A new year, a new stack—and some very specific fintech chaos.

In the first episode of 2026, we make three bold predictions that sound fake until you remember how weird money has already gotten. Block makes a power move by acquiring Plaid and controlling fintech’s front door. Stripe skips the IPO yet again, proving patience might be the ultimate flex. And Robinhood? It stops being just an app and opens a café, turning markets into a live, social experience.

No charts. No jargon. Just sharp takes on how fintech, culture, and money collide next. Welcome to 2026.

In the final Fintech Stacks episode of the year, we break down how Fiserv quietly turned AI shopping into real payment infrastructure, why Coinbase is building financial pipes instead of chasing trading volume, and how Paychex keeps winning by doing absolutely nothing flashy. It’s a year-end look at fintech plumbing, platform strategy, and the underrated power of being boring.

We’ll be back January 5th, 2026.

Mercury wants a national bank charter — choosing regulation and control over speed and vibes. Klarna is quietly tapping stablecoins to unlock faster, cheaper institutional capital without going full crypto bro. And Plaid might finally be ready to test public markets as fintech IPOs start to thaw.

In today’s episode of Fintech Stacks, we break down why fintechs are chasing charters, why stablecoins are sneaking into real finance, and why infrastructure companies like Plaid could define the next IPO cycle.

Banks are minting stablecoins, crypto exchanges want to be everything apps, and accounting software is quietly rewriting how money moves.

In today’s Fintech Stacks, we break down why SoFi launching a regulated stablecoin matters more than most crypto headlines, how Coinbase is positioning itself as the financial OS of the internet, and why Intuit integrating USDC could be the most important stablecoin adoption story you didn’t see trending.

This isn’t about hype — it’s about who owns the rails when money goes fully digital.

Finance is getting weird — and that might be the point.

Today’s episode breaks down why Robinhood is leaning into prediction markets and sports-style bets, how BBVA is quietly rebuilding banking around AI, and why NerdWallet just made a low-key confidence move by buying back its own stock.

From gamified investing to AI-powered banks to old-school financial discipline, this episode explores how fintech is reshaping not just where we put our money — but how it feels to use it.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your investing app is starting to look like a sportsbook… this one’s for you.

Wall Street is officially on-chain. JPMorgan is putting real cash products on blockchain rails, Visa is turning stablecoins into settlement muscle, and Monzo just learned that IPO timing can cost you the CEO job. In today’s episode, we break down why boring finance going crypto is actually a big deal, how Visa plans to stay in charge no matter what money looks like, and what Monzo’s boardroom drama says about the next wave of fintech IPOs. Crypto, payments, and public markets — all colliding at once.

Today on Fintech Stacks, we’re watching fintech grow up in real time. PayPal puts on the suit and applies to become a bank, Shopify cracks open the Temu floodgates to keep its merchants everywhere commerce happens, and Visa finally treats stablecoins like a first-class citizen instead of a side quest. Three moves, one theme: control the rails or get run over by them. If you care about how money actually moves — and who gets to own it — this one’s for you.

The OCC pulled an Oprah and crypto showed up with a shopping list. Circle, Ripple, and BitGo all scored U.S. banking charters in the same week, signaling a major shift in how regulators view crypto-native firms. We break down what each approval actually means, why stablecoins just got more legitimate, how Ripple’s long game finally paid off, and why crypto custody is suddenly the hottest boring business in fintech. Plus: where Paxos and Fidelity fit into the quiet power shift happening inside U.S. finance.

Today on Fintech Stacks Daily, Wealthfront hits the Nasdaq in a long-awaited robo-advisor IPO, YouTube quietly lets creators cash out in stablecoins, and Enova buys Grasshopper Bank to level up with a full charter. We break down what it means for fintech markets, creators, and the future of banking rails — all in 15 minutes or less.

Today on Fintech Stacks, we dive into the prediction market plot twist nobody saw coming. Gemini ($GEMI) scores a federal license and steps onto the big stage, Crypto.com teams up with Fanatics to turn fandom into forecast trading, and Kalshi wins a courtroom breather that could shape the entire industry. Regulators, exchanges, and sports brands all want a piece of the prediction economy—and the stakes have never been weirder (or more interesting). If you’ve been wondering why prediction markets suddenly feel like the main character of fintech, this episode is your cheat code.