This Month
RBA calls for co-ordinated effort to unlock digital asset markets
A series of pilot transactions using digital assets drew a strong industry response, but the RBA says banks and regulators need to accelerate their efforts.
IPO aspirant Pay.com.au kicks off $850m April float
The fintech’s new-look board asked investors to support the ASX listing and outlined the high-level details of a priority shareholder offer.
Australia’s next tech unicorn is a cryptocurrency player
Stablecoin payments platform KAST has raised $113 million in its Series A funding round from two US venture capital firms.
Macquarie turns the screws on CBA in $85b rental payments market
As the number of renters increases, the pool of payments they make is growing. The banks want to own that while a group of outsiders is eyeing the prize, too.
![“Digital finance innovation offers Australia renewed [productivity] tailwinds,” says Ken Henry.](https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.2903%2C$multiply_3%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_213/t_crop_custom/c_scale%2Cw_140%2Cq_88%2Cf_auto/0f119c737ce6fce7ec32b404acdfb2f1662a3a6b)
Financial market technology upgrade could unlock $24b a year
Modernising the nation’s market infrastructure could deliver significant gains for banks and investors while arresting a slide in global competitiveness.
February
Top banks trial stablecoin loan deals, but a bigger threat is looming
NAB and Westpac were among the banks taking part in recent stablecoin capital markets transactions, under a program backed by the RBA.
Coinbase says debanking is a ‘systemic feature’ of Australian finance
One of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges says it is “standard protocol” for major banks to deny services to digital asset companies and fintechs.
January
Visa in fight with Reserve Bank over plans to cut credit card fees
Banks and credit card companies are lobbying to convince the central bank to strike a compromise on plans to cut bank interchange fee revenue by $900 million.
Major investor knew of Airwallex investigation before $498m round
Airwallex told its biggest local investor Square Peg that it was being investigated by AUSTRAC, with the VC saying discussions had been going on for the last year.
Airwallex forced into audit over child sexual abuse funding fears
AUSTRAC said it was investigating after becoming concerned that the Melbourne-founded giant was not properly monitoring payments made on its platform.
MA Financial backs US fintech to enter Australia
MA Financial Group has established a warehouse facility that can be ratcheted up to $100 million as Fundbox seeks to expand its operations.
CBA calls for RBA to use new power to force open Apple iPhone payments
The Reserve Bank was last year granted expanded powers over digital wallets such as Apple Pay. CBA, along with Labor MP Jerome Laxale, wants it to use them.
Former UBS bankers plug a gap in the low deposit mortgage market
Second-time property buyers who don’t qualify for the government’s 5 per cent deposit scheme have another borrowing option to avoid lenders mortgage insurance.
December 2025
Airwallex to splash $1.1b on UK base as it seeks global growth
Fresh off a huge $590 million funding round, the Melbourne fintech has pledged to invest more than $1 billion in the UK while rolling out new products.
The world’s AI giants are racing to lock in Australia’s big banks
From OpenAI to Anthropic, the country’s top financial institutions are trying to work out how to engage with them, and where to spend their sizeable budgets.
Airwallex shrugs off controversy with huge funding round
Global payments giant Airwallex has raised the second-biggest ever local VC funding round, its valuation soaring 30 per cent in six months to $US8 billion ($12 billion).
OpenAI, NextDC $7b data centre to drive green energy investment
A new data centre in western Sydney that will anchored by OpenAI will be the catalyst for renewable energy projects, says NextDC’s chief executive.
November 2025
Corporate rewards platform Pay.com.au hits $630m valuation, eyes ASX
The Melbourne small business payments business sees plenty of opportunity in the US, where its new funds will be used to support a big expansion.
Why you must ‘innovate or stagnate’ as the market transforms
Tokenised securities are being embraced by market players from Nasdaq to Westpac and will allow share trades to settle within minutes, not days.
ANZ ventures chief pops up at fintech after 1835i closure
Former head of ventures David Rowe has landed at private asset administration start-up GXE.
