France has taken definitive action against Polymarket, designating the crypto-based prediction market as an unlawful gambling service nationwide. National authorities emphasized that the platform violates local betting laws and exposes participants to risks like insider trading and market manipulation. This restriction comes even as Polymarket achieves over $1 billion in annualized revenue and faces limitations in more than 33 countries.
The French National Gambling Authority (ANJ) directed internet service providers to cut off access to the website entirely until it fulfills national requirements. Furthermore, the regulator cautioned that broadcasting live betting odds to users within France constitutes illegal promotion, carrying potential penalties reaching €100,000 ($114,000).
French oversight of the platform began following a surge in activity during the late 2024 U.S. elections. Although authorities previously prohibited transactions and restricted local users to view-only access, traffic continued to climb. Statistics revealed that the platform accumulated 578,751 visits from French IP addresses in June alone, pushing regulators to implement a complete blackout.
A primary catalyst for the ban involves serious worries regarding market manipulation and insider trading by wealthy accounts or well-connected participants. Authorities highlighted instances such as a trader known as Fredi9999, who swayed prediction odds with substantial wagers during American political events and pocketed approximately $50 million. Another noted incident involved compromised weather data from Meteo-France, which gave certain participants an unjust edge in weather-linked prediction markets.
France’s crackdown mirrors a wider international trend, as Polymarket lacks domestic gambling permits and faces bans or heavy restrictions in over 33 nations—including Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, and the Czech Republic. Additionally, other jurisdictions like Spain have temporarily intervened against prediction markets, while regulators in the United States continue evaluating new frameworks for the sector.
Morpara, Turkey’s new-generation financial technology brand, is redefining the process of receiving payments from Europe and the United Kingdom with its newly developed product, morGATE. Working in integration with Currencycloud, a Visa solution for cross-border payments and multi-currency capabilities, morGATE enables Turkish companies to access virtual IBAN details for EUR and GBP collections using existing local payment networks such as SEPA (for EUR) and Faster Payments (for GBP). This allows businesses to receive payments from abroad within seconds, without having to endure the lengthy, complex, and costly processes associated with traditional money transfer methods.
morGATE was developed specifically for SMEs exporting to Europe and the UK, e-export brands, software and consulting firms, health tourism companies, educational institutions, and businesses operating in the tourism sector. Through this system, companies can accept payments from their European customers via virtual EUR and GBP IBANs registered in their own names, using a local transfer model.
International Money Transfers Are Becoming Local
Today, for many companies in Turkey, receiving payments from Europe still means high commissions, long waiting times, and operational complexity. SWIFT transactions can take three to five business days due to intermediary banks, and transfer costs along with currency conversion fees can directly affect companies’ profitability. morGATE redesigns this process through a local collection model, offering companies a faster, more transparent, and lower-cost alternative.
One of morGATE’s most notable advantages is its structure, which can help reduce costs associated with cross-border collections. It also enhances companies’ financial security by reducing potential chargeback risk.
Morpara General Manager Hakan Özat described the new opportunities morGATE brings to corporate collections as follows:
“One of the biggest problems faced by companies in Turkey that export and regularly receive payments from Europe is slow, costly, and complex payment processes. We developed morGATE specifically to solve this problem. Thanks to our system, which runs on Visa’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, companies can have their own local collection accounts in Europe and receive their payments within seconds. For the first time in Turkey, we are offering companies a structure that is this accessible, fast, and operationally efficient.”
Noting that they are proud to bring another innovation to the sector, Özat added:
“The entire vision behind morGATE is to transform collections made by corporations from Europe and the UK from an international money transfer process into a local collection model through international accounts.”
Emphasizing that this marks another addition to Morpara’s borderless payment technologies, Özat stated that morGATE aims to be accessible to all corporate users free of transaction fees and to directly contribute to their financial performance.
Visa Turkey General Manager Samile Mümin commented on the partnership as follows:
“We are pleased to collaborate with innovative fintech partners like Morpara to support Turkish exporters and SMEs in overcoming traditional cross-border payment barriers, opening the door to new international growth opportunities, and enabling them to participate more effectively in the global digital economy. As Visa, we are committed to helping businesses of all sizes connect to global opportunities through our innovative, secure payment solutions and modern financial infrastructure.”
