Core Insights - Visa Inc. is enhancing its competitive position in the Asia Pacific region through a partnership with Collinson International and On-us, providing access to over 1,800 airport lounges for eligible cardholders [1][8] - The collaboration utilizes Collinson's LoungeKey network and On-us' Smart E-voucher technology, allowing instant lounge access via a QR code after qualifying transactions [1][8] - The partnership aligns with the rising travel demand in the Asia Pacific and the increasing preference for travel-related benefits among cardholders [2][4] Company Strategy - This initiative boosts the value proposition of premium rewards for banks and issuers, driving higher transaction volumes and strengthening connections with cardholders [3] - By converting eligible Visa transactions into QR-enabled travel benefits, the company is targeting frequent travelers, a segment known for high spending and cross-border activity [4] Competitive Landscape - Competitors like Mastercard and American Express are also enhancing their offerings; Mastercard reported a 13% increase in net revenues and 15% growth in cross-border volumes in the first nine months of 2025 [5] - American Express has leveraged its relationships with luxury service providers, achieving a 9% rise in total revenues and 7% growth in network volumes during the same period [6] Financial Performance - Visa's stock has increased by 3.7% over the past year, contrasting with a 13.7% decline in the industry [7] - The company trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.79, above the industry average of 19.93, and has a Value Score of D [10] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa's fiscal 2026 earnings suggests an 11.7% increase compared to the previous year [12]

Core Insights - The article discusses the potential for certain undervalued stocks to rebound in 2026, particularly those that underperformed in 2025, suggesting a historical trend where the bottom quartile of performance in one year can lead to top quartile results in the following year [3][4]. Group 1: Market Trends - Historical patterns indicate that stocks like Fiserv, The Trade Desk, and Deckers Outdoor Corporation could transition from laggards in 2025 to outperformers in 2026, driven by macroeconomic factors such as rate cuts and increased election ad spending [7]. - The article highlights that many AI stocks are currently overvalued, while cyclical stocks appear undervalued, creating a favorable environment for potential rebounds in these sectors [8]. Group 2: Company-Specific Insights - Fiserv Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) has seen a significant decline of 67% in 2025, trading at levels last seen in 2017, despite stable fundamentals with flat to slightly lower year-over-year revenue and earnings [5]. - The decline in Fiserv's stock is attributed to a market rotation away from payment networks towards financial stocks focused on AI, cryptocurrency, and buy now pay later solutions [6]. - Fiserv's recovery potential is linked to anticipated aggressive rate cuts, which historically boost payment volume and transaction growth; the stock is considered fundamentally undervalued with a forward P/E ratio of approximately 6.4x and projected earnings growth of 16.9% over the next 12 months [9].

Key Takeaways GPN's shares are down 28.3% YTD as investors weigh its strategic pivot and market pressures.Pending Worldpay buyout and divestiture aim to refocus GPN into a pureplay merchant solutions firm.GPN holds strong liquidity with $2.6B in cash and robust FCF supporting investment and buybacks.Global Payments Inc. (GPN) appears well-positioned to regain momentum as it enters a defining phase, guided by transformative portfolio moves, focused partnerships and an improving financial foundation. Even so, ...

Core Insights - Dutch payment company Mollie is nearing a deal to acquire UK-based fintech GoCardless, with an announcement expected soon [1][2] - The acquisition aims to enhance the scale of both companies to better compete with European rivals like Adyen [2] - GoCardless was valued at $2.1 billion in 2022, with potential acquisition value by Mollie estimated at $1.5 billion [2] Company Profiles - Mollie, backed by Blackstone, reached a valuation of $6.5 billion after a fundraising round in 2021 and serves over 250,000 businesses across Europe [3][5] - GoCardless, co-founded by Tom Blomfield, has nearly 95,000 customers globally and reported a pretax loss of approximately £35 million ($43.8 million) for the year ending June 2024 [4][5] - GoCardless has made strategic moves, including the acquisition of UK rival Nuapay in 2024 and workforce reductions to cut losses [4] Market Context - The deal represents a consolidation trend in the fintech sector, as companies seek to increase their competitive edge [2] - The fintech industry has seen significant valuation fluctuations, with GoCardless's valuation dropping from $2.1 billion to a potential $1.5 billion in the context of market changes [2]

Market Performance - Wall Street set records with the S&P 500 increasing by 0.2% and the Dow Jones Industrial rising by 646 points, or 1.3%, surpassing its previous record [1] - The Nasdaq composite lagged, decreasing by 0.3% due to weakness in AI stocks [1] Economic Indicators - Concerns about the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions and the profitability of investments in AI technology have been prevalent [2] - The Federal Reserve cut its main interest rate for the third time this year, with indications of another potential cut in 2026, which is generally favorable for market conditions [4] Company Performance - Goldman Sachs and Visa saw gains of 2.5% and 6.1% respectively, contributing significantly to the Dow's rise [6] - The Walt Disney Company increased by 2.4% after announcing a $1 billion investment in OpenAI, which includes a three-year agreement for content collaboration [6] - Eli Lilly's stock rose by 1.6% following positive clinical trial results for a treatment related to obesity and knee osteoarthritis [7] - Planet Labs PBC experienced a significant increase of 35% after reporting stronger-than-expected quarterly results [7] Market Sentiment - The Russell 2000 index, representing smaller U.S. stocks, increased by 1.2%, indicating positive sentiment towards smaller companies benefiting from lower interest rates [5] - The Federal Reserve's chair, Jerome Powell, provided reassurance to investors with comments that were less severe than anticipated regarding future interest rate cuts [5]

