Payments, banks, AI, stablecoins. I follow the money and find who's taking a cut.
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Joined May 2013
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Crypto promised to remove the middleman. It unbundled him instead.
The full map: who earns on your dollar at every layer, and why the fight is banks against banks.
apollo440 | money retweeted
🚨 TOP 10 CRYPTO & WEB3 UPDATES FOR OCTOBER 29, 2026 🚨
Today's themes: $30T TOKENIZATION • RIPPLE RLUSD • BITCOIN & FED RATES • GOOGLE CRYPTO SECURITY • PREDICTION MARKETS • DEFI PRIVACY • CREATOR BOUNTIES • SOLANA HACKATHONS • AI × WEB3 👇
1️⃣ 🏦 @The_DTCC LAUNCHES MAJOR WALL STREET TOKENIZATION SERVICE
Big milestone for real-world assets (RWAs). @The_DTCC officially launched its Tokenization Service on October 28, bringing traditional securities closer to blockchain infrastructure.
The platform supports tokenized stocks, ETFs, and Treasuries, with 20 institutions including JPMorgan, Citi, and Morgan Stanley already signed up.
This could reshape how trillions in financial assets move across markets.
dtcc.com/press-releases/2026…
2️⃣ 💰 @Ripple × @coinbase EXPAND RLUSD ACROSS THREE BLOCKCHAINS
Major stablecoin adoption news. @Ripple and @coinbase have partnered to expand RLUSD access across Coinbase's retail, exchange, and institutional platforms.
The integration supports @ethereum, @base, and XRP Ledger, allowing broader access to RLUSD trading, custody, and transfers.
RLUSD has now surpassed $2.4 billion in market capitalization, strengthening its institutional stablecoin position.
ripple.com/ripple-press/ripp…
3️⃣ ₿ BITCOIN FACES PRESSURE AS U.S. FED HOLDS INTEREST RATES
Bitcoin briefly climbed above $81,000 before retreating toward the $80,000 region following the Federal Reserve's October 28 decision.
The @federalreserve maintained interest rates at 3.75% – 4.00%, signaling continued caution over inflation.
Markets are now watching December's policy outlook, as higher borrowing costs could affect crypto liquidity and investor sentiment.
coindesk.com/business/2026/1…
4️⃣ 🔐 @GoogleCloud UNVEILS NEW CRYPTO CUSTODY SECURITY TECHNOLOGY
Google is stepping further into Web3 infrastructure. @GoogleCloud is previewing a Multi-Party Compute (MPC) security service designed to protect cryptocurrency and tokenized assets.
The technology distributes private-key control across separate systems, helping institutions reduce risks from compromised credentials.
Currently in private preview, commercial availability is planned for early 2027.
coindesk.com/tech/2026/10/28…
5️⃣ 🎯 @phantom × @Kalshi EXPAND PREDICTION MARKETS TO U.S. USERS
Prediction markets are gaining another major distribution channel @phantom has announced broader access to @Kalshi prediction markets for eligible U.S. users directly inside its wallet.
Users can trade event contracts involving Bitcoin prices, sports, and other real-world outcomes without leaving the app.
Availability depends on location and regulatory restrictions, while trading carries financial risks.
phantom.com/learn/blog/phant…
6️⃣ 🛡️ @AvailProject LAUNCHES SHIELDTX FOR @HyperliquidX TRADERS
Privacy innovation is coming to decentralized trading. @AvailProject has launched ShieldTX, a tool designed to protect @HyperliquidX traders from automated copy-trading bots.
The system creates separate wallets for individual perpetual futures positions, making trading strategies harder to track.
Avail's research estimates copy-trading can create additional execution costs of approximately 0.63% per affected trade.
theblock.co/news/defi/2026-1…
7️⃣ ✍️ OPPORTUNITY: @KriptoK × @Superteam OFFER 200 USDC CREATOR BOUNTY
Web3 content creators, here's one to explore. @KriptoK has launched a global creator challenge offering 200 USDC in prizes for engaging content about its trading, tokenized stocks, and onchain products.
Participants can submit original X posts, threads, videos, or tutorials while tagging @KriptoK and @KriptoKLeague where relevant.
