Yup, another competitor for lenders come July: Bed Bath & Beyond is acquiring Tokens.com “to develop a blockchain-based investment and personal finance platform” and will use tools from tZERO and integrate with blockchain firm Figure to offer services such as mortgages and renovation loans. Indeed, mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships are alive and well, ranging from branches moving to talk of more headline-grabbing deals ahead. Welcome to the club, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, I think you’ll find it a confusing industry… there isn’t a lot of policy shaping selling household wares in comparison. Speaking of which, on today’s The Big Picture at 3PM ET Bob Broeksmit, President and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association, will be on for a candid conversation on the forces shaping housing finance policy, the happenings in Washington DC, regulatory priorities, and what lenders should expect next. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s are sponsored by Truework, the one verification solution to replace in-house waterfalls. Verify any borrower with a VOIE solution that automates the entire process to quickly deliver the most accurate and complete reports with broad GSE coverage. Today’s features an interview with Truework’s Ethan Winchell on the intersection of technology and use, and how designing platforms for the mortgage industry has shifted toward practical application.) Products, Services, and Software for Brokers and Lenders