Databricks Raises $5 Billion to Expand Enterprise AI Agent Platform
Databricks raised $5 billion in funding at a $190 billion valuation, up from $134 billion in February. The company plans to expand its enterprise AI agent platform with the new capital.
Bank of America to buy up to 49.9% stake in Jio Credit for $1.9B
Bank of America will acquire up to 49.9% stake in Jio Credit for $1.9 billion. The investment reflects the bank's confidence in India as a growth market where it has operated for decades.
Yuno Raises $45 Million to Drive Global Payments Push
Yuno raised $45 million in Series B funding to expand its AI-native payments operating system for enterprises. The platform connects businesses through a single API to more than 1,000 payment and financial service providers.
Companies Want to Own Their AI, Not Rent It
Enterprises are shifting toward owning specialized AI models instead of renting general-purpose ones used by all competitors. Specialized alternatives can cost five to ten times less to run than rented models while keeping proprietary data internal.
Housecall Pro Brings Klarna Payment Tools to Home Service Pros
Housecall Pro's platform now offers customers Klarna payment options including pay in full, Pay in 4, and longer-term financing for home service charges. These solutions allow homeowners additional payment methods for repairs and home improvement projects through their service providers.
Intuit Debuts AI Tools for Middle Market Companies
Intuit introduced AI-centered updates to its QuickBooks Online Advanced and Intuit Enterprise Suite platforms for middle market companies. The new tools are designed to help finance teams explain how financial numbers were calculated.
CFTC Invokes Emergency Powers to Keep Prediction Markets Platform Kalshi Operational
The CFTC invoked emergency powers to maintain operations for prediction markets platform Kalshi following a market disruption alert from KalshiEX. The emergency action was triggered by a lawsuit from New York's Attorney General challenging the platform's regulatory status.
UK Financial Conduct Authority Looks to the Tokenization of Gold
The FCA is developing a regulatory framework for gold tokenization to enable its use as collateral in wholesale markets. The framework would address how digitized gold could function within financial systems and trading operations.
Nasdaq to Acquire LeveL Markets as Part of Always-On Markets Push
Nasdaq agreed to acquire LeveL Markets LLC, a US off-exchange equity trading venue, through a definitive agreement announced August 11, 2026. The purchase supports Nasdaq's strategy to develop always-on market infrastructure for continuous equity trading.
Zeplyn Launches Agentic Account-Opening Workflow in Partnership with Schwab
An AI-powered account-opening workflow now enables wealth advisors to open Schwab Advisor Services accounts in seconds through automated agents. The integration between Zeplyn Agent Nexus and Schwab Advisor Center also covers meeting preparation workflows for wealth managers.
States lean in on payments plays
States are expanding regulatory oversight of emerging payment services including earned wage access and buy now, pay later options. A former California state government lawyer discusses how these regulatory efforts will develop across different jurisdictions.
Fintechs want to become banks. Bunq just found out what the OCC expects in return.
Bunq, a Dutch neobank with 20 million users across 30+ European countries, encountered regulatory requirements from the OCC while pursuing its own banking charter. The fintech discovered that obtaining independent bank status demands significantly more regulatory compliance and oversight than partnering with existing banks.
Target Appoints Lowe’s Veteran Chandhu Nair as First Chief AI Officer
Target appointed Chandhu Nair as its first chief artificial intelligence officer, effective August 24. Nair previously served as senior vice president of stores, data, AI and innovation at Lowe's.
HappyRobot Vaults to $1.2 Billion Valuation as Enterprise Demand for AI Automation Soars
HappyRobot raised $150 million in Series C funding at a $1.2 billion post-money valuation. The round brought the AI agent platform's total funding to $200 million.
Amex Ventures Funds Fazeshift’s Agentic AI Expansion Beyond Accounts Receivable
Fazeshift received an investment from Amex Ventures to expand its artificial intelligence agent platform beyond accounts receivable into other finance operations. The funding builds on Fazeshift's prior Series A round, enabling broader deployment across additional finance functions.
Coinbase Enables Businesses to Get Paid by AI Agents
Businesses can now accept payments from artificial intelligence agents through Coinbase's Business suite using x402, an open standard for machine-to-machine payments. Funds settle instantly in USDC cryptocurrency.
Broadridge Financial Solutions’ Blockchain Repo Platform Handles $8T in July Transactions
Broadridge Financial Solutions' blockchain-based Distributed Ledger Repo platform processed $8 trillion in repurchase agreements during July 2026. The platform averaged $365 billion in daily transactions across trading days.
inKind Raises $414 Million to Fuel Restaurant Commerce Platform
inKind raised $414 million in a second financing round, bringing its total capital to over $1.2 billion. The company operates a restaurant commerce platform designed to connect participants in the food service industry.
Upwork Navigates Cross-Currents as AI Reshapes Freelance Demand
Low-complexity freelance assignments are being automated faster than Upwork anticipated, according to the company's second-quarter results. The earnings report revealed how AI is reshaping demand across different types of freelance work and changing what businesses are willing to pay for.
Wells Fargo Brings the Stablecoin Fight Inside the Bank
Wells Fargo will offer tokenized deposits to corporate clients starting this fall, enabling blockchain-based transfers in U.S. dollars and British pounds. The service allows companies to move and program funds while keeping assets within the traditional banking system.
Nvidia Forms Financial Partnerships to Fuel AI Factory Boom
Nvidia partnered with six financial institutions to establish independent compute platforms designed to mobilize over $500 billion in third-party capital for AI infrastructure buildout. The partnerships involve firms including Apollo, BlackRock, and Blackstone.
Brazil Signals Surging Confidence in Plan to Export Pix Globally
Brazil's central bank expressed increased confidence in linking its Pix instant payment system to similar platforms in other countries. The central bank stated that connecting Pix to other instant payment systems could lower costs and accelerate transactions.
New bank targeting 'innovation economy' closes in on $1.5bn funding round
Erebor, a new bank backed by tech billionaires, is closing in on a $1.5 billion funding round. The bank aims to fill the market gap created by Silicon Valley Bank's collapse.
Blockchain.com Secures Cayman Islands VASP Custody Licence
Blockchain.com obtained a Virtual Asset Service Provider custody license from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. The license enables the platform to provide regulated custody services for digital assets in the jurisdiction.
AI Helped British Airways Reach Its Best On-Time Performance
British Airways achieved 86% on-time departures from Heathrow in the first quarter using artificial intelligence to reduce flight delays. The airline implemented AI technology to address years of operational challenges at its hub airport.
Hackers target PE firms with old-school vishing attacks - Google researchers
Hackers have targeted dozens of private equity firms using vishing attacks, which are phone-based social engineering techniques rather than AI-powered methods. Google security researchers documented these low-tech attacks occurring over recent months against the financial services sector.
European Union Moves Forward with MiCA Review to Address Non-EU Stablecoin Guidelines
The European Union has initiated a formal review of its Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation to address gaps in rules governing stablecoins issued outside the bloc. Officials determined the review was necessary after the framework became operational and revealed deficiencies in non-EU stablecoin guidelines.
Singapore Fintech Association Launches Payments Code to Raise Transparency, Consumer Protection
The Singapore FinTech Association launched a new payments code of conduct to increase transparency and consumer protection in the sector. The initiative ensures people understand their payment costs and what safeguards apply to their transactions.