The firm said the tech hub would work closely with teams across the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas. The hub is expected to generate hundreds of jobs across the archipelago across key customer service functions, as well as provide advanced service support, in the near future.

The company executive said they view the Philippines as a “strategic market” for expanding its presence in Southeast Asia. “We’re laying the foundation for sustained operations and expansion, supported by the Philippine government’s pro-innovation approach and its commitment to building a future-ready digital economy,” he said.

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Visa has announced the appointment of Tareq Muhmood as Regional President for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA). In this role, Muhmood will oversee operations across more than 86 markets in the region, where Visa serves over 1,800 clients through 23 local offices.

Muhmood brings over three decades of experience in banking and payments. He most recently led Value-Added Services for Visa’s Europe region from London and joined the company in 2019 as Group Country Manager for Southeast Asia, based in Singapore. His previous roles include senior leadership positions at Ahli United Bank, ANZ, and HSBC.

Muhmood will be based in Dubai and reports to Oliver Jenkyn, Group President, Global Markets at Visa. He takes over from Andrew Torre, who has been appointed President of Visa’s Value-Added Services division. That unit has grown into a US$9 billion global business, with an annualized revenue growth rate of 20% since 2021. Commenting on his appointment, Muhmood said: “It is a great honor to lead the CEMEA region, and to continue the progress made in transforming the future of payments, commerce, and money movement across such dynamic markets. Having spent over a third of my career in the region, I am excited by the opportunity to further expand digital payments to more consumers, merchants, and economies. I look forward to working with our team to support growth with clients and partners throughout the region.”

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The round was led by Accel, with continued backing from Abstract and Mischief, including Angel invetors Guillermo Rauch (Vercel), Paul Copplestone (Supabase), Tobi Lütke and Harley Finkelstein (Shopify), Michael Grinich (WorkOS), Anton Osika (Lovable), Thomas Paul Mann (Raycast), Jorn van Dijk and Koen Bok (Framer), Zeno Rocha (Resend), Jared Palmer (Vercel), Steven Tey (Dub), and Sébastien and Alexandre Chopin (Nuxt).

Birk Jernström, Founder and CEO of Polar, shared the announcement with the statement: “It’s never been easier to build, ship & scale software. But, it has never been harder to monetise software. It’s a bottleneck for the future. We’re building the open-source monetization platform to empower future one-developer unicorns.”

Founded in 2022, Polar is an open-source monetisation platform for digital products & SaaS. Since launching v1.0 in September 2024, Polar has seen rapid traction, with thousands of developers using the platform to grow their revenue by over 120% month-over-month on average across the past six months.

According to the company, the Polar community has played a critical role in shaping the platform’s development. With over 17,000 signups, 16,000+ followers on X, 5,300 GitHub stars, and 1,500 members in its Discord community, developers continue to contribute feedback, features, and pull requests that help evolve the open-source monetization platform.

The company believes software development is more accessible than ever, thanks to open-source tools and advancements in AI. Shipping and scaling software has also become easier, with modern cloud platforms like Vercel and Supabase enabling global deployments.

However, monetisation remains a significant challenge, particularly in a landscape evolving from one-time purchases to SaaS, and now to usage-based and agentic pricing models. This, Polar argues, is the bottleneck of the future.

Polar is being built to support a new generation of creators – solo developers and early-stage startups that will become the enterprises of tomorrow. The platform goes beyond traditional billing to bridge product analytics, CRM, and billing into a single, developer-centric monetisation stack.

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OpenTrade embeds“yield-as-a-service” into fintech apps, allowing users to earn interest on USD and EUR stablecoins-rates that significantly outperform traditional banking options. Fintech clients such as Criptan in Spain and Littio in Colombia now offer yields up to 9%, compared with local bank APRs of under 0.5%.