No purchase or trade is required. Winners are scheduled to be announced by November 25; confirm the submission deadline on the listing.
superteam.fun/earn/listing/k…
8️⃣ 🧑💻 OPPORTUNITY: ETHEREUM DEVCON HACKATHON OFFERS $1,000
Ethereum developers, don't miss this. Invisible Garden's Machine-Checked Devcon Week runs November 2–7, with a $1,000 prize pool.
Builders will work on Ethereum networking infrastructure using Lean 4 and formal verification.
The hackathon is online, free to join, and welcomes motivated developers.
⏰ Application deadline: November 1, 2026.
invisible.garden/machine-che…
9️⃣ 🚀 OPPORTUNITY: @solana × @MLHacks ONLINE HACKATHON COMING NOVEMBER 6–8
Another exciting opportunity for Web3 builders. @solana and Major League Hacking (@MLHacks) are hosting an online hackathon from November 6–8.
Participants can build applications involving payments, DeFi, gaming, consumer products, and AI agents.
Beginners and experienced developers are welcome, with workshops and technical resources available.
Prize details are yet to be announced.
events.mlh.com/events/15200-…
🔟 💸 OPPORTUNITY: @WalrusProtocol × TATUM OFFER $4,500 AI × WEB3 HACKATHON
AI and blockchain developers, here's another opportunity. @WalrusProtocol and Tatum are hosting the Total Recall Hackathon, offering $4,500 in prizes.
Builders can develop applications using Walrus Memory and Tatum's infrastructure across prediction markets, AI agents, and consumer finance.
The competition is online and runs through November 10, with submissions closing at 17:00 UTC.
tatum.io/hackathon/total-rec…
⚠️ Disclaimer: This post is for educational and informational purposes only, not financial or investment advice. Crypto assets, prediction markets, and Web3 opportunities carry risks. Always verify official links, deadlines, eligibility, and reward conditions. Do your own research (DYOR).
Samsung just reported roughly $80 billion in quarterly operating profit.
The shares fell more than 6%.
Its chip division generated KRW 106.5 trillion of the group’s KRW 107.4 trillion. HBM supply for 2027 is already sold out.
The hard part had moved on from proving AI demand.
Investors wanted a clearer claim on the cash.
Samsung repeated a KRW 90–110 trillion shareholder-return range and left the final amount and execution plan until January. One day earlier, SK Hynix had put a clearer KRW 100 trillion plan on the table.
Samsung’s chip profit also came in slightly below estimates.
My read: Samsung is protecting the flexibility to keep investing while it catches up in HBM.
The market is beginning to charge for that flexibility.
Once a company earns this much, “we’ll decide later” is a capital-allocation decision of its own.
apollo440 | money retweeted
The easiest way to remove airline competition may be to leave both airlines on the booking screen.
Air Canada and United want permission to coordinate pricing, schedules, marketing and capacity on 10 Canada-US routes where a 2012 consent agreement currently limits coordination.
Together they already carry all nonstop passenger traffic on five of those routes.
Canada’s Competition Bureau projects materially higher prices on eight, with millions of dollars in annual consumer harm.
The airlines say a broader joint venture can add connections and make schedules work better. Fair enough.
The proposal has not been approved. Canada’s transport minister will decide.
My guess: the most valuable part is not another route.
It is replacing independent commercial decisions with a shared system on routes the airlines already dominate.
A merger is easy to see.
This could change the economics for passengers without removing either brand.
apollo440 | money retweeted
Britain doubled a tax on bank profits.
Bank shares rallied.
The surcharge will rise from 3% to 6% for 15 months. The government expects it to raise £1.5 billion.
Investors had feared something worse: a return to 8%, or a permanent reset of the tax burden.
The government gets more bank profit.
The banks get an expiry date.
My read: investors value the second more than they dislike the first.
A higher tax can still look like relief when the most valuable number is the date it ends.
The easiest way to remove airline competition may be to leave both airlines on the booking screen.
Air Canada and United want permission to coordinate pricing, schedules, marketing and capacity on 10 Canada-US routes where a 2012 consent agreement currently limits coordination.
Together they already carry all nonstop passenger traffic on five of those routes.
Canada’s Competition Bureau projects materially higher prices on eight, with millions of dollars in annual consumer harm.
The airlines say a broader joint venture can add connections and make schedules work better. Fair enough.
