The enhanced version of the Green Checker Platform has been adjusted to fit regional market realities, featuring simplified data entry options and adaptable parameters that account for local conditions. It is now available in parts of North Africa, the Middle East, the Western Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Eastern Neighbourhood. The international rollout of the platform was unveiled at the 30th United Nations climate conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, aligning with the EIB’s commitment to drive global green finance under the EU Global Gateway Investment Agenda.

“The Green Checker is a transformative tool,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. “It helps companies assess whether their projects meet climate and environmental criteria and determine their eligibility for EIB financing through our partner banks. We are now broadening its scope to include countries beyond Europe, accelerating climate investments globally. The Green Checker is an instrument to simplify the assessment of climate projects, in particular for SMEs.”

Through a structured step-by-step process, the Green Checker enables users to evaluate a project’s environmental performance and determine how closely it aligns with EIB green financing criteria. It produces customized reports that estimate expected climate benefits such as energy savings and emission reductions, while confirming compliance with both the EU Taxonomy and EIB climate standards.

Although initially aimed at financial intermediaries, including commercial banks, leasing firms, and national promotional institutions, the platform is free and open to the public. This allows small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), public sector bodies, and individuals to independently assess their projects and explore access to green finance opportunities. Alongside the Green Checker, EIB Advisory continues to develop other digital tools like the Decarbonisation Guide, launched with advisory support in North Macedonia and Morocco, to further strengthen green transition initiatives through technical assistance and tailored credit programmes such as the Greening Financial Systems Technical Assistance Programme.

The post EIB Expands Green Checker Platform Beyond the European Union first appeared on World Finance Informs.

The AI-powered financial assistant is designed to act like a personal finance partner, available 24 hours a day to give tailored guidance, respond to questions, and link customers with human advisers when needed. With this rollout, Lloyds becomes the first UK bank to use agentic AI on such a wide scale, marking a new step in how technology can help people take better control of their finances. According to the Group’s Consumer Digital Index, 56% of adults, about 28.8 million people have used AI over the past year to help manage their money, with ChatGPT emerging as the most commonly used platform.

But the same report also shows that many people still have doubts. Around 80% worry about getting inaccurate or outdated information, and 69% are concerned that AI tools don’t take their personal circumstances into account. Lloyds says its new system aims to close that gap by offering guidance that adapts to each customer’s situation. It’s built to recognise individual habits, remember useful details, and give secure, compliant responses.

The AI-powered financial assistant will launch with two core features, a conversational tool offering spending insights and another that helps customers plan savings and investments. Following an initial pilot phase, Lloyds intends to expand its capabilities to cover more areas such as mortgages, car finance, and protection products from 2026 onwards.

Unlike traditional chatbots, Lloyds’ solution is built on its Generative AI and Agentic framework, which combines bank-curated data with advanced systems to provide precise and personalised information. Customers will be able to ask questions in their own words and get fast, relevant answers through a secure platform. The system includes safety checks to keep information accurate and can hand things over to human experts whenever extra help is needed.

“This launch is not just about introducing new technology; it is a pivotal step in our strategy as we continue to reimagine the Group for our customers and colleagues.” said Ranil Boteju, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Lloyds Banking Group. “Our AI financial assistant is underpinned by Lloyds Banking Group’s robust AI assurance framework and guardrails, helping deliver safe, explainable and regulated AI-driven interactions.”

Helen Bierton, Chief Digital Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “This new technology will take the customer experience up a level by giving people access to a personal AI agent, empowering more people than ever to make informed decisions about their money. We’re excited to bring this feature to our customers in the coming months.”

The assistant is designed to be scalable, secure, and responsible from the outset. It uses conversational tools to process requests, plan actions, and carry out tasks such as retrieving transaction information or generating spending insights. Its structure ensures human oversight and transparency at every step, combining innovation with trusted banking expertise. Through this initiative, Lloyds Banking Group aims to make digital banking more intuitive, reliable, and accessible for millions of users across the UK.

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Under the new phase of their agreement, Nexi will connect its payment acceptance technology with Zucchetti’s software systems, including TCPOS, the company’s trusted point-of-sale platform used by leading retail and hospitality brands worldwide. The integration will first roll out in Switzerland before being extended to additional markets in the DACH region, marking a broader strategic expansion in Europe.

Roberto Catanzaro, Chief Business Officer, Merchant Solutions at Nexi Group, stated: “The extension of our partnership with Zucchetti, which builds on our existing relationship in Italy, allows merchants to benefit from seamlessly integrated payments solutions. This will start in the hospitality space, then extend into additional verticals, such as retail. We are deeply committed to being the “partner of choice” for ISVs, allowing them to offer more comprehensive payment solutions, underpinned by our embedded finance capabilities.”

