The fintech investment firm Portage is now managing a $280 million portfolio acquired from the venture arm of Mets owner Steven Cohen's firm Point72.

The crypto lender issued over 5,000 loans to residents without a license and failed to assess repayment ability, the DFPI said.

Customers reported failed subscription payments and support issues, though a backup system kept some basic functionality online.

Coastal Financial in Washington State has acquired GreenFi, one of its fintech partners. The move is designed to buy time in order to figure out the best long-term strategy for the struggling neobank.

Jelena McWilliams, former chair of the FDIC, is joining data sharing fintech Plaid as its new president of corporate and external affairs.

The Netherlands-based digital bank Bunq filed its second U.S. charter application this week after successfully receiving a broker-deal license late last year.

Investors in alternative assets like private equity, private capital and venture capital often lock their money in for years, but Pluto's founders say its marketplace matches these wealthy investors who need cash with banks and investment firms willing to lend against those illiquid assets. 

The bank is investing in Ubyx to help traditional financial institutions settle stablecoin payments and compete with nonbank fintechs.

PicPay is making a second attempt at entering the U.S. market as a profitable digital bank and a competitor to fellow Brazilian fintech Nubank.

Attackers stole over $340,000 in stablecoin from the Venezuela-focused app. The incident adds to recent troubles including frozen accounts at JPMorganChase.

The lender traps consumers in an "exploitative cycle of debt," Brandon Scott said.

Fintechs sought to acquire the rights and privileges of bank charters in various ways this year, from de novo applications to buying up banks.

The fintech IPO drought ended this year with several large public exits by firms such as Chime, Klarna and Circle.

Consumer appetite for mobile wallets is growing, challenging banks to innovate to stay ahead.

The card network and bank technology seller partnered to expand AI protocols, while British payment companies face tougher fee disclosures but looser rules for contactless transactions. That and more in the American Banker global payments and fintech roundup.

ServiceNow, with its largest-yet M&A deal, will fold Armis' threat prevention services into its larger cybersecurity suite.

Fintechs are wrong to demand wholesale consolidation of community banks in the U.S. Real innovation doesn't stem from wiping out smaller institutions or forcing consolidation. Innovation comes from fair competition, secure data protocols, and clear rules that apply equally to banks and fintechs of all sizes.

Some consumers have been waiting a year and a half to get their money back.

The bank technology company is adding offices in the U.S. and India as part of its quest to reach clients outside of its U.K. home base.

Here are the 10 stories our readers paid the most attention to in a year of political, economic and technological change.