October 27, 2019 @ 5:24 pm By JD Alois  |  

Figure Technologies, a lending platform that uses blockchain technology, is now offering student loan refinancing. Figure’s initial products included HELOC’s (home equity loans) and mortgage refinancing. Figure is the creation of Mike Cagney, founder of SoFi – a Fintech that started with the student lending… Read More

October 26, 2019 @ 3:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

Automation Finance (AF), a distressed debt platform in the real estate sector, is seeking $50 million in a Reg A+ offering. Founded in 2015, AF claims that it has returned a weighted average of 21.5% to investors in its 3 earlier funds. This newest offering… Read More

October 26, 2019 @ 2:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

Indonesia is the is 16th largest economy and the 4th largest by population in the world. Both of these numbers are expected to grow in the coming years. There are around 45 million Indonesians who are considered middle class – a number that is joined… Read More

October 25, 2019 @ 4:04 pm By JD Alois  |  

Bitcoin is on a tear today rising in value by over 14% in the last few hours. Earlier this week, on the day Mark Zuckerberg took a shellacking from the US House Financial Services Committee, Bitcoin dumped 8%. While the trip to the House of… Read More

October 25, 2019 @ 2:45 pm By JD Alois  |  

Koodoo, a new investment crowdfunding platform, has launched in the UK, according to a note from the company. Koodo says it wants to connect social responsibility and commerce by pairing startups that focus on social or environmental change with investors. Koodoo strives to be a… Read More

October 25, 2019 @ 11:37 am By JD Alois  |  

Hectare is raising capital once again on the pages of leading UK based crowdfunding platform Seedrs. Its current securities offering is for £1 million for a 5.88% equity stake that is now in over-funding mode as £1.44 million has been committed representing 8.27% equity in… Read More

October 25, 2019 @ 9:32 am By JD Alois  |  

China’s General Secretary Xi Jinping has commented on the importance of blockchain technology noting that China plans to lead the world in the development of blockchain including financial services and other areas. According to Xinhua, yesterday, at the 18th collective study of the Political Bureau… Read More

October 25, 2019 @ 7:38 am By JD Alois  |  

When you make a payment today using your online bank account it can take days to process. This makes absolutely no sense at all. This is a disservice to users and only benefits big banks as they gain by holding the money as long as… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 7:35 pm By JD Alois  |  

Digital bank Current has raised $2o million in a Series B funding round, according to a company release. The funding was led by Wellington Management Company, Galaxy Digital EOS VC Fund, and CMFG Ventures. Current also said it was expanding its partnership with Visa as… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 2:53 pm By JD Alois  |  

With seven days left in its equity offering, Patch is crushing its goal on Crowdcube. Crush has raised just under £2 million on a goal of raising £500,000. The company is offering an 8.67% equity stake in the firm at a pre-money valuation of £20.55… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 2:23 pm By JD Alois  |  

Announced during the CFTC Fintech Forward 2019 today, digital asset exchange Bakkt will start offering Bitcoin options beginning this December. Kelly Loeffler,  Chief Executive Officer of Bakkt, revealed the news during a panel discussion on “Re-imagining Markets: What Digitization Means … for Transactions, Custody, and… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 1:58 pm By JD Alois  |  

Very Good Security (VGS) has raised $35 million in Series B funding led by Goldman Sachs’ Merchant Banking Division. Existing investors Andreessen Horowitz and Vertex Ventures US also joined in the funding round. VGS is building “modern SaaS infrastructure for data security, compliance, and privacy.” … Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 11:39 am By JD Alois  |  

In a presentation entitled “The Future of Money: The Impact of Digitization, including “social coins” on Currency, Payments and Markets, Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli, Deputy Division Chief in the Monetary and Capital Markets Department from the IMF pitched the concept of a “synthetic CBDC” (Central Bank Digital… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 11:00 am By JD Alois  |  

GFIN, or the Global Financial Innovation Network, has gained multiple US regulators as members. GFIN now lists the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) as members joining the Commodity Futures Trading Commission… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 10:34 am By JD Alois  |  

NEO has announced Dealsquare as Canada’s first securities marketplace for private placements. DealSquare connects companies seeking capital with dealers and their investment advisor networks and individual investors. NEO is addressing shortcomings in current “public” markets by making private securities more accessible to a wider audience…. Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 9:27 am By JD Alois  |  

Paris based but regulated in Malta, Monart has launched a blockchain-based marketplace to tokenize art. Monart recently held an opening event in Paris at the offices of Beaux-Arts Magazine. According to a company release, Monart is targeting a market estimated at $67 billion annually. After… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 7:43 am By JD Alois  |  

Peer to peer lender RateSetter has announced the appointment of Martyn Scrivens as Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Board Risk Committee.  Scrivens officially joins the Board on 1 November 2019. Scrivens commented on his selection: “RateSetter stands out with its unique model, strong reputation… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 7:32 am By JD Alois  |  

UK based digital bank Revolut has launched in Fintech-friendly Singapore, according to a company release. In 2018, Revolut set up an Asia-Pacific hub in Singapore, where the Fintech now employs twenty people. Revolut says it is planning to triple its headcount in Singapore in the… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 2:46 am By JD Alois  |  

According to HM Treasury, banks and alternative lenders have “reaffirmed their pledge to support British SMEs ahead of Brexit.” The commitments have been outlined in the SME Finance Charter. The Charter, which is a voluntary agreement, covers; loans and overdrafts, asset financing, stock lending and… Read More

October 23, 2019 @ 8:31 pm By JD Alois  |  

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, spent over 6 hours today testifying in front of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. While his prepared remarks foreshadowed his defense of Facebook’s Libra stablecoin, little can prepare you for the onslaught of questions delivered by every single Committee… Read More