Investment Overview - Tether has invested in SQRIL, a payments technology startup that connects banks, ewallets, and fintech applications to real-time QR code payment networks. The size of the investment was not disclosed [1] - SQRIL plans to utilize the new capital to accelerate the development of infrastructure supporting payments powered by stablecoins [1] Technology and Market Reach - SQRIL's technology integrates with banks like Barclays and Bank of America through configurable APIs, and connects with fintech services such as Venmo, Revolut, and Cash App to enhance digital payment options [2] - Currently, SQRIL's API allows customers to pay domestic QR codes in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia, and supports bank transfers in Malaysia and Thailand. The company aims to expand into more markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America in the first quarter [2] Business Model - SQRIL's model enables traditional banks and neobanks to integrate with its APIs, allowing users to scan and pay local QR codes across various regions. Users pay in their home currency, while merchants receive local currency, with SQRIL managing forex and local payouts [3] - The founder and CEO of SQRIL, Malcolm Weed, emphasized the importance of instant payment interoperability between banks, ewallets, and merchants across different countries, positioning SQRIL as a key player in this infrastructure [3] Industry Trends - Tether highlighted the increasing prevalence of scan-to-pay QR code systems in several Asian markets, which have become a primary payment method and continue to grow. There is also a rising adoption of real-time national QR code schemes in emerging regions like Latin America and Africa for everyday transactions [4] - SQRIL aims to become the leading QR code infrastructure provider, particularly in emerging markets, reflecting the growing demand for efficient cross-border payment solutions [5]

Core Viewpoint - Australian payment firm Airwallex plans to invest approximately 200 million euros ($233.64 million) in its Netherlands operations over the next five years, indicating a significant expansion in Europe [1] Group 1: Investment Details - The investment of 200 million euros is aimed at enhancing Airwallex's operations in the Netherlands [1] - This move represents a strategic effort to strengthen the company's presence in the European market [1] Group 2: Expansion Strategy - The expansion in the Netherlands is part of Airwallex's broader strategy to grow its footprint in Europe [1] - The investment is expected to facilitate the development of new products and services tailored to the European market [1]

Core Insights - Visa, ExxonMobil, Oracle, and Netflix are identified as potential investments with the ability to join the $1 trillion market cap club by 2030, appealing to patient investors [2][19] Visa - Visa has a straightforward path to reaching a $1 trillion market cap, supported by high margins, reasonable valuation, and steady earnings growth [4] - In 2025, Visa's non-GAAP earnings per share grew by 14%, indicating strong growth potential that could lead to a market cap exceeding $1 trillion by 2030 [5] - Current market cap stands at $663 billion, with a gross margin of 77.31% and a dividend yield of 0.70% [6][7] ExxonMobil - ExxonMobil needs to double its market cap in five years to surpass $1 trillion, but it has strong fundamentals to achieve this [7] - The company generates significant free cash flow and high earnings, even with oil prices at four-year lows, and has reduced production costs [8] - ExxonMobil's corporate plan forecasts double-digit earnings growth through 2030, with a potential 15% annual growth rate that could double earnings [9][10] Oracle - Oracle nearly reached a $1 trillion market cap but faced a decline due to concerns over AI spending and debt [11] - The company is investing heavily in data center infrastructure to grow its cloud computing market share, with $523 billion in remaining performance obligations indicating high demand [12] - Despite being free cash flow negative, Oracle's aggressive AI investments present a high-risk, high-reward opportunity for investors [13] Netflix - Netflix's market cap has decreased from over $560 billion to under $400 billion due to valuation concerns and uncertainties regarding its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery [14] - The company is expected to grow earnings through global subscriber growth and pricing power, with potential benefits from the acquisition [15][16] - Netflix has demonstrated strong pricing power and effective content spending strategies, positioning it as a likely outperformer over the next five years [17]

Core Insights - The total wealth of the world's top 10 billionaires has surpassed the market value of Amazon, reaching over $2.5 trillion, with an increase of $579 billion in 2025 [1] Group 1: Billionaire Wealth Growth - Elon Musk experienced the largest wealth increase last year, adding $187 billion to reach a net worth of $619 billion, solidifying his position as the world's richest person [3] - Musk's wealth surge is attributed to the significant rise in the value of his holdings in Tesla and SpaceX, with Tesla's stock increasing by 11% last year [4] - SpaceX's valuation doubled to $800 billion by the end of 2025, compared to $400 billion in August [5] Group 2: Notable Billionaire Rankings - Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-founders of Google, ranked second and fourth respectively, with wealth increases of $101 billion and $92 billion, driven by a 65% rise in Google's stock [5] - Jeff Bezos saw a wealth increase of $15 billion but dropped from second to third place due to Page's rise [6] - Larry Ellison's wealth grew by $55 billion, but he fell from fourth to fifth place on the billionaire list [7] Group 3: Other Billionaire Wealth Changes - Mark Zuckerberg's wealth increased by $26 billion, but he dropped from third to sixth place [8] - Bernard Arnault, head of LVMH, saw a wealth increase of $31.6 billion, ranking seventh [9] - Steve Ballmer's wealth grew by $22 billion, moving him from ninth to eighth place [10] - Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, increased his wealth by $40 billion, rising from twelfth to ninth place [11] - Warren Buffett's wealth increased by $9 billion, maintaining his position at tenth [12] Group 4: Centibillionaires Club - The number of centibillionaires remains at 18, with a total wealth increase of $708 billion in 2025, surpassing Visa's market value of approximately $677 billion [13][14] - The total wealth of this group is close to $3.6 trillion, equivalent to the size of Microsoft [14] - Elon Musk alone accounts for 17% of the total wealth of the centibillionaires, contributing 26% of the group's overall wealth increase [14]

