More people would make contactless payments if they actually owned a contactless card

Business of Fintech, Member Exclusive

How Block is turning Square and Cash App into one local growth network

• Block has connected Square’s seller network with Cash App’s consumer base via Neighborhoods, giving local businesses a way to turn discovery into direct orders, customer relationships, and potentially repeat visits.
• Neighborhoods is designed to bypass the traditional marketplace model. Its growth will depend on whether Cash App can generate meaningful customer demand and repeat spending without adding another layer of cost for sellers.

10-Q, Member Exclusive

Can Block turn an agentic voice layer into a merchant growth tool?

• Block is betting voice AI could help Square become more valuable to merchants by improving the workflows that drive sales and service.
• Turning this ambition into merchant value will depend on execution: accurate orders, useful recommendations, and measurable returns that justify the added cost.

Business of Fintech, Member Exclusive

Block has built the bridge between Square sellers and Cash App customers. Now it wants more people to cross it.

• Block’s Neighborhoods connects Square sellers with Cash App users, helping local businesses drive discovery, direct orders, and repeat visits without monthly fees or marketplace commissions.
• Early growth is promising, with $1 billion in annualized GPV as of June 2026, but the long-term test is whether Neighborhoods drives incremental spending and lasting customer relationships.

10-Q, Member Exclusive

Huntington wants to win small businesses before they become banking customers

• Huntington is looking for its next small-business customers before they need a bank.
• With 1866 Studio, it’s betting that helping entrepreneurs solve everyday business problems now could earn it a role in their financial decisions later.

Culture and Talent, Member Exclusive, Opinion

AI can eat jobs, but companies still have to build the workforce

• AI can eliminate tasks and jobs, but companies still need to build the skills, talent pipelines, and workforce needed for what comes next.
• From entry-level training to decades of institutional knowledge, the risk is that companies cut work faster than they build the people and capabilities to replace it.