What is a core banking system - and when do you need your own?
Core banking system explained: what it does, when the BaaS shortcut stops working, and when running your own core starts to pay off. Weeks to deploy, not years.
Smartex Blog
Practical notes on core banking, payments and card issuing.
Payment processing systems in 2026: instant rails change the rules
Payment processing systems in 2026: SEPA Instant, FedNow, Faster Payments and cards on four rails, ISO 20022 as the connector. What to check before you buy.
Open banking platform vs open banking API: what regulators expect
Open banking platform vs open banking API under PSD2: AIS and PIS obligations, why an API without a core is a liability, and what to verify with vendors.
Card issuing API: from BIN to tokenization without a bank team
Card issuing API from BIN to tokenization: sponsor and scheme, card controls, wallet provisioning, plus a deployment checklist and a corporate spend example.