Bank of England proposes liquidity stress reforms

The Bank of England has outlined a new framework aimed at strengthening how banks manage liquidity during periods of financial stress, reflecting lessons drawn from recent global banking failures. The proposals, launched under a three-month consultation by the Prudential Regulation Authority, focus on improving

France Downplays Financial Exposure Risks

France’s financial sector has limited exposure to the escalating Middle East crisis, according to Banque de France governor François Villeroy de Galhau, who also cautioned against reactive monetary policy shifts driven by

Russian Central Bank Challenges EU Freeze

The Bank of Russia has initiated legal proceedings against the European Union over the indefinite freeze of assets imposed in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, marking the first such challenge by the central bank since the war began. According

UK Banks Oppose Capital Buffer Cuts

Top British lenders are pushing back against a regulatory initiative from the Bank of England that aims to bolster lending by lowering capital buffers, highlighting tensions between financial stability and credit growth ambitions in the UK banking sector. The Bank of England has been

Islamic Fintech Set For Rapid Expansion

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Malaysia are emerging as leading centres in Islamic fintech as global transaction volumes are projected to reach $341bn by 2029, according to a new industry report highlighting accelerating growth in Shariah-compliant digital finance. The Global Islamic Fintech Report 2025/26,

SBT And BankCherokee Adopt Alkami Platform

Two US financial institutions, State Bank of Texas and BankCherokee, have gone live with a new digital banking platform provided by Alkami Technology, extending the vendor’s footprint among community and regional lenders. The deployments follow similar adoptions this year by Amplify Credit Union, Harvard

Digital Euro Rollout Costs Banks Billions

The introduction of a digital euro could impose implementation costs of between €4 billion and €6 billion on European banks over four years, according to estimates presented by a senior European Central Bank official, underscoring the scale of operational adjustments facing the banking sector.

UK banks explore sovereign payments alternative

Senior UK banking executives are examining the creation of a domestic payments company to reduce reliance on US card networks Visa and Mastercard, amid concerns that geopolitical tensions could expose vulnerabilities in

Credit Risk Transfers Draw Regulatory Scrutiny

Global banking regulators are raising concerns over the rapid expansion of credit risk transfer transactions, as lenders increasingly use these instruments to manage capital requirements and free up balance sheet capacity. Supervisors

Goldman Sachs partners Anthropic on AI agents

Goldman Sachs has deepened its engagement with artificial intelligence by working with Anthropic to develop autonomous agents for accounting, compliance and other internal banking functions, the bank’s chief information officer has confirmed.

Bank of Ireland AI Fraud Savings

Bank of Ireland prevented €9.7 million in customer losses in 2025 after deploying artificial intelligence to assess card transactions for potential fraud, underscoring how machine learning is being embedded into core banking

EU Cross-Border Banking Deals Surge Again

Cross-border banking mergers and acquisitions among European Union lenders hit about €17 billion in 2025, the highest level since the global financial crisis in 2008, reflecting a renewed wave of foreign direct

RBI Expands Banks’ Acquisition Finance Scope

India’s central bank has eased restrictions on acquisition financing, allowing lenders to fund deals up to 20 per cent of their eligible capital base, doubling the limit initially proposed in draft rules.

Lloyds Expands High Street Retreat

Lloyds Banking Group has announced plans to close a further 95 branches across the UK, extending a multi-year contraction of its physical network amid continued migration to digital banking. The closures comprise

Banks Oppose Crypto Access To Fed Payments

U.S. banking lobby groups have formally objected to proposals that would allow cryptocurrency and fintech firms direct access to the Federal Reserve’s payment systems, in a dispute that is reshaping debate over

Canadian Open Banking Framework Reshapes Banking

Canada’s federal government has confirmed that 2026 will mark the formal launch of its long-awaited consumer-driven banking framework, introducing a structural shift in how financial data is accessed and controlled. The move positions open banking as a defining development for

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