EU Fintech Licensing: MOIN became the first Korean or Japanese firm to win an EU Electronic Money Institution license, giving it an “EU passport” to operate across the EEA (including Liechtenstein) for cross-border payments and FX, with potential stablecoin links under MiCA. Banking Tech: BIL Suisse renewed its core banking partnership with Avaloq, extending automation via a SaaS core system and open-architecture tools to plug in third-party fintech services and strengthen KYC/data connectivity. Trade Diplomacy: Trade ministers from 21 countries are set to meet in Auckland for New Zealand’s Future of Investment and Trade (FITP) talks, aiming to cut barriers and make cross-border rules easier to navigate. Defence Industry Access: The EEA Committee moved Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway closer to the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), expanding investment and supply-chain security for European defence production. Cross-Border Payments for SMEs: Statrys added local account capabilities in the UK, Germany, Luxembourg, Denmark and Liechtenstein for Hong Kong SMEs, letting firms route payments via local networks and manage costs more directly. Regulatory/Legal Watch: A Swiss court overturned a Finma enforcement ruling in a case involving VP Bank (linked to Liechtenstein’s SIX-listed VP Bank), a reminder that financial supervision decisions can still be challenged. Travel Rules Impacting Business: Europe’s new entry-exit and digital travel authorisation systems keep rolling out unevenly, with EES not used in Switzerland/Liechtenstein/Iceland/Norway and the UK moving to mandatory ETA for visa-free visitors.