Ethio Telecom Partners with Mastercard to Expand Digital Financial Services in Ethiopia
Ethio Telecom, Ethiopia’s state-owned telecommunications provider, and Mastercard have announced a partnership to expand digital financial services in the country.
In a recent meeting, Ethio Telecom CEO, Frehiwot Tamru, and Mark Elliott, President of Mastercard Africa, discussed ways to integrate technology and improve financial inclusion.
The collaboration will focus on linking Ethio Telecom’s telebirr mobile money platform with Mastercard’s payment network to provide digital financial services.
Africa’s Chipper Cash signs with Ripple for cross-border payments
Chipper Cash, which has five million customers in nine countries across Africa, will use Ripple Payments to enable consumers to receive funds from around the world 24/7/365.
Ripple Payments has near-global coverage with 90+ payout markets representing more than 90% coverage of the daily FX markets, processing more than $70 billion in volume.
“Crypto-enabled payments have the potential to enable greater financial inclusion, accelerate access to global markets, and empower businesses and individuals across Africa,” says Ham Serunjogi, co-founder & CEO at Chipper Cash. “Through integrating with Ripple’s global payments network, we are excited to be able to harness the transformative potential of blockchain technology to enable consumers to receive payments faster and at lower cost.”
PayPal Partners with Dubai’s Ignyte to Support Startups in the UAE
PayPal has announced a partnership with Ignyte, a Dubai-based digital platform supporting startups and small businesses.
As a founding partner, PayPal will assist entrepreneurs in managing payments more efficiently, enabling smoother cross-border transactions and business expansion in the digital economy.
Ignyte, launched in October 2024 under the Dubai Digital Economy Strategy, aims to establish the region as a centre for innovation and business growth.
Read more: https://fintechnews.ae/25476/fintechdubai/paypal-ignyte-uae-startup-partnership/
PalmPay rolls out Verve debit cards as Nigerian fintechs shift to local providers
PalmPay, the Nigerian fintech with over 35 million users, has launched its first debit card in partnership with Verve, marking a major step in its evolution from a mobile wallet to a full-service digital financial platform. The move comes amid a broader shift by Nigerian fintechs toward local card schemes, as rising costs and declining international spending make global providers like Visa and Mastercard less attractive.
The debit card launch comes three weeks after Palmpay’s partnership with the national domestic card scheme, AfriGo, to distribute five million contactless payment cards across Nigeria.
Read more: https://techcabal.com/2025/03/27/palmpayrolls-out-verve-debit-cards/
Top 10 Fastest-Growing Fintechs in Europe for 2025
The Financial Times (FT) has released its annual FT1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies ranking, showcasing the continent’s fastest-expanding businesses. Among the 1,000 companies on the 2025 list, 64 operate within the fintech, financial services, and insurance sectors.
Compiled with data research company Statista, FT1000 ranks companies based on the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in revenue from 2020 to 2023.
To qualify, companies needed to meet several criteria, including generating at least EUR 100,000 in revenue in 2020 and at least EUR 1.5 million in 2023, with revenue growth being organic. They had to be an independent company, and be headquartered in an European country.
Read more: https://fintechnews.ch/fintech/top-10-fastest-growing-fintechs-in-europe-for-2025/75143/
Project Nemo and HSBC Innovation Banking UK Team Up to Accelerate Disability Inclusion within FinTech
Today, Project Nemo, the initiative accelerating disability inclusion within FinTech, announces that it is teaming up with HSBC Innovation Banking UK to turbo charge its mission.
More than 1 in 5 people live with a disability in the UK; an estimated 16.0 million people in the UK had a disability in 2021/22. This is 24% of the total population, representing an estimated £274 billion a year in spending power.
Since its launch at Innovate Finance Global Summit in April 2024, Project Nemo has highlighted the need to increase focus on accessibility and inclusion within fintech and catalysed an industry-wide drive to adapt fintech solutions to ensure accessibility.
