John Adams

The tax preparation company, which is building out its own financial services business, says Square's new brand "would improperly capitalize on the goodwill and consumer trust cultivated by [H&R] Block since 1955."

Kabbage and other firms are extending credit to fund higher salaries at the small merchants that are struggling to hire new employees.

Now that JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Capital One and others offer the alternative credit option, the startups that created this market are adding products to cement their hold on consumers and merchants.

The United States is threatening to curtail transactions into and out of Russia to discourage it from invading Ukraine. The standoff heightens existing friction between U.S. payments companies and Moscow, which could impose new restrictions on them in response to sanctions.

The card network's new cryptocurrency advisory service aims to help financial institutions catch up with companies like Square and PayPal by spotting opportunities to support stablecoins, nonfungible tokens and central bank digital currencies.

Research shows the number of fraudulent transactions and dollar amounts involved are soaring as merchants increasingly go digital. Credit card and other companies are expected to more than double what they invest in AI and other tech to fortify their systems.

As Visa and Mastercard weigh raising rates and retail heavyweights like Amazon push back, the fintech sees an opening for a lower-cost payments alternative that banks and credit unions can offer merchants.

The company, which will keep the Square brand for its card readers, also supports music, cash transfers, Bitcoin trading and other financial services.

The video-sharing site has rolled out a new feature that allows viewers to tip creators, adding to Stripe's network of clients in the crowdsourced entertainment industry.

Policymakers contend the fast-growing crypto sector poses many risks for consumers, but disagreements within the blockchain industry and Congress are expected to prevent the establishment of clear rules anytime soon.