Mastercard Bets on Neema to Rethink Cross-Border Payments

Hey Payments Fanatic!

Mastercard is partnering with Israeli FinTech Neema to bring real-time cross-border transfers to Israel, using Neema's local payment infrastructure instead of relying on the traditional correspondent banking model.

It's another example of how international payments are changing. Rather than improving the SWIFT process, payment providers are increasingly building direct connections into domestic clearing systems to make transfers faster, cheaper, and available around the clock.

For Mastercard, it's a practical way to expand Mastercard Move into another market. For Neema, it's validation that local payment infrastructure can play a much bigger role in global money movement.

There's much more waiting below.

You'll also find a fascinating conversation between Igor Tomych and renowned payments expert David Birch on why AI could become the biggest user of stablecoins, a practical guide to implementing Know Your Transaction (KYT) for on-chain payments with Sumsub, and a breakdown of Affirm's latest quarterly results, where strong revenue growth is now translating into profitability.

See what else is shaping Payments. 👇 See you on Monday!

Cheers,

Marcel

INSIGHTS

📰 Know Your Transaction for On-Chain Transfers: Process and Sumsub API Integration by DashDevs. In this article, Igor Tomych, CEO of DashDevs, outlines how KYT strengthens transaction monitoring, AML compliance, and wallet risk analysis, and explores the integration of Sumsub's APIs to support secure, compliant blockchain payments. Read the full article here

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION

🎤 Why BlackRock actually cares about stablecoins by DashDevs. In episode 162 of  FinTech Garden, Igor Tomych discusses with David G.W. Birch why institutions are embracing digital assets, how AI could become the primary user of stablecoins, and the role of digital identity in next-generation financial infrastructure. Watch the full podcast here

NEWS

🇺🇦 UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group and Mastercard unveil Ukraine’s First World Legend card pairing bespoke design with elevated lifestyle privileges. The premium metal card offers exclusive benefits across travel, dining, entertainment and luxury services, including concierge support, VIP lounge access, Fast Track lanes and Mastercard Collection experiences.

🇮🇱 Mastercard taps Israeli FinTech Neema to challenge the traditional cross-border payments model. Under the agreement, Mastercard Move will use Neema's technological infrastructure to enable businesses and individuals abroad to transfer money to Israel in real time.

🌎 Infinia secures $13.5 million Series A to connect traditional banking with digital assets across emerging markets. The new injection of capital will be used to secure additional regional regulatory licenses and accelerate expansion across its core operational markets in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

🇮🇳 Paytm to roll out Soundbox in Jakarta with Flip. The collaboration aims to improve payment acceptance by providing instant voice confirmation of QRIS digital payments, helping merchants verify transactions more efficiently. Read on

🇺🇸 Nium acquires Cypher, expanding its fiat-to-on-chain money movement infrastructure. The Cypher acquisition brings Nium deep operational knowledge of how to build and scale products for crypto-native users while navigating the unique technical requirements of the blockchain ecosystem.

🇺🇸 PayPal is expanding PYUSD to the Polygon network, enabling native issuance of its stablecoin and integration with Polygon's Open Money Stack. The move is designed to simplify global business payments and support broader adoption of PYUSD for cross-border settlement.

🇺🇸 Block has agreed to pay $45 million to settle allegations from 46 U.S. states that Cash App misled users about fraud protections and account security. The settlement requires the company to strengthen customer support and fraud resolution processes while expanding access to live phone and chat assistance.

🚨 Affirm finally answered the profitability question.

And the scale behind it is massive. FY Q3 numbers are here👇

🇮🇳 WeRize raises $7 million in a pre-series C round led by Sony Innovation Fund. WeRize said the newly raised funds will be deployed to strengthen its proprietary artificial intelligence and technology infrastructure while expanding its portfolio of financial products.

🌍 Swift rolls out new blockchain ledger to bring 24/7 banking to 17 global giants across six continents. The platform enables round-the-clock cross-border payments using tokenized deposits while settling through existing banking rails, marking a significant step toward interoperable digital asset infrastructure.

🇺🇸 Barclays has initiated coverage of Strategy with an overweight rating and a $130 price target, placing the Bitcoin-focused company alongside Visa and Mastercard in the U.S. payments and FinTech sector. The move reflects growing institutional recognition of Strategy's Bitcoin treasury model as part of the broader financial services landscape.

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