The Green Sheet Online Edition
July 27, 2026 • 26:07:02
Industry Update
ANNOUNCEMENTS
A-Comm Evidence Protocol open for public comment
A-Comm Technologies opened its draft A-Comm Evidence Protocol (AEP) for public comment through Aug. 14, 2026. Designed for agentic commerce, the open-source protocol creates a tamper-evident record of each stage of an AI-driven transaction, providing observability, traceability and auditability from consumer intent through payment authorization and fulfillment. The company said the protocol is intended to help establish trusted standards for AI-initiated commerce as transaction volumes grow. A-Comm is inviting feedback from payments, technology and security stakeholders. The draft and comment portal are available at aep.a-comm.ai, with source code also available at github.com/A-Comm-Tech/a-comm-evidence-protocol.
AmEx breaks ground on new global headquarters
American Express Co. broke ground on its new global headquarters at 2 World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, marking the start of construction on the nearly 2 million-square-foot American Express Tower. The building will complete the commercial redevelopment of the World Trade Center campus and is expected to open in 2031. Company executives joined government and community leaders to highlight the project's role in supporting jobs, economic growth and New York City's continued revitalization. The development is expected to create more than 3,200 construction-related jobs and contribute an estimated $6.3 billion to New York state's economy.
Bold Integrated Payments refreshes its brand ID
Bold Integrated Payments unveiled a refreshed brand identity featuring a new logo and brighter color palette that reflect the company's growth and partner-focused approach. The redesigned logo incorporates bracket symbols inspired by HTML tags, highlighting the company's engineering roots and emphasis on transparent payment solutions. The updated branding will appear across the company's website, customer portals, product dashboards and marketing materials, with no changes to existing products or integrations. Bold said the refresh underscores its commitment to transparent economics and partner support as it expands programs and prepares for future product launches.
BOSS Money app ranked first for customer satisfaction
The BOSS Money app ranked first for customer satisfaction among digital money transfer providers for the second consecutive year in FXC Intelligence's 2026 evaluation of 20 services operating in the U.S. and U.K. markets. BOSS Money earned an average 4.9 out of 5.0 rating across Apple's App Store and Google Play, while also achieving the highest combined score across the App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot. The company attributed its performance to ease of use, fast transfers, competitive exchange rates and security. BOSS Money also announced promotional offers for new customers sending international remittances.
Circle receives OCC approval for Circle National Trust
Circle Internet Group received approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to establish Circle National Trust, a national trust bank that will operate under direct federal oversight. The new entity will initially provide fiduciary digital asset custody services for Circle and its affiliates while supporting the infrastructure of the company's USDC stablecoin. Circle said the charter also positions it to eventually manage USDC reserves under OCC supervision and potentially offer digital asset custody services to banks and other financial institutions. The company said the approval strengthens the safety, transparency and regulatory framework surrounding its stablecoin infrastructure.
DataVisor honored for AI-drive fraud prevention
DataVisor received multiple industry awards recognizing its AI-driven platform for fraud prevention and financial crime management. The company was named Decision Intelligence Company of the Year in the 2026 AI Breakthrough Awards and won Best AI Solution – Risk Management & Decisioning in the PayTech Awards. DataVisor said the honors reflect growing demand for AI-native, real-time risk decisioning as financial institutions face increasingly sophisticated fraud threats. The company's Vera suite of AI agents automates fraud and anti-money laundering operations, while a DataVisor-powered deployment at NASA Federal Credit Union also earned recognition from research and advisory firm Celent.
ONEKEY reveals how AI will evolve within its platform
ONEKEY unveiled a four-stage roadmap outlining how artificial intelligence will evolve within its product cybersecurity platform, gradually expanding from an information resource to an intelligent security assistant while keeping humans responsible for critical decisions. The roadmap begins with a context-aware AI agent that answers natural-language questions about vulnerabilities, firmware, software bills of materials and other security data. Later phases will allow organizations to integrate ONEKEY's security intelligence into enterprise AI systems and workflows, assist with vulnerability prioritization and decision-making, and ultimately automate operational tasks such as report preparation, configuration and comparative analysis. ONEKEY said transparency, traceability, permissions and human oversight remain central to its approach, positioning AI as decision support, not a replacement for security professionals.
RESEARCH
BHN annual study highlights digital gift card opportunities
Blackhawk Network released its 2026 Best Direct Digital Gift Cards Benchmark Report, highlighting opportunities for brands to improve digital gift card programs as AI increasingly influences shopping behavior. The study of 120 brands across the United States and Canada found that only 61 percent met AI search criteria and just 5 percent offered AI-powered gifting recommendations. The report also identified opportunities to improve personalization, mobile experiences, year-round marketing and omnichannel engagement. BHN said optimizing digital gift card programs for AI discovery, flexible delivery and customer experience will help brands capitalize on the growing global gift card market, projected to reach $1.7 trillion by 2030.
