Latest FinTech & Blockchain News

📅January 10, 2026 at 1:00 AM

Fintech starts 2026 with rebounding investment, large funding rounds, stablecoin and crypto-payments expansion, and tighter but clearer global regulation for digital assets.

Global FinTech investment rebounds by over 20% year‑on‑year

Global **fintech investment** has risen by **more than one‑fifth in the last year**, signalling renewed capital appetite after the 2023–24 downturn. Analysts highlight growing backing for payments, digital assets and embedded finance, with investors focusing on scalable, regulated business models rather than speculative crypto cycles.

Stablecoin infrastructure startup Rain raises $250m Series C at $1.95bn valuation

Stablecoin payments firm **Rain** closed a **$250m Series C** led by Iconiq, lifting its valuation to **$1.95bn**, a 17x jump from March 2025. Founded in 2021, Rain powers Visa-linked cards and wallets so enterprises can spend and receive stablecoins, already processing over **$3bn annualized volume** for more than 200 corporate clients.

FinTech funding starts 2026 slowly after holiday ‘hangover’

Early 2026 **fintech deal activity** is subdued, with analysts citing a “holiday hangover” even as some large later‑stage rounds still close. The environment shows a split: mega‑rounds for scaled platforms alongside slower activity for smaller startups still facing valuation pressure and tighter due‑diligence standards.

Cyera secures $400m Series F as AI‑data security demand soars

Data‑security platform **Cyera** raised **$400m in Series F** funding led by Blackstone, tripling its valuation to **$9bn** in a year. The company offers unified visibility and control over sensitive data across cloud, on‑prem and hybrid environments, with new capital earmarked for AI‑native security features and global expansion.

Swap raises $100m to expand cross‑border e‑commerce and payments stack

E‑commerce operations and payments platform **Swap** secured **$100m in Series C** funding co‑led by Iconiq and DST Global, following a $40m Series B nine months earlier. Swap plans to strengthen its **digital payments infrastructure** and expand across Europe and North America as brands seek unified logistics, tax, and cross‑border payment solutions.

NCFA highlights regulatory tightening and crypto integration into mainstream wealth

The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada reports that regulators are **tightening how institutions treat crypto exposures in capital planning**, raising governance expectations. A major US bank filing for **crypto ETFs** is pushing digital assets deeper into “mainstream wealth plumbing,” favouring infrastructure providers with strong custody, reporting and risk controls.

India moves toward stricter oversight for high‑growth payments and fintech rails

NCFA’s global briefing notes that **India** is reinforcing payments oversight and bank governance, signalling that scale will come with **stricter supervision** rather than looser rules. Founders routing flows through India are advised to treat this as a “timeline accelerator” for compliance and a higher bar for risk management, especially in cross‑border payments.

Analysts forecast stablecoins to rival legacy interbank settlement in 2026

Industry commentary citing **Juniper Research** predicts **stablecoins will begin to rival existing interbank settlement layers**, reflecting rapid institutional adoption of tokenized money. The same outlook sees growing roles for **agentic AI in finance** and broader use of blockchain for back‑office efficiencies, rather than just speculative trading.

2026 seen as breakout year for pay‑by‑crypto and AI‑native neobanks

Fintech strategist Jas Shah argues that **pay‑by‑crypto** is entering an early mainstream phase, with large merchants and infrastructure players driving usage of stablecoins at checkout. He also predicts the rise of the first **AI‑native neobank**, where AI agents handle proactive money management, not just chatbots bolted onto legacy stacks.

Crypto industry enters more regulated phase as exchanges face higher standards

Outlook pieces on **crypto in 2026** emphasize that the sector is maturing into a more **regulated financial ecosystem**, with stronger requirements on security, KYC/AML, and transparency. Retail and institutional users are urged to prioritize exchanges with robust compliance, clear fee structures, and reliable custody arrangements as regulatory scrutiny intensifies.

Weekly fintech round‑up: banks, payment giants and African fintechs in focus

A recent weekly digest highlights early‑year moves from **JPMorgan, Euronet, Flutterwave, Lloyds, Fiserv and Mastercard**, underscoring incumbents’ continued push into fintech partnerships. Themes include expansion of real‑time and cross‑border payments, bank‑fintech collaborations, and new digital offerings aimed at SME and consumer segments.

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