifted.

As oversight frameworks solidify and liquidity deepens, the company argues, participation is broadening and the next phase of digital asset adoption is increasingly being shaped within the United States.

Our return is not merely geographic. It is structural,

the company concluded.

Material by Yana Petrova

Image: Nexo

Step offers banking tools designed for teens and young adults, including debit cards, budgeting features, and financial education. The acquisition signals Beast Industries’ ambition to build long-term consumer platforms beyond content and merchandise, tapping into MrBeast’s massive Gen Z audience.

The deal also highlights a growing trend of creator-led companies entering fintech and other regulated sectors, leveraging brand trust and reach to onboard younger users. For Step, the acquisition could accelerate growth and user adoption through tighter integration with MrBeast’s digital ecosystem.

Material by Veronika Atanasova

Images: Youtube channel MrBeast, Step.com 

From Marble Halls to Mobile Apps

Not too long ago, money moved at the speed of bureaucracy. You filled out forms, waited in lines, and crossed your fingers for a banker’s approval. Finance happened in marble-columned branches, not in your pocket.

Fast forward to today: the bank is an app. A teenager in São Paulo can open a Nubank account in under five minutes. A freelancer in Sofia invests loose change through Revolut. Someone else takes out a loan via a peer-to-peer platform that doesn’t care about a FICO score, it cares about data.

And then there’s the radical stuff. DeFi protocols like Aave eliminate managers, approvals, even people altogether. What’s left are smart contracts executing exactly what they were written to do.

Fintech hasn’t just digitized finance. It’s rewritten the rules of who gets to play, and how.

The Tech Beneath the Surface

Swipe, tap, confirm. On the surface, fintech looks sleek. Under the hood? A complex stack of infrastructure powering that simplicity.

APIs (and PSD II) are the digital bridges. They let your budgeting app pull transaction history from your bank or your payments app process transfers in real time. Without PSD II forcing banks to open up access, fintech would be a cluster of isolated islands. Instead, it’s a connected ecosystem.

Blockchain takes it further. Beyond Bitcoin, networks like Ethereum let developers create open, decentralized financial instruments. Protocols such as Aave and Morpho aren’t copying banks, they’re reinventing them. Lending and rates aren’t decided by committees anymore; they’re governed by code.

Layer on machine learning and things get smarter. Credit platforms score risk by analyzing behavior and usage patterns, not just credit histories. Fraud detection systems learn in real time, spotting anomalies before humans can. And yes, the rise of AI agents is looming, but that’s a conversation for another article.

It’s a cocktail of technologies that takes old processes, like moving money or managing risk, and makes them faster, fairer, and almost invisible.

Innovation’s Double-Edged Sword

Every revolution has blind spots. Fintech, for all its elegance and promise, is no exception.

The upside is undeniable: speed, access, personalization. Millions of people who were invisible to banks now have financial identities. Borrowing is faster, saving is easier, investing is democratized.

But innovation doesn’t wait for regulators. That’s where risk creeps in.

Take crypto lending. With a few clicks, you can deposit assets into a DeFi platform and earn interest instantly – no paperwork, no gatekeepers. But when the 2022 crypto crash hit, billions vanished overnight as smart contracts auto-liquidated loans without human intervention.

Fintech doesn’t remove risk. It shifts it – from institutions to individuals, from slow-moving bureaucracies to fast-moving code. The challenge isn’t adoption; it’s resilience.

Redefining Trust

Every few decades, technology flips an industry on its head. Fintech isn’t just shaking up banks, it’s questioning the very nature of money. What if money moved like information? What if access wasn’t a privilege, but a protocol?

We’re watching that play out in real time. From mobile wallets to Ethereum’s DeFi protocols, gatekeepers are stepping aside, barriers are falling, and algorithms are taking over. It’s messy, it’s fast, it’s unfinished, but it’s promising. Because at the end of the day, democratizing finance isn’t just about tools. It’s about trust. And that may turn out to be the most powerful innovation of all.

Neda Vacheva is the Director of Consumer Delivery in Paysafe’s product team, with over 10 years of experience in program and project management in the fintech sector. She leads a global team of program managers responsible for the execution of key B2C products and initiatives. Her role sits at the intersection of the product, technical, and business teams, connecting the vision and strategy behind the products (“why”) with the actual execution (“how”). She is inspired by the opportunity to bring people with different perspectives together around a common goal and create synergy – not just because they “have to,” but because they find purpose in it.

What skills do you think are most important for successfully working in a global company with teams from all across the globe?

The most important thing is to communicate clearly, keeping in mind cultural differences and ensuring that everyone understands the same thing. It may sound simple, but it can be a real challenge in a global team.