Hospitality's shift to self-service transforming POS's role
Castles Technology published a white paper examining how self-service technology is transforming payment infrastructure across the hospitality industry. The report said Android-based POS platforms are replacing legacy systems, enabling integrated ordering, payments and operational workflows. Castles noted that self-service technology can increase customer spending by up to 20 percent while demand for cashless payments, digital wallets and integrated business systems continues to grow. The paper also highlights the impact of mobile POS, kiosks and connected payment systems across restaurants and hotels and offers guidance for evaluating next-generation POS platforms, security and payments.
LNRS warns of escalating AI-powered deepfake attacks
LexisNexis Risk Solutions is warning organizations to strengthen identity verification as AI-generated deepfake fraud becomes more sophisticated. The company reported a 180 percent year-over-year increase in deepfake attacks and cited research predicting 100 billion identity checks will be conducted globally this year, with one in every 100 failed checks involving a deepfake. According to LexisNexis, fraudsters are increasingly using fake documents, images and videos to create or hijack accounts for financial crimes. The company recommends combining document authentication, biometric liveness detection and real-time fraud analysis to identify increasingly realistic deepfakes while minimizing customer friction.
Americans scale back summer tripsredirect funds toward necessities Rising living costs are prompting many Americans to scale back summer travel, according to a survey of 1,075 U.S. consumers conducted by Omnisend. While 59 percent plan to travel this summer, only 17 percent expect to take a major trip involving flights or paid lodging. Instead, many are choosing shorter trips, day outings or staying home. Nearly half (47 percent) said they have postponed, shortened or canceled travel because of costs, citing fuel, groceries and lodging expenses. Savings from reduced travel are increasingly being redirected toward necessities, including groceries, housing costs and debt repayment, rather than discretionary purchases.
Fragmentation tops concerns for cross-border payments
PayDo's analysis of several hundred business clients found that one in two companies overpays by as much as 20 percent on the total cost of cross-border payments because of fragmented payment infrastructure. The company attributed the added expense to intermediary fees, wider foreign exchange spreads, reconciliation work and delayed settlement. According to the analysis, internationally trading businesses typically manage 10 to 20 payment provider relationships, with nearly one-third using five or more providers for collections alone. PayDo also found that about two-thirds of technology companies joining its platform cited fragmentation, rather than pricing, as their primary reason for consolidating payment providers.
Real-time data central to improving payments performance
A survey of 250 senior payments and fintech leaders by Silverflow found growing agreement that real-time data is key to improving payments performance. Ninety-two percent of respondents said data visibility is important to business decision-making, while 64 percent called it extremely important. Accessing real-time data was identified as the industry's biggest challenge, followed closely by integrating data across systems. Respondents citing real-time data as their top obstacle were significantly more likely to rank improving authorization rates as their highest priority.
Overall, payment performance and authorization rates outpaced fraud management and cost optimization as the leading opportunity for improving payment operations.
PARTNERSHIPS
Alliance modernizes public sector bill payments
CentralSquare Technologies formed an alliance with InvoiceCloud to integrate digital billing and payment capabilities into its public administration software for government agencies and utilities. The combined solution enables residents to pay bills through online, mobile, text, phone and AutoPay channels while supporting paperless billing, automated reminders and self-service tools. The companies said the integration is designed to improve the resident payment experience while helping agencies reduce manual payment processing, lower printing and postage costs, improve cash flow visibility and increase operational efficiency. CentralSquare said the alliance will extend modern digital payments to the public sector across North America.
JetBlue, ClarityPay team up on flexible financing
JetBlue partnered with ClarityPay to offer eligible customers flexible financing options when booking flights through jetblue.com and the JetBlue mobile app. Travelers can check eligibility without affecting their credit score and, if approved, manage payments through ClarityPay. To mark the launch, the companies are offering 0 percent APR financing for terms of up to 12 months for a limited time. Customers using ClarityPay will continue to earn TrueBlue loyalty points on eligible purchases, and the companies plan to introduce additional loyalty integrations later 2026. The partnership expands payment flexibility while supporting customer rewards and engagement, the partners stated.
Contactless parking payments come to Fresno Yosemite
Fresno Yosemite International Airport partnered with Metropolis to introduce contactless parking across all airport lots. Travelers can register their license plate and payment information through the Metropolis app or website, allowing them to enter and exit parking facilities without tickets or kiosks while payments are processed automatically. The system launched as the airport continues a broader modernization effort following completion of its FATforward expansion project. Airport officials said the platform will streamline the parking experience while improving operational visibility. Cash payments will remain available through designated lanes, and on-site personnel will continue assisting travelers as needed.
