Block

In a week of AI anxiety, Block CEO Jack Dorsey announced cuts of almost half the workforce to chase its efficiency gains. The investor verdict so far: more, please.

AI dominated the Super Bowl as rivals traded shots. Behind the scenes, a Sydneysider is helping push OpenAI and Anthropic towards unified agentic AI standards.

The $52 billion fintech has found common ground with Australia’s largest bank as it looks to ramp up competitive pressure on Apple, Visa and Mastercard.

His private vehicle Consolidated Press reported a profit of $323.9 million on revenues of $5.9 billion in the last financial year, and it will pay a $110 million dividend.

The RBA’s push to cut card fees isn’t a threat to security or innovation. it’s a long overdue step to ease costs for small business and boost competition.

A ban on debit card surcharges may sound consumer-friendly, but it risks stifling competition, hurting small business and handing power to the big banks.

Research from the global banking regulator shows BNPL lending growth is particularly vulnerable to the kind of regulation now being introduced in Australia.

Official data don't support a BNPL growth story meanwhile investors - and BNPL providers - are increasingly looking beyond the specific, youth-oriented, product.

The financial complaints authority and financial counsellors are seeing growing financial distress from BNPL and support tighter regulation.

ECP Asset Management's Jared Pohl and Sam Byrnes are long term investors. But their growth oriented philosophy supports backing buy now, pay later stocks as well as Macquarie - and maybe even Guzman y Gomez.

The Afterpay parent company is reeling from a wave of fresh accusations from a whistleblower in the US, but former employees say its compliance problems are long running.

While it's well-established that Block’s record acquisition of Afterpay came at the top of the market, one part of the story remains untold: how close the deal may have come to falling apart.

Block's $39 billion Afterpay acquisition, the most expensive in Australian corporate history, is a cautionary tale for anyone looking to make deals in the latest tech hype cycle.

Afterpay, one of Australia’s most recognisable startups, made history when it sold for $39 billion. Two years later and amid major upheaval at parent Block, insiders say its future is in doubt.

Afterpay-parent Block’s decision to cut more than 1,000 staff has reverberated throughout its global operations. Staff at its payment platform Square fear they could be next.

In an internal email obtained by Capital Brief, the Afterpay co-founder named "brand convergence" a key priority, and moved to reassure staff about layoffs.

Afterpay's founders may have pulled off one of the most miraculous exits in Australian startup history. But the VC fund they left behind could be on its last legs as investors push for it to be liquidated.

If ever there was a business model for the times it was buy now, pay later. Load up young consumers with debt on the promise there was no interest cost, charge merchants high service fees to cover marketing, and rely on cheap funding, FOMO and a very benign credit cycle.

Former staff believe the Square and Afterpay owner may not proceed with plans to launch its financial super app in Australia.

Former staff at Afterpay are concerned about the Australian born buy now, pay later platform's survival after a clumsy integration into parent company Block and internal cultural clashes.

In just over a decade, payments fintechs have built a 25% market share in the big bank-dominated merchant payment processing sector, an opaque but crucial business.

It has just 20 clients, invests in both listed and unlisted assets and is led by a trio in their 40s. TDM is not just one of Australia's most successful and exclusive funds. It's also one of the most interesting.