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This section offers information on the financial technology firms featured in the 2024 annual Fintech 50 list of "Forbes" magazine. Topics discussed include the planned expansion of Arta Finance in Singapore under the leadership of chief executive officer (CEO) Caesar Sengupta, the institutional partners maintained by Capitalize, and the venture funding secured by Carry1st from several investors.

Multiparameter flow cytometry (MPF) is an essential component of the diagnostic workup of hematologic malignancies. Recently developed tools have expanded the utility of MPF in detecting T-cell clonality and myelomonocytic dysplasia. Minimal/measurable residual disease analysis has long been established as critical in the management of B-lymphoblastic leukemia and is emerging as a useful tool in myeloid malignancies. With the continued increased complexity of MPF assays, emerging tools for data collection and analysis will allow users to take full advantage of MPF in the diagnosis of hematologic disease.

The article focuses on the business failure of financial technology startups. Topics discussed include the difficulty of financial technology firm Ribbon Home in obtaining outside funds, a survey of financial technology startups conducted by January Ventures, the problems facing financial technology startups, and the problem with the business model of financial technology category called neobanks.

A list of the magazine's 2023 Top 30 Under 30 is presented, which includes Rhode Skin's founder Hailey Bieber, actor Ayo Edebiri and Altro's cofounder Michael Broughton.

Socure Inc., an identity verification service provider, has agreed to acquire the fraud prevention platform Effectiv for $136 million in cash and equity. This acquisition will allow Socure to offer a comprehensive fraud prevention solution for enterprise customers, including anti-money laundering transaction monitoring and know-your-business tools. With fraud on the rise, this move aims to address the increasing sophistication of criminals, such as through synthetic identity schemes. The deal is expected to close in November, positioning Socure to compete more closely with other fraud prevention platforms like Alloy. [Extracted from the article]

The article from Bloomberg.com reports that the remaining $200 million of consumer funds frozen during the bankruptcy of Synapse Financial Technologies Inc. is expected to be returned to customers by December, according to trustee Jelena McWilliams. This situation has affected customers of fintech firms like Yotta Savings, Copper Banking, and Juno Finance, with some displaying the FDIC logo on their websites. The trustee's report highlights a potential shortfall between the available funds for return and what is recorded on Synapse's ledgers, emphasizing the need for clarity on FDIC insurance coverage. [Extracted from the article]

Stripe Inc. CEO Patrick Collison confirmed plans to acquire stablecoin startup Bridge for $1.1 billion, pending regulatory approval. Stablecoins, like those offered by Bridge, track the value of currencies and are used as bridge currencies in the crypto economy. The acquisition aligns with Stripe's goal to build the best stablecoin infrastructure, expanding its presence in the alternative payments market. Bridge, founded by Coinbase veterans, has already established itself as a key player in global money movement infrastructure. [Extracted from the article]

Zelle, a peer-to-peer money transfer app, experienced a 27% increase in network transactions totaling nearly $500 billion in the first half of 2024. With 1.7 billion transactions across 143 million accounts, Zelle has caught up to competitors like Venmo and CashApp due to its integration with banking apps. Early Warning Services LLC, the operator of Zelle, has also launched Paze, a digital wallet aimed at streamlining online transactions and offering convenience and security to users. [Extracted from the article]

Stripe Inc., founded by the Collison brothers, is in advanced talks to acquire Bridge, a fintech platform focused on stablecoins. Bridge allows businesses to create, store, send, and accept stablecoins like USDT and USDC. Stripe's potential acquisition of Bridge aligns with its recent foray into stablecoins, following other financial technology companies exploring similar ventures. While Stripe has been valued at $65 billion, it has no immediate plans for an IPO. [Extracted from the article]

