The UK is still the market leader in fintech innovation. But with investment in the sector hitting a four year low, those looking to grow are looking across the pond. For many, the US is a land of fintech opportunity. American banking continues to lag behind Europe in several key areas: open banking adoption, fast payment systems, and truly mobile-native experiences. For nimble fintech businesses that have prioritised delivering a top-tier customer experience (CX), US soil is fertile ground for growth. ...

Investment Rating - The report indicates a strong positive outlook for the fintech sector, with significant growth in venture capital (VC) activity and deal values, suggesting a favorable investment environment for 2026. Core Insights - Fintech VC deal value surged in Q4 2025 to $17.3 billion, a 114.3% year-over-year increase, bringing the full-year total to $42.8 billion, the highest since 2022 [9][11] - Median fintech deal sizes increased across all stages in 2025, reflecting a shift toward larger rounds and higher capital concentration, driven by AI premiums [9][12] - B2C fintech drove Q4 megadeals, while enterprise fintech is expected to dominate investor attention in 2026 [9][13] - Exit activity reached its highest level since 2021, with $67.6 billion in total value, indicating a robust IPO and deal pipeline for 2026 [9][21] Fintech Landscape - The fintech landscape includes various segments such as alternative lending, capital markets, commercial finance, payments, and wealthtech [7] Quarterly Analysis - VC funding for fintech companies was robust in Q4 2025, with a total deal value of $17.3 billion, up 86.7% quarter-over-quarter and 114.3% year-over-year [11] - The overall median deal size in 2025 was $6 million, up 25.4% from 2024, with significant increases across all stages [12] - Enterprise fintech captured 58.3% of total fintech VC deal value in 2025, while B2C fintech saw larger deals in Q4 2025 [13] Thematic Updates - Stablecoin adoption is expected to grow significantly in 2026, with a market cap increase of 45.9% year-over-year to $299 billion [34][35] - Tokenization of real-world assets is accelerating, with major financial institutions adopting blockchain technologies for efficiency [38][39] - Prediction markets are emerging as a significant financial asset class, with weekly volumes surpassing $5 billion [45][46] Fintech VC Deal Summary - In 2025, the top fintech segments by VC deal value were credit & banking ($8.5 billion), wealthtech ($8.3 billion), and payments ($6.5 billion) [19] - Notable Q4 deals included Revolut's $3 billion round and Polymarket's $2 billion Series D [20] VC Exits - In 2025, disclosed VC exit value rose 272.2% year-over-year to $67.6 billion, with a significant number of public listings contributing to this increase [21][28] - Key acquisitions in Q4 included Xero's $2.5 billion acquisition of Melio and Ripple's $1.3 billion acquisition of Hidden Road [24][63]

一名加密交易者指控 Revolut 前员工试图以泄露其 KYC 个人信息为要挟索取加密货币赎金，并联系其 家人施压。Revolut 发言人确认，公司已将此事报告给执法机构，相关部门正在调查该前员工的涉嫌行 为。（Cointelegraph） （来源：吴说） ...

Group 1 - Robinhood has submitted a preliminary registration statement to the SEC to launch the Robinhood Ventures Fund I (RVI Fund), aimed at providing retail investors access to investments in private companies [2][4] - The RVI Fund plans to raise $400 million by issuing 40 million shares at an initial price of $25 per share, with 35 million shares issued by RVI and 5 million shares sold by Robinhood Markets [4] - The fund has locked in seven companies as underlying assets, including Databricks, Revolut, and Airwallex, with plans to acquire shares in Stripe post-IPO [6][8] Group 2 - The RVI Fund is structured as a closed-end fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and will be publicly traded on the NYSE under the ticker RVI [4] - Databricks, a key asset, achieved a valuation of $134 billion after a $5 billion funding round in February 2026, while Revolut reached a valuation of approximately $47 billion by 2025 [8][9] - Airwallex has raised over $900 million since its inception and was valued at $9.2 billion in 2025, while Oura and Ramp also feature as significant investments within the fund [9][10] Group 3 - The establishment of the RVI Fund is seen as a potential disruption to the private equity market, allowing retail investors to participate in high-growth opportunities previously dominated by wealthy individuals and institutions [2][11] - Concerns have been raised regarding the risks associated with retail investors entering the private market, with some industry experts labeling the fund's potential issuance as reckless [13] - Despite the risks, Robinhood's founder emphasized that retail investors are eager to pursue such opportunities, particularly in the AI sector [14]

