In a week marked by significant movements in the global fintech landscape, two major announcements have underscored the growing importance of innovative financial infrastructure in both Africa and Europe. On January 13, 2026, Airwallex, the Melbourne-founded payments giant, revealed a sweeping upgrade to its payment solution and deepened its partnership with Arsenal FC, aiming to revolutionize the matchday hospitality experience at the Emirates Stadium. Just a day later, leading African fintech NALA and Noah partnered to launch a stablecoin settlement network, embedding digital currency into regulated financial rails and setting the stage for a new era of cross-border money movement.
These developments illustrate how fintech firms are not only racing to streamline payments and reduce costs but are also reimagining the very foundations of global financial operations. As digital wallets, stablecoins, and embedded payment systems gain traction, the boundaries of traditional banking and commerce are being redrawn—sometimes in ways that even seasoned industry watchers find surprising.
Airwallex’s latest move is a testament to the company’s ambition to be at the forefront of payment innovation. According to BizClik Media, the firm has upgraded its solution to a single, fully-integrated Payments Acceptance (PA) software, cementing its status as the official software partner of Arsenal FC. This technology aims to enhance every aspect of the hospitality experience at the club’s Emirates Stadium, from corporate boxes and premium seating to VIP matchday experiences. The goal? To make every transaction for supporters—whether they’re purchasing hospitality packages or enjoying a pint in the box—faster, smoother, and less costly.
Christos Chamberlain, Airwallex’s UK and European General Manager, put it succinctly: “It is wonderful to be deepening our partnership with Arsenal, bringing the power of Airwallex’s payment technology to the club’s world-class hospitality offering. Our Payment Acceptance solution will not only create a frictionless payment experience for fans but also deliver meaningful cost savings to the club – proving how innovative financial infrastructure can elevate sport and entertainment experiences.”
This isn’t Airwallex’s first foray into elite sports. The company’s portfolio of global sports collaborations already includes Formula One’s McLaren Racing, a sign of its strategy to align with high-profile brands and venues where seamless payments can make or break the customer experience.
Omar Shaikh, Arsenal’s Global Partnerships & Ventures Director, echoed this sentiment, stating, “We were delighted to welcome Airwallex into our family because they share our ambition, and they are a leader in what they do. We benefit from the expertise they bring and the innovation they are already delivering for us and our supporters.”
But the Arsenal partnership is just one piece of Airwallex’s broader European push. The company recently announced a staggering US$234 million investment in the Netherlands over the next five years, which includes a major recruitment drive in Amsterdam and the appointment of Christos Chamberlain to head the UK and European hub from London. This regional focus is part of a larger strategy to expand Airwallex’s product offerings, including Spend AI, credit cards, and recurring billing software—each designed to address the pain points of a fragmented global payments landscape.
Central to this expansion is Airwallex’s embrace of digital wallets and account-to-account (A2A) payment solutions. The company’s recent partnership with the European Payments Initiative (EPI) allows merchants to access the Wero digital wallet, a new tool built for easy cross-border payments across Europe without the need for physical cards or IBANs. By becoming a Principal Member of the EPI, Airwallex is positioning itself at the leading edge of Europe’s transition to digital-first payments, offering cutting-edge local payment methods and embedded financial tools to its global customer base.
These initiatives come on the heels of Airwallex surpassing US$1 billion in annual revenue run rate and raising US$330 million in a Series G funding round. With more than 150,000 businesses worldwide—including household names like TikTok, SHEIN, and Qantas—relying on its platform, Airwallex is reimagining how companies manage accounts, access capital, and control spend. The company’s approach is to replace outdated, fragmented legacy systems with a unified solution for global financial operations, covering everything from multi-currency business accounts to spend management and embedded financial products.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, African fintech NALA and Noah are making waves with their own innovation. According to BitcoinKE, on January 14, 2026, NALA and Noah announced the launch of a stablecoin settlement network built on regulated rails. While stablecoins are often discussed in crypto circles as speculative assets, this initiative highlights their practical utility as a backbone for settlement within regulated infrastructure. By integrating stablecoins into local distribution channels, the Noah–NALA network is positioning itself as a settlement layer for the next generation of global money movement.
This development is particularly significant for Africa, where cross-border payments have long been plagued by high fees, slow processing times, and a lack of transparency. By embedding stablecoins into regulated financial infrastructure, NALA and Noah aim to solve these challenges and offer a more efficient, secure, and cost-effective way to move money across borders. The hope is that this new network will not only serve businesses and individuals in Africa but also become a model for global settlement systems.
While the technical details of the partnership are still emerging, the move is being closely watched by industry insiders and regulators alike. The integration of stablecoins into regulated rails could pave the way for broader adoption of digital currencies within mainstream financial systems, bridging the gap between traditional banking and the fast-evolving world of crypto assets.
Both the Airwallex and NALA–Noah announcements come at a time when the global fintech sector is experiencing rapid change. As companies race to provide faster, cheaper, and more secure payment solutions, the lines between banks, fintechs, and even sports organizations are blurring. Whether it’s enhancing the fan experience at a world-famous football stadium or transforming cross-border settlements in emerging markets, the message is clear: financial infrastructure is no longer just the domain of banks and governments.
As these partnerships and investments continue to unfold, all eyes will be on how they reshape the way people and businesses move money around the world. For now, one thing is certain—the future of payments is being built today, and it’s happening at the intersection of technology, regulation, and real-world utility.