Stripe Inc. has announced that individuals from more than 70 countries have used stablecoins for online transactions within the first 24 hours of allowing merchants to accept crypto payments again. Stripe merchants in the US can now receive the Circle-issued stablecoin USDC through their online checkout pages. The stablecoin option allows Stripe to offer merchants a way to accept payments from around the world while also adding support for local payment methods in different countries. Stripe was among the first to enable Bitcoin payments in 2014 but disabled the feature due to slow processing times. [Extracted from the article]

Walmart customers will soon have the option to pay directly from their bank accounts with instant transfers for online purchases, cutting out card networks. This move is seen as a response to the escalating tensions between merchants and card networks over payment processing fees. The enhanced feature will allow customers to see the purchase reflected in their bank account balance instantly, avoiding stacked pending transactions that can lead to overdraft fees. Walmart's upgraded pay-by-bank offering will be rolled out in 2025 and will occur over bank technology provider Fiserv's NOW Network, which aims to connect to as many banks as possible. [Extracted from the article]

Wyoming is making significant strides in the world of cryptocurrency regulation and innovation. The state's select committee on blockchain has been active in proposing legislation, and they recently announced plans to launch a dollar-backed token by 2025. However, a major challenge will be educating consumers and businesses about cryptocurrencies and facilitating their adoption. The state is investing $5.8 million into the project, aiming to lower consumer payment costs using blockchain technology. The stable token initiative is part of Wyoming's efforts to diversify its economy and reduce dependence on the fossil fuel industry. [Extracted from the article]

Imprint Payments Inc., a co-brand credit-card startup, has secured a $300 million credit facility with Citibank to accommodate new clients such as Turkish Airlines, Brooks Brothers, and Eddie Bauer. The credit facility allows Imprint to finance loans without using its own balance sheets. The startup primarily sells its co-brand card platform to large US-based brands, offering personalized rewards programs and customization options. Imprint aims to serve consumers overlooked by incumbent players and plans to expand into co-branded deposit accounts in the future. The startup earns revenue through net interest income on card balances and processing fees. [Extracted from the article]

This section offers world news briefs on the business sector as of December 1, 2022. It includes the Chapter 11 proceedings completed by LATAM Airlines, an increase in the percentage of collaboration software firm Atlassian's employees living outside Sydney, New South Wales has increased as a result of its Team Anywhere program, and the failure of Colombian President Gustavo Petro to repeal tax incentives that have propelled Colombian film and television production.

Crypto lending platform Abra has settled with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after being charged with selling unregistered securities and operating as an unregistered investment company. Abra Earn, the program in question, allowed retail investors to deposit their crypto assets in return for interest. The SEC alleges that Abra exercised discretion in investing consumer funds and operated as an unregistered investment company. Abra will pay civil penalties, the amount of which is yet to be determined by the court. The startup has since wound down the Abra Earn program and transferred assets to customers' trade accounts. [Extracted from the article]

Five investors, and likely multiple partners, are leaving Cohen's fund as it shifts focus from fintech, the category where it had made more than half its 100-plus investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the banking industry is still feeling reverberations from a string of bank failures last spring, 315 banks appear on Forbes' Global 2000 list, up from 302 last year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histoplasmosis, a common mycosis in the south-central United States, may be life threatening in immunocompromised patients. We describe a 4-year-old female with Down syndrome and acute lymphoblastic leukemia who developed hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and renal failure, consistent with thrombotic microangiopathy. Bone marrow biopsy revealed non-necrotizing granulomas with GMS staining demonstrating budding yeast. Serum Histoplasmaantigen testing was positive, providing further evidence for the diagnosis of progressive disseminated histoplasmosis. Treatment with amphotericin B, plasma exchange, and ventilator, vasopressor, and renal replacement support led to a full recovery. Providers should have a low threshold for histoplasmosis testing in ill immunocompromised patients, who are at greater risk for infection-related morbidity.

Hematolymphoid processes involving the gastrointestinal tract in the pediatric and adolescent young adult (AYA) populations include processes occurring primarily within the gastrointestinal tract as well as systemic diseases with predilection for gastrointestinal involvement. Here, we present a focused review of reactive and neoplastic entities occurring in the pediatric and AYA age groups.

