Egypt's FinTech Champion Eyes the Public Markets
Hey Digital Banking Fanatic!
MNT-Halan, Egypt's first FinTech unicorn, is reportedly preparing for an IPO of its Egyptian business on the Cairo Stock Exchange.
According to reports, the company is working with Citi and EFG Hermes on the transaction, which could take place before the end of the year.
The potential listing would be another important milestone for one of the most successful FinTech stories to emerge from the Middle East and Africa over the past decade.
As digital banking and financial inclusion continue to expand across emerging markets, investors are paying closer attention to companies that have managed to build scale outside the traditional financial centers of Europe and North America.
And speaking of scale, keep scrolling for an interesting look at the relationship between financial services and football. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, it's remarkable how many national teams and tournament sponsors are backed by banks, payment providers, and FinTech companies.
See what else is shaping Digital Banking. 👇 See you tomorrow!
Cheers,
INSIGHTS
➡️ 88% of the countries at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have a payments-related sponsor 🤯
And yet most of them are still banks👇
NEWS
🌍 Airwallex has appointed Pranav Sood as Chief Financial Officer, marking a new phase of global expansion. Sood will help guide Airwallex’s financial strategy as it scales internationally following its recent $8 billion valuation and major investment plans across Europe.
🇪🇬 MNT-Halan is reportedly preparing an IPO of its Egyptian business on the Cairo exchange, potentially as soon as this year. The FinTech is said to be working with Citigroup and EFG Hermes as it explores a public listing amid growing investor interest in Egypt’s FinTech sector.
🇲🇦 Morocco is unlikely to allow entry to UK digital bank Revolut, with the country’s central bank stating that existing banking services already meet local needs. While Revolut remains interested in the market, it has not submitted a formal banking licence application and plans to revisit expansion opportunities.
🇸🇪 Swedish challenger Nordiska partners with Finastra to bolster payments and settlement processes. Through this partnership, Nordiska will gain direct access to the global Swift network and Sweden's central payment systems, including Riksbank's real-time settlement system - RIX RTGS - with RIX INST for instant payments to follow.
🇬🇧 Starling Bank launches romance scam detection feature. The scam intelligence AI agent is part of Starling Assistant, launched by the bank in March 2026, which lets customers use voice or natural language to ask questions about their money and plan actions like transfers and budgeting.
🇹🇷 Kaspi.kz receives regulatory approval to acquire Rabobank A.Ş. in Türkiye. The acquisition marks a key step in Kaspi.kz’s expansion strategy, providing a licensed banking platform to support the growth of its payments, marketplace, and FinTech services in the Turkish market.
🇸🇬 Wise launches Young Explorer debit card in Singapore. The card is available to personal account holders, regardless of citizenship, and can be ordered for up to five children through a parent's Wise account. Each card carries the child's name and links to a dedicated balance managed within the parent's account.
🇺🇸 Mosta launches MainUSD, a stablecoin for instant cross-border settlement. Customers can convert incoming funds or supported crypto assets into MainUSD, hold balances in a stable settlement asset, and move funds globally through fiat or stablecoin rails.
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