10-Q, Member Exclusive

The fintechs that refuse to stand still

  • Robinhood, Upstart, and LendingClub tell a bigger story about where fintech is likely headed in 2026.
  • Robinhood is chasing the frontier, Upstart is testing its own limits, and LendingClub is proving that sometimes, the most radical thing a fintech can do is simply perform like a bank.
close

Email a Friend

The fintechs that refuse to stand still

    The trajectories of Robinhood, Upstart, and LendingClub highlight the broader fintech trends heading into 2026


    The latest round of earnings from Robinhood, Upstart, and LendingClub reads less like a scoreboard and more like a temperature check on what fintech even means now. Each firm, in its own way, is evolving past the product it was born with – the trading app, the AI-driven lender, the online credit marketplace – and chasing something harder: resilience.

    But how they’re getting there couldn’t look more different.

    Robinhood: From trades to everything

    Robinhood’s early years were about giving retail traders a seat at the table, but its recent quarters have been about building a whole new table.


    subscription wall for TS Pro

    0 comments on “The fintechs that refuse to stand still”

    Artificial Intelligence, Member Exclusive, Payments

    Trust Bridges Matter: When agentic systems meet payment reality

    • AI can decide, but consumers still hesitate to hand it their card details. Agentic commerce is still emerging, but the trust gap is already shaping how pilots are built and how much payment autonomy AI is given.
    • We look at how these developments are unfolding and what they may foreshadow for the wider commerce ecosystem.
    Sara Khairi | January 22, 2026
    10-Q, Member Exclusive

    Morgan Stanley’s crypto ETF move – and the risk of getting ‘institutional crypto’ wrong

    • Morgan Stanley plans to launch a spot Bitcoin ETF alongside Solana and Ethereum ETFs that bake in staking as a source of incremental yield.
    • The move reflects institutional confidence that blockchain networks can generate yield within compliant structures. That confidence, however, comes with its risks.
    Sara Khairi | January 21, 2026
    Banking, Member Exclusive, New banks

    Loyalty in banking is now fragmented: How Chime is winning the era of soft switching

    • Customers are redirecting their day-to-day financial transactions elsewhere, while keeping their old accounts on the books.
    • Although some banks pick up early signals yet miss the issue before it fully surfaces, fintechs and neobanks, on the other hand, see this same issue as a compounding opportunity.
    Sara Khairi | January 15, 2026
    10-Q, Member Exclusive

    Deposits vs. Payments – What drives more value for banks today?

    • The crossroads of legacy banking and modern fintech brings a simple yet critical question: what powers lasting value for banks?
    • Investors are moving past the “bank vs. fintech” debate and focusing on how well payments fit into a sustainable funding model.
    Sara Khairi | January 12, 2026
    Banking, Blockchain and Crypto, Member Exclusive

    Crypto made a comeback in 2025 – this time with banks testing the waters

    • Crypto’s resurgence and regulatory clarity in 2025 prompted a handful of banks to experiment in the space rather than sit on the sidelines.
    • This piece looks at what that early engagement may foreshadow for institutional money movement in 2026.
    Sara Khairi | January 08, 2026
    More Articles