💳 Lending Gets a Boost: Best Egg + Column | Highnote Goes 24/7 with Stablecoins

🏦 Best Egg & Column Team Up to Expand Lending Access

In a move that underscores the evolving nature of embedded finance, Delaware-based Best Egg has announced a new lending partnership with Column, a nationally chartered bank known for its modern banking infrastructure.

The partnership will see Column providing funding for both secured and unsecured personal loans issued by Best Egg—an important step in supporting underserved consumers with limited savings.

Ritterbeck highlighted that Column’s modern infrastructure and shared commitment to innovation made it an ideal partner for Best Egg’s next phase of growth. The focus? Scaling lending solutions that meet the real needs of everyday consumers.

With a strong reputation for disciplined underwriting, Best Egg has already originated more than $30 billion in consumer loans. This latest move further strengthens its position in the personal lending market, especially among those who need flexible, reliable credit options but may not have deep financial reserves.

Fishbein praised the alignment between the two companies, noting how Best Egg’s approach complements Column’s own mission to power fintechs through its regulated banking infrastructure and Federal Reserve System membership.

As more fintechs seek bank partners that offer flexibility and compliance, this type of partnership could become the new norm for scaling consumer finance responsibly.

🌐 Highnote & BVNK Launch 24/7 Stablecoin-Based Funding

Meanwhile on the payments front, California-based Highnote has teamed up with BVNK, a New York-based infrastructure provider for stablecoin rails, to enable real-time, round-the-clock funding for embedded card programs.

This new functionality lets Highnote clients fund U.S.-based accounts using stablecoins, which are instantly converted into U.S. dollars—even on nights, weekends, and public holidays.

MacIlwaine emphasized that this capability removes a long-standing barrier for global fintech builders. Now, whether you’re running a marketplace, fleet program, or automated AP system, you can move money exactly when you need to.

It’s not just about speed. This partnership is a foundational step toward broader digital asset integration across Highnote’s platform—from funding to acquiring to issuing. The ability to plug stablecoins into multiple parts of the value chain opens new doors for programmable, global money movement.

Stablecoin-native infrastructure, like what BVNK is building, represents a clear leap beyond outdated batch systems and cutoff times. The result? Instant global value transfer, at scale.

🛠️ What This Means for Fintech Builders

These two partnerships highlight a broader trend: the infrastructure layer of fintech is rapidly maturing—and that’s enabling more flexible, real-time financial services for end users.

• Best Egg + Column = Credit access for underserved consumers, powered by a nimble, regulated bank.

• Highnote + BVNK = Always-on funding flows using stablecoins, designed for a global economy that never sleeps.

As macro conditions shift and fintechs focus on efficiency, expect to see more of these strategic, utility-driven collaborations. They’re less about hype and more about unlocking real operational advantages—from liquidity to compliance to time-to-market.

📬 That’s a Wrap

Whether it's consumer lending or embedded payments, fintech infrastructure is evolving fast—and getting more inclusive and accessible in the process.

See you in the next edition of Fintech Forward, where we’ll break down the latest trends, moves, and must-knows shaping the future of finance.

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