Lending Is the New Lock-In: What Q1 2026 Earnings Mean for the Funding Industry [VIDEO]

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/1f1aa6_6bcda3376b824bbfa275177337a76a4f/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Q1 2026 earnings from Shopify, Block, PayPal, and Fiserv reveal that the biggest platforms in commerce are no longer just processing payments; they're building lending directly into the merchant operating system. Shopify Capital originated $1.4 billion in MCAs and loans in a single quarter. Square Loans drove Block's largest profit beat of the year. PayPal has crossed $30 billion in cumulative small business lending. And Fiserv is scaling Clover Capital as a retention tool inside its Clover ecosystem.

In this video, we break down the numbers, explain why lending is becoming the lock-in mechanism for platform merchants, and what it means for independent funders, ISOs, and brokers competing for the same businesses.