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Finland has revealed more details about its upcoming national digital identity wallet, scheduled to be released by the end of 2026.
The Scandinavian country is planning to publish an electronic ID function within the digital wallet at the same time. The eID will be released by the National Police Board as an official document that allows users to verify their identity or age without sharing too much information.
The wallet will also offer a mobile driving license (mDL) issued by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom). The mDL is pending the adoption of the EU Driving Licence Directive.

From: Finland reveals details on digital ID, Denmark shares secret of digital govt success | Biometric Update.

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What’s more, by putting personal data in the hands of an individual, SSI has the potential to lower frustration levels of consumers who have to juggle dozens of passwords and accounts sitting in centralized databases that offer little transparency into how data is stored, shared, or monetized.

From: Rethinking Identity Security: The Rise of Wallet-Based Credentials – WSJ.

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Discord began using facial age assurance to check the age for users in the UK and Australia earlier this year. The company said facial images and ID images “are deleted directly after” ages are confirmed, but Discord’s website noted that if verification fails, users can contact the trust and safety team for a manual review.

Under the under 16s social media ban to come into effect on 10 December, the Australian government has outlined that it expects platforms such as Discord – which is one of the platforms that has been asked to assess if it is required to comply – should have multiple options for assessing a user’s age, and a way for them to quickly appeal an adverse decision.

Platforms can ask for ID documents as part of the age assurance scheme, but it cannot be the sole method of age assurance offered by the platforms under the policy.

From: Proof-of-age ID leaked in Discord data breach | Games | The Guardian.

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From the beginning, states learned to use their constitutional banking powers as a lucrative revenue stream. They charged fees for bank charters, bought shares in banks themselves, and levied special bank taxes. By the 1830s, more than a dozen states derived over 10% of their total revenue from banks – in Massachusetts and Delaware, it was more than half.

From: Community First – by Marc Rubinstein – Net Interest.

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Here you go. “Know your agent: Enabling autonomous financial services“. Birch, David and Hoffart, Jelena. Journal of Digital Banking, Volume 10, Number 2. Autumn/Fall 2025, pp. 123-134(12).

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Circle, the world’s second-biggest issuer of stablecoins, is examining ways to make it possible to reverse transactions involving its tokens, in a rare admission by a major crypto firm that it needs to take lessons from the traditional financial sector.

Circle president Heath Tarbert said a mechanism that allowed money to be refunded in cases of fraud or disputes would help the stablecoin industry’s push to become part of the financial mainstream.

From: Stablecoin issuer Circle examines ‘reversible’ transactions in departure for crypto.

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There’s pressure for better cross-border payments. Will stablecoins move the needle, when cryptocurrency did not? xxx

From: October25 – Birch – Cross-Border Payments—Stablecoins and Unstable Economies.

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These geopolitical and technological changes are reshaping the payments landscape, leading to increased regionalization and diversification. A return to the fully globalized payment systems of just five years ago seems unlikely, as the forces driving fragmentation are already in motion.

From: The 2025 Global Payments Report | McKinsey.

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These geopolitical and technological changes are reshaping the payments landscape, leading to increased regionalization and diversification. A return to the fully globalized payment systems of just five years ago seems unlikely, as the forces driving fragmentation are already in motion.

From: The 2025 Global Payments Report | McKinsey.

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While barter has been around forever, it’s mainly been informal. Many companies and organizations do use it as a regular part of their business dealings. The International Reciprocal Trade Association noted that participating businesses transacted approximately $12-14 billion globally in 2021, with that number expected to grow year after year.

From: How Bartering Can Help Increase Your Cash Flow.

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