Hilton, Navan connect booking, payment systems
Navan and Hilton plan to launch what they describe as the first direct connection between a hotel company and a travel management company, linking Hilton's reservation system with Navan's AI-powered business travel platform. The integration will provide real-time hotel availability, rates, bookings and property content through Hilton-developed APIs, replacing traditional distribution methods. The companies said the partnership will improve the corporate travel booking experience while laying the groundwork for greater automation and post-booking services. It also will streamline virtual payment acceptance across Hilton's global portfolio, reducing payment friction for travelers and travel managers, the partners stated.
Nuvion, Turnkey enhance embedded wallet capabilities
Nuvion partnered with Turnkey to expand embedded wallet and stablecoin capabilities for businesses and fintechs. The collaboration combines Turnkey's wallet infrastructure with Nuvion's regulated financial platform, enabling organizations to launch stablecoin-powered financial products without managing blockchain infrastructure or private keys. The integrated offering includes embedded wallets, stablecoin accounts, treasury and payment automation, global payout capabilities, and on- and off-ramp services. Nuvion said the partnership is designed to simplify adoption of blockchain-based financial services while maintaining enterprise-grade security, compliance and operational controls.
rabbittransit, Modeshift launch fare collection platform
rabbittransit and Modeshift launched rabbitPAY, an account-based fare collection platform that adds mobile ticketing, reloadable smart cards, automatic fare capping and online account management for transit riders across several Pennsylvania counties. The platform allows riders to pay through a mobile app, smart card or web portal, with fare capping ensuring they automatically receive the lowest available monthly fare. Future enhancements will include ticket vending machines and open payments supporting contactless bank cards and mobile wallets.
Modeshift said the system will also provide real-time operational insights and lay the foundation for regional fare integration among Pennsylvania transit agencies.
ACQUISITIONS
Kikoff acquires The Service Bureau assets
Consumer fintech Kikoff acquired the technology, customer relationships and other key assets of The Service Bureau, a provider of credit reporting and data furnishing solutions. Kikoff said the acquisition expands its enterprise credit platform, adding technology used by more than 1,000 organizations while strengthening its capabilities in credit furnishing, compliance, disputes and bureau integrations. The company added that the transaction will help financial institutions and other organizations streamline credit reporting operations while expanding access to credit infrastructure. Kikoff plans to continue supporting The Service Bureau's existing customers as the businesses are integrated. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Stripe, Advent propose PayPal acquisition
Stripe and private equity firm Advent International reportedly offered more than $53 billion to acquire PayPal, proposing to pay $60.50 per share in a deal backed by approximately $50 billion in financing. If completed, the transaction would combine two of the world's largest online payments companies, with an estimated annual payment volume of about $3.7 trillion. According to Reuters, PayPal has not responded to the proposal, and Stripe, Advent and PayPal have declined to comment. The reported bid follows an earlier approach this spring and remains a proposed acquisition rather than a completed transaction.
APPOINTMENTS
Mark Alsentzer signs on with Kurv
Mark Alsentzer joined Kurv as chief technology officer. A Vanderbilt University computer engineering graduate with a focus on artificial intelligence, Alsentzer began his career at a payments startup before helping drive technology transformation at companies including Paysafe and Pavilion Payments following acquisitions involving Citibank and Global Payments. He brings expertise in AI, systems engineering and scalable payment platforms developed through roles spanning software development, operations, risk and technical sales. At Kurv, Alsentzer will oversee product enablement, technology strategy and organizational transformation as the company expands its AI-powered payments platform.
Metropolis appoints three new advisers
Metropolis appointed former DraftKings CFO Jason Park, former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Hugh Wyman Howard III as advisers. Park will advise on financial strategy and growth, Garcetti on public-private partnerships and urban infrastructure, and Howard on security and critical infrastructure. The appointments come as Metropolis expands its AI-powered platform for checkout-free commerce, mobility and digital payments. Following its acquisition of SP+ in 2024, the company has become North America's largest parking operator, processing more than $5 billion in annual transaction volume.
Harlow Payments appoints Ray Sidhom
Payments veteran Ray Sidhom was appointed executive chairman of Harlow Payments. Sidhom founded EVO Payments, building it into a global payment technology company before its $4 billion acquisition by Global Payments in 2022. He previously helped lead Harlow's acquisition of embedded payments provider PayFactory and has supported the company's international expansion. As executive chairman, Sidhom will help guide Harlow's long-term strategy and growth.
Harlow CEO Diego Vazquez said Sidhom's experience scaling payments businesses and serving merchants globally will be instrumental as the company expands its product offerings, partnerships and merchant relationships.
TRWD welcomes Jeremy Woertink to its advisory board
Technology and payments veteran Jeremy Woertink joined the advisory board of Tradewinds Universal to support its financial services division. Woertink is currently engaged in developing payment infrastructure supporting subscriptions, token-based purchases and creator payouts at Joystick.tv.
He previously served as CTO of Namechk.com, helping scale the platform to nearly 1 million username searches daily and has experience in web and mobile application development, software architecture, Ruby and JavaScript. In his advisory role, Woertink will help develop a payment gateway application and evaluate potential technology acquisitions. 
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