Stripe Makes a $1B Bet on Usage-Based Billing With Metronome Acquisition
Stripe has reportedly acquired usage-based billing startup Metronome for $1B, signaling a major push into SaaS and API-driven billing infrastructure. The move strengthens Stripeโs capabilities in managing complex, consumption-based pricing models increasingly used by AI, cloud, and developer-first companies. By bringing Metronome in-house, Stripe is positioning itself as a core financial operating system for high-growth businesses. The deal highlights how billing has evolved from a back-office function into a strategic fintech differentiator. For fintech and SaaS leaders, this is a clear signal of where platform control and data monetization are heading.
Video of the Day
Insight of the Day
๐
๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐
I just finished reviewing Sumsubโs Identity Fraud Report 2025โ2026. What they found is a very different fraud landscape than even two years ago and fintech must be aware of these changes.
Sumsub analyzed 4 million+ fraud attempts across 300+ companies and surveyed 1.2K+ end users and 300+ fraud professionals.
Here are the numbers that stood out to me:
๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ญ: ๐๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐๐ค๐ฌ, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐% ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐๐
Fraudsters are abandoning low-quality tricks.
โ 180% increase in โsophisticated fraudโ
โ 142% YoY growth in synthetic identities
โ 388% surge in duplicate submissions
โ Deepfake-driven selfie mismatches now account for 35.4% of fraud in APAC
โ Forged documents dropped 11% YoY
โ Blacklist violations dropped 50% YoY
So even if fraud percentages remain stable, the impact of each successful attack is much bigger.
๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ โ ๐๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ง๐๐๐ซ-๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ญ
Fraudsters have moved from โcopy-pasteโ edits to AI-assisted forgery factories.
The report highlights:
โ Advanced image generation tools now replicate fonts, holograms, and textures at near-human accuracy
โ Deepfakes are used to bypass liveness checks
โ Selfie-to-ID mismatches grew +73% YoY in some regions
๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ-๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ข๐ง๐ (๐๐๐% ๐๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ก)
One stat that shocked me:
Document-free verification grew 338% YoY, making it the fastest-growing KYC method globally.
Countries already scaling it:
โ Canada
โ Singapore
โ France
Curated News
๐ณ Payments
Navro Adds Stablecoin Payments via BVNK Partnership
Navro expanded its payments platform with stablecoin capabilities through BVNK, enabling faster and more cost-efficient cross-border transactions. This move reduces reliance on traditional correspondent banking rails.
Source
First Wero Payment Completed by Belgian Doccle App
Belgian digital wallet Doccle successfully executed Europeโs first Wero payment. The milestone supports efforts to build a pan-European instant payments infrastructure.
Source
Cumbuca Accelerates Access to Brazilโs Payment Initiation Market
Cumbuca launched fast-track payment initiation access aimed at fintechs entering Brazilโs open finance ecosystem. The move lowers operational and regulatory barriers in LATAM.
Source
Thredd Migrates BigPay to Next-Generation Card Platform
Thredd powered the successful migration of BigPayโs card portfolio to its next-gen platform. The upgrade improves scalability, compliance, and speed to market.
Source
Mastercard Launches SME Card With Built-In Cybersecurity
Mastercard introduced an SME-focused card with integrated cybersecurity tools. The product targets growing fraud and security risks faced by small businesses.
Source
๐ฆ Banking
BBVA Italy Targets One Million Customers by 2026
BBVA Italy is expanding its investment and lending offerings to fuel customer growth. The move reflects intensifying competition among European digital banks.
Source
Lloyds Completes IndiaโUK Digital Letter of Credit
Lloyds executed its first digital letter of credit between India and the UK using WaveBL. This marks progress in digitizing global trade finance.
Source
Propel Holdings Approved to Launch Banking Services
Propel Holdings received regulatory approval to introduce full banking services. The approval enables a shift beyond lending toward a more diversified financial model.
Source
๐ง Fintech
Mastercard Uses Data to Improve Lending Decisions
Mastercard is using its transaction data to help lenders refine credit decisioning. The initiative highlights the growing role of alternative data in underwriting.
Source
Plaid Enhances Transaction Categorization With AI
Plaid rolled out AI-powered transaction categorization to deliver more accurate financial insights. This enhances use cases across personal finance, lending, and fraud prevention.
Source
Treasury Prime Launches AI Marketplace for Bank-Fintech Partnerships
Treasury Prime introduced an AI Marketplace designed to simplify compliant AI adoption for banks and fintechs. The platform aims to accelerate innovation while managing risk.
Source
LSEG Integrates ChatGPT Into Financial Data Platforms
LSEG partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into its financial data services. The move reflects rising demand for conversational analytics in capital markets.
Source
๐ช Crypto
Stablecoin Standards Authority Launched by Federal MSBA
The Federal Money Services Business Association launched a Stablecoin Standards Authority to promote industry-led governance. The initiative aims to increase trust and interoperability in stablecoins.
Source
Binance Introduces Junior Crypto Accounts
Binance launched junior accounts with parental oversight features. The move expands crypto adoption while raising regulatory and consumer protection questions.
Source
Are Bitcoin Treasury Strategies Becoming โToo Big To Failโ?
A new analysis examines whether large corporate Bitcoin holdings could pose systemic risks. The discussion reflects cryptoโs increasing intersection with traditional markets.
Source
๐ WealthTech
Y TREE Highlights the Shift Toward Transparent WealthTech
Y TREE explores how transparency and client-first pricing are reshaping wealth management. Trust and clarity are emerging as key competitive advantages.
Source
โ๏ธ Regulation
FCA Launches AI Live Testing Initiative
The UKโs Financial Conduct Authority announced the first firms participating in its AI live testing initiative. The program supports responsible AI experimentation in financial services.
Source
Connecticut Orders Fintech and Crypto Platforms to Halt Unlicensed Gambling
Connecticut regulators ordered Kalshi, Robinhood, and Crypto.com to stop offering unlicensed online gambling products. The action highlights increasing scrutiny of fintech innovation at regulatory edges.
Source
๐งฉ Other
Fintech Provider Marquis Hit by Ransomware Data Breach
Marquis disclosed a ransomware attack affecting dozens of US banks and credit unions. The incident underscores growing cyber risk across shared fintech infrastructure.
Source
Disclaimer: Payments Wrap Up aggregates publicly available information for informational purposes only. Portions of the content may be reproduced verbatim from the original source, and full credit is provided with a โSource: [Name]โ attribution. All copyrights and trademarks remain the property of their respective owners. Payments Wrap Up does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the aggregated content; these are the responsibility of the original source providers. Links to the original sources may not always be included. For questions or concerns, please contact us at sam.boboev@fintechwrapup.com.