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of the native immune system that play a pivotal role in host defense and immune surveillance. While the conceptual view of NK-neoplasms is evolving, little is known about the rare NK lymphoblastic leukemia (NK-LL), which remains as a provisional entity in the 2016 WHO Classification. The goal of this study is to characterize NK-LL cases and compare with other CD56 co-expressing acute leukemias. We identified 105 cases, diagnosed as NK-LL (6), CD56+ acute undifferentiated leukemia (AUL) (6), CD56+ T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-LL) (51), and CD56+ acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (42). Compared to AUL patients, NK-LL patients were significantly younger (p= 0.021) and presented with higher white blood cell (WBC) (p= 0.037) and platelet counts (p= 0.041). Flow cytometry showed more frequent expression of cytoplasmic CD3 (cCD3, p= 0.064) and CD33, (p= 0.065), while HLA-DR was significantly absent from NK-LL (p= 0.035) compared to AUL. Compared to T-ALL, NK-LL cases showed less frequent cCD3 (p= 0.002), CD4 (p= 0.051), and CD10 expression (p= 0.06). The frequency of abnormal karyotypes was similar between NK-LL, AUL, and T-ALL. The mutational profile differed in four leukemia groups, with a significance enrichment of NOTCH1(p= 0.002), ETV6(p= 0.002) and JAK3(p= 0.02) mutations in NK-LL as compared to AML. As compared to T-ALL, NK-LL cases showed a higher number of total mutations (p= 0.04) and significantly more frequent ETV6mutations (p= 0.004). Clinical outcome data showed differences in overall survival between all four groups (p= 0.0175), but no difference in event free survival (p= 0.246). In this largest study to date, we find that that NK-LL shows clinical presentation, immunophenotypic and molecular characteristics distinct from AUL, T-ALL, and AML. Our findings suggest NK-LL is a distinct acute leukemia entity and should be considered in the clinical diagnosis of acute leukemias of ambiguous lineage.

Last week, lawyers for the banking-as-a-service startup told a judge that the company, which had been serving 100 fintechs with 10 million customers, was working around the clock to wind down and solve account access problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federal bank regulators are not coming to rescue the thousands of fintech customers who have lost access to their money. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tens of thousands of customers have already lost access to more than $114 million of their own funds, as banking-as-a-service business comes under scrutiny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote workers and retirees alike have flocked to scenic Spokane, driving up home prices. But the city is working through its growing pains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fintech revolution threatens hundreds of regional banks. Legacy bank technology provider FIS aims to bring them into the digital age with a new banking-as-a-service software platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TabaPay said the purchase follows a bankruptcy filing by Synapse, a banking-as-a-service fintech backed by Andreessen Horowitz and other VCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Founders Srinivas Njay and Bruce Kim bootstrapped interface.ai with $1 million of their own capital. Now the VCs are calling—but they're waiting for the right partner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bank-owned network did nearly three times the dollar volume of Venmo in 2023, but fraud concerns are growing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer cells characteristically consume glucose through Warburg metabolism1, a process that forms the basis of tumour imaging by positron emission tomography (PET). Tumour-infiltrating immune cells also rely on glucose, and impaired immune cell metabolism in the tumour microenvironment (TME) contributes to immune evasion by tumour cells2–4. However, whether the metabolism of immune cells is dysregulated in the TME by cell-intrinsic programs or by competition with cancer cells for limited nutrients remains unclear. Here we used PET tracers to measure the access to and uptake of glucose and glutamine by specific cell subsets in the TME. Notably, myeloid cells had the greatest capacity to take up intratumoral glucose, followed by T cells and cancer cells, across a range of cancer models. By contrast, cancer cells showed the highest uptake of glutamine. This distinct nutrient partitioning was programmed in a cell-intrinsic manner through mTORC1 signalling and the expression of genes related to the metabolism of glucose and glutamine. Inhibiting glutamine uptake enhanced glucose uptake across tumour-resident cell types, showing that glutamine metabolism suppresses glucose uptake without glucose being a limiting factor in the TME. Thus, cell-intrinsic programs drive the preferential acquisition of glucose and glutamine by immune and cancer cells, respectively. Cell-selective partitioning of these nutrients could be exploited to develop therapies and imaging strategies to enhance or monitor the metabolic programs and activities of specific cell populations in the TME.