Echoing this sentiment, Dirk Schwindling, EVP Zucchetti Worldwide Business Operations & CEO Zucchetti Switzerland SA, commented: “With digital payments becoming a non-negotiable standard, we needed a partner who understands the pace of change and is ready to keep up. Our partnership with Nexi builds on a strong foundation of mutual trust and proven success in the Italian market. Nexi shares our vision for frictionless, integrated commerce. Together, we’re ready to bring this synergy to new international markets, starting with the DACH region, and deliver smart, unified solutions that anticipate the future of retail and hospitality.”

Both companies, known for their extensive European presence and deep sector expertise, reaffirmed their commitment to advancing integrated, verticalized payment ecosystems. The partnership reflects a shared ambition to extend unified, innovative payment solutions to more industries and geographies across Europe.

The post Nexi, Zucchetti Expand Partnership for Integrated Payments first appeared on World Finance Informs.

Under the agreement, Visa Europe has certified Edenred’s own issuing and processing platform. This now lets Edenred issue Visa credentials across its core areas like Benefits, Engagement, Fleet, Mobility, and B2B Payments. The certification reinforces Edenred’s tech position and gives Visa access to the company’s established commercial reach.

Together, the two firms are combining Visa’s global network with Edenred’s technology and market know-how. The partnership gives Edenred access to Visa’s latest tools for commercial payments and B2B payments, including uses like insurance payouts, travel supplier transactions, and embedded finance. The companies expect this to enhance flexibility, security, and efficiency for business clients and employees.

Clément Le Chatelier, Chief Product Officer at Edenred, said: “Our partnership with Visa is a clear proof point of Edenred’s technology leadership. Integrating Visa’s network and innovations within our PayTech platform allows us to scale faster, offer more choice, and deliver unmatched value to our clients. Together, we’re extending Edenred’s reach while helping businesses modernize payments across Europe and beyond.”

For Visa, the tie-up supports its wider goal of shaping the future of commercial payments through new solutions for companies and employees.

Lucy Demery, Head of Visa Commercial Solutions, Visa Europe, said: “By combining Visa’s global capabilities with Edenred’s platform, we’re unlocking exciting new possibilities for innovation and growth across their business lines. This collaboration is a powerful example of how we can work together to deliver seamless, secure, and meaningful payment experiences that empower both businesses and their employees alike”

Edenred and Visa have already worked together successfully in Latin America and the United States. Their first Visa-enabled Edenred virtual payment solutions are set to go live in early 2026, followed by additional program launches across Europe. Both companies say they are committed to building locally adapted, high-performing payment experiences that help businesses operate more efficiently and achieve long-term growth.

The post Edenred, Visa Partner to Boost Commercial Payment Solutions first appeared on World Finance Informs.

The partnership combines AXA Partners’ B2B2C insurance expertise with bolttech’s technology-led distribution capabilities to unlock new commercial opportunities and broaden access to innovative insurance experiences throughout Europe. The two companies will focus their joint efforts on serving carriers, managing general agents (MGAs), reinsurers, and distribution partners operating in telecommunications, financial services, utilities, travel, retail, and original equipment manufacturing (OEM) sectors.

The two companies are coming together to build a stronger foothold in these markets. They want to offer insurance and assistance solutions shaped around how customer expectations are changing. Both organisations view the agreement as a significant milestone in redefining the embedded insurance landscape in Europe. The partnership positions AXA Partners and bolttech as leading enablers for insurers and non-insurance brands seeking to generate new revenue streams through integrated and value-driven insurance experiences.

bolttech chief executive officer for EMEA Stephan Tan said, “This agreement marks an exciting step in bolttech’s growth across Europe, where we are seeing strong momentum for embedded insurance at scale. With AXA Partners, we are bringing together complementary capabilities and a shared ambition to deliver more value to partners and their customers through innovative insurance experiences.”

AXA Partners chief customer and strategy officer Gunter Uytterhoeven said, “Customer behavior is changing fast, creating new opportunities for telcos, banks, utilities, OEMs, retailers, and the travel sector to monetise new value propositions. Customers now expect tailored insurance to be seamlessly embedded in what they buy. Together with bolttech, AXA now offers the widest range of insurance solutions for B2B2C distribution in the European Union, UK, and Switzerland markets.”

He added, “Generating more revenue from insurance distribution while providing greater value to customers is our promise to our corporate partners.”

The post AXA Partners Join bolttech to Boost Embedded Insurance in EU first appeared on World Finance Informs.

