Welcome to our dedicated page for Block news (Ticker: SQ), a resource for investors and traders seeking the latest updates and insights on Block stock.
News and press releases related to Square and the historical ticker symbol SQ focus on how the company develops and expands its integrated ecosystem of commerce and financial tools. As part of Block, Inc., Square appears frequently in announcements about product launches, partnerships, research, and marketing campaigns that affect restaurants, retailers, and other consumer-facing businesses.
Readers following SQ-related news will see updates on new hardware and software, such as the introduction of Square Releases, a biannual product launch format that bundles features and tools for sellers, and the debut of Square Handheld, a portable point-of-sale device designed for fast-moving businesses. News also covers enhancements to Square Point of Sale, restaurant-specific capabilities, retail inventory management, and tools for services and health and beauty providers.
Company announcements highlight partnerships that extend Square’s reach, including collaborations with restaurant chains like Bambu Dessert Drinks and strategic relationships with organizations such as Sysco and WooCommerce. These stories describe how Square’s technology is implemented across franchise networks, integrated with delivery platforms, and promoted through partner programs to help sellers manage operations and cash flow.
Other news items feature research and campaigns that showcase Square’s role in local economies. The Future of Commerce report provides data on how restaurants, retailers, and beauty businesses plan to use automation, loyalty programs, and technology, while marketing campaigns like “Running a Restaurant Is No Joke” spotlight restaurant owners and their experiences using Square. Seasonal updates, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday transaction data across Block’s brands, illustrate how sellers using Square, Afterpay, and Cash App perform during major shopping periods.
Investors and observers can use the SQ news archive to understand how Square’s product roadmap, partnerships, and research initiatives evolve over time, and how these developments relate to Block’s broader ecosystem and the announced ticker symbol change from SQ to XYZ.
Covista (NYSE: CVSA) appointed Emily C. Chiu and Leslie Storms to its Board of Directors, effective August 17, 2026, as the company advances its three-year “Purpose at Scale” growth strategy to address U.S. healthcare workforce shortages.
Chiu brings CEO-level experience in technology, fintech and edtech, including leadership roles at Novo Platform and Block’s open-source platform and Cash App. Storms is Chief Operating Officer of National Veterinary Associates and previously held senior MedTech leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson. With these appointments, 10 of Covista’s 12 directors are independent, supporting governance as the company focuses on operational excellence, expansion into adjacent healthcare domains, direct workforce pipelines with employer partners and AI-enabled healthcare education innovation.
A group of leading financial institutions and Bitcoin companies has launched the Bitcoin Security Consortium, backed by an aggregate $15 million in independently directed member pledges over the next three years to support long-term security and resilience of the Bitcoin network.
Founding members include Anchorage Digital, ARK Invest, BlackRock, Block (NYSE: XYZ), Blockstream, Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN), Fidelity Digital Assets, Galaxy Digital (Nasdaq: GLXY), and Strategy (Nasdaq: STRF/STRC/STRK/STRD/MSTR; LuxSE: STRE). The consortium will fund developers and researchers working on Bitcoin security, including post-quantum cryptography, and act as a reliable information source for investors, the public, and media, while not directing Bitcoin protocol development.
Square (NYSE: SQ) published its 2026 Local Economy Report, showing how regular customers and neighborhood networks drive local revenue. Key findings: regulars deliver 6x more annual revenue, tip 11% higher, and 32% of regulars are shared across businesses in the same ZIP code. Square reports per-connection revenue lifts (e.g., Los Angeles $2,201; San Francisco $2,025) and that up to $0.60 of every Cash App dollar spent stays local.
The report emphasizes loyalty, repeat purchasing patterns, and marketing tools as drivers of resilience for local sellers amid economic pressure.
Nift (SQ) announced expansion into the UK on November 18, 2025 through a partnership with Clearpay (known as Afterpay outside the UK). The collaboration will let Clearpay thank customers who make on-time payments with personalized Nift gifts drawn from thousands of brands in Nift’s ecosystem.
The integration uses automated technology to select well-timed, personalized rewards intended to boost engagement, deepen customer relationships, and create new revenue opportunities for Clearpay while marking Nift’s first UK market entry with an established fintech partner.
Butter Payments (NYSE:SQ) named Sonali Sambhus as Chief Technology Officer on November 5, 2025 to support rapid expansion of its machine‑learning payments recovery platform.
Sambhus joins after leading Developer & ML Platform at Block, formerly Square, and brings prior executive and founder experience plus board/advisory roles. Butter uses patented ML models to predict and prevent failed payments, a problem cited as costing the subscription industry $440 billion annually, and serves customers including Cerebral, FuturHealth, The Athletic, and Athena Club.
The hire follows recent CEO and CCO additions and is positioned to accelerate platform scaling, AI product development, and client value delivery.
Nift has appointed fintech veteran Saket Mehta as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) to accelerate its revenue growth. Mehta, previously VP of Global Advertising Partnerships and Revenue at Block (NYSE: XYZ), will oversee sales, business development, and partnerships, reporting to CEO Elery Pfeffer.
The appointment follows Nift's recent partnership with Klarna and earlier launch with Cash App Afterpay. Nift's AI-powered platform enables commerce platforms to monetize their commerce media network (CMN) inventory while offering personalized customer experiences. The company's solution delivers impressive conversion rates of up to 10%, compared to 1-3% for traditional digital ads, with 88% positive gift ratings and 72% increased brand appreciation among consumers.
Square has launched Square Releases, a new biannual product launch initiative that bundles new features and tools for businesses. The centerpiece is the new Square Handheld, a powerful portable point-of-sale device featuring a 6.2" Gorilla Glass touchscreen, barcode scanner, camera, and all-day battery life.
The company introduced a unified Square Point of Sale software with seven industry-specific modes, alongside targeted innovations for different sectors: Food & Beverage (bar tab preauthorization, fractional splitting), Retail (improved inventory management), Services (invoicing up to $1M), and Health & Beauty (automated wait lists, commission tracking).
Square also announced enhanced partnerships, including becoming a preferred POS partner with WooCommerce, and deeper integrations with DoorDash and Uber Eats. New Square sellers will now automatically receive Square Checking accounts, streamlining their banking experience.
Square has launched a new video series titled 'Running a Restaurant Is No Joke,' featuring actor and foodie Eric Wareheim. The series, produced in collaboration with Ventureland, showcases three Los Angeles-based restaurateurs and Square sellers: Alisa Reynolds of My 2 Cents, Alvin Cailan of Amboy, and Keegan Fong of Woon Kitchen.
The campaign highlights the challenges and realities of running restaurants while demonstrating how Square's technology helps owners manage operations, adapt with flexible tools, and grow their businesses. Each episode features different aspects of restaurant management, from discussing tough trade-offs and financial management to hiring practices and the evolution of takeout services.
Square's fifth annual Future of Commerce report reveals that businesses worldwide plan to increase investments in automation and loyalty programs in 2025 amid economic challenges. 71% of restaurant leaders will boost investment in loyalty programs, with 83% reporting these programs successfully increase order size and 82% noting improved repeat visits.
Despite 63% of consumers cutting back on restaurant spending and 71% of restaurants planning price increases, 78% of restaurant leaders are more optimistic than last year. 65% plan to expand locations, and 74% will expand menu offerings. 85% of restaurant leaders plan to invest in technology, including AI and automation, particularly for marketing (77%), inventory management (77%), payments (76%), and menu optimization (76%).
In retail, 78% of leaders emphasize in-store experiences for growth, with 68% planning to invest in online stores. Beauty businesses are leveraging technology for personalized experiences, with 55% of consumers following their specialists' recommendations.