March 16, 2020 @ 7:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Fintech TransferWise has announced that its 7 million+ customers can now send money instantly to Alipay users. Alipay is the payments platform provided by Ant Financial (Alibaba). Ant Financial is the highest valued Fintech in the world. “Our newest partnership with Alipay has been one… Read More

March 16, 2020 @ 6:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Denis Georgiyevich Sotnikov and entities he controlled for allegedly participating in a scam to trap U.S. investors into buying fictitious Certificates of Deposit (CDs) via “spoofed” websites.  The SEC states that $26 million was stolen from investors…. Read More

March 16, 2020 @ 2:26 pm By JD Alois  |  

UnderPinned and Banked have announced the launch of a new payments system for contractors including free-lancers. UnderPinned is a freelance career platform that seeks to support freelancers with their career management. Of course, payment for work rendered is an important aspect of freelance work and… Read More

March 16, 2020 @ 1:30 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Coronavirus spawned market meltdown is impacting all aspects of society. Both small and large firms are attempting to assess how to survive while staying healthy. Every company that is able to is work remotely has already migrated to a virtual environment. Access to capital… Read More

March 16, 2020 @ 1:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

Bakkt has raised $300 million in a funding round led by very big names including Microsoft’s M12, PayU, Boston Consulting Group, Goldfinch Partners, CMT Digital, and Pantera Capital. Of course, Bakkt’s sibling the Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE) participated as well. The Form D (506b) filed with… Read More

March 16, 2020 @ 11:51 am By JD Alois  |  

Last month, it was reported that Prodigy Network – once a prominent real estate crowdfunding platform focused on prime Manhattan real estate- has endured some challenging times. Several lawsuits in 2019, and the reported departure of its founding CEO, have allegedly caused a certain amount… Read More

March 16, 2020 @ 10:39 am By JD Alois  |  

Draper Goren Holm has invested in DeFi Money Market (DMM) a platform that enables digital asset holders to Earn 6.25% backed by real-world assets, according to a company release. Draper Goren Holm is a young venture group that includes prominent VC Tim Draper. A noted crypto… Read More

March 16, 2020 @ 10:20 am By JD Alois  |  

Singapore based Zilliqa, a speedy blockchain platform, has partnered with Switcheo, to launch a “non-custodial, decentralised exchange” (DEX). Zilliqa and Switcheo are said to be working towards a minimum viable product and rounds of internal testing by the end of Q2 2020 and external user… Read More

March 16, 2020 @ 9:30 am By JD Alois  |  

Recently, the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), the leading securities regulator in France, posted a legal analysis of security tokens or digital securities. The AMF posited that while there remain certain “legal obstacles,” in their opinion national authorities can adapt to these types of… Read More

March 16, 2020 @ 9:26 am By JD Alois  |  

LendingClub (NYSE:LC) has issued an 8-K this morning reacting to the highly volatile macroeconomic environment fueled by the Coronavirs, or COVID-19, pandemic. LendingClub said they “have not observed changes in application trends, deterioration in loan performance or significant shifts in investor demand.” But in light… Read More

March 16, 2020 @ 8:10 am By JD Alois  |  

Crowdcube, a leading securities crowdfunding platform, has formed a new partnership with Episode 1, a fund that has backed companies like carwow, Shazama, and Zoopla. According to Crowdcube, certain offerings listed on its platform will be led by Episode 1. Issuers seeking to qualify must… Read More

March 15, 2020 @ 5:29 pm By JD Alois  |  

In an unprecedented action, the US Federal Reserve reduced its primary credit rate by 150 basis points to 0.25 percent, effective March 16, 2020. This reduction in the primary credit rate reflects both the 100 basis point reduction in the target range for the federal… Read More

March 14, 2020 @ 6:57 pm By JD Alois  |  

The New York Department of Financial Services has issued a requirement that all institutions engaged in virtual currency businesses to have a preparedness plan due to the impact of the Coronavirus or COVID-19. Virtual currency businesses regulated in the state of New York are not… Read More

March 14, 2020 @ 4:33 pm By JD Alois  |  

Yapeal, an aspiring digital bank based in Zurich, has received the very first Fintech license in Switzerland. In 2019, the Swiss Parliament introduced the Fintech license enforced by the Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). The requirements for Fintech companies are based on the established auditing… Read More

March 14, 2020 @ 3:39 pm By JD Alois  |  

Assetz Capital has received £15 million in funding from British Business Investments (BBI). According to Assetz Capital, this is the first time a property-focused marketplace has received funding from BBI, a subsidiary of the British Business Bank. Assetz Capital states that the funding will support… Read More

March 14, 2020 @ 11:49 am By JD Alois  |  

Like many jurisdictions around the world, the European Union has announced extraordinary measures to combat the Coronavirus, or COVID-19, including measures to mitigate the impact the illness will have on SMEs. In a statement yesterday, the Commission said it considers the COVID-19 pandemic as qualifying as… Read More

March 14, 2020 @ 11:37 am By JD Alois  |  

R3 an enterprise blockchain platform that has developed “Corda” and was founded with the support of multiple financial services firms, has hired Dorothy Copeland, as Global Head of Partner Ecosystem & Alliances. Copeland previously worked at both Amazon Web Services (AWS) and IBM. While at… Read More

March 13, 2020 @ 4:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

Representative Maxine Waters, Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, has postponed all Committee hearings through the end of the month. Chair Waters made the decision in light of the Coronavirus pandemic. The hearings scheduled included a review of digital currencies. Expectations are for these… Read More

March 13, 2020 @ 2:48 pm By JD Alois  |  

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has annunced a €1 billion “Solidarity Package” of measures to help companies across its regions deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The EBRD said this is an initial response to the crisis and the Bank… Read More

March 13, 2020 @ 2:06 pm By JD Alois  |  

In a sign of the rather desperate times, Bookmaker.eu has posted odds on Coronavirus impact events. As professional sports events are shuttered and pretty much all school events have been postponed, the oddsmaker claims that necessity is the mother of invention. Current event trader Rick… Read More