Co-founders Dave Sutter, Jeff Handler, and Tom Niermann have close links to USDC’s Centre consortium and hold decades of digital assets experience. They launched OpenTrade in early 2024 to address demand from emerging markets, where inflation erodes savings and dollar-denominated banking returns are negligible. The platform has since managed approximately $47 million in assets and processed nearly $200 million in transaction volume, growing at an average of 20% month-over-month.

The round also saw participation from a16z crypto, AlbionVC, and CMCC Global, reflecting continued investor confidence. OpenTrade intends to direct the funds towards enhancing its technological capabilities, supporting growth in client-facing applications, and broadening its product suite to include a wider range of real-world asset-backed instruments.

The company’s timing aligns with a broader surge in stablecoin infrastructure. Globally, stablecoin transaction volumes now exceed $20 trillion annually-outpacing conventional payment systems such as Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal. For fintech firms in emerging economies, embedding stablecoin yields into everyday platforms is reshaping perceptions of crypto, transforming digital currencies from purely transactional tools into accessible savings vehicles.

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Argentina and Colombia exemplify this shift. Dollar accounts are rare, and where available, yields are negligible. In Colombia, dollar-denominated APRs are below 0.4%, while Littio users, through OpenTrade, attract up to 6%. Spain’s Criptan offers up to 9% in EUR stablecoin returns-generating user traction by outperforming traditional savings products.

Despite the rapid uptake of stablecoins, mainstream users in many regions face roadblocks: regulatory frameworks for safe yield generation have lagged behind adoption. OpenTrade bridges this gap by offering compliant real-world asset backing and embedded yield capabilities, supporting regulatory alignment while extending market reach.

This funding arrives amid a regulatory pivot in Europe. The Financial Conduct Authority plans to unveil discussion papers on stablecoin issuance and custody in Q4 2025, aligning with the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework. OpenTrade’s growth strategy demonstrates fintechs’ ambition to navigate both innovation and regulation in stablecoin infrastructure.

Fintech founders view embedded stablecoin yield as essential for financial inclusion. Sutter has emphasized that stablecoins have become crypto’s“killer app” and that over a third of Latin American consumers have used them for purchases. OpenTrade is positioned as an enabler: the platform supports deposits, withdrawals, and yield generation directly within existing fintech interfaces.

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Payroll management is traditionally a cumbersome process. Businesses often spend valuable hours manually reformatting payroll files for bank transfers, increasing the risk of errors and operational disruptions. The new integration directly addresses these challenges by enabling a seamless export of payroll data. Businesses can effortlessly export payroll files from Payboy and import them directly into Aspire without any additional manual reformatting. This streamlined process drastically reduces error rates and administrative workload, enabling payroll to be executed efficiently in just two simple steps: export and upload.

“We are proud to be the first fintech to integrate with Payboy,” said Andrea Baronchelli, CEO and Co-Founder of Aspire. “Aspire is leading the way in simplifying financial operations. We’re not just offering faster payroll, we’re redefining what modern, automated finance should look like for ambitious businesses.”

“This collaboration represents a shared vision of what business tools should be: intuitive, compliant, and built for growth,” said Raphael Ng, General Manager of Payboy. “Together with Aspire, we’re helping teams move faster with confidence, and enabling data driven decisions.”

The partnership supports Aspire’s broader vision of streamlining business finance through seamless integrations with trusted tools. The Payboy integration expands Aspire’s suite of payroll integrations, reinforcing its commitment to automating and simplifying financial operations for Singaporean entrepreneurs and businesses.

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As global commerce becomes increasingly digital, fintech is no longer just a sector—it’s an infrastructure, and trade agreements are becoming its enabler. To a country like India, focusing on a viable strategy on the digital highway could mean more enterprises exporting services, ability for more financial organizations to provide capital elsewhere. Besides financial and diplomatic benefits, this is an immensely rewarding opportunity to innovative start-ups, fintechs and even Indian citizens to leverage. But, when money flows faster through the click of a button there are an equal number of challenges. And the global architecture of trade needs to reflect such economic realities and the associated solutions to such challenges.