Greater Visibility and Strong Controls in Cross-Border Collections
morGATE’s infrastructure is powered by the money transfer technology under Visa Direct’s Currencycloud platform. Operating in compliance with European regulations, the system stands out with strong risk controls, robust encryption infrastructure, and a fully auditable transaction structure.
Compatible with countries in the SEPA region, morGATE enables companies to receive payments from their European customers just like a local EFT/FAST transaction. As a result, businesses not only collect payments faster but also strengthen their cash flow and simplify their operational processes.
Inveo Kripto, the blockchain arm of the Inveo Investment Holding Group, and Moca Network, the flagship project of Animoca Brands and one of the companies building the world’s largest chain-agnostic decentralized digital identity network, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership.
The collaboration will focus on developing regulatory-compliant Web3 infrastructure and blockchain-based financial services for both the Turkish and global markets.
The partnership aims to support the adoption of verifiable digital identity as a foundational layer of Türkiye’s digital economy while connecting one of the world’s most active digital economies to a global, interoperable digital identity network.
As part of the collaboration, Moca Network will explore integrating its AIR Kit into Inveo Kripto’s platform and other financial services applications in Türkiye in compliance with local regulatory requirements.
AIR Kit is built on Moca Chain, an identity-focused, EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain designed to power decentralized digital identity solutions.
Infina Software and Hedef Investment Bank have successfully completed the first phase of their Digital Custody Banking (DPM) Project, which has been under development for nearly two years. The initiative aims to digitalize capital markets operations while ensuring seamless integration across financial systems.
Integrated Operational Infrastructure
As part of the first phase, Hedef Portfolio’s mobile application, the custody system, the Core Banking System, and the infrastructures of TEFAS and the Central Securities Depository of Türkiye (MKK) were fully integrated.
The integration enables the end-to-end digitalization of several key processes, including:
Online customer onboarding
Mutual fund subscription and redemption transactions
Custody operations
Reconciliation processes
Accounting integrations
Through these integrations, the project is expected to reduce reliance on manual operational processes and improve overall efficiency across financial workflows.
“This Major Milestone Is Only the Beginning”
Commenting on the launch of the first phase, the Infina team said the project’s primary objective was to enable institutions and their mission-critical systems to operate seamlessly within a single digital ecosystem.
“We are delighted to have successfully launched the first phase of the Digital Custody Project, which began as an idea nearly two years ago. Our primary goal throughout this project was to ensure that institutions and their critical systems could operate flawlessly within a unified digital ecosystem. The project we have implemented together with Hedef Investment Bank stands as a concrete example of disciplined project management, strong teamwork, and multiple stakeholders coming together around a shared vision. However, for us, this significant milestone is only the beginning.”
Work Begins on the Second Phase
Following the completion of the system integration, Infina Software has already started work on the second phase of the project.
According to the company’s statement, the next stage will focus on integrating emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and tokenization, into the Digital Custody Banking platform.
BtcTurk is celebrating the 13th anniversary of its journey, which began on July 1, 2013. What started as a Bitcoin trading platform has evolved into a financial technology group comprising BtcTurk Kripto, BtcTurk Hisse, BtcTurk Portföy, BtcTurk Girişim, BtcTurk Destek, and BtcTurk Teknoloji.
Today, the company serves as the preferred platform for more than six million users. Since its establishment, BtcTurk has not only continued to enhance its technology but has also contributed to the development of the industry through its commitment to improving user experience, prioritizing security, and making financial technologies more accessible.
In addition, the company has continued to create social value through its long-term initiatives supporting sports, culture and the arts, and technology.
Commenting on the milestone, BtcTurk CEO Tevfik Kınık said the company has closely followed the transformation of the global financial ecosystem since 2020.
Emphasizing that BtcTurk continuously improves its products and services by placing users’ evolving needs and feedback at the center of its strategy, Kınık said:
“Under the leadership of our founder, Kerem Tibuk, our journey began in 2013 as Türkiye’s first Bitcoin trading platform. Thanks to the trust and support of our users, we have grown into a financial technology ecosystem with global ambitions.”
Kınık added that, as a financial technology group founded in Türkiye, the company is preparing to bring its expertise and experience to international markets.