Ancillary testing during the initial workup of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is largely performed using aspirated materials. We utilized multiplex immunofluorescence (MIF) imaging with digital image analysis to perform an in situ analysis of the microenvironment in NPM1-mutated AML using diagnostic bone marrow biopsy tissues (N= 17) and correlated these findings with diagnostic next-generation sequencing (NGS, N= 17), flow cytometry (FC, N= 14), and first remission (CR1) NPM1-specific molecular MRD (n= 16) data. The total CD3-positive T-cell percentages correlated positively between FC and MIF (r= 0.53, p= 0.05), but were significantly lower by MIF (1.62% vs. 3.4%, p= 0.009). The percentage of mutant NPM1-positive (NPM1c+) cells ranged from 9.7 to 90.8% (median 45.4%) and did not correlate with the NPM1mutant allele fraction by NGS (p> 0.05). The percentage of CD34+/NPM1c+ cells ranged from 0 to 1.8% (median 0.07%). The percentage of NPM1c+ cells correlated inversely (34% vs. 62%, p= 0.03), while the percentages of CD3−/NPM1c− cells (64% vs. 35%, p= 0.03), and specifically CD3−/CD4−/NPM1c− cells (26% vs. 13%, p= 0.04), correlated positively with subsequent MRD. Discordances between MIF and FC/NGS data suggest that aspirate materials are likely an imperfect reflection of the core biopsy tissue. Furthermore, increased numbers of NPM1wild-type cells within the microenvironment at diagnosis correlate with the subsequent presence of MRD.

We analyze and compare atmospheric temperature data from three landed missions: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover, Phoenix lander, and Pathfinder lander. Pathfinder and Phoenix were lander missions that operated for 84 and 151 sols, respectively. MSL Curiosity is a rover that operates on the surface of Mars. It has recorded air temperature for more than five Mars Years (MY). We denoise and detrend temperature data from each mission and use those results to calculate variance in air temperature as a diagnostic for atmospheric variability at the surface. The results show a consistent seasonal pattern in MSL air temperature variance with little interannual variability outside major dust storms. The global dust storm in MY 34 was accompanied by a decrease in temperature variance and a muted response in peak MY 35 variance the following year. Phoenix (68°N, 2 m measurement height) and Pathfinder (19.7°N, 1.1 m measurement height) air temperatures have larger variance than air temperature from environmental data records at the MSL location (5.4°S, 1.6 m measurement height) at its equatorial latitude. Pathfinder variances per sol are larger than those of Phoenix, possibly due to a combination of Pathfinder's lower albedo surface and lower latitude. This occurs despite the Pathfinder location's higher thermal inertia, which would act to decrease noontime variance relative to a lower thermal inertia surface. Comparison of MSL temperature variance to pressure drops related to convective vortex activity shows consistent seasonal patterns; however, pressure drops tend to increase with increasing rover elevation, while variance remains consistent. Landed surface missions have collected a long record of meteorological data dating back to the 1970s. Atmospheric temperature, pressure, relative humidity, and winds have been typically measured with each new mission. The atmospheric surface layer consists of the lowest layer of the atmosphere that is directly influenced by the surface. Temperature is a highly consistent measurement and contains signatures of atmospheric surface layer activity in the form of temperature fluctuations. These fluctuations are on the order of seconds to minutes and can be caused by rising thermals, dust devils and convective vortices, changes in wind, and large‐scale dynamics. This work compares temperature fluctuations by detrending air temperature data over three missions: the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mission, Phoenix mission, and Pathfinder mission. The results show that these fluctuations change with season and time of day. Greater fluctuations are observed in the afternoon for all three missions and when seasonal insolation is highest. Comparison of MSL temperature fluctuations to pressure drops shows similar trends and decreases during large dust events. However, pressure drops tend to increase over the mission with increasing rover elevation, while temperature variance remains the same with elevation. Diurnal air temperature fluctuations measured by Phoenix, Pathfinder and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) follow solar forcing cyclesThe MSL daytime temperature variance is lower than Phoenix and Pathfinder daytime temperature variancesChanges in the MSL temperature fluctuations correlate with the seasonal and diurnal timing of pressure drops and dust storm activity Diurnal air temperature fluctuations measured by Phoenix, Pathfinder and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) follow solar forcing cycles The MSL daytime temperature variance is lower than Phoenix and Pathfinder daytime temperature variances Changes in the MSL temperature fluctuations correlate with the seasonal and diurnal timing of pressure drops and dust storm activity

