The Bank of North Dakota and Fiserv launch the “Roughrider Coin,” the first stablecoin from the state of North Dakota. While its individual use case may be limited, it opens the door for a stablecoin issued by Fiserv on behalf of a major retailer with significant use case for processing sales. A retailer like Starbucks would be a prime candidate—it’s already ingrained the habit of loading a wallet that can only be used at Starbucks in its most loyal customers. In that case, a limited network isn’t nearly as much of a liability—it’s the whole point.

Fiserv will acquire StoneCastle Cash Management, giving its payment ecosystem a new source of liquidity. Broadening its merchant services through stablecoin issuance may take the burden off of Clover to drive revenues, which has struggled recently with weaker adoption amid a stacked POS space. But partnered merchants like DoorDash will have to make a case to workers and customers alike that stablecoin payments are as valuable as fiat. With only 1.8% of the US population using cryptocurrency, per our forecast, the general population will have to be persuaded that FIUSD—or retailers’ own stablecoins—really have the utility to pay bills and rent just as easily as a regular paycheck.

Fiserv acquired CardFree, expanding Clover’s hospitality offerings for merchants, per a press release. The payoff from Fiserv’s recent acquisitions in Europe, like AIB Merchant Services, will take some time to materialize in earnings. If Fiserv can integrate CardFree’s offerings in Clover before it rolls out in Europe, it might get the momentum it needs to thwart more dismal investor reactions for a later earnings release.

Real-time payments adoption is still in its infancy in the US. But business and consumer demand are increasing, providing a growth opportunity for banks and customer-facing payment providers.

The news: Fiserv’s organic revenues grew 8% in Q2, per its earnings release. Our take: Fiserv’s Clover faces a stacked market with Shift4, Square, and Toast all offering competitive POS solutions for SMBs.

The news: President Donald Trump signed the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act, known by its shorthand as the GENIUS Act, during a White House ceremony on Friday. Our take: The GENIUS Act ushers in the clarity and legitimacy sought after by crypto players and traditional FIs alike.

The news: Mastercard and Fiserv will offer Clover hardware rental fees for just $0.01 per month to the first 1,000 merchants who sign up for the network’s US Small Business Navigator platform, per a press release.Our take: Mastercard and Clover both want to secure small business market share.

The news: Fiserv will launch its own stablecoin, FIUSD, by end of year to complement its existing banking and payments infrastructure. Our take: Reporting BNPL data to the credit bureaus would be a solid step toward combatting BNPL’s “phantom debt” criticism.

The news: Early Warning Services partnered with Fiserv to expand Paze acceptance through its merchant network. Our take: Paze now needs to convince users to reflexively flip between two wallets for ecommerce and in-person transactions. Converting primary loyalty to either Apple Wallet’s 18.1 million users or Google Wallet’s 12.4 million users will be a tough consumer behavior to build. But as deals with its new expanded merchant network solidify, Paze is still primed for steady growth.

The news: Fiserv will acquire the remaining 49.9% stake in AIB Merchant Services, one of Ireland’s largest payment solutions providers and Europe’s largest ecommerce acquirers. Our take: Fiserv has to find innovative ways to grow among a competitive POS landscape, rising softPOS adoption, and pervasive economic uncertainty.

The company’s acquisition spree could help accelerate growth despite an uncertain economic climate

In-store payments provide a new growth avenue for BNPL providers facing slower industrywide volume growth

Growing in new markets can offset potential losses from increasing POS competition

The increased security for merchants and customers can make Skipify a more attractive payments partner

The explosion of softPOS is reshaping the POS landscape and forcing hardware and software providers to pivot

Consumers are slowly making changes to how they pay at checkout. We look at the top seven payment methods and delve into what’s pushing forward and detracting from their growth.

Ramping up marketing spend and integrating Cash App, Afterpay, and Square should put it in a stronger position in 2025

The POS provider achieved this milestone despite slowing growth due to intense competition

The payments provider maintained impressive POS growth given heightened competition in the space

The expanded partnership boosts merchant acceptance for both Fastlane and Pay with Venmo