FTAs Tailored on Digital Aesthetics for Economic Diplomacy

Free Trade agreements (FTAs) have been a way that countries have leveraged to improve their trade numbers. Digital economy focused trade agreements such as UK–Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (DEA) or UK–Australia Free Trade Agreement, or India-UK FTA, and scores of multilateral initiatives such as DEPA have been used as a stepping-stone towards a smarter and forward-looking approach. What makes such agreements particularly relevant is their capacity to unlock the potential of innovation, improvement of financial technology (fintech) and accessibility of digital finance. Several governments and businesses have sought resilience and inclusivity and perceive such trade agreements as viable tools to better their fintech cooperation, data interoperability, and even regulatory alignment. A classic example is the India-UAE CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) that includes dedicated chapters on digital trade, online consumer protection, and even digital identities allowing smoother regulatory alignment for Indian services platforms to offer value in the Gulf. The Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), signed by Singapore, Chile, and New Zealand, is another example that goes further by introducing modular approaches to digital trade governance. What makes this deal strikingly unique are the chapters on fintech collaboration, digital identities, and data innovation – making it one of the first trade pacts designed from the ground up for a digitized economy. As a blueprint, DEPA shows how nations can align on principles while allowing flexibility for local regulations.

Digital Nuances of Economic Diplomacy

Focusing on digital nuances offers more opportunities to fintechs, financial enterprises and even countries. Fintech today is more than just a sector—it is a means of scaling financial inclusion, improving transparency, and enabling seamless business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-client (B2C) commerce. Trade agreements prioritising on fintech do more than promote commercial interests; they help build the financial plumbing of the future. Conversations hence around open finance frameworks, digital wallets, and interoperable payment can do more than just reduce friction for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Countries that evaluate trade on such parameters enable their SMEs and organizations to participate meaningfully in the global economy. Smart trade agreements also realize that the game is not only about reducing tariffs but removing regulatory fragmentation, inconsistent cybersecurity standards, and even opaque cross-border data policies. However, addressing such issues requires more than goodwill—it also demands harmonized frameworks.

Hence, provisions that support e-invoicing, electronic signatures, secure digital authentication, and real-time payment systems are not only technical footnotes but competitive advantages. Doing these may seem like too much. But the pursuit of such exercises creates a multiplier effect. It reduces transaction costs, increase access to credit for underserved businesses, and enables transparency that benefits regulators and participants alike. Smart trade architecture is therefore, not just pro-growth, it’s also pro-governance.

DNAs of a Modern Trade Agreement

The most forward-looking trade deals share a distinct set of traits: they treat data as a tradable asset, digital infrastructure as a public good, and fintech as a strategic growth lever. The UK–Singapore DEA exemplifies this shift. It ensures the free flow of data with strong privacy protections, removes unjustified data localization requirements, and encourages cooperation in fintech and regtech. These aren’t symbolic add-ons—they’re foundational elements that enable real-time cross-border payments, digital identity verification, and compliance automation, which in turn reduces the cost of doing business internationally. Similarly, the UK–Australia FTA includes an innovation chapter—an uncommon but powerful feature. This dedicated space for dialogue on emerging technologies fosters collaboration in digital payments, open banking, and AI regulation. It recognizes that trade today is as much about trust in digital standards as it is about trust in goods and services.

Building a Digital Trade Commons

As more countries prepare for next-generation trade agreements, the opportunity lies in building a shared digital trade commons—open, secure, and inclusive. Multilateral initiatives like SADEA (Singapore Australia Digital Economy Agreement) or the DEPA (Digital Economy Partnership Agreement) show that it’s possible to design agreements that are agile, modular, and deeply attuned to the digital age. The next phase of global trade will be driven less by the movement of containers and more by the movement of code, artificial-intelligence, or even compliance standards and capital flow. To policymakers therefore, the choice is clear: integrate fintech and digital finance as central pillars of trade policy, or risk creating agreements that are out of sync with economic realities. Those countries that embed digital economy thinking into their trade frameworks will hence not only future-proof their economic strategy but will emerge as new hubs of economic power. As the digital economy expands, aggregators and technology would become pivotal — not just in connecting services, but in shaping how countries, companies, and consumers participate in the global financial system. This is not just an opportunity for growth; it’s a responsibility to help build the backbone of a more open, agile, and inclusive global economy.

