Mexico FinTech News
Mexican Unicorn Stori Expands Into Colombia With Regulatory Approval
Mexican fintech and SOFIPO Stori received authorization from Colombia’s Superintendencia Financiera to incorporate as a financing company. Founded in 2018, Stori operates in Mexico with more than 3.7 mn mostly credit card customers and by some measures has reached profitability, with a model based on high rates that offset elevated delinquencies. It achieved unicorn status in 2022 with a valuation above US$1.2 bn and says it plans to go public in 2026. Colombia is a strategic growth market, where Stori will start with initial capital of COP 60 bn (~US$16 mn) and has signaled plans to invest up to US$100 mn in its early years.
Latam Fintech Hub, 13/01/26, Juan Pablo Vega: The Mexican “unicorn” that lands in Colombia: SuperFinanciera authorizes the incorporation of Stori
VelaFi Raises Series B to Scale Stablecoin-Based Financial Infrastructure Across Latin America
VelaFi, a LatAm-orientated stablecoin-powered financial infrastructure platform backed by Galactic Holdings, closed a Series B round of more than US$20 mn to accelerate its expansion across Latin America, the United States, and Asia, to bring total equity financing to US$40mn. Chinese powerhouse Alibaba was among the new investors. Founded in 2020 within the crypto exchange TruBit, the company rebranded its enterprise business as VelaFi in 2025, sharpening its focus on enterprise-grade on- and off-ramps, FX, and multi-currency capabilities via API. It says it has processed billions of dollars in payments and reported more than 300% growth between 2024 and 2025.
Latam Fintech Hub, 15/01/26, Staff: Fintech VelaFi secures US$20M Series B to boost its global stablecoin-based infrastructure in LatAm
BanBajío, Visa, and Mercado Pago expand payments infrastructure
BanBajío and Visa launched BBClik, a solution that turns Android smartphones with NFC into contactless point-of-sale terminals. The app allows small businesses to accept card and mobile payments without investing in a physical terminal, with funds deposited within one business day. BBClik also supports payment links for remote sales, lowering barriers for merchants looking to enter the formal payments system. At the same time, Mercado Pago is doubling down on its own infrastructure rollout. The fintech now operates more than one million terminals across Mexico—approaching the combined footprint of traditional banks—and processes over 500 payments per second regionally. About 40% of its transactions are already contactless, a share growing at roughly 20% annually.
Together, these initiatives underscore competition is heating up on who controls the payment rails at the point of sale for Mexico’s traditionally cash-driven smaller shops. Mercado Pago has a big lead, followed by CLIP, but it seems some banks are beginning to wake up.
Expansión, 16/01/26, Staff: You can now turn your cellphone into a payment terminal: BanBajío and Visa present BBClik.
Additional reading…
- Mexico Card Payments Exceeded 10 Billion Transactions in 2025.
- Identity Theft Persists as Bank Complaints Rise.
- ‘Rate war’ cools, but Nu, Mercado Pago, and others bet on added value.
- From Experience to System: The Fintech Innovation We Will See in 2026.
- The next major battle in Mexico’s financial system is being fought over SMEs.
- Why do fintechs continue to grow in Mexico?
- Bitso earns CCSS 2025 certification, the highest standard in crypto security.
- LatAm Startup Funding Rebounds In 2025 As Mexico Sees Surge In Investment And VCs Remain Bullish On Region.
- Bravo, the fintech that learned to grow by focusing on debt.
- AurumCore and the new pulse of the Spanish-speaking financial system.
LatAm FinTech News
Agibank Prepares US$1 bn IPO as Brazil’s Fintech Market Reopens
Brazilian fintech Agibank is preparing a US IPO targeting a raise of about US$1 bn, joining PicPay as signs emerge of a revival in Brazil’s long-dormant equity markets. Agibank, valued at roughly US$1.7 bn in its last funding round, recently filed for listing after receiving regulatory clearance to resume payroll-deduction loans for retirees, a core business line. The company combines a digital banking platform with around 1,100 physical service hubs and had more than 6.4 mn active clients as of September, up over 77% year on year, with strong profitability metrics. The planned listing comes amid renewed investor appetite for Latin American assets and could help reopen the IPO window in Brazil, closed since Nubank’s landmark US listing in 2021, positioning fintechs once again at the center of the region’s capital markets rebound.