Hematologic malignancies are one of the more common neoplasms to occur in the sinonasal tract and include a wide range of entities, including mature and immature B cell and T cell neoplasms as well as plasma cell dyscrasias and histiocytic disorders. CD45 expression can be helpful in identifying many, but not all, hematopoietic neoplasms in the sinonasal tract, and more extensive immunophenotyping, including EBV in situ hybridization, as well as correlation with genetic results and clinical features may be required for diagnosis.

With banking-as-a-service startup Synapse struggling, former client Mercury has gone to court to protect its interests in the event of Synapse's collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent work has identified distinct molecular subgroups of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with implications for disease classification and prognosis. AML with mutated NPM1 (AML-NPM1) represents a distinct entity in the revised 2017 World Health Organization classification, but relatively little work has examined the clinical significance of phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity within this group. A multi-institutional cohort of 239 AML-NPM1 cases included 3 phenotypic groups: cases with blasts showing monocytic differentiation (n = 93; monocytic AML-NPM1), cases lacking monocytic differentiation (n = 72; myeloid AML-NPM1), and cases where blasts were negative for both CD34 and HLA-DR (n = 74; double-negative [DN] AML-NPM1). Genotypic diversity typical of AML-NPM1 was seen, with comutations occurring most commonly in DNA methylation genes (81% of cases), FLT3 (48%; including internal tandem duplication and tyrosine kinase domain mutations), and RAS pathway genes (30%). However, the comutation pattern differed by blast phenotype. TET2 and IDH1/2 mutations were significantly more common in DN AML-NPM1 (96% of cases) than in myeloid (39%) or monocytic AML-NPM1 (48%; P < .0001). Conversely, DNMT3A mutations were significantly less common in DN AML-NPM1 (27%) than in myeloid (44%) or monocytic cases (54%; P = .002). Furthermore, the 3 phenotypic groups showed significant differences in outcome, with DN AML-NPM1 showing significantly longer relapse-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) (64.7 and 66.5 months, respectively) than monocytic AML-NPM1 (RFS, 20.6 months; OS, 44.3 months) or myeloid AML-NPM1 (RFS, 8.4 months; OS, 20.2 months; P < .0001 and P = .01 for RFS and OS, respectively). Our findings highlight biologic differences within immunophenotypically defined subgroups of NPM1-mutated AML that may impart prognostic significance.

