JPMorgan’s move on crypto collateral is a watershed moment for banks
Reports that JPMorgan is planning to allow the use of crypto collateral against loans are good news for the crypto market. But Noelle Acheson argues that it’s even better news for bank lending.
Madoff Ponzi scheme haunts HSBC, which faces $1 billion hit
A Luxembourg court ruled against the bank in a long-running lawsuit tied to its custodial role for a fund that invested in the massive Ponzi scheme.
Fed’s rate cut trajectory unclear as dueling dissents emerge
The Federal Open Market Committee voted to reduce interest rates by 25 basis points Wednesday, but the emergence of dissents on the committee makes the chance of another quarter-point cut in December less certain.
Small businesses’ must-haves: Speed, simplicity, capital
American Banker’s 2025 Small Business Banking conference yielded lessons about the need for speed, simplicity and safety in small-business lending. Other key takeaways included the significance of digital payment options and the importance of continuing to process SBA loan requests during the government shutdown.
UMB shows growth and growing pains as it absorbs Heartland
Nine months after acquiring Heartland Financial, Missouri’s largest bank posted a complicated quarter.
Western Union plots its stablecoin move
The legacy money transfer firm plans to launch USDPT, a coin designed to improve international payment processing. That and more in the American Banker global payments and fintech roundup.
What the pullback of U.S. climate guidance means for banks
Credit analysts say climate risk could still pose a financial threat to financial institutions, even though the federal government has taken an ax to Biden-era climate guidance.
The OCC has fired the starting pistol in a race to open new banks
The agency’s approval of the stablecoin-focused Erebor will be the first of many applications to open new banks, many focused on nontraditional elements of the business.
Fiserv’s earnings miss ‘difficult to comprehend’
The bank technology company, which faces market pressure from fintechs, cut its outlook by about 20% and restructured its leadership following the departure of former CEO Frank Bisignano to the Trump administration.
Democratic Senators demand answers on Binance pardon
The lawmakers suggest ties between the former Binance chief and the Trump family could have led to the pardon.