The proposal has not been approved. Canada’s transport minister will decide.
My guess: the most valuable part is not another route.
It is replacing independent commercial decisions with a shared system on routes the airlines already dominate.
A merger is easy to see.
This could change the economics for passengers without removing either brand.
Britain doubled a tax on bank profits.
Bank shares rallied.
The surcharge will rise from 3% to 6% for 15 months. The government expects it to raise £1.5 billion.
Investors had feared something worse: a return to 8%, or a permanent reset of the tax burden.
The government gets more bank profit.
The banks get an expiry date.
My read: investors value the second more than they dislike the first.
A higher tax can still look like relief when the most valuable number is the date it ends.
apollo440 | money retweeted
The most important feature in Revolut’s next product may be the person allowed to say no.
Revolut built a culture around small teams moving fast.
The Financial Times reports that the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority ordered a skilled-person review of Revolut’s product-approval processes earlier this year, around the time it received its full UK banking licence in March.
News of the review arrives as Revolut begins offering personal loans.
A skilled-person review is not itself a finding of wrongdoing.
It tests whether Revolut’s controls can keep up with its product machine.
That matters because banking products do more than add features.
They change who gets credit, where losses sit and how much capital the institution needs.
My guess: becoming a bank makes internal veto power more valuable, not less.
Speed defined Revolut.
The next advantage may be proving that someone can stop it.
apollo440 | money retweeted
$51 is easy to understand.
The combined value of Walmart+, free checked bags, mileage multipliers, insurance and a stack of credits is not.
On January 24, 2027, Citi and American Airlines will raise the annual fee on the AAdvantage Platinum Select card from $99 to $150 for existing cardholders. The benefits expand at the same time.
Some customers will come out ahead.
Everyone now needs a spreadsheet to find out whether they are one of them.
My guess: perk bundles do more than soften a price increase. They turn one visible fee into a different personal break-even point for every cardholder.
You can compare fees in seconds.
Value takes homework.
apollo440 | money retweeted
🚨 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡: @monzo is officially launching in Spain 🇪🇸 with a 4% savings offer!
And the battle with @Revolut just entered a new chapter.
Remember when I shared the news that Monzo had received approval from the Bank of Spain?
Well, now things are getting serious.
The UK's largest digital bank, with around 16 million customers, is entering Spain with an aggressive offer:
→ 4% APY on savings up to €5,000 for 12 months
→ 2.5% on additional balances up to €100,000
→ Spanish IBANs and Bizum integration
→ Debit cards and everyday banking
→ 80 employees across Madrid and Barcelona
And Spain is just the beginning.
According to Monzo's Spain GM, Francisco Sierra, the country will serve as its gateway into continental Europe: lnkd.in/dm8WFA-X
But here's what makes this interesting:
Revolut already has millions of customers in Spain and is building an all-in-one financial ecosystem.
Monzo is taking a different approach, focusing initially on savings, everyday banking and becoming customers' primary bank.
Two very different strategies.
One increasingly competitive market.
And a fascinating battle between two of Europe's biggest digital banking success stories.
🇪🇸 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗜𝗦 𝗢𝗡!
Who would you bet on?
🅰️ Team Revolut
🅱️ Team Monzo
Let me know below 👇
apollo440 | money retweeted
Adyen is trading a cleaner margin story for a chance to become harder for merchants to remove.
Processed volume rose 30% last quarter. Net revenue rose 23%.
Still, Adyen discontinued its target of an EBITDA margin above 55% by 2028. It now expects 50% in 2026.
After closing its acquisitions of loyalty platform Talon. One and billing platform Orb, Adyen says it is accelerating investment across its team, platform and products.
A payment processor handles the transaction.
Loyalty and billing place Adyen inside how merchants price, reward and collect.
The margin target Adyen dropped was visible.
The switching costs it may be buying are not.
The most important feature in Revolut’s next product may be the person allowed to say no.
Revolut built a culture around small teams moving fast.
The Financial Times reports that the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority ordered a skilled-person review of Revolut’s product-approval processes earlier this year, around the time it received its full UK banking licence in March.
News of the review arrives as Revolut begins offering personal loans.
A skilled-person review is not itself a finding of wrongdoing.
It tests whether Revolut’s controls can keep up with its product machine.
