Digital payments innovation in different regions of the world is being spurred on by Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) adoption, as nations experiment with new payments options that can be more inclusive and dynamic. 130 countries are currently exploring the possibilities with CBDC adoption, which allows for digital money to be supported and used publicly alongside cash whilst supported by the nation’s central bank.

British savings and investment app Moneybox has secured £70 million in investment, mostly facilitated through a secondary share sale that will nearly double its valuation from two years ago to £550 million.

La Banque Postale, in collaboration with WWF France, is the first traditional bank in France to launch an impact bank card where all deposits associated with the card will be used to finance the energy renovation of housing.

Payments giant Strip is moving to an invite-only model for new clients in India as it builds up the infrastructure to deal with an evolving regulatory landscape.

Private investment management platform Arch has raised $20 million in a Series A funding round led by Menlo Ventures.

Swiss bank UBS is using AI models to create video avatars of its analysts to share with clients.

NatWest is teaming up with Edinburgh University to build a climate education and training programme for more than 16,000 of the bank’s employees.

Exchange operator Nasdaq is integrating a GenAI-powered feature into its market surveillance technology.

Societe Generale is the latest bank to offer an insight into how it is coping during the Covid-19 lockdown, using technology to ensure remote workers are on top of their briefs and keeping their spirits up.

Gemini has agreed to return at least $1.1 billion to customers who lost money through the crypto firm’s partnership with now-bankrupt Genesis.

Goldman Sachs has agreed to buy NextCapital, a robo-advisor for corporate retirement plan participants. Financial terms were not disclosed.