05/12/2026
By David Penn on 2026/05/12 16:45 -0400
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. May was officially established as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month” by President George H. W. Bush in 1990, expanding on a joint resolution signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1978 that had designated the week of May 4-10 as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.” The name of the commemoration was changed to “Asian American and Pacific Island Heritage Month” in 1997 in an effort to make the occasion both...
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) on 2026/05/12 14:37 -0400
- Kraken parent company Payward has applied for a national trust charter from the OCC to launch a federally regulated digital asset custody entity called Payward National Trust Company (PNTC).
- The move would help Payward expand its institutional business by offering bank-level custody and trust services to clients that require a regulated qualified custodian.
- The company also announced plans to raise funds at a reported $20 billion valuation.
Kraken parent company Payward is...
By David Penn on 2026/05/12 14:19 -0400
- Global paytech Boku announced that it is live and transacting with Pix in Brazil.
- Pix is Brazil's default payment method with more than 150 million Brazilians—approximately 70% of the population—using the technology. Boku was granted its payment institution license from the Brazilian central bank in April 2025, becoming a Regulated Pix Participant.
- Headquartered in London, Boku made its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope 2011. Stuart Neal is CEO.
International local...
By David Penn on 2026/05/11 18:41 -0400
- Credit tracking platform Credit Karma will offer memberships to credit invisible or “thin file” customers, a new policy from the financial wellness firm.
- In a statement, the company highlighted a number of solutions on its platform that will help these thin file customers build their credit and boost their financial literacy, including its Credit Spark and Credit Builder tools.
- Acquired by Intuit in 2020, Credit Karma won Best of Show at FinovateFall 2008. The company was founded...
By Julie Muhn (@julieschicktanz) on 2026/05/11 18:25 -0400
- Circle launched Arc, a new blockchain network and native token designed specifically for institutional finance.
- Arc, which aims to provide banks, corporations, and treasury teams with faster settlement, raised $222 million in a presale led by Andreessen Horowitz.
- Alongside Arc, Circle introduced its new Agent Stack tools.
Stablecoin issuer and infrastructure company Circle launched a presale of a new token this week that raised $222 million. The new token, Arc, is the native...
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