Bloomberg, 14/01/26, Matheus Piovesana, Cristiane Lucchesi, and Vinicius Andrade: Agibank eyes $1 billion IPO, joining PicPay in Brazil revival.
Additional reading…
- The LATAM fintech revolution has arrived in the US.
- Brazilian fintech UY3 raises US$37M to scale its digital credit infrastructure.
- Enerlink raises $3.1M to accelerate its international expansion in Latin America.
- Cobre receives its financing company license; this is what they offer.
- Cashin, a Brazilian fintech specializing in sales incentive solutions, prepares a US$3.8M Series A to enter corporate payments.
- Panama takes a step toward regulating the fintech ecosystem with a new draft bill.
- Yape will begin offering loans to microbusinesses in Bolivia to build loyalty among its more than 1.7 million affiliated merchants.
- WealthTech Avenue obtains a license from Brazil’s Central Bank to become an investment bank.
Global FinTech News
Rain Reaches US$1.95 bn Valuation With Series C to Scale Stablecoin Payments
U.S.-based fintech Rain raised US$250 mn in a Series C round led by ICONIQ, lifting its valuation to US$1.95 bn and bringing total funding to more than US$338 mn since its 2021 launch. Rain provides stablecoin-focused payments infrastructure, enabling more than 200 companies—including Western Union and Nuvei—to issue payment cards that work anywhere Visa is accepted, with features such as fiat-to-stablecoin conversion, rewards, and payouts. The platform processes over US$3 bn in annualized transaction volume and is positioning itself to make stablecoin payments feel seamless for everyday use. The new capital will fund global expansion across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa, as well as product development and strategic acquisitions, underscoring growing investor confidence in stablecoins.
FinTech Futures, 12/01/26, Cameron Emanuel-Burns: Rain hits $1.95bn valuation with $250m Series C.
U.S. Bancorp Moves to Strengthen Capital Markets With BTIG Acquisition
U.S. Bancorp agreed to acquire Wall Street brokerage BTIG in a deal valued at up to US$1 bn, deepening its push beyond traditional banking into capital markets. The transaction includes US$725 mn paid upfront in cash and stock, plus up to US$275 mn tied to performance targets, and is expected to add roughly US$750 mn in annual fee revenue. By integrating BTIG’s capabilities in investment banking, equity trading, research, and prime brokerage, U.S. Bancorp aims to close product gaps for corporate and institutional clients and better compete with larger peers. The move reflects a broader trend among banks to diversify revenue streams as capital markets activity shows signs of recovery.
Reuters, 13/01/26, Arasu Kannagi Basil and Pritam Biswas: U.S. Bancorp deepens capital markets presence with up to $1 billion BTIG buy.
Additional reading…
- Alpaca raises $150m Series D at $1.15bn valuation.
- Mastercard, Visa, Revolut Lose London Suit Over Card Fee Cap.
- Fintech Funding Jumped 27% In 2025 With Fewer Deals But Bigger Checks.
- Transcript: London VC’s bet on Revolut pays off.
- Wint Wealth raises INR 250 Cr in Series B funding.
- Fintech broker Plus500 outpaces expectations as U.S. expansion continues.
- The agentic commerce platform: Shopify connects any merchant to every AI conversation.
- Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong Pulls Support for Crypto Market-Structure Bill.
- BitGo aims to raise over $200 million in U.S. IPO.
- Hassett pivots to possible ‘Trump cards’ amid credit card interest rate battle with banks.
- Under the Hood: Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP).
Download PDF: Mexico Fintech Chatter – 19.01.26