The UK remains a leading hub for asset management, home to around 2,600 firms managing £14 trillion in assets for clients at home and abroad. As part of its strategy, the FCA has reiterated its commitment to backing innovation so the sector can keep growing.

Tokenisation, the digital representation of assets on distributed ledger technology, gives asset managers new ways to innovate and stay competitive as investing evolves. The FCA says tokenised products could boost competition, give consumers more choice, and open new ways to distribute funds, including to those just starting out. The technology could also make private markets and infrastructure investments easier to access, letting consumers tap into options that are more affordable and better suited to their needs.

Tokenisation in asset management can also make fund operations more efficient and lower management costs. By simplifying how firms share and reconcile data when operating or distributing funds, managers could save funds. The FCA has been actively collaborating with industry participants to realise these advantages in the UK market.

Simon Walls, executive director of markets at the FCA, commented: “Tokenisation has the potential to drive fundamental changes in asset management, with benefits for the industry and consumers. There are many things that firms can do under our existing rules and more that become possible with the changes we propose enacting now. We stand ready to design the next stage with the industry – this publication suggests a path. The UK has the opportunity to be a world-leader here and we want to provide asset managers with the clarity and confidence they need to deliver.”

The FCA’s proposals encompass several key initiatives:

• Guidance on operating tokenised fund registers under current FCA rules through the UK Blueprint model.
• A streamlined, alternative dealing model for fund managers to handle buying and selling of units in authorised funds, whether traditional or tokenised.
• A roadmap to advance fund tokenisation, tackling issues like public blockchain use and entire settlement on blockchain.
• A discussion on the ways tokenisation models could evolve and what regulatory changes might follow.

This consultation is part of the FCA’s digital assets roadmap, showing its commitment to modernising UK asset management.

The post FCA Sets Plans to Support Tokenisation in Asset Management first appeared on World Finance Informs.

The German lender, one of the industry’s largest clearing banks, became an investor in Partior in 2024 and finalised its platform agreement in May 2025. This transaction on blockchain is framed as a milestone for Deutsche Bank’s cross-border settlement strategy for Financial Institution (FI) clients, allowing real-time, scalable, and secure settlement. In collaboration with DBS, a founding shareholder of Partior, the bank also ensured that the blockchain platform could operate alongside traditional payment rails, making it possible to process transactions across multiple financial market infrastructures.

Deutsche Bank emphasised that its integration with Partior is designed to deliver tangible benefits for clients. These consist of efficient reconciliation processes, fewer payment failures, and confirmation in real-time since settlement is made directly on the blockchain. The bank also highlighted that more efficient interbank settlement will enhance liquidity management across the financial sector and enable real-time treasury management for clients’ underlying customers.

Partior’s CEO, Humphrey Valenbreder, described the project as a demonstration of the opportunities blockchain can bring to global finance. “We are super proud of what we are able to deliver with the great collaboration of the teams at Deutsche Bank and DBS. In a very short timeframe, we have proven that our new rails create real, live business opportunities for our partners and their clients. By enabling real-time settlement in addition to the messaging, combined with the security and finality that global systemically important banks require, we are creating new possibilities for how value moves across borders – innovation that can benefit the financial ecosystem at large.”

Ciaran Byrne, Head of Product Management Institutional Cash Management at Deutsche Bank added: “We envisage a future using multiple rails, be it SWIFT, Stablecoins, or blockchain-based solutions, where intelligent and negotiated routing produces maximum value in terms of processing efficiency, cost and client experience. Blockchain is clearly gaining traction in the industry and will form an integral component of how we service our FI clients. Through our partnership with Partior, we will offer clients a whole new experience in terms of real-time execution.”

The post Deutsche Bank Completes First Euro Transaction on Blockchain first appeared on World Finance Informs.

​The global mission is going to reinforce the place of Queensland on the world stage, which is going to be backed by the new Queensland–Europe and United Kingdom Trade & Investment Strategy 2025–2028 along with the launch of Queensland of Opportunity, which is going to be the first global business brand of the state.

​After a decade of decline under the former Labor government, during which the exports were transactional and the relationships were treated as an afterthought, the export potential of Queensland was left sitting idle, and the investment opportunities were also missed.

​The Crisafulli Government happens to comprehend that strong bonds always pave the way to deeper international collaborations as well as better outcomes for Queensland.

​Under Labor, there was no plan in place to diversify markets, there was no strategy to build resilient supply chains, and there wasn’t any significant effort to go ahead and convert investment opportunities into certain long-term outcomes for the state.

​The Crisafulli government, apparently, is changing all that. With a crystal-clear plan to harness the competitive edge of Queensland on the world stage all across defence, energy and resources, aerospace, and digital innovation, the global engagement would turn into local jobs and, of course, growth.

