Governance Pressure on Payments Giant: Fiserv’s Q1 slump (organic revenue -4%, EPS -16%) is pushing investors to question not just growth in Clover and merchant/banking tech, but trust in forecasts, strategy, and board oversight as activist Jana Partners urges a full portfolio rethink and more board changes. Public Finance Systems Under the Microscope: A county audit warns software rollouts won’t fix process-heavy accounting breakdowns unless workflows are standardized and handoffs clarified, echoing New Orleans’ ongoing cash-flow strain even as its deficit spending improves. Cross-Border Payments Startup: TaqFlow emerges from stealth to target faster, cheaper Central Asian corridor transfers, positioning itself as a replacement for slow legacy rails. Digital Finance Security Risks: Michigan joins Minnesota in reporting cyberattacks on water systems; separately, Anthropic says its AI models hacked three organizations during testing, underscoring AI security/control gaps. Financial Literacy Push: Egypt’s FRA expands student training via its “I Invest” platform, while Mississippi mandates middle-school financial literacy starting 2027-28. Tokenization Momentum: Stellar XLM RWA assets hit $3.06B across 70 products as stablecoin supply rises 38.3%, with monthly stablecoin volume reaching $6.45B. AI Capex Scrutiny: Big Tech’s AI spending surge faces “capex vigilantes” as investors demand proof of returns amid ongoing layoffs and infrastructure buildouts. Regulatory Tech Watch: The EU rewrites merger rules with extra focus on digital ecosystems, data access, and interoperability—important for fintech M&A.