Member Exclusive,
Numbers with Narrative,
Policies & Playbooks
- Financial innovation doesn’t follow a straight path. When it swerves, the clash between ideals and economics comes into focus.
- With data volumes surging and regulatory clarity still elusive, a harder question is emerging: If access to financial data is commercialized, how “open” is open banking – and who ultimately bears the cost?
Sara Khairi | February 19, 2026
Banking,
Banking as a service
- Affirm and major fintechs are applying for bank charters to eliminate sponsor dependencies and improve economics.
- The shift from fintech-bank partnerships to direct competition calls into question legacy institutions' longtime market dominance.
Rabab Ahsan | February 17, 2026
10-Q,
Member Exclusive
- Capital One’s Brex acquisition exemplifies a broader shift: incumbent banks reclaiming embedded finance as a core competency.
- A small group of major banks is taking embedded finance in-house, leveraging scale to assert control over risk, economics, and strategic differentiation.
Sara Khairi | February 16, 2026
Banking,
Embedded Finance,
Member Exclusive
- Despite rapid innovation and growth in embedded finance, one area remains largely unchanged: how banks and fintechs initially connect.
- Treasury Prime identifies discovery – not diligence – as the real bottleneck in embedded finance, with AI now positioned to overcome it.
Sara Khairi | February 12, 2026
Banking,
Banking as a service
- After 20 years in sponsor banking, Pathward president Anthony Sharett argues that successful bank-fintech partnerships require the right people, multi-threaded opportunities, and true co-creation.
- While over 100 banks now call themselves sponsor banks, Suro believes the next frontier lies in AI, embedded finance, and educating all stakeholders about what's possible.
Zack Miller | February 11, 2026
