SoFi Launches Fully Reserved Stablecoin to Power Institutional Finance
SoFi has unveiled a fully reserved U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin designed to support banks, fintechs, and enterprise partners across payments, settlements, and treasury use cases. The stablecoin is structured to be fully collateralized, addressing long-standing concerns around transparency and risk in digital assets. SoFi positions the offering as infrastructure-grade, targeting regulated financial institutions rather than retail crypto users. The move signals SoFiโs strategic expansion beyond consumer finance into core financial plumbing. It also reflects growing institutional demand for compliant stablecoin solutions amid accelerating tokenization trends. By entering this space, SoFi aims to compete with incumbents while leveraging its regulated status. The launch underscores how stablecoins are increasingly viewed as a foundational layer for modern financial services rather than speculative instruments.
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Insight of the Day
๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐
๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐
Portugalโs fintech ecosystem surprised me. Here is how I now think about it.
When I first started looking at Portugal, I expected a small market with limited fintech activity. But the more time I spent studying its founders, talent, and product culture, the more I realised this ecosystem is stronger and more ambitious than people assume.
So here is a simple breakdown of how Portugalโs fintech ecosystem works and how to make the most of it if you are building or scaling a fintech product today.
โ ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฉ๐จ๐จ๐ฅ
Portugal produces some of the best engineering and product talent in Europe. Years of tech relocation from companies like Revolut, Stripe, Klarna, and others created a deep bench of operators who understand scale. That matters because the strongest fintech products in Portugal tend to be built by engineers and product people, not traditional bankers.
โ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ง ๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฒ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ข๐
Lisbon acts as the commercial hub. Porto acts as the technical centre of gravity. If you map where teams sit, you see this pattern everywhere. It gives Portugal a rare mix of creativity and engineering depth.
โ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง๐
Portugal is not large enough to sustain consumer fintechs at scale. That is why many of the best companies here build global B2B products in payments, fraud, compliance, treasury automation, and embedded finance. You can see that global-first mindset in their product design and pricing.
โ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค
Portugal is not trying to copy the UK. It focuses on something more practical: lowering friction for formation, hiring, and operating. For early-stage teams, that matters more than loud regulatory frameworks.
โ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐๐
Every ecosystem has its own energy. In Portugal, you see fast collaboration, quick intros, and a strong link between founders and global operators who moved there. This creates a tight feedback loop for product development and partnerships.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ก ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ก
โ If you are a founder, treat it like a launchpad for global fintech.
โ If you are hiring, treat it like a high quality talent market that is still undervalued.
โ If you are an investor, treat it as an ecosystem that consistently punches above its weight.
โ If you are a fintech expanding into Europe, treat it as a strategic base for building cost-efficient, high quality teams.
My takeaway is simple. Portugal is not trying to win attention. It is building quietly, steadily, and with strong fundamentals.
Curated News
๐ณ Payments
Nodu Raises $1.45M to Modernize Europeโs Payment Rails with Stablecoins
Nodu secured $1.45 million in funding to upgrade European payment infrastructure using stablecoins. The company aims to reduce cross-border friction and settlement delays as demand for digital currency-based payments grows.
Source
KPay Partners with Amigo to Digitize Hong Kong Taxi Payments
KPay announced a digital payments partnership with Hong Kong taxi fleet operator Amigo. The collaboration expands cashless payment adoption in everyday transportation and strengthens KPayโs merchant footprint.
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Visa and Aldar Launch Voice-Enabled Agentic Payments
Visa and Aldar introduced voice-enabled agentic payments, allowing transactions to be initiated via AI-powered voice commands. The initiative highlights how AI interfaces are reshaping consumer payment experiences.
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Moneyhash and Mastercard Expand Merchant Payment Solutions
Moneyhash partnered with Mastercard to broaden access to merchant-focused payment tools. The collaboration aims to improve authorization rates and payment performance across the Middle East and beyond.
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Crypto.com Partners with DBS to Enhance Payment Services
Crypto.com teamed up with DBS to strengthen its payment offerings in Asia-Pacific. The partnership signals deeper collaboration between crypto platforms and traditional banks.
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๐ฆ Banking
Mercury Applies for OCC National Bank Charter
Mercury has applied for a national bank charter from the OCC to better serve startups and builders. Approval would allow Mercury to offer banking services directly rather than through partner banks.
Source
Thread Bancorp Raises $30.5M in Fresh Capital
Thread Bancorp raised $30.5 million to support growth and technology investment. The funding highlights continued investor interest in modern banking infrastructure providers.
Source
๐ Fintech
Superbank Hits $1.6B Valuation After IPO Debut
Digital lender Superbank reached a $1.6 billion market capitalization following its IPO. The strong debut reflects investor appetite for profitable, tech-driven banking models.
Source
Akamai and Visa Team Up to Secure AI Agent Transactions
Akamai and Visa are collaborating to secure AI-driven commerce through a Trusted Agent Protocol. The partnership focuses on safeguarding automated transactions for merchants.
Source
๐ช Crypto
North Korean Hackers Steal $2B in Crypto, Report Finds
A report claims North Korean hackers have stolen approximately $2 billion in crypto assets. The findings underscore persistent security and geopolitical risks in digital asset markets.
Source
Bitcoin Could Reach $1.4M by 2035, Analysts Say
Analysts predict Bitcoin could rise to $1.4 million by 2035 under optimistic adoption scenarios. The forecast highlights continued long-term bullish sentiment despite market volatility.
Source
Ripple Expands Institutional Trading Partnership with TJM
Ripple expanded its partnership with TJM to improve institutional trade execution and clearing services. The move strengthens Rippleโs presence in professional financial markets.
Source
INXY Reports Rising Stablecoin Adoption Across Industries
INXY Payments reported increased stablecoin usage across multiple sectors. The trend points to stablecoins gaining traction beyond crypto-native applications.
Source
๐ WealthTech
Cache Surpasses $1B in Assets Under Management
Cache announced it has surpassed $1 billion in assets under management. The milestone reflects strong demand for digital-first investment platforms.
Source
โ๏ธ Regulation
Fed Seeks Feedback on Limited Payment Accounts
The U.S. Federal Reserve is soliciting feedback on offering limited payment accounts to certain firms. The proposal could reshape access to central bank infrastructure.
Source
FCA to Allow Flexible Contactless Payment Limits
The UK FCA plans to allow banks more flexibility in setting contactless payment limits starting March 2026. The change aims to balance convenience with fraud prevention.
Source
๐งฉ Other
European Payment Fraud Rate Remains Stable
New data shows Europeโs payment fraud rate has remained steady despite rising transaction volumes. This suggests fraud controls are keeping pace with digital payment growth.
Source
EuroCTP Named EU Consolidated Tape Provider
ESMA has selected EuroCTP as the consolidated tape provider for EU shares and ETFs. The decision is a key step toward greater market transparency in Europe.
Source
Bank of England Governor Warns AI Will Displace Jobs
The Bank of England governor warned that AI is likely to displace jobs across the economy. The comments highlight growing policy focus on workforce disruption from automation.
Source
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