In the new open banking world, banks are no longer just service providers but platform enablers that offer everything from payment processing to account verification through application programming interfaces.

Lone Star Capital Bank's plan to merge into Rio Financial Services' banking subsidiary is one of several recently announced Texas M&A deals; David Sparacio will join Birmingham, Alabama's ServisFirst Bancshares as its chief financial officer; Capital City Bank names Ramsay Sims chief banking officer; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

Concentrating in narrow specialties can attract both relatively low-cost deposits and low-risk loans in an era of high interest rates and economic uncertainty, lenders say.

The cloud-based digital banking provider signed an agreement to purchase the fintech for $400 million; the deal is expected to close by March 31.

The $15 billion-asset Seacoast is paying a hefty premium, but CEO Charles Shaffer called Heartland Bancshares an "incredibly valuable" franchise.

Leslie Wims Morris, JPMorgan's former chief of corporate development, testified that she trusted Javice "100%" on her claim that the company had millions of users.

The largest independent digital investment advisor in the U.S. is buying the automated investing arm of the woman-focused company.

Under grilling from Senate Democrats, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director-designate Jonathan McKernan agreed to continue the statutory mandates of the bureau, but refused to comment on Elon Musk, stop-work orders, or litigation that has been dropped against financial firms.

The island's largest bank promoted President Javier Ferrer to CEO, effective July 1. He will succeed Ignacio Alvarez, who will retire from the company at the end of June.

Partnerships between innovative banks and fintechs must adopt a "shared responsibility" model for the safety and soundness of the partnership.