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The news: British fintech Revolut is reportedly considering acquiring a US bank to rapidly obtain a US banking license, enabling faster expansion, per The Financial Times. It will likely target a low-cost, nationally chartered bank. Our take: Revolut’s potential acquisition of a US bank reflects a growing trend of successful fintechs becoming banks themselves through strategic acquisition rather than merely being disruptors. PYMNTS reported that multiple fintechs—including Wise, Circle, and Ripple—also recently applied for banking licenses with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. This means banks must lean into what differentiates them from the growing competition beyond charters and insured deposits, like long-standing reputations, excellent customer service, and customer-centric products and services.

The news: Netflix is dialing up its global ad game, with its latest UK hire signaling what’s to come next for the streaming giant. The company hired Ed Couchman, who previously served as the head of advertising sales for Spotify’s UK and Northern Europe business, to spearhead UK ad sales, per Business Insider. Couchman has served in ad sales roles at Meta, Snap, and Channel 4 in the past. Our take: Hiring Couchman is a critical step in shifting Netflix’s ad focus from the US market to reach foreign advertisers who haven’t taken advantage of its broad reach.

The news: The UK’s Online Safety Act triggered an immediate surge in virtual private network (VPN) downloads, reflecting public resistance to mandatory age checks, per Wired. Proton VPN reported a 1,400% spike in UK sign-ups after the law took effect, per PCMag, and NordVPN saw purchases jump 1,000%. Our take: Age-check laws, though designed to protect minors, are reshaping how all users interact with content—and how marketers can access these users. VPN adoption is both a privacy signal and a marketing blind spot. Brands that respect digital autonomy while adapting strategy will be best positioned to reach—and keep—their audience.

Ecommerce growth is slowing as the market matures, but gains will come from mobile commerce, Gen Z buyers, and high-performing categories.

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The news: Fiserv’s organic revenues grew 8% in Q2, per its earnings release. Our take: Fiserv’s Clover faces a stacked market with Shift4, Square, and Toast all offering competitive POS solutions for SMBs.