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In just the first part of 2025, crypto projects have raised over $7.2 billion in venture funding, already approaching last year’s full total. Meanwhile, 88 merger and acquisition deals worth $8.2 billion have been announced, which is almost triple the entire deal value of 2024.

The scale and speed of this activity sends the clear message that digital asset infrastructure is becoming a strategic priority. The players making moves are also preparing for the next financial architecture and not chasing short-term volatility.

The reported $4.5 billion acquisition offer from Ripple to Circle demonstrates this shift. It reflects how crypto-native infrastructure, once seen as speculative, is now viewed as essential, and not just by crypto firms. Fintechs and financial incumbents are watching closely and are expected to act in a big way in 2025 and beyond.

From Disruption to Infrastructure

Crypto’s early years were defined by radical innovation and disruption. Today, the opportunity lies in integration with more assets and processes recorded and managed directly on blockchain networks, or “on-chain.”

Much like how embedded finance reshaped digital banking, tokenization is set to rewire the issuance, transfer and custody of assets. This development will reshape not just how financial products are built but who controls the backend.

For fintech leaders, this is a shift in the foundation of digital financial services. Capabilities such as tokenized assets, embedded custody and regulated digital wallets will become baseline expectations for users and partners alike. Owning or controlling this infrastructure will determine who leads in the next decade of financial innovation.

Forward-looking fintech firms know this and are asking: who will own the channels when sovereign bonds, carbon credits, private funds and treasuries move on-chain? Which firms offer both regulatory maturity and technical credibility? What bets can we make now to avoid playing catch-up in 2026? The answer will increasingly come from M&A.

Why 2025 Is the Turning Point

Three distinct catalysts are converging this year and are removing long-standing friction in the crypto-fintech M&A market.

Historically, mergers and acquisitions in this space have been complicated by regulatory uncertainty, valuation disconnects and the technical challenges of integrating crypto-native infrastructure with traditional fintech. These factors made deal-making slow, risky, and unpredictable.

However, recent developments are addressing these core issues and paving the way for more more favorable environment for M&A activity.

1. Regulatory green lights in Europe and the UK

The EU’s MiCA regulation and the UK’s digital asset framework have provided long-awaited legal certainty. This unlocks meaningful institutional participation and makes compliance risk, once a deal breaker, now manageable.

For acquirers, this clarity means fewer legal unknowns, streamlined due diligence and stronger board-level confidence. For crypto-native firms, regulatory approval becomes a premium asset and licensing becomes a differentiator.

Regulation is also changing the dynamics for competition. Firms with licences or early alignment to compliance regimes are now on the radar of fintech and financial institutions that want to fast-track digital asset integration.

2. Public market benchmarks are emerging

Throughout 2024, dealmaking was hampered by valuation dislocation. Sellers, often referencing 2021 bull-market peaks, found themselves out of sync with buyers focused on fundamentals. However, the tide is turning. A wave of anticipated crypto IPOs is likely to introduce much-needed pricing discipline. These listings will provide credible comparables, give confidence to acquirers and create new acquisition currency for listed firms.

More importantly, a successful IPO tells the market that crypto infrastructure is not only viable but also investable at scale.

3. Real-world asset tokenisation moves from pilot to production

Sovereign bonds, real estate, carbon markets and private credit are increasingly being tokenised and issued on-chain. The infrastructure required to scale these offerings, including compliant wallets, programmable smart contracts and permissioned blockchains, is highly specialised. It’s not something most fintechs have the time or technical capacity to build themselves.

