Payments Brief: Jul 18, 2026

Payments and FinTech Daily delivers a concise, executive-level briefing on the most important developments in payments, banking, and financial technology. In today's episode: Stripe and Advent International submit a bid to acquire PayPal with significant regulatory implications; Ramp raises $750 million, showcasing a shift in B2B payments with emphasis on AI-driven workflows; Alipay+ integrates with Argentina's Transferencias 3.0, redefining cross-border payment frameworks; SWIFT's retail payments initiative gains traction with BBVA's launch; stablecoins bridge traditional and on-chain settlements with new institutional backed digital dollars; AI in payments advances through transactions initiated by AI agents in France; global market movements include Flutterwave's fundraising and Revolut's entry into India, emphasizing geographic expansion. Today's episode is brought to you by: BNewshel Consulting Affiliate Links:ElevenLabs: try.elevenlabs.ioSquare: squareup.com/refer