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Money in Motion: Real-Time Innovation in Payments & Crypto
How Canadian businesses are embedding instant payments—and how crypto firms are fighting crime in real time.
In this edition of Fintech Forward, we spotlight two major developments shaking up the financial ecosystem: Canada’s growing embedded payments infrastructure and a groundbreaking global crypto crime-fighting network. From real-time card disbursements to a blockchain security alliance, fintech is making money move faster—and more securely—than ever before.
🚀 Zum Rails & Mastercard Team Up to Power Instant Payments Across Canada
Zum Rails, a rising player in Canada’s instant payments and embedded finance landscape, has rolled out a suite of Mastercard-powered prepaid card programmes. Designed to serve the needs of modern businesses, these reloadable cards offer real-time disbursements, streamlined expense management, faster wage access, and more.
At the heart of this partnership is a simple but powerful idea: money should move at the speed of business.
“We’re making it easier for businesses to embed smarter, faster payments into their operations,” said Miles Schwartz, CEO and Co-Founder of Zum Rails. “With our Mastercard-powered prepaid card programmes, companies can now offer branded, reloadable prepaid cards that move money in near real time—without the complexity of traditional infrastructure.”
This collaboration leverages Mastercard’s global network, enabling Canadian businesses to issue co-branded cards with access to over 200 countries' payment systems. Whether it’s paying contractors instantly, separating corporate and personal expenses, or launching consumer-facing reward cards, businesses can build entirely new products—on demand.
What makes this different?
Zum Rails isn’t just offering the rails—it’s also managing the whole engine. From compliance and onboarding to transaction processing and support, the entire card programme is handled by Zum, making it truly plug-and-play for businesses of all sizes.
On Mastercard’s side, the partnership reflects a larger push to support modern, embedded payment solutions.
“Together with Zum Rails, we’re helping companies unlock new ways to move money and serve their customers,” said Balinder Ahluwalia, SVP at Mastercard Canada.
As Canadian businesses increasingly look to reduce friction and enhance financial agility, embedded finance is no longer just a buzzword—it’s becoming the new business standard.
🔐 TRM Labs Launches Beacon Network: Crypto's New Weapon Against Financial Crime
Meanwhile, in the world of crypto, a historic step is being taken to combat illicit financial activity on the blockchain.
TRM Labs has launched the Beacon Network, a real-time crypto crime response network developed in partnership with top law enforcement agencies, exchanges, and stablecoin issuers. Its mission? To prevent stolen or illicit crypto funds from ever leaving the blockchain.
Founding members include heavyweights like Coinbase, Binance, PayPal, Kraken, Stripe, and Crypto.com, as well as law enforcement and renowned security researchers such as ZachXBT and Hypernative.
This isn’t a theoretical solution—it’s already operational. Verified investigators can flag wallet addresses linked to hacks, scams, and terrorist financing, instantly triggering alerts across the network. Participating platforms are notified the moment funds land on their systems, enabling them to freeze or review transactions in real time—often before the money disappears.
The scale of the problem is staggering. According to TRM Labs, more than $47 billion in crypto has flowed to fraud-related addresses since 2023. And with major breaches like the $1.5 billion Bybit hack, where funds moved across 10,000+ transactions within a month, response speed is everything.
“Beacon Network’s real‑time intelligence allows us to act within moments,” said CJ Rinaldi, Chief Compliance Officer at Kraken. “This reinforces our commitment to a safe and trusted marketplace for digital assets.”
Unlike traditional crime-fighting tools, Beacon is community-powered but tightly controlled. Only verified “Flaggers” can mark addresses, reducing the risk of false positives. At the same time, it is open to new participants, including DeFi platforms, stablecoin issuers, and law enforcement agencies.
“This isn’t just about adding compliance,” said Esteban Castaño, Co-Founder of TRM Labs. “It’s about unlocking the full potential of crypto: real-time transparency, automated detection, and rapid response.”
As adoption of digital assets accelerates globally, networks like Beacon could redefine what secure finance looks like in a decentralized world. Crypto, once criticized for its anonymity, is now on the front lines of innovation in financial transparency and accountability.
💡 Takeaway: Speed and Security Are the Twin Engines of Fintech
From Zum Rails’ frictionless card-based payouts to TRM Labs’ global crypto defense network, a shared vision is clear: the future of finance is real-time, responsive, and resilient.
Businesses no longer have to wait days for disbursements. Consumers no longer need to worry if their data is secure. And in crypto, malicious actors are finding fewer places to hide.
Whether you're building in traditional payments or DeFi, these stories signal a fundamental shift—money is moving faster, and trust is being built in parallel.
Stay tuned, stay sharp, and keep moving forward.