I have often heard “yes, I understand,” and days later realized that the person was embarrassed to admit a lack of understanding and was hoping to just figure it out later  Agreement doesn’t always mean true understanding. I have learned to always seek confirmation and to create an atmosphere where everybody is comfortable to ask for further clarification. This is not because of  mistrust, but out of respect for the complexity of the environment in which we work.

For me, successful communication also means sensing cultural nuances. “That’s interesting,” said by a British colleague may actually mean “I completely disagree, but I don’t want to argue” While the 5-minute informal “How are you, what are you doing this weekend?” in Latin America is not just politeness, but an important part of the meeting.

In my opinion, the key skills are:

• Clear communication of goals and expectations – what we want to achieve, when, who is responsible, how we will measure success. This should be a shared understanding, not just a polished presentation slide.
• Cultural adaptability and flexibility – knowing when to create a personal connection and when to return to the structure of the conversation. An approach that works for one culture may be incomprehensible or even off-putting in another.
• Trust and delegation – building trust from a distance is difficult but crucial. Good leaders know when to get involved and when to give space.

How do you organize communication and working hours with colleagues in different countries? Are there any cultural or work-related specifics that you take into account?

We currently work mainly with teams from Europe, the US, and Latin America – three time zones, three different rhythms. I structure my time so that I have slots for each location, avoiding extreme hours and relying heavily on asynchronous coordination. We actively use AI, which automatically facilitates meetings outside working hours, and the next morning we receive summarised decisions and next steps. To a large extent, this gives us a sense of participation without actually having to be physically “in the room.”

There are cultural differences, and they are mainly felt in communication – in the US, they prefer short and structured meetings, while for Latin Americans, personal connection and the “first five minutes” of the conversation are important. The British are famously diplomatic, while Bulgarians, in contrast, are super direct. Diversity is both the challenge and the charm of working in a global environment.

Can you recall a situation where cultural differences led to a misunderstanding? How did you overcome it?

I wouldn’t say that cultural differences in themselves lead to misunderstandings. Rather, it’s a lack of clarity. When teams know why they are involved in a particular project, what problem they are solving and for whom, and responsibilities are clearly assigned, then location doesn’t matter.

Yes, there are cultural peculiarities, but they carry enormous potential for innovation, as long as we perceive them not as differences but as additions. Diversity brings energy and vitality.

What are the biggest advantages of working in a multicultural environment? How does it enrich you professionally and personally?

The biggest advantage is that you step out of your own ” bubble” and realize that there is no one truth – there are many ways to achieve good results.

Working in a global team has taught me to listen more, to ask questions instead of making assumptions, and not to take my own perspective as the measure of the world.

Professionally, I believe this makes me a better leader. Personally, it has made me a more curious person.

How do you maintain a sense of teamwork and belonging when working with people you rarely see in person?

Face-to-face meetings are difficult to replace, but you can build trust and a sense of closeness even from a distance. I personally believe in the power of small things– helping without being asked, sending a GIF at just the right moment when someone needs a break. It is also important that meetings are not always simply focused on metrics but that there is space for conversations on a more personal level, talking  about favorite places, experiences, hobbies. From virtual cafes to online toasts – there are many options, as long as there is a desire.

What best practices would you share with someone who is going to work in an international team for the first time?

Above all, listen more than you speak. Don’t make assumptions. Ask questions if you don’t understand the context – you’ll be surprised how often others don’t understand the same thing. Be punctual and respect other people’s time. Use video whenever possible. And most importantly, be yourself – people can sense when you’re being sincere, and that’s what builds trust.

The material and image are provided by Paysafe

Georgi has been in the software industry for almost 20 years, starting his career as a junior programmer. He is currently a software team manager and has been in this role for more than 10 years. He is a supporter of innovation in the industry, both in technical and organizational aspects. His passion and strength lie in building and developing teams and people. On a personal level, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing sports.

What is your perspective on the hybrid work model?

The hybrid work model should be understood both as an opportunity to balance work and personal time, and to strengthen collaboration, teamwork, and social-professional engagement. I’m not claiming it’s the optimal approach for everyone. However, like in any other work arrangement, mutual trust and professional accountability are essential.

What works well and what doesn’t in the hybrid work model?

If the goal of introducing a hybrid model is achieving work-life balance, then flexibility in its implementation is key to its success.

What do you think is the optimal balance between office and remote work for software teams?

Personally, I believe a healthy balance is around half of the time. I’m not a fan of extremes – I don’t think 5/5 office presence yields better results than 4 or 3 out of 5 days.
On the flip side, 1 out of 5 is the least productive setup in my experience. People spend most of the time socializing over lunch and coffee, and that day ends up with near-zero productivity. A possible mitigation of this effect is using that day for team meetings like PI planning or scrum ceremonies.

