ANZ has completed a landmark cross-border payment using tokenised deposits in collaboration with Swift, BHP and Citi. The transaction demonstrates how tokenised bank deposits can be used for real-world cross-border payments rather than remaining purely experimental. By combining ANZ’s banking infrastructure with Swift’s global network and Citi’s capabilities, the initiative highlights the potential for faster and more programmable international transactions. It also shows major financial institutions increasingly testing tokenisation as part of existing payment infrastructure rather than treating blockchain as a separate financial system. The development could be an important step toward making tokenised deposits a practical component of cross-border financial markets.
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How to close the agentic adoption gap
The human dynamics that accompany agentic AI are more complex than those of previous technology transformations and this is particularly true for banks and payment companies.
Learning a new workflow tool or system of record may be frustrating. But an AI agent that drafts, analyzes, recommends, negotiates, or resolves problems touches something deeper in people: a sense of their own competence, judgment, identity, and future relevance. Four fears sit at the heart of agentic resistance, as detailed below. Leaders who treat them as obstacles to push through will likely fail. Leaders who name and design for them will win.
— Fear of “being found out.” Most people don’t know where to start with agentic AI. That alone would be fine, except they are also afraid to admit it. Asking a basic question, using an agent in front of a colleague, or experimenting openly can feel like advertising that you’re behind. So people stay quiet. They wait to see what others do before committing themselves. Learning happens in private or not at all. The result is not refusal; rather, it is paralysis dressed up as busyness. Teams look engaged, but nothing actually changes.
— Fear of accountability without control. Agentic AI takes on real tasks: drafting, recommending, analyzing, and sometimes deciding. But employees know that when something goes wrong, accountability lands on them: “If the agent gives me the wrong answer and I act on it, it’s still my mistake.” Because that fear is rational, people are reluctant to rely on tools they don’t fully understand, particularly in work where accuracy, professional judgment, and reputation are on the line. Until employees clearly understand whether agents are reliable and how human review works, trust will be fragile.
— Fear of stepping into the unknown. People navigate change best when they can see where they’re heading. Agentic transformation offers no such comfort. The tools change every few weeks, and the final operating model can’t be defined in advance, because the technology and the work are co-evolving. Leaders ask people to move forward but can’t say where they will end up. This is more than a communications gap—it is genuine uncertainty. And it’s more psychologically challenging for people than any previous technological change.
— Fear of losing your professional edge. This may be the deepest and hardest fear to acknowledge. It is not simply about job security, though that is real. The more unsettling questions are: “If an agent now handles the analysis, drafting, synthesis, and judgment calls I spent years building, what exactly is my contribution? What is my professional identity now?” This fear shapes behavior quietly and powerfully, turning experimentation into a private hedging activity.
Together, these four fears explain why organizations so rarely get genuine adoption.
Curated News
💳 Payments
Versana digital loan voting platform goes live
Versana has launched its digital loan voting platform, designed to streamline voting and decision-making in syndicated lending. The platform brings another part of traditionally manual loan administration into a digital workflow.
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Modern Treasury Applies to Establish National Trust Bank
Modern Treasury has applied to establish a national trust bank. The move could expand the fintech’s role from payments infrastructure into regulated banking services.
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Hong Kong fintech firm Qupital launches on-chain loans
Qupital has launched on-chain lending products in Hong Kong. The initiative brings blockchain infrastructure into lending and financing workflows.
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🏦 Banking
CaixaBank creates a new AI and Data Division to accelerate transformation based on data and artificial intelligence
CaixaBank has created a new AI and Data Division to accelerate its transformation around artificial intelligence and data. The move reflects the growing importance of centralized AI capabilities within major banks.
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Anchorage Digital Expands Global Services with Standard Chartered
Anchorage Digital is expanding its global services through a collaboration with Standard Chartered. The partnership further connects digital-asset infrastructure with traditional banking.
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💼 Fintech
Monarch hits $100M ARR, buys HMBradley team in first acquisition
Personal finance platform Monarch has reached $100 million in annual recurring revenue and made its first acquisition. The company is acquiring the HMBradley team as it continues to expand.
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Barclays Expands Use of Anthropic’s Claude in Efficiency Push
Barclays is expanding its use of Anthropic’s Claude as part of a broader efficiency push. The move highlights the growing deployment of generative AI across major financial institutions.
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NG.Cash raises $15m to serve Brazil’s unbanked youth
Brazilian fintech NG.Cash has raised $15 million to expand services aimed at the country’s unbanked youth. The funding will support its efforts to broaden financial access.
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Community finance and open banking technology can support ‘credit invisibles’ – Salad Finance
Salad Finance says community finance and open banking technology can help people who lack conventional credit histories. The approach aims to use alternative financial data to broaden access to credit.
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Aapryl Brings Skill Analytics to Nasdaq eVestment™ Manager Data
Aapryl is bringing its skill analytics capabilities to Nasdaq eVestment manager data. The integration aims to provide investors with deeper insight into investment-manager performance.
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Basware Acquires Trustpair for Fraud Prevention
Basware has acquired Trustpair to strengthen its fraud-prevention capabilities. The deal expands Basware’s offering around financial security and supplier-payment risks.
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🪙 Crypto
APAC consumers show appetite for stablecoin
Consumers across the Asia-Pacific region are showing growing interest in stablecoins. The trend points to increasing awareness and potential adoption of digital-dollar alternatives in the region.
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Binance Debuts AI Tool to Boost Customer Crypto IQ
Binance has launched an AI-powered tool designed to help users better understand crypto. The initiative combines AI with educational resources for digital-asset users.
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Bitmine Buys $41M More Ethereum, Reaching 99% of Its ‘Alchemy of 5%’ Target
Bitmine has purchased another $41 million worth of Ethereum, bringing it closer to its stated target of holding 5% of Ethereum’s supply. The acquisition adds to the company’s growing ETH position.
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Solana Debuts Institutional Settlement Standard With J.P. Morgan Input
Solana has introduced an institutional settlement standard with input from J.P. Morgan. The initiative aims to make blockchain infrastructure more suitable for institutional financial activity.
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OKX, ICE plan tokenized securities venue under SEC exemption
OKX and ICE are planning a venue for tokenized securities under an SEC exemption. The initiative could further connect traditional securities markets with blockchain infrastructure.
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Kraken parent Payward integrates Singapore Gulf Bank network
Payward, the parent company of Kraken, is integrating with Singapore Gulf Bank’s network. The move expands connections between crypto infrastructure and traditional financial services.
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📈 WealthTech
Mynt valued at $7bn for upcoming IPO
Philippine fintech Mynt has been valued at $7 billion ahead of its upcoming IPO. The valuation underscores the scale that leading digital-finance platforms are reaching in emerging markets.
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⚖️ Regulation
SEC Proposal Would Address How Investment Advisers and Funds Can Custody Crypto Assets Under the Federal Securities Laws
The SEC has proposed rules addressing how investment advisers and funds could custody crypto assets under federal securities laws. The proposal could provide greater clarity around institutional custody of digital assets.
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CFTC Unveils Plan to Bring Crypto Exchanges Under Federal Oversight
The CFTC has unveiled a plan to bring crypto exchanges under federal oversight. The proposal represents another step toward establishing a clearer regulatory framework for digital-asset markets.
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🌍 Other
Modern Treasury Applies to Establish National Trust Bank
Modern Treasury has applied to establish a national trust bank, potentially expanding its role within financial infrastructure.
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Morgan Stanley’s new lab to test Wall Street’s future
Morgan Stanley’s new lab will explore technologies and ideas that could shape the future of Wall Street.
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