“We would like to thank everyone who has supported us throughout this journey, especially our users, as well as our business partners, stakeholders, and colleagues,” he said.
Mobility technology startup Vignetim, which has reached over 500,000 users, has become the first investment of the İTÜ ARI Teknokent Venture Capital Investment Fund (GSYF), established in partnership with Maxis. Representing İTÜ ARI Teknokent’s vision of connecting technology startups with capital, business networks, and global opportunities, this strategic move will strengthen Vignetim’s growth in Europe and its position in mobility services connecting Turkey and Europe.
Vignetim, an İTÜ Çekirdek-incubated startup offering digital highway vignettes, toll payments, HGS (Turkey’s electronic toll collection system), and travel services on a single platform across Europe, has entered a new phase of its growth journey with the investment made by the İTÜ ARI Teknokent Venture Capital Investment Fund (GSYF), established in partnership with Maxis. The investment will help the company accelerate its expansion plans in the European market, scale its solutions for road mobility between Turkey and Europe, and strengthen its vision of becoming a “travel mobility super-app” that digitizes the travel experience end-to-end.
Founded in 2024, Vignetim allows drivers to purchase, through a single platform, the digital highway vignettes, toll payments, HGS, and travel-related services they need across various countries, particularly in Europe. In addition to digital vignette sales, the company integrates e-SIM and other travel-focused complementary services, making the cross-border travel experience fully digital from end to end.
Vignetim is developing solutions specifically aimed at digitizing HGS processes for foreign-plated individual vehicles and international fleets entering and exiting Turkey. In this context, the company aims to make the highway toll, payment, and travel services needed by users and fleet operations traveling between Turkey and Europe more accessible, manageable, and centralized.
Having reached more than 500,000 users to date and generating active revenue, Vignetim offers solutions for corporate customers and business partners in addition to individual users. The company’s B2C, B2B, and API-based business model also allows travel and mobility platforms in different sectors to make use of Vignetim’s infrastructure.
A Technology Solution for Europe’s Growing Mobility Economy
Millions of drivers across Europe face a fragmented and complex user experience due to differing highway usage systems, toll fees, electronic toll collection systems, and travel requirements across countries. By bringing this process together under a single platform, Vignetim offers users fast, secure, and centralized access to the digital travel and toll products they need. With the infrastructure it has developed in mobility technologies, the company aims to build not just a digital vignette sales platform, but a next-generation mobility ecosystem that simplifies the international travel experience. By making toll and road usage systems across different countries — including HGS — accessible through digital channels, Vignetim aims to offer a travel infrastructure that can be managed from a single point for both individual drivers and fleets.
A New Chapter with Support from İTÜ ARI Teknokent GSYF
With the investment made by the İTÜ ARI Teknokent Venture Capital Investment Fund (GSYF), established in partnership with Maxis, Vignetim will focus on product development, integrating new countries and services, digital solutions related to toll systems including HGS, strengthening its technology infrastructure, and its growth targets in the European market.
In the period ahead, the company aims to bring together the digital services needed during travel under a single app, offering users a comprehensive mobility experience. In this context, new service integrations, strategic partnerships, fleet solutions, and an API-based growth model are among its priority investment areas.
Prof. Dr. Attila Dikbaş, General Manager of İTÜ ARI Teknokent, noted that Vignetim is in a strong position for investment thanks to the technology infrastructure it has developed in a short time, its proven business model, and its capacity for growth on an international scale. He stated that, as İTÜ ARI Teknokent GSYF, they prioritize supporting technology startups with the potential to create value on a global scale, and that they believe Vignetim will become an important player in Europe’s mobility ecosystem and take its place among the successful technology startups emerging from Turkey. Dikbaş continued: “We view Vignetim not merely as a startup operating in the mobility and logistics space, but also from a fintech perspective, given its digital transaction infrastructure and scalable business model. The fact that Vignetim was born out of the İTÜ Çekirdek ecosystem, that it stands out as one of the successful ventures we have supported for years in the automotive and mobility ecosystem in partnership with the Uludağ Automotive Exporters’ Association (OİB), that it proved its success on the Big Bang Startup Challenge stage, and the growth performance it has demonstrated to date, all played a decisive role in our investment decision. Our goal with the İTÜ ARI Teknokent Venture Capital Investment Fund is not only to provide financing, but to accelerate the growth of high-tech startups by connecting them with customers, corporate companies, and international networks.”
