Fintech Stacks

Today on Fintech Stacks, three stories shaping the future of money.

Plaid teams up with Perplexity in a partnership that could turn AI into the new interface for personal finance. PayPay makes its long-awaited public debut and pops on day one, giving the fintech IPO market a much-needed win. And Wealthfront drops after missing EPS, reminding everyone that public fintech companies are now judged on profits, not just growth.

Three stories. Fifteen minutes. Everything you need to know in fintech today.

This episode breaks down three major shifts shaping the industry. Revolut finally secures a full UK banking license, proving that some of the biggest fintech players are now becoming the banks they once tried to disrupt. BitGo (BTGO) invests in stablecoin infrastructure through Ubyx, highlighting how institutional crypto is increasingly about plumbing rather than speculation. And Mastercard (MA) unveils a large network of banking, fintech, and crypto partners working to move more payments on-chain.

If the last decade of fintech was about disruption, the next one may be about integration.

Fintech and traditional banking are colliding. In today’s episode: Upstart applies for a national bank charter, Wells Fargo files a trademark hinting at a stablecoin called WFUSD, and SoFi officially becomes one of the 50 largest banks in the U.S. by assets.

Today on Fintech Stacks, we break down three big stories shaping the public fintech markets. First, we look at BitMine (BMNR) and why the company is suddenly everywhere on retail investor feeds as it builds one of the largest Ethereum treasuries in the world. Then we check in on Circle (CRCL)—a stock that’s been volatile since its IPO but a company that continues to execute as stablecoins grow into real financial infrastructure. And finally, we dive into eToro, where trading volume surged 81% as investors shift away from crypto and back into traditional markets. Three companies, three signals about where fintech and trading culture are heading next.

Better.com (BETR) is back with a bold claim that AI can approve a mortgage in just 47 seconds, Elon Musk’s long-teased X Money is starting to take shape as the platform moves closer to becoming a financial super app, and crypto infrastructure firm Zero Hash is applying for a national trust bank charter after its rumored acquisition by Mastercard fell apart—three moves that show how fintech players are racing to reinvent lending, payments, and crypto infrastructure all at once.

NuBank just pulled a SoFi-style marketing play by naming Inter Miami’s new stadium Nu Stadium, putting its brand front and center in the Messi media machine. Meanwhile, crypto infrastructure firm BitGo quietly revealed it’s the engine behind SoFiUSD, signaling that stablecoins may be moving closer to mainstream banking rails. And across the Atlantic, European fintech giant Revolut is making another run at the U.S. market with a new banking charter application.

Three stories. One stack. The global fintech wars are heating up.

Robinhood launched a $695 Platinum credit card and a suite of new wealth tools. Kraken became the first crypto firm to access the Federal Reserve’s payments system. And Webull posted record results in its first year as a public company.

Today’s Fintech Stacks breaks down why Robinhood is building a full financial ecosystem, what Kraken’s Fed access means for crypto infrastructure, and why Webull’s global growth is turning heads.

Today on Fintech Stacks: SoFi’s CEO buys shares and SoFi + Mastercard push SoFiUSD into settlement rails. Affirm and Stripe roll out Shared Payment Tokens so AI agents can check out without exposing credentials. And LendingTree rallies hard despite a brutal EPS miss—because guidance and operating metrics did the talking.

Dave announces a buyback and suddenly looks less like a cash advance app and more like a capital allocator. Riot posts record revenue and leans deeper into its energy infrastructure strategy. StoneCo trims distractions and doubles down on core fintech profitability.

Today we break down what these earnings really signal: fintech’s shift from hype to discipline.

SoFi enables Solana inside a regulated bank app. Mastercard teams up with MetaMask to bring self-custody wallets to the swipe economy. And Brinks drops $6.6B on ATM infrastructure like cash never left.

Today we break down who really owns the rails — on-chain, in-app, and in armored trucks.