December 5, 2021 @ 6:44 pm By JD Alois  |  

It was a tough couple of weeks for Celsius Network. Celsius is a neobank platform that touts its ability to generate returns on parked crypto. Currently, Celsius is promoting potential returns of over 17%. As was widely rumored, Celsius Network was impacted by the Badger… Read More

December 5, 2021 @ 5:37 pm By JD Alois  |  

Uniti, an electric car firm based in Sweden that has raised funding online via crowdfunding offerings, a self crowdfunding round, as well as venture capital, says it must raise at least 5 million SEK (~$457,000) by December 10th or it is likely that Uniti will… Read More

December 3, 2021 @ 3:45 pm By JD Alois  |  

As was reported earlier this week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has published a report on overdraft fees. These usurious fees generate billions on revenue for traditional banks. Almost like a drug addict, old banks struggle to eliminate these fees that end up harming… Read More

December 3, 2021 @ 11:09 am By JD Alois  |  

Tinkoff has been named Bank of the Year in Russia at the Bank of the Year Awards 2021, according to a statement distributed by the bank. The  recognition was delivered by The Banker, a publication that is part of the Financial Times Group. Tinkoff says… Read More

December 3, 2021 @ 11:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Moody’s, the global research and securities rating firm, has acquired or agreed to acquire two separate Regtechs. According to Moody’s it has acquired PassFort Limited and entered into an agreement to acquire 360kompany AG (kompany). These two firms are both European providers of KYC, AML,… Read More

December 2, 2021 @ 9:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week, it was widely reported that Yaron Shalem, CFO of Celsius Network,  was allegedly arrested in Israel along with other individuals. Via Twitter, Celsius confirmed that an unnamed employee had been “suspended” while stating they have verified that no assets were misplaced or mishandled. … Read More

December 2, 2021 @ 4:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

Grab, an Asian delivery firm and Fintech, traded on the Nasdaq today as part of a SPAC deal that raised gross proceeds of USD $4.5 billion in the largest-ever U.S. public market debut by a Southeast Asian company. The value of the deal was pegged… Read More

December 2, 2021 @ 12:52 pm By JD Alois  |  

UK-based Fintech Wise (LSE:WISE) has provided an update on its expansion plans across North America. Yesterday, it was revealed that the Wise Card is now available in  Canada but the fast-growing firm has other items on its roadmap. Wise notes that its New York City… Read More

December 2, 2021 @ 11:59 am By JD Alois  |  

During the opening comments at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s meeting of the Investor Advisory Committee, SEC Chair Gary Gensler once again rang the warning bell on the need for greater oversight of the fast-growing digital asset/crypto sector. Gensler stated in prepared remarks: “… with… Read More

December 2, 2021 @ 11:02 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Ivars Auzins, a citizen of Latvia with crypto asset fraud. The SEC states that the defendant also went under the names of Ron Ramsey and Daniel Gaines. According to a statement by the SEC, Auzins allegedly defrauded… Read More

December 2, 2021 @ 10:19 am By JD Alois  |  

Structure, a DeFi trading platform, has raised $20 million in a round led by Polychain Capital. The funding was completed via a sale of its token $STXR. The investment set a valuation of Structure at $150 million. Other investors beyond Polychain, include Bixin Ventures and… Read More

December 2, 2021 @ 9:50 am By JD Alois  |  

Square (NYSE:SQ) is now Block. The name change and rebranding were announced yesterday in a statement that highlighted Square’s ongoing transition from payments to multi-faceted Fintech. Square/Block was founded by Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter who just recently exited his CEO role at the… Read More

December 2, 2021 @ 9:37 am By JD Alois  |  

Katipult (TSXV: FUND), a cloud-based private investment service for platforms, has announced that George Reznik has joined its board of directors, assuming the position of Chair, Audit Committee. Reznik is CFO of Tantalus Systems and is said to have more than twenty-five years of experience… Read More

December 2, 2021 @ 9:30 am By JD Alois  |  

Deel has announced the launch of “Deel Premium” a new service that facilitates remote hiring and compliance, worldwide. Deel has partnered with Insurtech Tint, a startup that provides an insurance-as-a-service platform. Tint’s best-in-class API allowed Deel to design, launch, and scale this new service. Deel… Read More

December 2, 2021 @ 9:15 am By JD Alois  |  

Ransomware attempts are said to rise by 30% monthly, on average, during the holidays, according to a note by Darktrace. The cybersecurity firm says that its researchers are comparing global data from 2018 to 2020 When comparing November and December to January and February, the… Read More

December 2, 2021 @ 8:56 am By JD Alois  |  

Marqeta (NASDAQ: MQ) has announced a new partnership with First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO), on a next generation credit card programs. Marqeta is a modern card issuing platform that works with Fintechs as well as traditional financial services firms. The company notes that the COVID… Read More

December 2, 2021 @ 6:07 am By JD Alois  |  

OakNorth Bank, a challenger bank that focuses on entrepreneurs, has completed a £531,000 loan to Sincere Homes, the development arm of Midway Care Group. OakNorth focuses on supporting two main divisions. In the UK, the Fintech serves as a banking challenger that provides loans from… Read More

December 1, 2021 @ 3:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has consistently denied aspiring exchange-traded products that aim to offer a Bitcoin ETF based on the spot price of the world’s most popular digital asset. Recently, a Bitcoin ETF based on Bitcoin futures was approved but this was effectively… Read More

December 1, 2021 @ 2:44 pm By JD Alois  |  

The House Financial Services Committee has announced the list of witnesses scheduled to testify at a hearing entitled “Digital Assets and the Future of Finance: Understanding the Challenges and Benefits of Financial Innovation in the United States.”  The witnesses include many of the biggest names… Read More

December 1, 2021 @ 11:39 am By JD Alois  |  

Wise (LSE:WISE), formerly doing business as Transferwise, has launched its “Wise Card” in Canada. Wise states that Canadians may now spend money around the world and shop online knowing they’re getting the best exchange rate along with low fees. Wise started as Fintech focusing on… Read More