CHATSWORTH, Calif., Feb. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XYRA Corp., an AI-driven, quantum-secure payment network uniting remittances, fintech, and crypto assets under one tokenized, compliant infrastructure, and a subsidiary of Cavitation Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: CVAT), today announced the appointment of Maria Medvedeva as Chairwoman of the Board of Advisors of XYRA Corp. At XYRA, Ms. Medvedeva will help guide the company’s expansion as it scales its AI-driven payments infrastructure across the Americas. He ...

Core Insights - SoFi is an online-only bank targeting younger customers who are comfortable with digital banking, reflecting the shift towards digital financial services [1][2][3] - The company, founded in 2011 and based in San Francisco, offers a range of banking services including loans, credit cards, and investment accounts [2][3] - J.P. Morgan's analysis highlights SoFi as a promising fintech stock, contrasting it with established player PayPal, which faces increasing competition [4][5] Company Overview - SoFi has approximately 13.7 million members and has funded over $73 billion in loans since its inception, with members paying off more than $34 billion in debt [6] - The company reported $1.025 billion in revenue for Q4 2025, a 40% year-over-year increase, exceeding expectations by over $30 million [7] - SoFi's adjusted EPS for Q4 2025 was $0.13, surpassing consensus estimates by two cents, and total membership grew by 35% year-over-year [7] Financial Performance - For Q1, SoFi is guiding towards a GAAP EPS of about $0.12 and adjusted revenue of around $1.04 billion, aligning with market expectations [8] - Despite a 10% decline in shares post-earnings, J.P. Morgan analyst Reginald Smith views this as an attractive entry point, citing strong user growth and deposit increases [9] - SoFi's loan portfolio is nearly $40 billion, with significant potential for fee income from its expanding financial services offerings [9] Analyst Ratings - J.P. Morgan rates SoFi shares as Overweight (Buy) with a price target of $31, indicating a potential upside of approximately 49% [10] - The consensus rating for SoFi from the Street is Hold, with 14 analyst reviews including 4 Buys, 7 Holds, and 3 Sells, and an average price target of $26.05, suggesting a 25% gain in the next 12 months [10]

This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. A proposed Federal Reserve “skinny” account will be hobbled if regulators don’t allow fintech companies access to FedACH, fintech trade groups said last week in comments to the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, banking groups urged the Fed to proceed cautiously with its so-called prototype payment account. The Fed published the proposal in December, seeking public comme ...

Core Insights - Adyen and Uber have renewed and expanded their global partnership, which began in 2012, to enhance Uber's payment processing capabilities across over 70 countries [1][2]. Group 1: Partnership Expansion - The expanded partnership allows Uber to utilize Adyen's global payments platform to improve performance and offer more alternative payment methods, supporting Uber's international growth [2]. - New territories where Uber is leveraging Adyen's services include the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, and the Caribbean, along with local acquiring expansions in Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Australia [2]. - The partnership will also focus on integrating high-growth local payment methods such as Pix in Brazil, AfterPay in Australia, and WeChat Pay globally [2][3]. Group 2: Payment Innovation - Adyen and Uber will collaborate on payment innovations, including new payment method integrations and support for new business lines like Uber kiosks in airports and hotels [2][3]. - The kiosks, powered by Adyen terminals, provide a phone-free way for international visitors to book rides, enhancing the user experience for travelers without local data plans [4][5]. Group 3: Company Statements - Trevor Nies from Adyen emphasized the shared commitment to achieving global scale and enhancing Uber's payments experience through new methods and business lines [3]. - Karl Hébert from Uber highlighted the importance of a reliable payment platform for Uber's global growth and the excitement about leveraging Adyen's technology for ongoing innovation [3].

