Apple has tapped Google to power a new artificial intelligence (AI)-centric version of Siri.By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions .Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.The two tech giants announced a partnership Monday (Jan. 12), saying the n ...

Core Trends - The transition from reactive, siloed systems to proactive, integrated systems is a key trend, with AI expected to reshape various sectors by anticipating needs rather than merely responding to requests [3][9] - Digital infrastructure is becoming foundational, with real-time processes and embedded services expected to be standard rather than innovative [4][9] - Regulatory environments are maturing but remain fragmented globally, with some regions providing clearer rules while others create uncertainty [5][13] AI and Automation - AI, particularly agentic and conversational AI, is anticipated to become invisible infrastructure, embedded in decision-making processes across industries [3][7] - The importance of trust, resilience, and security is rising as new risks emerge from AI and digitization, leading to increased investment in advanced security technologies [6][9] Financial Services Landscape - The financial services landscape in 2026 will be characterized by agentic AI, digital assets like stablecoins, and divergent regulatory environments [11][12] - Embedded finance is expected to expand beyond payments, allowing non-financial companies to enter financial services profitably [12][20] Market Dynamics - The fintech sector is entering a pivotal moment of convergence and divergence, with traditional institutions and technology firms increasingly overlapping in roles and capabilities [10][8] - The stablecoin market is projected to reach $1 trillion by the end of 2026, indicating its growing importance in bridging traditional and decentralized finance [43] Regulatory Challenges - Regulatory fragmentation is expected to increase cross-border friction, complicating compliance for global fintechs and financial institutions [39][40] - Compliance will become a competitive differentiator, with firms needing to modernize their systems to meet regulatory requirements [33][34] Predictions for 2026 - Predictions indicate that 2026 will be a year of consolidation, with fewer but stronger integrated platforms emerging as experimentation gives way to established models [7][9] - The embedded finance market is forecasted to reach $7.2 trillion by 2030, highlighting the significant growth potential in this area [20]

Core Insights - JPMorgan Chase has become the new issuer of the Apple Card, replacing Goldman Sachs, which involves a transition of a $20 billion portfolio and maintains Mastercard as the network [3] - Apple is leveraging the Apple Card to enhance its ecosystem strategy, integrating financial services into its hardware offerings to foster daily consumer engagement [1][5] - The trend towards embedded finance is growing, with 99.8% of surveyed companies offering at least one embedded finance capability, and 69% adopting banking features [10] Group 1: Apple and JPMorgan Chase Collaboration - The partnership allows JPMorgan Chase to position banking and savings services closer to consumers within the Apple ecosystem, facilitating cross-selling opportunities [6][11] - The Apple Card is designed to provide real-time visibility into spending and rewards, reinforcing its role as a key financial product within the Apple Wallet [5] - Consumers are increasingly comfortable accessing financial services within nonbank digital environments, preferring integrated financial tools over standalone banking apps [8] Group 2: Market Dynamics and Embedded Finance - The shift towards embedded finance is becoming foundational across industries, with companies embedding financial services to strengthen customer relationships and improve user experience [9][10] - Banks that successfully integrate services into dominant consumer ecosystems can achieve stickier balances and richer behavioral data, enhancing customer engagement [13] - The competitive landscape for deposits is intensifying, making embedded banking a strategic necessity for financial institutions [11][12]

Core Insights - Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM) and American Express Company (AXP) operate in different segments of the payments ecosystem, with both companies positioned at the intersection of consumer spending and credit [1] - The evolving payment preferences and financing models are leading investors to compare traditional card-based companies with newer embedded-finance disruptors [2] Affirm's Position - Affirm is a key player in the buy now, pay later (BNPL) model, integrating into digital checkout experiences, and has reported a 33.6% year-over-year revenue growth in its last quarter [4][10] - The company has 24.1 million active consumers and a 96% repeat transaction rate, indicating strong user engagement [4][10] - Affirm's technology-first underwriting model utilizes real-time data and machine learning for credit risk assessment, which has stabilized credit performance [5] - The company has a growing merchant ecosystem with 420,000 partners, including major brands like Shopify and Amazon, enhancing its market presence [6] - Affirm's long-term debt-to-capital ratio stands at 70.6%, higher than AmEx's 64.1%, reflecting its growth-stage profile [7] - The company is diversifying its funding sources through securitizations and bank partnerships, which is expected to improve profitability over time [8] American Express's Position - American Express is recognized as a leading operator in traditional payments, benefiting from a loyal customer base and strong brand equity, with an 11% revenue growth in its latest quarter [9][10] - The company's revenue mix is heavily reliant on lending and interest income, which may limit its agility in adopting new payment technologies [11] - Growth for AmEx is more incremental due to its deep market penetration, making it challenging to achieve outsized growth without increasing credit risk [12] - Innovation at AmEx is characterized as measured rather than disruptive, which may restrict its competitive edge against faster-moving fintech companies [13] Comparative Analysis - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates a projected 560% year-over-year earnings surge for Affirm in fiscal 2026, compared to a 15.4% increase for American Express [14][15] - Affirm trades at a higher price-to-sales multiple of 5.58X, reflecting its growth profile, while AmEx's multiple is 3.33X, indicative of its maturity [16] - Over the past month, Affirm has outperformed American Express, with a 14% increase compared to AmEx's 5.8% rise [18] Conclusion - While American Express provides stability and reliable cash flows, Affirm is positioned as the more attractive growth opportunity for 2026, driven by rapid revenue growth and an expanding merchant ecosystem [21]

PayPal said it is ready to venture deeper into small business lending.By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions .Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.The company applied to the Utah Department of Financial Institutions and the Federal Deposit Ins ...

