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.
Bluevine’s SVP and GM of checking and payments explains how the digital bank decides which jobs to take on for small business owners, and what it takes to make a partner's product feel like its own.
Cooper also discusses what Bluevine learned from processing more than $2 billion in mobile check deposits without branches, and why he expects most owners to choose the provider they trust over the best tool for every task.
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.
In Episode 3 of TER, Sara and Zack discuss what makes a fintech indispensable and which companies could disappear without customers noticing much of a difference.
Zack picks PayPal for its role in opening up online commerce. Sara names Wise and Stripe, where value comes from solving recurring problems and becoming embedded in business operations.
