The industry continued moving forward, with innovation and utility converging. Growth remained unabated, showing promise.
Headlines to take note of:
- IEX unveiled plans to launch its options platform by mid-2026;
- Cboe enabled options trading for the S&P 500 Equal Weight Index (EWI);
- The Ripple Labs-owned Hidden Road received its FINRA broker-dealer license ;
- VantageScore launched a new credit model;
- Plus, the NY Attorney General took legal action against MoneyLion and DailyPay (read on to find out);
- And much more!
Of course, it’s your week in digital wealth!
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Wealthtech, Regtech, Regulatory, and Treasury
IEX Group
Boutique Fintech IEX revealed the launch of its IEX Options platform in Q2 2026. The move is subject to regulatory approval.
Furthermore, the all-electronic ecosystem will enable access to the complete options instrument sphere.
Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
Premier exchange operator Cboe announced enhancements to its iteration of the S&P product platform, including options trading for the S&P 500 Equal Weight Index (EWI).
Moreover, the deployment enhances the Cboe S&P 500 Index (SPX) options ecosystem.
Miami International Holdings, Inc. (MIH)/Bloomberg L.P./Options Price Reporting Authority (OPRA)
Similarly, MIH introduced the Bloomberg US Large Cap Price Return Index (Bloomberg 500 Index). The offering leverages accessibility via the MIAX Product Feed (MPF) and the OPRA’s platform.
In addition, the deployment enhances the MIAX Bloomberg 500 Index futures and options offerings, slated for Q2 2025.
Bruce Markets LLC/Nasdaq, Inc.
In an April 15 press release, Brice Markets revealed a collaboration with Nasdaq. The cooperation integrates Bruce ATS™’s data with Nasdaq’s infrastructure.
Consequently, global access to market data is available via the setup.
Crypto, Blockchain, and Digital Assets
Ripple Labs Inc./Hidden Road Inc./FINRA
Following XRP issuer Ripple’s billion-dollar acquisition of Hidden Road, the credit network revealed that FINRA granted Hidden Road a broker-dealer license. The move expands Hidden Road’s fixed-income operations.
Subsequently, the Ripple-Hidden Road deal will improve integrations between the digital asset and fixed-income sectors.
Pico Quantitative Trading LLC/Coinbase Derivatives
Trading specialist Pico collaborated with Coinbase Derivatives to enhance operations. The cooperation involves infrastructure migrations, ecosystem optimization, co-location, and client exposure.
Furthermore, the partnership creates new opportunities for industry players.
Premier crypto exchange Kraken revealed its foray into the foreign exchange space with FX perpetual futures in an April 18 post. Kraken announced the launch of GBP/USD and EUR/USD contracts on the Kraken Pro platform.
Additionally, round-the-clock trading of the instruments is also available.
Fintech, Personal Finance, and Apps
Lili Financial Services Inc.
SMB-focused Lili unveiled several solutions to enable the growth and expansion of online merchant operations. The offerings include ‘Lili Connect,’ Lili’s embedded finance offering that connects SMBs to flexible accounting, banking, and tax products.
Additionally, customers can open business checking accounts via integrations with several of Lili’s e-commerce associates, including Hostinger, North Commerce, and Convesio.
VantageScore Solutions LLC
Boutique credit scoring Fintech VantageScore expanded its footprint with ‘VantageScore 5.0,’ a post-pandemic, consumer-focused model. The new model enhances options for underserved segments, enabling improved access to credit and loans.
Moreover, VantageScore 5.0 has several cutting-edge features, including model stability, unsecured loan optimizations, and precise predictions.
The State of New York/MoneyLion Inc./DailyPay, Inc.
New York’s AG Letitia James went after MoneyLion and DailyPay, accusing them of (allegedly) offering illegal payday loans to hourly workers. According to filings by the NY AG, the Fintechs charged exorbitant interest rates, often exceeding 750% annually.
Furthermore, James also accused the Fintechs of charging high interest rates for small amounts within the $100 range.
All-American payment behemoth MoneyGram collaborated with Plaid to improve money transfers. The deployment integrates Plaid’s account authentication with MoneyGram’s ecosystem.
Additionally, the cooperation enables improved pay-by-bank experiences and faster transactions.
Banking, Payments, and Infrastructure
U.S. Bancorp (U.S. Bank)
In related news, SMBs now have improved options thanks to a new offering from U.S. Bank. ‘U.S. Bank Business Essentials’ is a new comprehensive no-fee account that offers unlimited transfers and unified access to its innovative features alongside money management offerings.
SMBs also have same-day access to their funds and a free mobile card reader.
FNB Corporation (FNB)/Atomic FI, Inc.
In an April 14 announcement, banking giant FNB revealed the availability of automated direct deposit switch capacities within its ecosystem. The ‘Direct Deposit Switch’ integrates with FNB’s onboarding infrastructure, enabling customers to make improved choices for payroll deployments.
Additionally, the FI revealed plans to enable recurring debits later this year.
ValidiFI, Inc.
Boutique Fintech ValidiFI revealed introduced additions to its vAccount+ offering. Improvements include account verification capacities.
Furthermore, the AI-powered feature maximizes data to optimize open rates.
Zions Bancorporation, N.A./nCino, Inc.
FI collective Zions revealed the selection of nCino’s banking solution as a part of digitization efforts. The deployment also transforms loan origination.
Subsequently, the integration also enables improved customer experiences.
REtech, Insurtech and Investing
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE)
Anonymous executions of ICE Bonds are now possible thanks to request-for-quote (RFQ) functionality for mortgage-backed securities (MBS). This feature enables increased liquidity and provides improved trading access in tandem with the easy-click functions of the ICE Bonds platform.
Additionally, ICE revealed plans to integrate pricing and data-focused analytics features from ICE Mortgage Technology (IMT) with the setup later this year.
Agency management-focused Fintech HawkSoft teamed up with niche Insurtech Sembley to improve agency submission procedures. The collaboration reduced manual processes, linking Sembley’s ecosystem with HawkSoft’s automation tech.
Furthermore, the setup helps automate ACORD (Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development) industry-standard filings.
Lofty Inc.
Leading REtech firm Lofty took the real estate marketing game further with Lofty Bloom, a cutting-edge, AI-powered lead generation solution that unifies digital ads with direct mail campaigns.
Moreover, the offering is zip-code friendly, improving conversion rates and sales.