Core Viewpoint - American Express is demonstrating strong dividend growth alongside aggressive share buybacks, raising questions about its long-term investment value after a significant stock price increase [1][3]. Dividend Growth - The company has increased its dividend by 17% in March, reflecting robust business strength, with a current yield of 0.9% [5][6]. - American Express's annual dividend payments represent only 21% of the expected earnings per share for 2025, allowing for continued investment and potential future dividend increases [6][12]. Financial Performance - In the third quarter, American Express reported a revenue increase of 11% year-over-year to $18.4 billion and a net income rise of 16% to $2.9 billion, with earnings-per-share growth at 19% [7][8]. - The company has seen strong momentum, particularly in demand for its U.S. Platinum products, with account acquisitions doubling compared to pre-refresh levels [8]. Share Repurchases - In the first nine months of 2025, American Express returned $6.1 billion to shareholders, with $4.4 billion from share repurchases and $1.7 billion from dividends [9]. - The company has a history of aggressive share repurchases, returning $7.9 billion to shareholders in 2024, with $5.9 billion from buybacks [10]. Valuation and Market Position - The stock currently trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of about 25, up from 21 a year ago, reflecting its premium valuation in the financial sector [11]. - Despite the higher valuation, the company's strong earnings momentum and low payout ratio suggest that robust dividend growth is likely to continue [12].

Core Insights - Fiserv and Mastercard have expanded their partnership to enhance agentic commerce, focusing on how AI systems can securely handle transactions on behalf of consumers [1][3] - The integration of Mastercard's Agent Pay Acceptance Framework into Fiserv's infrastructure aims to facilitate AI-initiated purchases while ensuring security and compliance with existing payment systems [2][4] Partnership Details - Under the agreement, Fiserv will incorporate Mastercard's framework, allowing AI transactions to be authenticated and settled through established card networks [2][4] - The partnership reflects a broader industry trend where payment processors are adapting systems for AI-driven transactions, moving from human-centric to software-executed transactions [3][9] Technical Framework - Mastercard's Agent Pay Acceptance Framework includes technical standards for AI agents to transact securely within existing payment systems, utilizing network tokenization and fraud controls [4][5] - Tokenization will replace sensitive card information with network-issued tokens, minimizing risks associated with data storage and transmission [5][11] Authentication Mechanisms - The framework features advanced authentication methods to differentiate between authorized AI agents and malicious automation, moving beyond traditional human-centric signals [6][8] - Fiserv's integration allows merchants to accept AI-initiated transactions seamlessly, utilizing existing authorization and settlement processes [6][11] Industry Context - The partnership is part of a larger movement within the payments industry to establish standards for AI-driven commerce, as firms seek to define these before major tech platforms do [9][10] - Fiserv's collaboration with Visa on the Trusted Agent Protocol further emphasizes a strategy to support agentic commerce across multiple networks [10][11] Market Position - Fiserv's significant market presence enables it to influence the implementation of these standards, processing a large share of U.S. debit and credit transactions [12]

Company Overview - Remitly Global, Inc. (NASDAQ:RELY) is a financial technology and payments company that provides digital financial services through its cross-border payments app, facilitating money transfers in over 170 countries [4] Investment Outlook - Citizens reaffirmed its Market Outperform rating and $20 price target on Remitly, highlighting the company's leading role in the digital remittance industry and suggesting that shares were overcorrected due to immigration-related headlines and slowing revenue growth [1][2] - Despite challenges, Citizens emphasizes Remitly's position as the premier all-digital remittance vendor with significant upside potential and plans for industry-leading profitability in the long term [2] Growth Projections - During the Investor Day event, Remitly announced growth plans through 2028, projecting revenue growth in the high teens and adjusted EBITDA between $300 million and $320 million by 2026 [3] - The company estimates revenue to range between $2.6 billion and $3.0 billion in 2028, with Adjusted EBITDA of $575 million to $600 million, indicating a margin of 20-22% [3]

