Latest FinTech & Blockchain News
Binance Partners with Capitec Pay for Direct ZAR Deposits in South Africa
Binance integrated Capitec Pay, allowing South African users to fund crypto accounts directly via in-app bank approval, replacing manual EFTs. This enhances security by matching identities and reduces fraud, lowering entry barriers for Capitec's large customer base.
Swift Announces Blockchain Shared Ledger for Tokenized Asset Transactions
Swift plans to integrate a shared ledger for 24/7 cross-border payments and tokenized asset settlements like bonds, following trials with BNP Paribas, Intesa Sanpaolo, and Societe Generale–Forge. It positions Swift as a bridge between legacy systems and blockchains using ISO 20022 standards.
Kaspi.kz Reports Q3 2025 Revenue of $2.5B with 68% Gross Margins
Kazakhstan's fintech super app Kaspi achieved 1.11 trillion KZT revenue and 278 billion KZT net income, with payments up 18%, marketplace take rate at 10.3%, and fintech loans growing 30% YoY. Despite headwinds like taxes and rates, advertising surged 56%.
Goldman Sachs Upgrades Kaspi.kz to Buy Amid Emerging Market Discount
Goldman Sachs set a $107 target for Kaspi, citing its 6.89x earnings valuation as undervalued despite strong 59.6% ROE. Challenges include Kazakhstan's rate hike to 16.5% and expansion uncertainties in Turkey via Hepsiburada and Rabobank acquisitions.
JPMorgan Downgrades Kaspi.kz on Softening 2026 Fintech Outlook
JPMorgan cut Kaspi's target to $88 due to regulatory costs, high interest rates, and macro volatility in Kazakhstan. New reserve requirements and currency risks add pressure, offsetting robust core growth.
Fintech Market Projected to Reach $2.93 Trillion by 2030
Global fintech services hit $1.86 trillion in 2025, with strong growth in payments driven by consumer demand. High-risk sectors like crypto face scrutiny amid rising chargeback volumes projected up 24% through 2028.
Chargeback Volumes to Surge 24% in High-Risk Industries Like Crypto
Mastercard reports crypto exchanges average $124 chargebacks, gambling $143, pushing merchants over 1% ratios into high-risk classification by Visa and Mastercard. New businesses face higher rejection rates from processors.
Airtel Money Plans Overdraft Service to Compete with Safaricom’s Fuliza
Airtel Money is launching an overdraft service in Kenya to challenge Safaricom’s dominant Fuliza product. This aims to capture more market share in mobile money lending amid growing competition.
South Africa Mandates Digital Asset Compliance for Capital Markets by 2027
South Africa’s directive requires all regulated entities, including fintechs and robo-advisors, to comply with digital asset rules by June 30, 2027, post-crypto legalization in March 2025. It treats digital assets as systemically relevant.
Kaspi Launches Kaspi AI in January 2026 for Merchant Product Content
Kaspi is rolling out Kaspi AI to assist merchants in creating product content, having enriched over 500,000 products already. This supports exploding advertising growth of 76% over nine months.
Top Payment Processors for High-Risk Merchants Compared
Providers like 2Accept offer fast approvals and instant payouts for all major cards, while PaymentCloud provides daily payouts and Durango weekly for limited high-risk. Choosing industry-specific processors is key to approval.
Stablecoin Cross-Border Payments Face Regulatory Pressures
Easier bank regulations for payments, including LC issuance, reduce disruption space for stablecoins despite tech advances. Cross-border remains a regulatory, not technological, challenge.