Özgür Temel, General Manager of Maxis Girişim Sermayesi Portföy Yönetimi A.Ş., commented following the investment: “We are pleased that İTÜ ARI Teknokent GSYF’s first investment has gone to Vignetim, a company that has won customers in different markets and launched its global growth journey with the innovative technologies it has developed in mobility. We believe that Vignetim, a startup that emerged from İTÜ Çekirdek, will accelerate its growth with this investment. We anticipate that the company, which is advancing with a vision of offering end-to-end digital services in road transportation, will also become a strong technology partner for corporate customers in the period ahead. As Maxis, we continue to expand our impact through the venture capital funds we launch both through our own funds and together with strong ecosystem stakeholders. We believe that this fund, which brings together İTÜ ARI Teknokent’s strong entrepreneurship ecosystem with Maxis’s investment experience, will make a significant contribution to the global growth of high-tech startups emerging from Turkey.”
Vignetim Co-Founder and CEO Şevki Kocadağ commented on the investment: “The investment we received from İTÜ ARI Teknokent GSYF marks an important milestone in Vignetim’s growth journey. Vignetim was born out of a real problem we experienced firsthand. Having set out on this journey to bring together the fragmented and complex processes users face in road travel connecting Europe and Turkey under a single digital platform, the fact that we have reached over 500,000 users today shows that the solution we developed addresses a strong need.
“By bringing together digital highway vignettes, toll payments, HGS, e-SIM, and travel-focused complementary services on a single platform, we offer a faster, safer, and more easily managed mobility experience for both individual users and international fleets. Through new country integrations, fleet solutions, API-based partnerships, and new services, we aim to make Vignetim one of Europe’s leading travel mobility platforms.
“It holds special meaning for us that our entrepreneurial journey, which began at İTÜ Çekirdek, has now moved into a new phase with İTÜ ARI Teknokent GSYF’s first investment. We see this investment not merely as financial support, but as a strong sign of confidence in our vision. I would like to thank our investors who believed in us on this journey, our ecosystem stakeholders, our business partners, and all the members of our team who contributed to this achievement.”
A study titled “Business Preferences and Expectations in Payment Systems: Transformation and Barriers in Multi-POS and Digital Payments,” conducted by Garanti BBVA’s payment and e-money institution Tami in collaboration with Ipsos Turkey, has revealed that businesses in Turkey are open to digital transformation in payment technologies. According to the research, 68% of businesses that have not yet adopted next-generation payment solutions say they are open to considering them, with trust, ease of use, and tangible business benefits emerging as the most important drivers of this transformation.
The research, conducted by Garanti BBVA’s payment and e-money institution Tami in partnership with Ipsos Turkey, points to significant transformation potential in payment technologies among businesses in Turkey. According to the study, which was conducted with 1,207 businesses nationwide, 80% of businesses still work exclusively with bank POS terminals, and 83% do not use any additional solution integrated with payment institutions. Despite this, 68% of businesses that have not yet adopted next-generation payment solutions say they are open to considering them. The findings show that businesses are not closed off to technology; rather, they prefer solutions that inspire trust, are easy to manage, and deliver tangible benefits to their business.
Trust: the precondition for transformation in payment systems
The research shows that payment systems have evolved beyond mere collection tools to take on a strategic role for businesses — spanning customer experience, operational efficiency, cash flow, and growth performance. While businesses prioritize customer expectations when choosing a payment method, reliability stands out as one of the most important decision criteria. A fast, uninterrupted payment experience and strong security infrastructure rank among the top expectations from an ideal payment platform.
According to the research, businesses evaluate not only the payment infrastructure itself, but also the reliability of the institution providing the service. Trust encompasses financial soundness, technical continuity, strong security infrastructure, and having an easily reachable point of contact when needed. The findings show that alongside product features, the reliability of the institution behind a payment technology directly influences business preferences.
The research also points to room for improvement in brand awareness within the payment and e-money institution category. 35% of businesses were unable to name any brand in the payment and e-money institution category — underscoring that, alongside trust, awareness and proper information are equally important for the sector.