Core Viewpoint - PayPal Holdings Inc is currently trading near its 52-week low, reflecting market concerns about its growth potential and competitive pressures, despite showing solid cash flow and earnings growth [1][9][12] Financial Performance - The stock is valued at approximately 54.62 billion Dollars, with a forward Price To Earnings multiple of 10-11 times and a trailing Price To Earnings Ratio of around 11.71 [1] - Recent quarterly revenue was about 8.42 billion Dollars, marking a 7% year-over-year increase, while normalized Earnings Per Share reached approximately 1.34 Dollars, up 12% from the previous year [5] - Total Payment Volume for the quarter was roughly 458 billion Dollars, reflecting an 8% year-over-year increase [5] Strategic Direction - PayPal is transitioning from a single product gateway to a multi-engine platform, focusing on traditional financial behaviors to increase user engagement and revenue per user [3] - The company is integrating with AI agents for transactions and has secured a deal to provide payment infrastructure for over 700 million weekly users of ChatGPT, positioning itself within new commerce flows [4] Cash Flow and Shareholder Returns - PayPal generates adjusted Free Cash Flow of approximately 6-7 billion Dollars annually, representing over 10% of its market value, and has repurchased about 5.7 billion Dollars of stock in the past year [6] - The company plans to deploy around 6 billion Dollars into buybacks for 2025, which corresponds to more than 10% of its current equity value [6][7] Competitive Landscape - The legacy branded checkout franchise is facing challenges, with total payment volume growth slowing to about 5%, indicating a maturing and competitive market [3][8] - New payment systems like Brazil's Pix are creating competitive pressures by offering instant payments at zero cost, which could erode PayPal's market position [8] Market Sentiment - Despite earnings expanding around 15% in 2025 and Free Cash Flow near record highs, market sentiment has turned cautious, with many analysts rating the stock as a hold [9] - The current Price To Earnings multiple is about 55% below the five-year average, indicating a significant valuation dislocation [9][10] Valuation Outlook - Conservative modeling suggests a fair value estimate of around 91.40 Dollars per share, implying a potential appreciation of 50-55% from current levels [10] - If revenue growth continues and margins improve, the stock could see a significant re-rating, with potential price outcomes reaching up to 206 Dollars per share [10]

Company Overview - CrediaBank, based in Greece, is selling its merchant acquiring business to Euronet Worldwide as part of a broader partnership, with the deal expected to close in Q3 2026 [1][7] - CrediaBank, formerly known as Attica Bank, is the fifth-largest bank in Greece, holding €6.7 billion in deposits and operating 24,000 point-of-sale terminals across 20,000 merchants [3] Deal Details - Under the agreement, Euronet Merchant Services Payment Institution will take over CrediaBank's merchant acquiring business and manage the bank's ATM network, providing customers with free access to Euronet's 2,500 ATMs in Greece [2] - Euronet will also offer card management and transaction processing services for debit, credit, and prepaid cards [2] Industry Context - Greek banks have been divesting their merchant acquiring businesses in recent years, with notable transactions including Euronet's acquisition of Piraeus Bank's merchant acquiring business for €300 million in 2022 and Worldline's acquisition of an 80% stake in Eurobank's for €256 million [4] - The trend of divestment in the merchant acquiring sector is evident, as banks seek to streamline operations and focus on core banking services [4][7]

Core Insights - The Ripple-Mastercard pilot demonstrates that regulated blockchain settlement can function alongside existing credit card systems, with WebBank's involvement providing regulatory assurance and compliance [26][10][9] Group 1: Pilot Overview - The pilot, initiated on November 6, 2025, utilizes Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin to settle real credit card transactions on the XRP Ledger, aiming to enhance transaction efficiency [5][6] - The pilot is not aimed at consumers but focuses on backend testing to see if blockchain can integrate into traditional payment systems without disruption [4][8] Group 2: Market Opportunity - Global credit card payments exceed $20 trillion annually, with capturing just 1% representing a potential $200 billion in annual volume settling on the XRP Ledger [22][24] - The current daily payment volumes on the XRP Ledger range from under $500 million to over $17 billion, indicating significant potential for growth if the pilot scales [23][24] Group 3: Institutional Involvement - WebBank serves as the regulatory anchor, ensuring compliance with U.S. banking laws and overseeing settlements [9][10] - Gemini provides custody services and liquidity management for RLUSD, ensuring compliance and operational support [11][12] Group 4: XRP Ledger Adoption - The pilot tests the XRP Ledger's capacity for institutional settlement volumes, validating its ability to handle increased transaction activity [15][16] - XRP's potential role as a bridge currency in cross-border transactions could enhance its utility beyond domestic settlements [17][18] Group 5: Future Outlook - The pilot's success could establish a first-mover advantage for the XRP Ledger in regulated card settlements, setting a benchmark for other institutions [20][27] - Key indicators for success include RLUSD issuance growth beyond $5 billion, additional bank participation, and consistent transaction volumes [28]