TD Bank and CIBC this week announced enhanced capabilities for their AI banking assistants, in a bid to drive engagement and keep customers in their ecosystems.

JPMorgan Asset Management this month acquired 55ip, a Boston and Mumbai-based fintech that offers tax automation technology for financial advisers. Terms of the deal, expected to close by the end of the year, were not disclosed.

Personal finance company SoFi, which in October got preliminary approval for a banking charter from the OCC, is exploring possibilities to go public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), according to a report from Reuters.

On Monday, Dec. 7, Paysafe confirmed a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) backed by investor Bill Foley, Foley Trasimene Acquisition Corp II – a deal that valued the payments platform at $9B.

Stripe, a firm whose tools allow merchants to accept payments, is partnering with Goldman Sachs and Citibank on a business bank account offering for their clients, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Dallas-based digital life insurance provider Bestow will acquire Centurion Life Insurance Company, an Iowa-based insurer with licensing in 47 states and the District of Columbia. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Step, a banking platform for teens, raised $50M in Series B financing led by Coatue, with participation from a range of known venture capital firms that are returning investors, alongside fintech executives from Visa, Venmo, Square, and Facebook. Celebrity investors include Dreamers VC (led by Will Smith), Tiktok star Charli D’Amelio, Justin Timberlake, The Chainsmokers, Eli Manning, and others.

Stripe, whose technology allows merchants to accept payments, is in talks regarding a new funding round, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources.

A New York Times report about treatment of minority employees at cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has garnered attention as fintech and financial firms strive to improve their performance on diversity and equity issues.

On Tuesday, Nov. 24, bitcoin’s price rose beyond $19,000, edging closer to its all-time high of $19,783 in 2017. The rally didn’t last, however, with the value of bitcoin falling 14% by Thursday, Nov. 25. Other cryptocurrencies also experienced significant losses.