A new twist on “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) financing is emerging, and this time, it’s aimed at the biggest payment most Americans make monthly: housing. Specifically, rent. Affirm, one of the largest BNPL companies in the U.S., is piloting a program that allows eligible renters to split their monthly rent into two equal biweekly payments at 0% interest, instead of paying one lump sum at the start of the month, CNBC reports. Must Read The program is being offered through a partnership with rental data p ...

Core Insights - YouTube creator MrBeast is expanding into fintech by acquiring the consumer banking app Step, aimed at helping teens manage their finances [1][3] Company Overview - Step is an "all-in-one" digital banking platform that provides services such as savings accounts, a credit-building Visa card, and a cash-advance program, operating through a partnership with Evolve Bank & Trust [2][3] - The acquisition aligns with Beast Industries' strategy to offer technology-driven financial solutions to its audience [3] Financial Background - Step raised $500 million in equity and debt in 2022 from institutional investors, including General Catalyst and Stripe [3] - Beast Industries was valued at approximately $5 billion in its latest funding round and is exploring additional revenue streams beyond media, including a potential mobile phone service [7] Future Plans - MrBeast has filed a trademark for "MrBeast Financial" and is planning to launch fintech services such as student loans and insurance by early 2025 [9] - The company aims to incorporate decentralized finance (DeFi) into its financial services platform [9] Educational Initiatives - MrBeast intends to create educational content about finance, focusing on topics like investing and credit management, to help young people build a financial foundation [10]

Latest: @MrBeast's Beast Industries is acquiring fintech company @step https://t.co/QKGWSbYpSp ...

San Francisco, California--(Newsfile Corp. - February 9, 2026) - National shareholder rights law firm Hagens Berman is notifying investors in Klarna Group plc (NYSE: KLAR) of the upcoming February 20, 2026, lead plaintiff deadline in a pending securities class action. The firm is actively investigating the lawsuit's claims of alleged misstatements in Klarna's September 2025 Initial Public Offering (IPO) documents.CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR KLARNA LOSSESInvestors who purchased Klarna (KLAR) shares pursuant t ...

Built for speed. Tuned to deliver.Proud to support @McLarenF1 as they unveil a car engineered to compete at the highest level.Same mindset we bring to building world-class fintech at OKX. https://t.co/LnqNbZZXmR ...

Earnings Reports Overview - A high-volume slate of earnings reports from the technology, consumer discretionary, and energy sectors is scheduled, which will provide insights into current market momentum and investor sentiment [1] - Companies such as Monday.com Ltd. and Pagaya Technologies Ltd. have already reported their earnings before the market opened on February 9 [1] Key Earnings Estimates - Analysts expect a commission-free brokerage platform to announce an EPS of 63 cents, reflecting a 16% increase from the same period last year, and quarterly revenue of $1.33 billion, up from $1.01 billion last year, marking a 4.7% increase compared to the third quarter [2] - Nebius Group N.V. is anticipated to report a loss of $1.14 per share and revenue of $246.05 million [3] Notable Company Performances - AppLovin shares have declined over 33% year-to-date, indicating potential challenges in the consumer staple and tech sectors [3] - Coinbase Global, Inc. is expected to report earnings of 68 cents per share on revenue of $1.86 billion, with a focus on offsetting a projected 33% drop in transaction revenue through its stablecoin and subscription services [5]

Figure’s Home Equity Line of Credit token, or Figure Heloc, is getting big. The asset, which represents loans taken out through Figure against real estate, has grown to more than $15 billion in recent months, making it the 10th-largest crypto token listed on platforms like CoinGecko. Yet as its supply swells, critics argue it shouldn’t be compared to other crypto assets such as Cardano’s ADA and the $16 billion memecoin, Dogecoin. They argue that the token’s lack of onchain use and poor liquidity raise ...

Impactive Capital has nominated four candidates for election to the board of WEX at its upcoming annual shareholders' meeting, the activist investor said on Monday, ramping up pressure on the fintech ... ...

Core Insights - Pagaya Technologies reported strong financial results for Q4 2025, with revenue of $335 million and adjusted EBITDA of $98 million, reflecting a 29% margin [1][3][4] - The company emphasized a disciplined approach towards profitability and risk management, achieving its fourth consecutive quarter of GAAP net income [3][4][7] Financial Performance - Q4 revenue was $335 million, with Fee Revenue Less Production Costs (FRLPC) at $131 million, representing 4.9% of network volume [1][4] - For the full year, Pagaya achieved $1.3 billion in revenue, a 26% increase year-over-year, and $371 million in adjusted EBITDA, up 76% [3][4] - GAAP net income for the year was $81 million, with earnings per share (EPS) of $0.93, marking a significant improvement from the previous year [3][4] Risk Management - The company has tightened its risk posture, reducing exposure to higher-risk segments, which led to a volume reduction of approximately $100 million to $150 million in Q4 without impacting profitability [6][10][11] - Management noted that credit performance across personal loans, auto, and point-of-sale (POS) remained within expectations and risk tolerance [23] Product and Funding Diversification - Pagaya expanded its funding and product offerings, issuing $2.9 billion across seven ABS transactions in Q4 and establishing new partnerships [5][19] - The company is diversifying its capital structure away from reliance on pre-funded ABS structures towards more committed capital arrangements [18] Future Guidance - For FY 2026, Pagaya targets revenue between $1.4 billion and $1.575 billion, with adjusted EBITDA guidance of $410 million to $460 million [6][27] - The company anticipates a FRLPC margin of 4% to 5% for 2026, with expectations of a reduction due to POS expansion and new partner contributions [25]

Core Insights - Crypto venture capital funds are facing an identity crisis due to declining digital asset prices and market consolidations, revealing the industry's fragility in building sustainable businesses [1][2] - Retail traders are moving away from digital art and memecoins, with token prices crashing significantly, prompting crypto VCs to adopt a more traditional startup approach focused on product-market fit and long-term user retention [2][3] Market Performance - Bitcoin's price has dropped nearly 50% from its record high in October, while smaller altcoins have seen declines of up to 70% year over year, indicating a significant downturn in retail demand for cryptocurrencies [3] - Despite a crypto-friendly regulatory environment, the demand that previously fueled venture capital investments in tokens has diminished [3] Investment Shifts - Crypto-native funds are shifting their focus towards more stable areas such as stablecoin infrastructure and on-chain prediction markets, while also exploring adjacent sectors like fintech and AI [4][6] - Prominent crypto investment firms are pivoting towards deep tech investments, including robotics, as the focus moves away from traditional crypto sectors like NFTs and gaming [6] Fundraising Landscape - In 2025, venture firms invested $18.9 billion into crypto startups, a figure that, while substantial, is below the speculative highs of 2021 and 2022, and highlights a concentration of capital in a few major deals [7] - Nearly a third of the total VC investment in 2025 was allocated to just four deals, indicating a trend towards concentrated capital deployment in the crypto sector [7]