Mexico’s digital financial company Plata has received final approval from the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) to operate as a full bank, concluding a three-year application process. The regulatory clearance allows Plata to expand beyond its existing credit card business, which serves 3 million active users entirely through a mobile app. Plata’s latest funding round valued the firm at $3.1bn, reported Bloomberg. The institution operates without physical branches and plans to broaden it ...

Retail brokerage Robinhood announced plans to launch a fund that would give individual investors access to a basket of private companies. The initiative is positioned as an effort to address persistent imbalances in access to capital markets. However, the structure has drawn comparisons to the initial coin offering (ICO) era. Though the fund will be regulated, it carries several material risks. Opening Private Markets To Retail Robinhood formally announced its Robinhood Ventures Fund I (RVI) on Tuesday, ...

Core Insights - Robinhood is launching Robinhood Ventures Fund I to provide retail investors access to private market investments, which have traditionally been reserved for institutional investors [3][4] - The fund will be listed on the NYSE and will allow retail investors to trade shares of the fund while investing in late-stage private companies [4][6] Fund Structure and Holdings - The fund's portfolio includes significant allocations to companies such as Databricks (23.24%), Revolut (14.30%), and Mercor (14.23%), indicating a focus on enterprise software, fintech, and AI-driven sectors [3][4] - The fund will raise capital through an IPO, and the capital will be used to acquire stakes in private companies, with liquidity provided through the publicly traded shares of the fund [4][6] Investment Potential - Databricks, the fund's largest holding, was valued at approximately $43.4 billion in September 2023, with expectations of reaching a valuation of around $130 billion, representing a potential upside of over 300% [7] - The structure allows retail investors to gain exposure to private market investments without minimum investment requirements or liquidity issues, thus democratizing access to high-growth opportunities [6][7]

Core Insights - The FT Partners 2025 FinTech Almanac indicates a significant recovery in the global fintech sector, with total transaction volume reaching $334 billion, a 39% year-over-year increase, and the number of transactions totaling 5,443 [1][11][21]. FinTech Financing - Private financing volume reached $70 billion, marking a 33% increase, although the number of transactions decreased as capital concentrated on later-stage projects, with an average round size rising to $22 million [2][15][27]. - Early-stage funding (seed and Series A) saw only a 3% increase, with a 24% drop in deal count, indicating a shift towards larger funding rounds [16][32]. - The sectors of Wealth & Capital Markets Tech, Crypto & Blockchain, and InsurTech experienced over 50% year-over-year funding growth [18][19]. Investor Activity - Coinbase Ventures emerged as the most active strategic investor, with strategic investor participation across all fintech funding rounds remaining steady at 38%, while the Crypto & Blockchain sector saw a participation rate of 57% [3][17]. - The average time between Series A and B funding rounds remained at 28 months, reflecting a longer evaluation period for investors [3][15]. FinTech M&A - M&A activity reached a record high with a total volume of $251 billion, driven by 1,737 transactions, including 59 deals exceeding $1 billion, nearly matching the record set in 2021 [1][12][13]. - For the first time, scaled fintech companies conducted more acquisitions than traditional banks and tech firms, highlighting a trend towards industry consolidation [12][13]. - Cross-border M&A activity accounted for 40% of all strategic deals, emphasizing geographic expansion as a key strategy [13]. FinTech IPOs - The IPO market saw a resurgence with 26 fintech IPOs raising $13 billion, a 194% increase in proceeds compared to the previous year [2][19][29]. - Notable IPOs included Klarna and Circle, although stock performance varied significantly among different companies [19][29]. Regional Insights - The Middle East experienced a doubling of fintech funding to $2.8 billion, while the USA saw a 73% increase, contrasting with declines in Europe and Africa [19][21].