We also found that traders today value experience as much as execution; they want real-time, frictionless access to the markets. The Eightcap Embedded multi-asset capability enables that ecosystem, where a trader doesn’t just buy or sell crypto with their exchange but has the opportunity to diversify their assets with derivatives. This increases both engagement and monetisation potential for our clients. Eightcap Embedded wasn’t built in response to a single client need; it emerged from observing the shift ...

PresentationAndrew TaylorFounder, MD, CEO & Director Good morning, everyone. Thank you for attending the webinar this morning. I'll just give another 30 seconds. I see there's a few more people jumping on. Okay. Good morning, everyone. I'll kick things off. Thank you for joining me today for this end of year wrap. Long overdue. So really excited about presenting our progress to date. And I know there's been a lot of questions specifically about the business and really what we're doing. So hopefully, this is ...

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 8, 2025. Registration No. 333-_______ UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM S-1 Cayman Islands 6770 N/A (Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) 13 Stamford Road, #02-11, Singapore 178905 +65 8768 8988 REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 AfterNext Acquisition I Corp. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) (State or ...

Summary of Marqeta 2025 Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Marqeta (NasdaqGS:MQ) - **New CEO**: Mike Milotich has been appointed as CEO and CFO, focusing on strategic initiatives and growth [1][3] Key Industry Insights - **Platform Differentiation**: Marqeta operates a full modern platform that supports both credit and debit transactions across over 40 markets, which is a key driver for future growth [4][5] - **Scalability**: The company plans to add approximately $100 billion in volume to its platform, emphasizing the importance of scalability for large enterprises and financial institutions [5] Business Performance - **Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)**: - BNPL business saw a 33% growth in total payment volume (TPV) in the last quarter, with lending and BNPL use cases growing over 60% [8][9] - Adoption of Visa's Flexible Credential has significantly improved the value proposition for BNPL services [9][10] - European operations are also growing rapidly, particularly with Klarna migrating millions of cards to Marqeta's platform [12][30] - **On-Demand Delivery**: This segment has seen a resurgence, doubling its growth rate and expanding into new merchant categories and markets [14] - **Gross Profit Growth**: - The company expects gross profit growth to exceed 20% this year, driven by strong performance in BNPL and on-demand delivery [20][21] - International business, particularly in Europe, is growing over 100% in TPV, contributing to overall growth [22] Customer Relationships and Contract Renewals - **Major Customer Updates**: - Two major contract renewals are pending, expected to impact growth by about 2 percentage points each [18][19] - Block, Marqeta's largest customer, is diversifying processors, which may impact gross profit by approximately 200 basis points in 2026 [23][24][26] - **Klarna Partnership**: The Klarna Card has launched in 15 new countries, showcasing Marqeta's ability to support rapid expansion and innovation [30] Operational Efficiency - **Cost Management**: - The company has improved operational efficiency, with adjusted EBITDA expected to exceed $100 million this year, up from $29 million last year [36] - Stock-based compensation is projected to stabilize around $110 million annually, essential for attracting and retaining talent [40] Strategic Acquisitions - **TransactPay Acquisition**: This acquisition enhances Marqeta's ability to serve multinational customers consistently, allowing for seamless processing and program management across regions [42][44] Future Outlook - **Growth Strategy**: Marqeta aims to continue expanding its platform capabilities and customer base, particularly in the embedded finance sector, targeting large multinational companies [45][46] Conclusion - Marqeta is positioned for significant growth through its scalable platform, strong performance in BNPL, and strategic partnerships, while also focusing on operational efficiency and customer retention strategies.

Transaction Overview - CommerceOne Financial Corporation (C1) will acquire Green Dot Corporation (GDOT), and then sell GDOT's Embedded Finance business (OpCo) to affiliates of Smith Ventures LLC[14] - GDOT shareholders will receive $811 per share in cash plus 02215 shares of C1 for every share of GDOT, with an illustrative total value per share of $1423 – $1918[14] - The OpCo will be sold for $690 million in cash, including $65 million of Unsecured Notes, with $155 million contributed to BankCo for regulatory capital purposes[14] Financial Highlights and Synergies - The transaction unlocks significant value for shareholders by realizing upfront value for embedded finance assets and providing upside potential via participation in the bank sponsorship platform[18] - GDOT shareholders will have approximately 72% ownership in the combined BankCo, sharing in the value creation opportunity[10, 20] - The combined BankCo is projected to have approximately $490 million in tangible book value (TBV)[10, 20] - The long-term commercial arrangement allows the combined BankCo to benefit from the Embedded Finance OpCo via an attractive, recurring fee structure, projected at ~$30 million+ annually[42, 44] Pro Forma Institution and Market Opportunity - The pro forma institution aims to create a balanced, multi-faceted banking platform combining CommerceOne's relationship-driven origination with Green Dot Bank's (GDB) efficient deposit strategy[24, 30] - The embedded finance market presents a $230 billion+ opportunity, with a 20% CAGR projected from 2023A to 2027E[36, 39]