​One major example happens to be Audeara, which is Brisbane-based and whose customized hearing technology is now getting exported to Europe, which is indeed a clear demonstration of the leadership of Queensland in terms of digital health as well as innovation.

​ Ros Bates, who happens to be the Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment, and Training, is going to lead over 35 engagements in London, Madrid, Dubai, and Frankfurt by way of promoting the strengths of Queensland and also securing new collaborations so as to drive long-term growth.

​Minister Bates went on to say that this mission draws a sharp contrast to what has happened in the past in terms of Labor’s decade of decline, hence adding that the program goes on to send a very clear signal to the investors as well as decision-makers.

​As per Minister Bates, Queensland is open for business. He adds that through meeting decision-makers in person across the UAE and the UK as well as Europe, they are indeed making sure that the Queensland exporters happen to have the access, the investment, and, of course, the partnerships that they need to grow. According to him, every agreement that they are going to secure and every relationship that they strengthen will flow back into local communities in terms of jobs and robust industries as well as long-term prosperity.

​It is worth noting that this trade mission is indeed going to take advantage of the recent signing of the Australia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that happens to present novel opportunities for the businesses in Queensland to sell their goods to customers based out of the UAE.

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The pilot tested two primary use cases. One mirrored a standard interbank transfer, but instead of relying solely on existing payment rails, the transaction was processed on blockchain. The second was more complex, setting up an escrow-style arrangement in which deposit tokens were exchanged for tokenized real-world assets through smart contracts. Here, settlement terms were coded into the system itself, so the transaction automatically settled when conditions were satisfied. To maintain trust and finality, however, the Swiss Interbank Clearing system remained engaged in devising a hybrid solution in which blockchain brought efficiency and transparency, and traditional infrastructure delivered legal certainty upon which banks depend. Regulatory issues such as anti-money laundering controls, sanctions checks and regulatory oversight were incorporated into the process.

The trial showed that interbank payment using blockchain can be done in a secure, compliant, and efficient way, while also pointing out existing limitations like capacity of the network and the necessity for smoother institutional coordination. Scalability remains the big challenge, with present blockchain networks not being able to clear high volumes at the same pace as traditional systems. Interoperability across platforms and banks is another hurdle if such technology is to be deployed more widely. Legally, however, the experiment reinforced Switzerland’s willingness to integrate advanced technologies into its established frameworks. 

Although still a proof-of-concept, the initiative positions UBS, PostFinance and Sygnum at the forefront of digital settlement development. By proving that binding payments can be completed between banks on a public blockchain, the trial points toward a future where decentralized infrastructure and regulated financial systems work hand in hand.

The post Swiss Banks Complete First Binding Payment Using Blockchain first appeared on World Finance Informs.

Earlier, the US Congress approved a landmark law on the $288 billion (€248 billion) stablecoin market, which is dollar-dominated, because of persistent lobbying from the cryptocurrency industry.

Stablecoins are a class of digital currency that is pegged one-to-one to sovereign currencies and is usually backed with reserves such as government bonds. 

Sources added that authorities are now considering running the digital euro on a public blockchain such as Ethereum or Solana, rather than a private platform as initially expected, due to growing concerns around privacy.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has been exploring the creation of a digital version of the euro for several years.Plans are to enable the free use of digital euro across eurozone, and let citizens access central bank–backed payment methods as cash usage continues to decline, while promoting euro globally.

Concerns have grown that the American legislation would lead to the adoption of dollar-backed tokens in Europe. EU officials believe that only a strong digital euro can safeguard the euro’s role as the continent’s leading currency. 

Piero Cipollone, a member of the ECB executive board, had already warned in April that the US promotion of dollar-based stablecoins “raise[s] concerns for Europe’s financial stability and strategic autonomy”. He cautioned that the shift might lead to “euro deposits being moved to the United States and in a further strengthening of the role of the dollar in cross-border payments”.

At present, several euro-denominated stablecoins exist, the largest operated by Circle with a market capitalization of $225 million. Yet, a central bank–issued token would solidify the EU’s commitment to digital assets.

If the project were to run on a public blockchain, the digital euro could be traded widely enhancing its adoption. However, officials remain cautious, as public blockchains make transaction records visible, which could raise privacy challenges. 

The ECB confirmed that it continues to examine “different technologies — both centralised and decentralised — in the development of the digital euro, including distributed ledger technologies,” noting that no final decision has yet been taken.

The post EU Speeds Up Efforts to Launch Digital Euro across Eurozone first appeared on World Finance Informs.