Can you give an example of when being in the office led to a faster or more creative solution to a problem?

Any developer would think of pair programming situations. But personally, I believe any decision-making scenario is resolved much faster when people are physically together – full communication dynamics are activated, and a psychologically safe environment is created.

Have you noticed a difference in how junior or new engineers develop in a hybrid setup compared to fully remote?

For newcomers in the profession, being close to more experienced colleagues – mentors, buddies, and the team – is much more productive. Like any beginner, they often face “reinventing the wheel” challenges, and it’s much more effective to get immediate help from the person at the next desk than to lose days trying on their own or waiting for replies through digital channels.

Are there aspects of engineering work (e.g., code reviews, pair programming, architecture discussions) that are better in person?

All communication phases are more productive in person because they include emotion and body language. This helps build a psychologically safe environment where participants are more open to sharing ideas and solving problems.
In contrast, when everything happens behind screens, there’s always room for misinterpretation – of both words and potential emotions. Using a second language adds another layer of complexity due to language barriers.

What does your team do to make in-office time meaningful rather than “presence for the sake of presence”?

We use the time for discussions and decision-making – whether part of scrum ceremonies. Morning meetings are always stand-ups.
Lunch and especially short coffee breaks provide regular opportunities for team bonding and getting to know each other. These small but consistent interactions are more valuable than they seem – they let us see each other through all seasons, at different times of day, and in varied emotional states.
After all, we’re all human outside of work and face similar everyday challenges. When someone realizes their own issues are shared by the colleague next to them – both desk neighbours and team members – they feel more understood and accepted. The result: a safer and more productive work environment.

The material and images are provided by Paysafe

Financial technology giant Block, Inc., the parent company of Cash App and Square, has laid off 931 employees—approximately 8% of its global workforce—according to a leaked internal message obtained and published by TechCrunch. The announcement was made in an email sent to employees by co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey on Tuesday.

In the email, Dorsey outlined that the layoffs are part of broader organizational changes and not tied to financial issues or AI-driven automation. Rather, the move is aimed at streamlining the company’s structure, accelerating performance standards, and aligning with new strategic priorities.

Breakdown of Layoffs

According to Dorsey’s message, the job cuts fall into three categories:

• Strategy: 391 employees are being let go as part of strategic shifts within the company.
• Performance: The largest group—460 employees—are being cut due to underperformance or a trend toward underperformance based on internal metrics.
• Management Restructuring: 80 managerial roles have been eliminated to flatten the company’s hierarchy to what Dorsey calls “innercore+4,” meaning his direct reports and four levels below them. Additionally, 193 managers are being reassigned to individual contributor roles.

The company is also closing 748 open positions, with exceptions made for roles that are in the final stages of the hiring process or deemed critical to operations and leadership.

Not the First Cut

This is not the first significant round of layoffs at Block in recent months. In January 2024, the company reduced its workforce by about 1,000 employees. As of its most recent filing in December 2024, Block reported having roughly 11,300 employees globally.

Despite the magnitude of the layoffs, Dorsey emphasized that they are part of an effort to make the organization more agile and performance-focused.

“We are raising the bar and acting faster on performance,”

he wrote in the internal message, published by the leading tech media.

The full text of Jack Dorsey’s leaked email can be read in TechCrunch’s original publication here.

Block has not yet issued a public comment on the matter, TechCrunch reported.

Image by Mark Warner is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Source: TechCrunch

Trump began by expressing his admiration for the Bitcoin community, acknowledging its rapid growth and technological achievements.

“I stand before you today filled with respect and admiration for what the Bitcoin community has achieved. It’s incredible,” he said.

He drew parallels between the early days of Bitcoin and the steel industry a century ago, suggesting that cryptocurrency is still in its infancy and has vast potential for growth.

One of Trump’s main arguments for embracing Bitcoin is its position as a leader in the global financial system. He noted Bitcoin’s remarkable rise in value and its current status as one of the most valuable assets in the world.

“In just 15 years, Bitcoin has gone from merely an idea posted anonymously on an internet message board to being the ninth most valuable asset anywhere in the world. Can you believe that?” Trump stated.

This perspective underscores his belief in the strategic importance of Bitcoin in maintaining America’s economic leadership.

Trump also emphasized the need for America to stay ahead in the global race for technological supremacy.

“If we don’t embrace crypto and Bitcoin technology, China will, other countries will, they’ll dominate, and we cannot let China dominate,” he asserted.

