The Federal Ministry of Finance (Bundesministerium der Finanzen) is researching the advent of Fintech.
Fintech has become a catch-all term for internet-based finance where technology is driving huge gains in efficiency which is poised to benefit investors and those seeking access to capital.
The Finance Ministry states that driven by digitization, changes are taking place in a scale and at a speed in the financial markets that offer enormous opportunities. But they also caution that on the other side there are new regulatory challenges. They mention specifically research conducted by the University of Cambridge that covered the “alternative finance” market. The authorities seek to define, measure and then draw conclusions as to the impact and potential for the German economy. Specifically crowdfunding (both debt and equity), robo-advisors and other areas. How does Germany stack up in contrast to other countries? I guess we will find out.
You may see the description of the research below (in German).
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