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an overall investment rating for the fintech and payments industry, but it highlights mixed performance among recent IPOs and varying investor sentiment towards growth and profitability metrics. Core Insights - The report indicates that public fintech companies are underperforming compared to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, with a noted shift in investor focus from raw growth to growth unit economics and margin quality [7][10]. - Structural growth deceleration is becoming evident, with many mature fintech companies facing competitive pressures and entering multi-year investment cycles that limit near-term revenue acceleration [10][8]. - Companies are increasingly leveraging AI to drive operational efficiencies, with examples of firms like Klarna and SoFi implementing AI-driven models to enhance profitability and reduce costs [7][10]. Summary by Sections Key Takeaways - New listings in the fintech sector have shown mixed performance, with some companies like Circle and Figure seeing significant share price increases, while others like eToro and Navan have experienced declines [7]. - The earnings visibility discount is growing, leading to reduced investor confidence in near-term earnings and a focus on the quality of earnings as a valuation driver for 2026 [7][10]. Stock Returns - The report provides a detailed overview of stock performance across various fintech segments, indicating that neobanks and neobrokers have seen median returns of -3% over the past year, while high-growth fintech cohorts have shown more resilience [11][12]. Revenue - Revenue growth estimates for neobanks and neobrokers are projected to decline from a median of 36% in 2025 to 20% in 2026, reflecting a broader trend of recalibrated growth expectations across the fintech landscape [10][14]. - The report highlights specific revenue figures for key players, such as Coinbase with $55 billion in revenue and Robinhood with $102.8 billion, showcasing the significant scale of operations within the sector [14].

Mergers and Acquisitions - GreenShield has acquired Kii Health's Canadian mental health services segment, integrating it into its digital health platform GreenShield+ [1] - RFA Capital Holdings Inc. has rebranded to RFA Financial Inc. after acquiring Artis Real Estate Investment Trust in an all-share deal, with former Artis unitholders owning 68% of the combined company [2] - Navacord and Acera have completed their merger, creating one of Canada's largest privately held insurance and wealth advisory firms with $7.2 billion in insurance premiums and $7.5 billion in retirement assets [3] - ATB Financial has launched ATB Cormark Capital Markets following its acquisition of Cormark Securities Inc., expanding its capital markets capabilities [3] - Morguard Corp. has rebranded Lincluden Investment Management to Morguard Lincluden Global Investments after acquiring the firm, managing over $4 billion in assets [4] - Beazley has agreed to a $10.9 billion cash takeover offer from Zurich Insurance, representing a 60% premium to its closing share price [5] Financial Developments - Neo Financial has raised $68.5 million for its inaugural securitization program, allowing it to grow its lending portfolio significantly [2]

Core Viewpoint - Ant Group is leveraging technology to enhance accessibility for visually impaired individuals, focusing on innovations in payment and navigation services to address their specific challenges in daily life [2][4][20]. Payment Innovations - Ant Group has introduced several features in Alipay to facilitate "barrier-free payment" for visually impaired users, including "wave to pay," "draw to pay," and "voiceprint rapid payment" [4][5]. - The "wave to pay" feature allows users to complete human-machine verification through voice prompts that guide them in performing specific gestures, enhancing accessibility [4][8]. - "Draw to pay" enables users to input a pre-set shape on the screen for password entry, which is not visible to others, thus maintaining privacy [5][8]. - "Voiceprint rapid payment" allows users to verbally state the payment amount, streamlining the payment process and reducing reliance on touch-screen accuracy [5][8]. User Experience and Efficiency - A test showed that a visually impaired user could complete a payment in a convenience store in approximately 23 seconds using traditional methods, while using "wave to pay" reduced this time to just 7 seconds [7]. - The integration of voice feedback throughout the payment process ensures that visually impaired users can confidently complete transactions [8]. Indoor Navigation Solutions - Ant Group has developed an indoor navigation product utilizing AR and spatial positioning technology to assist visually impaired individuals in navigating indoor spaces independently [12][15]. - The navigation system has achieved a positioning accuracy of approximately 0.5 meters, significantly improving the user experience compared to earlier versions [13][15]. - The project began as a volunteer initiative and has expanded to cover multiple venues, providing users with voice-guided navigation to their destinations [15][16]. Social Responsibility and Future Plans - Ant Group has opened 16 patents related to accessibility and is committed to further developing services that cater to the needs of visually impaired users [8][20]. - The company aims to standardize its navigation products and expand their reach, enhancing the independence of visually impaired individuals in various environments [16][20]. - The broader context includes supportive policies like the "Barrier-Free Environment Construction Law" and the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Protection and Development of Disabled Persons," which guide the development of accessible services [18][17].

