AI in Banking: Canadian fintech and bank leaders say AI adoption is still stuck behind security, cost, and governance hurdles, with many teams not comfortable letting AI make routine decisions. Trust Gap in Finance: A PEX survey finds big AI ambitions across finance, but only a small share use AI broadly and even fewer can measure returns—trust is the main blocker. Digital Lending Deal: Grab agreed to buy 60% of Atome Financial for about $1.49bn, aiming to expand consumer lending across Southeast Asia. Fintech Funding: Tabby raised $233m at a $6.5bn valuation to broaden beyond BNPL into wider financial services in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Embedded Finance Push: Foodics launched “Capital 2.0,” an AI platform to assess restaurant creditworthiness and disburse financing within hours. Corporate Finance & Markets: Avendus Wealth named former Julius Baer executive Umang Papneja as CEO, while Ontario Teachers’ TVG made a follow-on investment in Darwinbox. Policy & Oversight: Nigeria’s CAC called for a harmonized beneficial ownership register to curb illicit finance, and the Philippines’ FSCC said it’s tightening monitoring to protect the financial system from global shocks. Regulatory/Legal: A judge blocked the Kennedy Center from adding Trump’s name without congressional approval as the institution warns of financial strain.