Group 1 - The core point of the article highlights a 21% decline in UK fintech investment in 2025, despite growth in global and EMEA fintech investments [2][5] - In 2025, UK fintech companies received $10.97 billion (£8 billion), down from $13.35 billion the previous year, marking the lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic [2] - The EMEA region saw over $29 billion invested in fintech companies in 2025, an increase from approximately $26.5 billion in 2024 [2] Group 2 - The UK remains a major capital recipient in the EMEA region, accounting for about one-third of total investments, despite the decline [2][6] - Revolut, a UK-based bank, secured $3 billion in investment, the largest single investment in Europe for the year [2] - The report from KPMG attributes the decline in UK fintech investment to geopolitical tensions, investor scrutiny, and a high-interest rate environment [2][5] Group 3 - Global fintech investment reached $116 billion in 2025, up from $95 billion in 2024, indicating a positive trend despite ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical risks [3] - The combination of a stronger exit market, clearer regulatory environment, and accelerated innovation is seen as a constructive foundation for sustained investment and long-term value creation [3] Group 4 - AI adoption in the financial services sector in the UK is widespread, with all but 1% of companies utilizing AI technology [4][7] - AI is described as the "connecting organization" in the financial industry, driving advancements in real-time fraud detection, personalized product recommendations, and dynamic customer engagement [4] - Institutions are now focusing on where AI can provide tangible value and how to deploy it responsibly, rather than debating its adoption [4]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue in Q1 fiscal 2026 increased more than four times to $21.4 million compared to $4.6 million in Q1 fiscal 2025 [16] - Gross margin increased significantly to 78.6% in Q1 fiscal 2026 from 24.5% in Q1 fiscal 2025, primarily driven by staking revenue from the Solana treasury strategy [16] - Net loss for Q1 fiscal 2026 was approximately $585.6 million, compared to a net loss of $0.7 million in Q1 fiscal 2025, largely due to a decline in the fair value of SOL holdings [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Forward held approximately 6,962,501 Solana as of December 31, 2025, with over 99% staked, generating a staking yield between 6.5% and 7.2% [13] - Fully diluted SOL per share increased from 0.0604 at the end of September 2025 to 0.0624 at the end of December 2025, representing a growth of roughly 13% in the fiscal first quarter [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Solana continues to lead in key metrics such as decentralized exchange trading volumes, active users, and developer engagement, demonstrating resilience and performance [6][7] - Institutional engagement has expanded significantly, with major financial institutions and payment platforms integrating with Solana [7] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to build a permanent capital vehicle that participates directly in the growth of the Solana ecosystem, evolving beyond a treasury into an active value-generating business [5] - Forward Industries is focused on compounding SOL per share by engaging directly in economic activities on-chain rather than relying solely on passive exposure [6] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledges the volatility in the market but emphasizes that Solana is now being evaluated based on actual performance rather than theoretical scalability [6] - The company believes the opportunity in front of Solana is increasingly clear, with a focus on long-term growth and responsible risk management [5][6] Other Important Information - Forward became one of the first public companies to have its SEC-registered shares live on a public blockchain, enhancing its operational capabilities [8] - The company launched fwdSOL, a proprietary liquid staking token, representing approximately 25% of its SOL holdings, allowing for efficient deployment of staked SOL [9] Q&A Session Summary Question: How does the company view recent token price volatility? - Management noted that SOL is down approximately 70% from its all-time high, which is typical in the crypto market, and emphasized maintaining a clean balance sheet [19][20] Question: What is the company's approach to potential M&A? - The company is looking for accretive acquisitions and is well-positioned to capitalize on opportunities due to its lack of institutional debt [23][24] Question: How should shareholders view SOL per share as a performance metric? - SOL per share growth is considered the North Star KPI, with a target to consistently generate returns greater than the staking yield [24] Question: What is the expected trend for staking yields as Solana network usage grows? - Management clarified that increased validator participation does not impact yields for stakers, and they expect yields to increase with network activity [43][44] Question: Can you clarify the nature of related party G&A expenses? - Related party expenses are associated with the launch of the digital asset treasury strategy and are expected to decrease in the coming months [50]