Core Viewpoint - Rosen Law Firm is reminding investors who purchased securities of Klarna Group plc about a class action lawsuit related to Klarna's September 2025 IPO, with a lead plaintiff deadline set for February 20, 2026 [1][3]. Group 1: Class Action Details - Investors who purchased Klarna securities may be eligible for compensation without any out-of-pocket fees through a contingency fee arrangement [2]. - A class action lawsuit has already been filed, and interested parties can join by submitting a form or contacting the law firm [3][6]. - The lawsuit alleges that the Registration Statement contained false or misleading statements regarding Klarna's loss reserves, which were understated, leading to investor damages when the true information became public [5]. Group 2: Law Firm Credentials - Rosen Law Firm emphasizes the importance of selecting qualified legal counsel with a successful track record in securities class actions, highlighting their own achievements in this area [4]. - The firm has secured significant settlements for investors, including over $438 million in 2019, and has been recognized as a leader in the field of securities class action litigation [4].

Group 1 - The process of disabling "no-password payment" is complicated, requiring multiple steps across different applications [1][3] - In the case of WeChat, it takes seven interface transitions to disable the feature, while Douyin and Alipay each require six transitions [1] - Disabling the no-password payment for a cycling app linked to Alipay involves nine steps, including navigating through various settings and confirming the closure [3][5] Group 2 - Users are prompted with a question about their reason for disabling the service, which adds to the complexity of the process [3] - The interface design includes a "reconsider" button that is prominently displayed, potentially discouraging users from completing the closure [3] - The overall user experience indicates a significant barrier to disabling no-password payment features, raising concerns about user security and ease of use [5]

Core Viewpoint - Block Inc., led by Jack Dorsey, is planning to cut up to 10% of its workforce as part of a broader business restructuring effort [1] Group 1: Workforce Reductions - The layoffs will affect multiple teams and are part of year-end performance evaluations expected to continue through late February [2] - This marks the third significant workforce reduction at Block in approximately two years, following cuts of 931 roles in March 2025 and about 1,000 positions in January 2024 [2] Group 2: Business Restructuring - Block has been undergoing continuous restructuring since 2024, focusing on integrating Cash App with Square and investing in new ventures [3] - In November 2024, Block announced a shift in priorities towards bitcoin mining and a reduction in investments in its decentralized tech arm TBD, as well as the music streaming platform Tidal [3] Group 3: Financial Performance and Projections - At its investor day in November 2025, Block projected mid-teens annual gross profit growth through 2028, with a target of $11.98 billion in gross profit for 2026 [4] - Despite beating expectations in Q2 with a 14% year-over-year gross profit growth, Block missed analyst estimates in Q3, reporting $6.11 billion in revenue and $0.54 adjusted EPS against expectations of $6.34 billion and $0.63 [5] - The company's stock has seen a decline of approximately 37% over the past year and about 13% year to date, closing at $55.97, up about 4.85% on the last trading session [5] Group 4: Broader Industry Context - The layoffs at Block coincide with a broader trend of corporate job cuts, with U.S. employers announcing 108,435 layoffs in January, the highest for that month since 2009 [6] - Block's upcoming Q4 earnings report on February 26 will provide insights into whether the headcount reductions are leading to the margin expansion that investors are anticipating [6]