A seamless payment experience is now also part of growth
According to the research, businesses view the payment experience not merely as an operational process, but as a strategic factor supporting growth. 72% of businesses said a seamless payment experience increases customer satisfaction, 59% said it contributes positively to sales revenue, and 55% said it strengthens customer loyalty. The findings show that payment processes have become an important area of competitive advantage for businesses.
Commenting on the research, Tami CEO Melda Çetin said:
“Our research shows us that businesses are not distant from technology, but from uncertainty. Businesses are open to next-generation payment solutions; however, for this transformation to take place, they first need to trust the solution, know they will receive uninterrupted service, experience its ease of use, and see the tangible benefit it will bring to their business. In the period ahead, the sector’s most important responsibility will be to turn advanced technologies into solutions that are more understandable, accessible, and trustworthy for businesses.”
Çetin continued:
“As Tami, based on the needs of businesses, we are developing solutions that make payment processes more visible, more manageable, and more efficient. With solutions such as multi-bank POS, CepPOS, payment-by-link, and digital wallets, we aim to simplify businesses’ payment processes while being a reliable partner in their digital transformation journeys. We will continue developing products that accelerate businesses’ transformation in payment technologies, taking action to explain and teach these solutions to businesses, providing the sector with data and insights, and contributing to the stronger growth of businesses.”
The research also shows that payment solutions backed by a strong and reliable financial institution significantly increase the perception of trust among businesses. The findings indicate that in the payment systems space, it is not only the products and services themselves, but also the experience and financial strength of the institutions providing them, that are important factors influencing business preferences. In this respect, Garanti BBVA’s financial experience and trust infrastructure stand out as key elements supporting the payment solutions Tami offers to businesses.
Financial technology platform TeklifimGelsin has ranked among the top 5 fastest-growing apps in Turkey’s financial mobile app download category in Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile 2026 report, earning a spot on the list for the second consecutive year.
In the report, published by mobile app analytics firm Sensor Tower, TeklifimGelsin ranked among the top 5 companies nationwide in the “Growth in Downloads” category for financial mobile apps in Turkey. With this achievement for the second year running, the platform has demonstrated its steady growth in the fintech space through an independently prepared, internationally recognized study.
Published annually, the State of Mobile report analyzes App Store and Google Play data to reveal global trends in the mobile app ecosystem, as well as standout apps by country. TeklifimGelsin’s placement in the top 5 of Turkey’s finance app category for two consecutive years shows that the platform is attracting growing interest from users and strengthening its position within the fintech ecosystem.
Having reached more than 2.2 million registered users to date, with its mobile app downloaded over 3.2 million times and having facilitated more than 120 billion TRY in personal loan applications through its platform, TeklifimGelsin continues to sustain its user-focused growth.
“We see technology as a tool that simplifies our users’ financial decisions”
TeklifimGelsin CEO İhsan Cem Zararsız commented on the achievement, saying:
“The list we are featured on, published globally each year by Sensor Tower, includes all financial apps operating in Turkey. Among them are not only our competitors, but dozens of banks, financial companies, and startups whose capital and marketing power far exceed our own. Ranking in the top five in this category last year did not surprise us, but seeing that we made it sustainable made us very happy. This repeated achievement was the best fifth-anniversary gift our users could have given us.
“From day one, we have seen technology as a tool that simplifies our users’ financial decisions. In this spirit, it is extremely valuable to us that the solutions we develop are reaching more users and being recognized in independently prepared, internationally conducted research. In the period ahead, we will continue to improve the user experience, invest in AI-powered technologies, and make financial processes more accessible.”
Offering personalized comparisons of dozens of different financial offers on a single platform — most notably its Credit Score product, built on financial and user data — TeklifimGelsin enables users to quickly and easily access the offers best suited to their needs. Continuously improving the digital finance experience through its AI-powered infrastructure and user-focused approach, the platform aims to introduce further innovations in its products and user experience in the period ahead, both to better serve its existing users and to reach new ones.
Ak Portföy has once again been included among the world’s largest asset management firms in the “Top 500 Asset Managers” list, published annually by Investment & Pensions Europe, one of Europe’s most respected institutional investment publications. Ak Portföy, which has featured on the list since 2020, climbed further this year to rank 393rd.
