Payment Regulation Tracker 2026
Payment regulation is something that affects both providers of financial services and customers who make payments daily.
EU
USDC Becomes the First Significant E-Money Token under MiCA
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has classified the USDC stablecoin as the first significant e-money token (EMT) in the European Union under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).
Payward, Parent Company of Kraken, to Acquire Lithuanian Bank Saldo
Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, has agreed to acquire Finnish holding company Saldo Finance Oy, which owns the digital bank Saldo Bank licensed in Lithuania. The deal will give Payward a full European Union banking license.
Roundup & Reflections on Fintech Meetup Europe 2026
Early October, PaySpace Magazine team had a chance to be present at the first European edition of well-known Fintech Meetup event series that took place Oct. 6-8 in Lisbon, Portugal. The debut set a high bar in terms of networking, agenda intensity, and even extra activities.
SBC Summit Europe Builds on Amsterdam Move With Regulated Markets Focus
SBC Summit Europe will bring together the businesses, regulators and policymakers shaping the future of regulated gambling across the continent when it takes place at RAI Amsterdam from 19–21 April 2027.
Safello Launches Crypto Checkout Pilot for Businesses
Swedish crypto brokerage Safello launched a pilot version of its crypto checkout solution. It allows businesses to offer their end customers the ability to buy and transfer crypto-assets without leaving an existing customer flow.
ECB Launches Pontes to Settle Tokenised Assets in Central Bank Money
The European Central Bank (ECB) has launched Pontes, a new service designed to allow wholesale transactions in tokenised assets to be settled using central bank money.
Payworld Brings Wero QR Payments to Belgian Terminals
Belgian payment provider Payworld is expanding Wero acceptance into physical stores, allowing customers to pay by scanning a Wero QR code displayed directly on a payment terminal.
ECB Opens Digital Euro Pilot to Online and Mobile Merchants
The European Central Bank (ECB) has opened its digital euro pilot to online and mobile commerce merchants across the euro area, giving businesses an opportunity to test how the proposed central bank digital currency could work in real payment environments.
Worldline Launches UCP Payment Handler for Agentic Commerce
Worldline has become one of the first payment providers in Europe to launch a payment handler for the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP).
Fintech Meetup Europe 2026
Fintech Meetup Europe 2026 will take place on 6–8 October 2026 at Feira Internacional de Lisboa in Lisbon, Portugal, bringing together 2,500+ fintech, banking, payments and commerce leaders for three days of meetings, networking and industry discussion.
Silverflow and Griner Partner to Expand Payment Processing Across Europe
Silverflow, a cloud-native card payment processing platform, has partnered with Griner, a Cyprus-based payments processor, to support the latter’s expansion across European markets. The companies said the partnership follows an initial launch in Cyprus, where transaction volumes have increased month on month as more merchants have joined the platform.
What You Should Know About GDPR, and How It Affects Business
GDPR means General Data Protection Regulation. It is the European Union’s core data protection law, and it touches nearly every sector: technology, medicine, advertising, banking, payments, and beyond. The regulation does not concern only EU citizens and companies. Any organization that handles the personal data of people in the EU falls within its scope, regardless […]
Handwave Expands Visa Partnership to Scale Palm-Based Biometric Payments in Europe
European fintech startup Handwave has expanded its agreement with Visa to support the rollout of biometric payments across European markets, combining palm-based payment technology with Visa’s tokenisation, authentication and fraud prevention capabilities.
Confirmo Launches EU Stablecoin Payouts For Cross-Border Business Payments
Confirmo, a global stablecoin payment infrastructure provider, has begun processing mass stablecoin payouts for EU businesses.
European Borrowing Costs Jump to Levels Not Seen in 15 Years
Something unusual happened to Europe’s bond market right after the summer break, and it significantly differs from what investors have been witnessing in the United States earlier.
