BNP Paribas and Google Cloud have expanded their collaboration to advance the deployment of agentic AI across the bank, deepening the relationship between one of Europe’s largest financial institutions and a major global cloud technology provider. The partnership focuses on moving agentic AI into financial workflows, reflecting the growing interest among major banks in AI systems that can perform more complex, multi-step tasks rather than simply generate information. For BNP Paribas, the deal forms part of its broader effort to deploy AI across its operations and develop new capabilities around the technology. The collaboration also illustrates the increasingly international nature of financial-sector AI adoption, as banks work with global technology companies to bring emerging AI infrastructure into regulated financial environments.
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The UK and EU Core Banking Companies Directory
I built this guide because core banking shortlists in the UK and EU are still assembled from analyst quadrants, vendor decks and whoever the systems integrator knows best. I profiled 18 core providers against the same set of criteria: architecture, deployment, product coverage, payment rails, compliance posture, pricing and named UK and EU clients. The market moved a lot this year. Finastra agreed to sell its core banking unit, Deutsche Bank’s Private Bank signed with Thought Machine, and several vendors changed CEOs, so older vendor maps are already out of date.
Curated News
💳 Payments
FedNow Expands Into Cross-Border Payments as 1,700 US Institutions Join Instant Settlement Push
FedNow is expanding into cross-border payments as 1,700 US financial institutions join its instant-settlement push. The expansion could extend instant payment capabilities beyond domestic transactions and connect US institutions more closely with international payment infrastructure.
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UK Banks Make First Interbank Transactions Using Tokenised Deposits
UK banks have completed their first interbank transactions using tokenised deposits, marking a live application of tokenised money between financial institutions. The transactions demonstrate how tokenisation is moving beyond experimentation toward use in institutional payment infrastructure.
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Tencent Launches TenPayGo for WeChat Pay Travelers
Tencent has launched TenPayGo, a service designed to make WeChat Pay more accessible for travelers. The launch expands the payment options available to international users of the WeChat ecosystem.
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BLIK Joins Dynamic Payment Methods on Stripe
BLIK is joining Stripe’s Dynamic Payment Methods, expanding the availability of the Polish payment method among international merchants. The integration will give Polish consumers access to BLIK across a wider range of online businesses.
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🏦 Banking
Revolut Receives Central Bank Approval to Acquire Banco Cetelem in Argentina
Revolut has received approval from Argentina’s central bank for its acquisition of Banco Cetelem. The deal supports Revolut’s expansion of its regulated banking operations in the Argentine market.
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NatWest Pilots AI-Powered Spending Insights Tool
NatWest is piloting an AI-powered tool designed to provide customers with spending insights. The initiative brings AI-based analysis directly into customers’ personal-finance experience.
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Deutsche Bank Estimates 30% Uplift in Client Onboarding by Deploying KYC AI
Deutsche Bank estimates that deploying AI in its KYC processes could deliver a 30% uplift in client onboarding. The technology is being used to streamline the processes involved in bringing new clients onto the bank’s platform.
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💼 Fintech
Feedzai Fusion Tackles Fraud in the Agentic AI Era with Farol Debut
Feedzai has introduced Farol as part of its Fusion platform to address fraud risks emerging in the agentic AI era. The launch focuses on helping financial institutions respond to increasingly sophisticated fraud threats.
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Socure Brings AI-Native Identity Verification to Arc at Mainnet Launch
Socure is bringing its AI-native identity verification technology to Arc as the blockchain platform launches its mainnet. The integration adds identity verification capabilities to Arc’s financial infrastructure.
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Argentex Founder Harry Adams Raises £7.5M for New Startup Tenora
Argentex founder Harry Adams has raised £7.5 million for Tenora, his new startup. The company is focused on building treasury technology.
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🪙 Crypto
IBM Expands Digital Asset Platform with Swift Ledger Integration
IBM is expanding its digital-asset platform through integration with Swift’s ledger infrastructure. The move brings together IBM’s digital-asset technology and Swift’s financial messaging and ledger ecosystem.
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Circle and Tether Freeze Stablecoins Tied to Bitget Hack — But Most Funds Slip Away
Circle and Tether have frozen stablecoins linked to the Bitget hack. However, most of the stolen funds reportedly remained beyond their reach.
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Morgan Stanley Joins NEXTPredict as Prediction Markets Bet on ‘More Institutional’ Play
Morgan Stanley has joined NEXTPredict as prediction markets seek greater institutional participation. The move comes as prediction-market platforms pursue deeper engagement with traditional financial institutions.
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📈 WealthTech
NFU Mutual Selects Bloomberg and Clearwater Analytics for Front-to-Back Investment Management Workflow
NFU Mutual has selected Bloomberg and Clearwater Analytics for its front-to-back investment management workflow. The technology will support the insurer’s investment-management operations.
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AG2R LA MONDIALE Reaffirms Its Trust in Linedata and Deploys Linedata Optima
AG2R LA MONDIALE is deploying Linedata Optima as part of its investment-management technology infrastructure. The deployment builds on the organisation’s existing relationship with Linedata.
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Hong Kong Seeks Up to $2.5B in Digital Green Bonds
Hong Kong is seeking up to $2.5 billion through digital green bonds. The planned issuance combines digital bond infrastructure with green-finance objectives.
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⚖️ Regulation
Online Scams Agreement Signed Between UK and Cambodian Governments
The UK and Cambodian governments have signed an agreement focused on tackling online scams. The agreement represents cross-border cooperation against financial crime conducted through online channels.
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New York Sues Polymarket for ‘Illegal Gambling Operation’
New York has sued Polymarket over allegations that the prediction-market platform operates an illegal gambling operation. The case puts the legal status of prediction markets under further scrutiny.
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Prosecutors Seize Bank Accounts of Montana Firm Linked to Tether
Prosecutors have seized bank accounts belonging to a Montana firm linked to Tether. The action is connected to an investigation involving the company.
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🌍 Other
LF Decentralized Trust Adds Swift, Wells Fargo and 13 Additional New Members
The Linux Foundation’s Decentralized Trust initiative has added Swift, Wells Fargo and 13 additional members. The expansion brings more major financial institutions and organisations into the decentralised-technology initiative.
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Bitget Hack Timeline: How Its Own System Approved a $387M Theft
A report examines how Bitget’s own system reportedly approved a $387 million theft. The incident highlights the security risks surrounding automated systems in crypto infrastructure.
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