Acquisition is becoming the obvious path forward. Whether it’s a neobank looking to offer tokenised securities or a payment platform needing integrated smart contract orchestration, buying crypto infrastructure is increasingly faster and less risky than building from the ground up.

What’s Still Holding Some Deals Back?

Even amid strong momentum, friction remains. Regulatory fragmentation in key markets, particularly the United States, continues to make cross-border deals complex. This legal patchwork complicates deal structuring, integration and risk assessment. It’s a key reason why some acquirers are proceeding cautiously, especially those without in-house legal or compliance depth.

There’s also the issue of valuations. While the gap between sellers and buyers is closing, it hasn’t disappeared. Some founders are still anchored to peak-era pricing. At the same time, institutional buyers are under pressure to justify every dollar spent, especially in a high-rate macro environment.

Nonetheless, the momentum is clear. More firms are aligning expectations with public market realities and as unprofitable startups burn through capital, M&A becomes more of a necessity than an option.

What Comes Next?

By the end of 2025, the artificial lines between crypto, fintech and traditional finance will blur further. M&A will be a more strategic move and infrastructure will become the battleground. The firms that act now will shape the rules, control the flow and define the user experience of digital finance for the next generation of users.

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Aimed at founders and business leaders who expect more from their business account, and have been typically underserved by traditional business banks, the campaign brings to life how Revolut Business goes beyond to enhance user experience to meet the evolving needs of UK businesses, from startup to maturity. The share of young start-ups* on the platform is growing by 50% year-on-year as newer businesses seek a similarly forward-thinking provider with the tools to help them scale their business.

From advanced expense management to streamlined multi-currency accounts in 30+ currencies to daily paid interest, Revolut Business empowers small and medium enterprises to scale – and save – with its all-in-one business account. Just as Revolut’s “Money Possibilities” campaign showcased the evolution of Revolut’s retail platform, Revolut Business brings the same innovation to businesses. By tapping into this wider ecosystem, business customers benefit from a large network of potential customers, enhanced user experience and advanced technology.

James Gibson, General Manager of  Revolut Business said: “Our Turning Points campaign speaks to customers who are fed up with the status quo of business banking and want a product that evolves with and fulfils their needs. Demand for our customer-orientated corporate accounts is only growing – particularly amongst young start-ups looking to scale at pace – as we give customers more of the products they want and need. This campaign highlights Revolut Business’s ambition to be the primary choice and natural partner for UK & European businesses as they grow and expand in 2025 and beyond.”

Toby Allen, Chief Creative Officer of Anomaly London said: “Building on our epic ‘Money Possibilities’ brand work for Revolut, it’s great to be getting our ‘turning point’ idea out for Revolut Business. Like the businesses it serves, it’s an idea that can grow and grow.”

The integrated campaign will roll out across TV, Digital, Social and OOH, and position Revolut as a business provider  that’s designed for efficiency and built for business. This comes as Revolut Business now accounts for approximately 15% of total group revenue, positioning Revolut Business as one of the largest B2B players in Europe.

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Settle, launched in 2010, operates as an app-based payment platform across all EU countries, enabling users to send and receive money instantly. It caters to both consumers and businesses, offering domestic and cross-border payment services. Through the acquisition, Sokin gains access to Settle’s European EMI licence. The acquisition highlights Sokin’s ambitions in the payments space, particularly following a recent €29.4 million investment from Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital in July 2024. This funding has spurred significant growth for Sokin, including a 51% increase in account openings and a 130% growth in headcount, setting the stage for further strategic expansions.

Founded in 2019, Sokin provides a platform enabling global businesses to transfer, hold, and exchange over 100 currencies via multi-currency IBANs and local currency accounts. According to Skin, they were “founded with a simple vision to remove the borders, barriers, and burdens associated with international payments.” With an annual transactional volume run rate exceeding €4.2 billion, the company serves industries ranging from logistics to Premier League football clubs.

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