That matters because banking products do more than add features.
They change who gets credit, where losses sit and how much capital the institution needs.
My guess: becoming a bank makes internal veto power more valuable, not less.
Speed defined Revolut.
The next advantage may be proving that someone can stop it.
$51 is easy to understand.
The combined value of Walmart+, free checked bags, mileage multipliers, insurance and a stack of credits is not.
On January 24, 2027, Citi and American Airlines will raise the annual fee on the AAdvantage Platinum Select card from $99 to $150 for existing cardholders. The benefits expand at the same time.
Some customers will come out ahead.
Everyone now needs a spreadsheet to find out whether they are one of them.
My guess: perk bundles do more than soften a price increase. They turn one visible fee into a different personal break-even point for every cardholder.
You can compare fees in seconds.
Value takes homework.
Adyen is trading a cleaner margin story for a chance to become harder for merchants to remove.
Processed volume rose 30% last quarter. Net revenue rose 23%.
Still, Adyen discontinued its target of an EBITDA margin above 55% by 2028. It now expects 50% in 2026.
After closing its acquisitions of loyalty platform Talon. One and billing platform Orb, Adyen says it is accelerating investment across its team, platform and products.
A payment processor handles the transaction.
Loyalty and billing place Adyen inside how merchants price, reward and collect.
The margin target Adyen dropped was visible.
The switching costs it may be buying are not.
apollo440 | money retweeted
AI doesn’t need its own money to become economically useful.
It needs temporary permission to use yours.
Visa says Ramp’s agentic bill pay is now generally available, with payment volume growing.
For eligible invoices, Ramp creates a one-time virtual card capped at the exact amount, enters it into the supplier’s portal after approval, then reconciles the payment.
A very constrained kind of autonomy.
And probably the useful kind.
Agentic payments are becoming real by making permission smaller, not intelligence bigger.
AI doesn’t need its own money to become economically useful.
It needs temporary permission to use yours.
Visa says Ramp’s agentic bill pay is now generally available, with payment volume growing.
For eligible invoices, Ramp creates a one-time virtual card capped at the exact amount, enters it into the supplier’s portal after approval, then reconciles the payment.
A very constrained kind of autonomy.
And probably the useful kind.
Agentic payments are becoming real by making permission smaller, not intelligence bigger.
Visa is one of the most powerful payment networks on earth.
It still has to pay for traffic.
Last quarter it booked $5.1 billion in client incentives. Up 21%.
Payment volume grew 9%.
Those agreements reward banks, merchants and partners for expanding acceptance and sending more business through Visa.
Nothing improper there. Just expensive.
The logo looks like infrastructure.
The distribution underneath it is still negotiated.
apollo440 | money retweeted
PayPal’s comeback is getting stronger around the checkout button than at the checkout button.
Total payment volume rose 7% FX-neutral last quarter. Branded checkout volume rose 1%. That measure has stayed between 1% and 2% for four straight quarters.
PayPal can process more money and expand beyond checkout while its own button barely gains ground.
Useful business.
But moving more money is not the same as owning more of the customer decision.
apollo440 | money retweeted
When an AI buys the wrong item, “the payment went through” isn’t much of an answer.
Meta’s Muse asks the user to approve a purchase in chat. If the merchant doesn’t accept Link, Stripe issues a single-use virtual card for it.
The approval starts in Muse. The merchant sees another card number. The network may still move the money.
That separation reportedly worries Visa and Mastercard.
Fair enough.
Stripe isn’t replacing their rails. It’s getting closer to the evidence that decides who pays when something goes wrong.
PayPal’s comeback is getting stronger around the checkout button than at the checkout button.
Total payment volume rose 7% FX-neutral last quarter. Branded checkout volume rose 1%. That measure has stayed between 1% and 2% for four straight quarters.
PayPal can process more money and expand beyond checkout while its own button barely gains ground.
Useful business.
But moving more money is not the same as owning more of the customer decision.
apollo440 | money retweeted
Banks don't have a fraud problem, they have a confidence problem. 88% say they're prepared; the capability score is 69/100.
Of the "extremely confident," 62% take a week or more to update models. Readiness theater.
Banks Say They’re Ready for the Next Fraud Wave. Their Capabilities Score Says Otherwise buff.ly/60caB2r