Recent work has identified distinct molecular subgroups of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with implications for disease classification and prognosis. AML with mutated NPM1(AML-NPM1) represents a distinct entity in the revised 2017 World Health Organization classification, but relatively little work has examined the clinical significance of phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity within this group. A multi-institutional cohort of 239 AML-NPM1 cases included 3 phenotypic groups: cases with blasts showing monocytic differentiation (n = 93; monocytic AML-NPM1), cases lacking monocytic differentiation (n = 72; myeloid AML-NPM1), and cases where blasts were negative for both CD34 and HLA-DR (n = 74; double-negative [DN] AML-NPM1). Genotypic diversity typical of AML-NPM1 was seen, with comutations occurring most commonly in DNA methylation genes (81% of cases), FLT3(48%; including internal tandem duplication and tyrosine kinase domain mutations), and RASpathway genes (30%). However, the comutation pattern differed by blast phenotype. TET2and IDH1/2mutations were significantly more common in DN AML-NPM1 (96% of cases) than in myeloid (39%) or monocytic AML-NPM1 (48%; P< .0001). Conversely, DNMT3Amutations were significantly less common in DN AML-NPM1 (27%) than in myeloid (44%) or monocytic cases (54%; P= .002). Furthermore, the 3 phenotypic groups showed significant differences in outcome, with DN AML-NPM1 showing significantly longer relapse-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) (64.7 and 66.5 months, respectively) than monocytic AML-NPM1 (RFS, 20.6 months; OS, 44.3 months) or myeloid AML-NPM1 (RFS, 8.4 months; OS, 20.2 months; P< .0001 and P= .01 for RFS and OS, respectively). Our findings highlight biologic differences within immunophenotypically defined subgroups of NPM1-mutated AML that may impart prognostic significance.

NPM1-mutated myeloid neoplasms (NPM1+ MNs) with <20% blood or bone marrow blasts are rare and have been previously shown in limited case series to exhibit an aggressive clinical course. We assembled the largest cohort of NPM1+ MN cases to date (n = 45) and compared it with NPM1− MN (n = 95) and NPM1+ de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML; n = 119) patients. Compared with NPM1− MN, NPM1+ MN were associated with younger age (P = .007), a normal karyotype (P < .0001), more frequent mutations involving DNMT3A (P = .01) and PTPN11 (P = .03), and fewer involving ASXL1 (P = .003), RUNX1 (P = .0004), and TP53 (P = .02). Mutations involving IDH1 or IDH2 (IDH1/2) (P = .007) and FLT3 (internal tandem duplication, P < .0001; noninternal tandem duplication, P = .01) were less frequent in NPM1+ MN than in NPM1+ AML. In multivariable analyses performed in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome only, total mutation count (hazard ratio [HR], 1.3; P = .05), NPM1 mutation (HR, 3.6; P = .02), TP53 mutation (HR, 5.2; P = .01), and higher International Prognostic Scoring System-R score (HR, 1.7; P = .0003) were independently associated with shorter overall survival, whereas stem cell transplant conferred a favorable effect (HR, 0.1; P < .0001). These data suggest that NPM1+ MN are biologically distinct from NPM1− MN. Similar to NPM1+ AML, patients with NPM1-mutated myelodysplastic syndrome may benefit from more intensive therapeutic regimens.

With just 15 employees, these 29-year-old founders are creating a financial supermarket for startups and small businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imprint has raised a $75 million Series B led by Ribbit Capital to help companies launch co-branded cards with custom rewards. It already works with customers like H-EB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction:Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) is a rare B-cell malignancy with a paucity of malignant cells embedded in a diverse tumor microenvironment (TME). The histological composition of the TME is known to influence outcomes, with nodular B-cell rich TME (classical histology, Fan patterns A&B) associated with indolent clinical course, while T-cell infiltration or diffuse growth (variant histology, Fan patterns C-F) may resemble aggressive T/cell-histiocyte rich large B-cell lymphoma (THRLBCL) to which NLPHL can transform. Molecular features of NLPHL and THRLBCL remain to be discovered. To gain further insights into the biology of these lymphomas, we recruited NLPHL and THRLBCL cases as part of the Atlas of Blood Cancer Genomes (ABCG) initiative, a consortium consisting of 26 institutions.