Blockchain & Payments Industry - Tempo is a new blockchain designed for payments, and its testnet is now live [1] - Tempo has partnerships with companies like Kalshi, Mastercard, and AnthropicAI [1] - Companies globally can now build using Tempo's architecture [1] - Payments is a sector impacting all aspects of modern life, and Tempo is building its future [1] Technology & Development - Tempo's testnet is live, allowing companies to start building [1]

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call on Agentic Commerce Industry Overview - The discussion centers around the evolution of commerce driven by AI agents, termed "Agentic Commerce," which is expected to transform payment and retail sectors significantly [2][24]. Core Insights and Arguments - **Historical Context**: The evolution of retail from department stores to eCommerce and now to AI-driven commerce is highlighted, indicating a significant shift in how consumers interact with products and services [2]. - **Current State of AI in Commerce**: While a growing number of consumers are using AI tools for product searches, the impact on actual commerce remains minimal, with AI chatbots contributing to only a small fraction of total web traffic [3][30]. - **Future of AI Agents**: The potential for AI agents to autonomously plan and execute tasks on behalf of consumers is discussed, which could lead to a more personalized shopping experience [4][5][44]. - **Impact on Payments**: The rise of AI agents is expected to change payment methods, with traditional card networks likely emerging as winners due to their established trust and governance frameworks [9][10][68]. - **Consumer Behavior**: The shift in consumer behavior towards AI-driven shopping experiences is anticipated to take time, with incremental changes being observed in the near term [7][16]. Important Data and Statistics - **Consumer Usage of AI**: Approximately 47% of consumers in the U.S. have used AI for shopping-related tasks, with the most common use cases being finding gift ideas (21%) and conducting product research (16%) [26][30]. - **Market Potential**: McKinsey estimates that orchestrated revenue from Agentic Commerce within B2C retail could reach $1 trillion by 2030 in the U.S., with a global potential of $3 to $5 trillion [28][29]. Risks and Challenges - **Trust and Governance**: The need for robust governance frameworks and trust in AI agents is emphasized, as these agents will handle sensitive transactions and consumer data [9][68]. - **Disintermediation Risks**: Concerns about disintermediation in eCommerce marketplaces are raised, particularly if consumers begin their shopping journeys on third-party AI platforms [16][60]. - **Fragmentation of Protocols**: The current landscape is characterized by fragmentation and experimentation with various protocols for agent communication and payments, which could complicate the adoption of Agentic Commerce [48][69]. Merchant Responses and Developments - **Cautious Adoption**: Merchants are approaching the integration of AI agents with caution, balancing the potential for increased traffic against risks related to brand recognition and data control [60]. - **Innovative Integrations**: Companies like Etsy and eBay are actively integrating AI capabilities to enhance consumer experiences, while Amazon is taking a more protective stance against external AI agents [61][66]. Conclusion - The transition to Agentic Commerce represents a significant paradigm shift in how consumers shop and how payments are processed, with implications for both traditional and new-age payment networks. The evolution of AI agents will require careful navigation of trust, governance, and consumer behavior dynamics as the industry adapts to these changes [46][70].

RT BSCN (@BSCNews)🚨 @Tempo is a new blockchain purpose-built for payments and its testnet just went live.Tempo already boasts some of blockchain's most impressive partnerships ( @Kalshi, @Mastercard, @AnthropicAI and a lot more) and now that testnet is live...Companies across the globe can start building with Tempo's architecture.Payments is a sector that touches every aspect of modern day life and Tempo is building the future of it. This is one to watch... ⬇️https://t.co/5tt4s9kFR8 ...

Group 1: Mastercard and Tencent Partnership - Mastercard is partnering with Tencent to integrate its Move funds transfer service with Tencent's TenPay and Weixin Pay, allowing international senders to transfer money directly to recipients in China [1][2] - This collaboration aims to capture a share of the inbound payment flows to China, which received over $31 billion in international P2P transfers in 2024 [2] Group 2: Visa's Expansion in Cross-Border Payments - Visa is collaborating with OwlTing Group to launch OwlPay Cash, enabling users in the U.S. to make local currency remittances to 26 countries, including Mexico and India [4][6] - Both Visa and Mastercard are focusing on expanding their roles in cross-border payments to diversify revenue streams beyond traditional card transactions [5] Group 3: Worldline's Strategic Moves - Worldline has sold its Swedish subsidiary CoreOrchestration for approximately $160 million to focus on its core payments business amid regulatory pressures [14][15] - The company has previously divested units totaling about $600 million to manage financial challenges and lower its earnings outlook [15] Group 4: SumUp's New Offerings - SumUp is set to launch cash deposit services for merchants in the UK, Italy, Spain, and France, enhancing their banking solutions [20][21] - The company has attracted over €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in customer deposits across 1.5 million business accounts, indicating significant growth [21] Group 5: Socure's Acquisition of Qlarifi - Socure has acquired Qlarifi, a buy now, pay later credit startup, to enhance its identity verification technology and credit decisioning capabilities [24][25] - The acquisition aims to build infrastructure for responsible lending and improve consumer protection in the BNPL sector [25][26]

Welcome to The Protocol, CoinDesk's weekly wrap of the most important stories in cryptocurrency tech development. I’m Margaux Nijkerk, a reporter at CoinDesk. In this issue: Stripe-Backed Blockchain Tempo Starts Testnet; Kalshi, Mastercard, UBS Added as Partners ZKsync Lite to Shut Down in 2026 as Matter Labs Moves On Blockstream Connects Lightning and Liquid for Faster, Private Bitcoin Payments Axelar Unveils AgentFlux to Bring AI Agents Onchain, Without Cloud Risks Unknown block type "divide ...