This competitive edge, according to Trump, requires massive investments in infrastructure, including a significant increase in electricity production to support Bitcoin mining and other technological advancements.

One of the most striking aspects of Trump’s speech was his commitment to creating a favorable regulatory environment for cryptocurrency. He pledged to dismantle what he described as the Biden administration’s “war on crypto.” Trump criticized the current administration for targeting the crypto industry through regulatory measures and financial restrictions.

“For three and a half years, the current administration has waged a war on crypto and Bitcoin like nobody’s ever seen before,” he said, vowing to end this approach if re-elected.

In a significant policy announcement, Trump declared his intention to accept campaign donations in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, making him the first major party nominee to do so. This move not only signals his support for the crypto community but also highlights his willingness to integrate digital currencies into mainstream political and economic activities.

Moreover, Trump outlined a comprehensive plan to support the crypto industry, including the creation of a Presidential Advisory Council for Bitcoin and Crypto to establish transparent regulatory guidance.

“Their task will be to design transparent regulatory guidance for the benefit of the entire industry, and they will get it done in 100 days,” he promised.

This approach aims to provide clarity and stability for the crypto industry, fostering an environment where innovation can thrive.

Trump also addressed the issue of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), explicitly stating his opposition to their development under his administration.

“There will never be a CBDC while I’m president of the United States,” he declared, emphasizing his commitment to preserving the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies and protecting individual financial sovereignty.

In a move to boost Bitcoin mining in the United States, Trump proposed transforming the country into a global Bitcoin mining powerhouse. He highlighted the federal government’s significant holdings of Bitcoin and pledged to maintain and grow this stockpile as a strategic national asset.

“As the final part of my plan today, I am announcing that if I am elected, it will be the policy of my administration, United States of America, to keep 100% of all the bitcoin the U.S. government currently holds or acquires into the future,” he announced.

Trump’s speech also touched on the broader economic implications of embracing cryptocurrency. He argued that supporting the crypto industry would lead to economic growth, job creation, and technological innovation.

“As Bitcoin and crypto will grow our economy, cement American financial dominance and strengthen our entire country, long into the future,” he said,

envisioning a future where America leads the world in crypto and blockchain technology.

*Note: This article is based on excerpts from former President Donald Trump’s speech published on YouTube – Firstpost Channel 

Photo: Screenshot from the video

In a historic move, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has given the green light for the listing and trading of several spot bitcoin exchange-traded products (ETPs), marking a significant shift in its stance towards digital assets. This decision comes after a prolonged period of hesitation and disapprovals under the leadership of former Chair Jay Clayton.

🚨BREAKING🚨

Bitcoin ETFs Likely Approved by the SEC

It certainly looks like the #Bitcoin ETF Approval order had hit the SEC website but the link is no longer working. That said, this document looks accurate to me.https://t.co/NhJueWNPJ0 pic.twitter.com/W0ipnlg3j1

— James Seyffart (@JSeyff) January 10, 2024

The turning point for the SEC’s decision was a recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The court criticized the Commission for failing to provide a satisfactory explanation for rejecting Grayscale’s proposed ETP*. This verdict led to the Commission reevaluating its position and ultimately approving the new ETP listings.

The SEC emphasizes that its approval is strictly limited to ETPs holding bitcoin and does not imply endorsement of bitcoin or any other crypto assets. The Commission remains clear that it is “merit neutral” and its primary focus is on ensuring investor protection and public interest under the guidelines of the Exchange Act and its regulations.

Today’s approval introduces stringent investor safeguards. Key measures include mandatory comprehensive disclosure for ETP sponsors, the requirement for these products to be listed on registered national securities exchanges, and the application of existing rules and standards of conduct in the purchase and sale of approved ETPs. This encompasses Regulation Best Interest for broker-dealers and a fiduciary duty under the Investment Advisers Act.

Furthermore, the SEC is concurrently reviewing registration statements for 10 spot bitcoin ETPs, aiming to level the playing field for issuers and foster fairness and competition in the market. This step echoes the Commission’s past experience in overseeing non-security commodity ETPs like precious metals, dating back to 2004.

Despite the approval, the Commission maintains a cautious stance, noting that bitcoin is predominantly a speculative and volatile asset associated with various illicit activities. It underscores that the approval of spot bitcoin ETP shares does not constitute an endorsement of bitcoin. Investors are advised to remain vigilant about the risks associated with bitcoin and crypto-related products.

The decision is a milestone in the evolving narrative of cryptocurrency regulation, reflecting the Commission’s commitment to adapting its approaches in the face of changing market dynamics while upholding its mandate to protect investors and the integrity of the securities markets.

AI generated image @ DeepInfra