Kalshi has reportedly raised $1 billion at a $40 billion valuation as it looks to expand beyond its core prediction-market business. The funding marks a major milestone for the company and signals substantial investor interest in platforms that allow users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events. Prediction markets are attracting growing attention as an alternative way to aggregate expectations around politics, economics, sports, and other developments. However, their expansion also raises important questions about regulation, consumer protection, and how these products should be classified in different jurisdictions. Kalshi’s next challenge will be turning its enormous valuation and growing market presence into a sustainable business beyond its original prediction-market offering.
Video of the Day
Insight of the Day
How Stripe’s Link gives AI agents money they can spend
Giving an AI agent a task is straightforward. Giving it permission to spend your money is harder. The agent needs a budget, a way to pay, and clear limits on what it can buy.
This week Stripe launched Link Balance, a new product that gives autonomous AI agents balances.
The user decides how much authority to delegate before the agent starts buying. That could make instructions such as “buy this item if the price falls below $90” useful beyond sending a price alert. The agent could complete the purchase within an agreed budget.
For payments companies, this raises a question that goes beyond checkout conversion: who will manage the money and permissions behind automated purchasing?
Curated News
💳 Payments
Tencent and Visa Announce Strategic Partnership to Enhance Global Payment and Commerce Experiences Across Tencent’s Ecosystem
Tencent and Visa have announced a strategic partnership aimed at improving global payment and commerce experiences across Tencent’s ecosystem. The collaboration brings together a major technology platform and a global payment network, highlighting continued efforts to make cross-border digital commerce more seamless.
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Apple Pay and Google Pay launch in Uzbekistan
Apple Pay and Google Pay have launched in Uzbekistan, bringing two major global digital-wallet services to the country’s payments market. Their arrival could expand contactless and mobile-payment options for consumers and merchants, while further connecting Uzbekistan to international digital-payment ecosystems.
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ACI Worldwide and Circle explore USDC settlement in Latin America
ACI Worldwide and Circle are exploring the use of USDC for settlement in Latin America. The initiative highlights growing interest in stablecoins as a potential tool for cross-border payments and financial settlement.
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Visa strengthens presence in Senegal ahead of Dakar 2026
Visa is strengthening its presence in Senegal ahead of Dakar 2026. The development highlights the payment network’s continued expansion in African markets and its efforts to support payment services around major regional events.
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Mastercard issuer DCS DeCard launches corporate cards in HK
DCS DeCard has launched corporate cards in Hong Kong, expanding its business-focused payment offering. The launch adds another option for companies seeking card-based tools to manage business spending and payments.
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Checkout.com at the Forefront of Bringing Visa Payment Passkey to Merchants Globally
Checkout.com is involved in bringing Visa Payment Passkey technology to merchants globally. The initiative highlights the growing use of passkeys and authentication technology to make online payments more secure and convenient.
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🏦 Banking
ECB selects network service providers for the digital euro
The European Central Bank has selected network service providers for the digital euro project. This is an important step in developing the infrastructure needed to support a potential digital euro, moving the initiative further into its technical preparation phase.
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Equilend’s 1Source DLT Adds Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs has joined Equilend’s 1Source distributed-ledger-technology platform. The development reflects continued institutional engagement with DLT-based infrastructure and its potential applications in financial markets.
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Singahi issues business continuity guide for Indian banks
Singahi has issued a business continuity guide for Indian banks. The publication highlights the importance of operational resilience and preparedness as financial institutions manage technology disruptions and other business risks.
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Standard Chartered Enhances Fund Finance Capabilities in North America With Appointment of Robert Cammilleri
Standard Chartered is strengthening its fund-finance capabilities in North America through the appointment of Robert Cammilleri. The move signals continued investment in the bank’s specialist financing business and its regional presence.
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💼 Fintech
MoneyGram Partners With AiPrise to Modernize Global Verification Operations
MoneyGram has partnered with AiPrise to modernize its global verification operations. The collaboration focuses on improving verification processes, an important part of managing customer onboarding, compliance, and cross-border financial services.
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Sustainable Finance Live: Wonky Harvest and Lloyds Banking Group win 2026 hackathon
Wonky Harvest and Lloyds Banking Group have won the 2026 Sustainable Finance Live hackathon. The result highlights collaboration between financial institutions and innovators working on technology-driven approaches to sustainable finance.
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🪙 Crypto
PhotonPay Raises $40M Series C to Scale its Stablecoin-Centric Financial OS
PhotonPay has raised $40 million in Series C funding to scale its stablecoin-focused financial operating system. The investment highlights growing demand for infrastructure that connects stablecoins with business payments and financial operations.
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OKX reaches $36bn in onchain assets
Crypto exchange OKX has reported $36 billion in on-chain assets. The figure provides an indication of the scale of assets associated with its platform and adds to the ongoing focus on transparency and asset reporting among major crypto exchanges.
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Assetize Opens Jersey Tokenised Issuance to UAE-Regulated Digital Asset Firms
Assetize has opened its Jersey tokenized-issuance platform to UAE-regulated digital-asset firms. The development could create additional opportunities for regulated firms to participate in tokenized asset issuance across jurisdictions.
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Binance in Malaysia License Talks Amid US$6.3 Billion Crypto Hack
Binance is reportedly in discussions concerning licensing in Malaysia, against the backdrop of a reported US$6.3 billion crypto hack. The headline brings together two important industry issues: regulatory access in Southeast Asia and the continuing security risks facing digital-asset markets.
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Indonesian crypto exchange Indodax begins restoring services
Indonesian crypto exchange Indodax has begun restoring its services. The development marks a step toward operational recovery, although the headline alone does not provide details about the full restoration process or the circumstances behind the disruption.
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📈 Investment
PE firm CD&R targets buyout of $40bn Global Payments - FT
Private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice is reportedly targeting a buyout of Global Payments, a company valued at around $40 billion in the headline. A transaction of this scale would be significant for the payments industry and could reshape ownership of a major payments technology provider.
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Kipp Targets US Expansion After LTVCo Acquisition
Kipp is targeting expansion in the United States following its acquisition of LTVCo. The deal appears to be part of the company’s broader growth strategy, using acquisition as a route to enter or strengthen its position in the US market.
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Prosus gets India’s CCI nod for $100m investment in Navi
Prosus has received approval from India’s Competition Commission for a $100 million investment in Navi. The regulatory clearance moves the proposed investment forward and highlights continued investor interest in India’s fintech and financial-services market.
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⚖️ Regulation
Prediction Markets Avoid Australia’s Tough Line on Gambling
Prediction markets are reportedly avoiding Australia’s strict approach to gambling regulation. The issue is significant for platforms such as Kalshi because regulatory treatment can determine which markets they can enter, what products they can offer, and how they operate across borders.
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