Ak Portföy CEO Mehmet Ali Ersarı emphasized the significance of this consistent success on the global stage, stating: “We are proud to once again be included among the world’s largest asset management companies. We rose to 393rd place this year on Investment & Pensions Europe’s ‘Top 500 Asset Managers’ list. Our steady climb on the list since 2020 is a key result of our long-term strategy.
“With assets under management now exceeding 1.5 trillion TRY, more than 1.2 million investors, and a broad investment universe of over 200 funds, we continue to lead the development of investment management in Turkey.
“Today, as the asset management industry undergoes a major transformation on a global scale, investor expectations are changing accordingly. Institutions that place trust and transparency at their core, that have strong product development capabilities, that are easily accessible, and that use technology as a core element of value creation, need to develop new perspectives across many areas — from the way they operate to their service models — in order to offer savers a higher-quality investment experience.
“We too are carrying our quarter-century of experience, our strong talent base, digitalization, AI-powered solutions, and sustainability-focused products into the future. Our rise to 393rd place on the IPE Top 500 list is the clearest indicator of where this approach now stands on an international scale.
“I would like to thank all my colleagues, our investors, and our business partners who contributed to this achievement. As one of the leading institutions in the sector in Turkey, we will continue to always aim for the best in the global asset management league.”
Also strengthening its success on the international stage, Ak Portföy has previously been named “Turkey’s Best Investment Management Company” by World Finance for seven consecutive years. With its rise to 393rd place on the IPE Top 500 list, the company has further reinforced both its leadership in Turkey and its position within the global asset management ecosystem.
Garanti BBVA has joined Swift’s next-generation payment scheme as a sending bank, offering speed, transparency, upfront visibility into fees, and end-to-end tracking for international money transfers. Thanks to the new payment experience, customers can see transfer fees and how long a payment will take to reach the recipient before completing a transaction, giving them certainty about exactly how much the recipient will receive.
In a move set to transform the customer experience in international money transfers — and a first for Turkey — Garanti BBVA has joined Swift’s new payment scheme as a sending bank. Initially rolled out by Garanti BBVA for the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, the United States, and Germany, the new payment scheme makes Swift transfers significantly faster, more transparent, and trackable, with fees visible in advance.
With the next-generation Swift payment scheme, customers can clearly see transaction fees before making a transfer, know that the full amount sent will reach the recipient, and track the transfer process end-to-end through digital channels. The aim is to reduce the uncertainty, surprise fees, and long waiting times that can occur with traditional international money transfers.
Garanti BBVA Deputy CEO Cemal Onaran commented on the new system: “We aimed to make the international payment experience faster, more transparent, and more predictable for our customers. With our integration of Swift’s new payment scheme, it is now possible to offer not only faster money transfers, but also greater control, visibility, and trust for our customers in international transactions. As Garanti BBVA, we continue to work to bring the newest solutions in the financial sector to all our customers, making their lives easier, and to keep achieving firsts.”
Hikmet Can Yılmazsoy, Swift’s Regional Manager for Turkey, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, commented: “Customers expect the same level of speed, transparency, and predictability in international money transfers that they are accustomed to in domestic payments. This new framework aims to meet precisely that expectation. Thanks to today’s technology, it has become possible to offer a much better customer experience in international payments. As Swift, we are delighted to be collaborating with banks around the world to bring this transformation to life.”
Initially live for 5 countries
Available to both commercial and individual customers, the new payment scheme ensures that the full transferred amount reaches the recipient’s account, while allowing customers to track which stage a transaction is at through digital channels throughout the process. The new scheme also enables clearer, more understandable information to be provided to customers in cases where a transaction is rejected. With new tracking screens integrated into mobile channels, customers will be able to manage their transfer processes more easily and seamlessly.
Swift’s new payment scheme will apply to Garanti BBVA customer payments made in the local currencies of the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, the United States, and Germany payment networks. For transfers to the United Kingdom, Spain, and Australia, the speed and transparency standards offered by the system will operate at full capacity. In the US corridor, the fast payment experience will initially be limited to certain banks, while for transfers to Germany, the service will be available during the recipient country’s business hours.
