Technology

Visa Inc. has agreed to buy Swedish open-banking platform Tink AB as the payment giant looks to expand beyond its card network.

Majority, a startup with a mobile app that combines a bank account with other benefits such as global remittances and international calling, began by serving the Cuban and Nigerian communities in Florida and Texas. Now it’s available in all states and will use $19 million in seed funding to accelerate its growth.

The Faster Identity Online Alliance has established its first user-experience guidelines and delivered new standards designed to more quickly move authentication processes past traditional username-and-password combinations.

About 100 small banks have signed up for technology provided by the core software vendor Fiserv and the cryptocurrency custodian NYDIG that allows customers to buy, sell and hold bitcoin through their bank accounts.

How technology is enabling new types of payment transmission and what this means for banking.

Under federal health plans, categories like dental still have steep out-of-pocket costs, creating opportunities for companies like Sunbit and Ally Lending to provide options at the point of care.

The bank's holding company, CRB Group, has acquired PeerIQ, an online lending marketplace data provider backed by the former CEOs of Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. It's said it wants more deals like this one.

The fintech specializes in lending to dentists, veterinarians and other solo providers looking to grow or establish their own practice.

The fintech, which is going public through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company, has updated its logo and messaging to emphasize its capabilities in e-commerce and digital marketing. It's part of a trend of traditional payments such as TransferWise, Fattmerchant and even Mastercard repositioning themselves to win over investors.

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision issued a proposal this month laying out how banks should treat cryptocurrencies held on their balance sheets. It could give stablecoins, which are tied to traditional assets, an edge over more volatile digital assets like Bitcoin.