All articles by Refna Tharayil
Refna Tharayil
AstroPay continues global expansion with payment institution license for multicurrency wallet in Brazil
AstroPay is poised to bring faster, simpler, and more innovative financial services for Brazil’s local and international users and businesses, solidifying AstroPay’s position as the go-to platform for seamless, secure cross-border financial management
Lloyds to close 136 branches in UK as digital banking demand grows
The closures, scheduled between May 2025 and May 2026, mark the third major restructuring move by the banking group this year
PayPal Ventures invests in Formance
Formance serves global customers, including large-scale vertical SaaS platforms, fintechs, and financial institutions – such as Liberis, Booksy, and Btech – which require high levels of scalability, security, and customizability
Irish government reduces stake in AIB to 12.5% in €652m share sale
The government divested 116 million ordinary shares, representing 5% of AIB’s issued capital, through a placement to institutional investors
HomeTrust announces sale of Knoxville branches to Apex Bank
Under the terms of the agreement, Apex will acquire the physical locations, related fixed assets, and substantially all the customer deposit accounts which are currently estimated at $42 million
Stitch acquires ExiPay to expand unified payments offering
Through the integration of ExiPay, Stitch expects to provide a comprehensive solution for multi-lane retail and omnichannel commerce businesses
Alchemy Pay achieves AUSTRAC approval as digital currency exchange provider in Australia
This approval represents a key regulatory approval, enabling Alchemy Pay to facilitate seamless, secure fiat-to-crypto payment services in the Australian market
FDIC approves WesBanco and Premier Bank’s $959m all-stock merger
The merger is expected to create a regional financial services institution with approximately $27bn in assets
Federal Treasurer approves proposed MyState/Auswide merger
Approval from Auswide shareholders at a Scheme Meeting to be held on Monday 3 February 2025
Generali and BPCE announce plans to form €1.9 trillion asset management JV
The new entity is expected to become ninth largest asset manager globally by assets under management and the largest in Europe, with €4.1bn in revenues