News

March, 2026

• 4 March

  Crypto Bank Kraken Financial Is the First Digital Bank to Receive a Federal Reserve Master Account

  

  Kraken Financial, a Wyoming-based special-purpose depository institution operated by Payward Inc., has become the first digital bank to get a Federal Reserve master account. With the account, Kraken will be able to settle transactions directly on core payment rails in the United States, such as Fedwire, the Federal Reserve’s real-time …
• 4 March

  Some 71% of Consumers Encounter E-commerce Scams, a Clutch Report Finds

  

  As U.S. consumers take to e-commerce for more and more of their shopping, so too are scammers eyeing vulnerable consumers. It’s so common that 71% of consumers have faced a scam or an attempted one. That’s according to Clutch, a Washington, D.C.-based rating and review platform, which says its survey …
• 4 March

  Pixel Watch Adds Express Pay and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 3/4/26

  

  Google updated the software for its Pixel Watch with an express-pay feature that enables users to turn and tap a Pixel Watch against an NFC-equipped point-of-sale reader to make a purchase without the need to first open the Google Wallet app. E-commerce retailer Newegg Commerce Inc. said it has added Venmo as a …
• 3 March

  Choosing the Right Payment Processing Partner: A Checklist for Software Platforms

  

  After everything you’ve invested in building your platform, the last thing you need is a payment processing partner that slows you down. For integrated software vendors (ISVs), payments aren’t just another feature or add-on. Your payment processor becomes a direct extension of your product, your brand, and the experience you …
• 3 March

  Stripe Will Support Visa And Mastercard Agentic Tokens And Back BNPL for Klarna And Affirm

  

  Stripe Inc. has expanded its reach into agentic commerce to include support for buy now, pay later options through deals with Klarna AB and Affirm Holdings Inc. At the same time, Stripe is partnering with Visa Inc. and Mastercard to support the two networks’ agentic network tokens. Affirm and Klarna …
• 3 March

  Paysafe Touts a New Wallet And Agentic Commerce As It Navigates 2026

  

  Paysafe Ltd. early Tuesday reported mixed results for its 2025 fourth quarter as it works on multiple fronts to spin up momentum from a new wallet product, from an expected rise in volume from small-business clients, and from nascent ventures in agentic commerce. But overall, “We’re starting 2026 in the …
• 3 March

  PAR Debuts Retail Drive and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 3/3/26

  

  PAR Technology Corp., a payments-technology provider, has launched PAR Retail Drive, an AI tool aimed at aiding convenience stores and fuel retailers in data analysis and decision-making. Shift4 Payments Inc. said it has closed on its acquisition of Bambora North America, collectively the North American unit of Worldline, the big Paris-based processor. …
• 2 March

  Eye on Crypto: N3XT Partners With YouHodler; Barclays Eyes a Blockchain

  

  N3XT Inc., a blockchain-powered bank, has partnered with YouHodler, a Web3 platform that supports crypto-backed loans, crypto-reward accounts, cryptocurrency trading, and universal currency exchange. Launched in 2025 by former Signature Bank executives, N3XT provides instant, programmable USD Coin business-to-business payments. A so-called narrow bank, N3XT Inc., uses smart contracts for automated, …
• 2 March

  Eye on Acquisitions: Bitcoin Depot Acquires Kutt; ECI Software Boosts Embedded Payments

  

  ATM operator Bitcoin Depot Inc. is moving into the social-betting arena with the acquisition of Kutt, a peer-to-peer social-betting platform. Meanwhile, ECI Software Solutions Inc., a business-software and management-services firm, acquired fintech Drypowder to help modernize its financial services platform, including digital payments. Atlanta-based Bitcoin Depot, known for its cryptocurrency …
• 2 March

  Fiserv’s Real-Time Canada Move and other Digital Transactions News briefs from 3/2/26

  

  Fiserv Inc. said it will work with Peoples Group, a banking company, in a major initiative to develop advanced payments infrastructure in Canada in support of real-time payments. Indra Group announced the launch of an open-road tolling system on the I-485 express lanes in North Carolina. The project is expected to streamline …