February 13, 2025 @ 12:49 pm By JD Alois  |  

In a recent email, EuroCrowd announced it was adopting a new operational structure for the group. EuroCrowd is the leading voice in Europe supporting the securities crowdfunding sector. Several years ago, the ECSPR, or European Crowdfunding Service Providers regulation, was adopted by the EU. This… Read More

February 13, 2025 @ 12:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

Zeta, a banking tech platform, is sharing a new valuation for $50 million in funding. Zeta says pre-money valuation hit $2 billion compared to their prior valuation fo $1.15 billion at their last priced round. The prior round in 2021 was led by Soft Bank, but… Read More

February 13, 2025 @ 12:31 pm By JD Alois  |  

ClearBank is powering Capital on Tap’s embedded banking solution. Capital on Tap is a cards platform that focuses on SMEs. According to a note from ClearBank, Capital on Tap will now be offering savings accounts and loans from their chosen banks. The new savings accounts… Read More

February 13, 2025 @ 11:38 am By JD Alois  |  

Today, the UK Office for National Statistics reported GDP for Q4 2024 at 0.1%. Although rather tepid, it topped the expectations of no growth or an economic contraction. In Q3 2024, GDP delivered no growth in the UK. The data indicated that the services sector… Read More

February 12, 2025 @ 4:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

The leadership chairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) are moving once again. First, it was reported that Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent was acting Director. Then Russell Vought, the head of the OMB, became acting CFPB director last week. Yesterday, it was revealed that former FDIC Board… Read More

February 12, 2025 @ 12:05 pm By JD Alois  |  

Stifel (NYSE: SF) has partnered with MoneyLion (NYSE: ML) on a new service called Stifel Discover. The service is an information feed that shares Stifel’s research and thought leadership through Stifel’s Wealth Tracker app. MoneyLion operates a “content-as-a-service platform” called mFeed, and Stifel Discover is… Read More

February 12, 2025 @ 11:30 am By JD Alois  |  

Private Credit is a growing market in the US and globally. A recent estimate places the US market at over $1.25 trillion. While still relatively small in comparison to bank lending and the bond market, private credit is an asset class that is gaining popularity… Read More

February 12, 2025 @ 10:01 am By JD Alois  |  

Private credit and non-bank lending have been increasing for years now. A recent report indicates that “dry powder” has reached $159.38 billion in the US – the largest amount ever. Historically, it has been the banks that provided loans for businesses and consumers. Still, the… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 4:34 pm By JD Alois  |  

KingsCrowd, a prominent data and service provider for the securities crowdfunding sector, has filed a Form C with the Securities and Exchange Commission, indicating its intent to raise money on StartEngine. According to the Offering Memorandum, KingsCrowd is seeking a minimum amount of $10,000 and… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 3:53 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, was testifying before the Senate Banking Committee today. While typically targeting the Fed’s dual mandate of pursuing full employment and low inflation, the hearing provides an opportunity for the Members to query the Chair on other… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 3:28 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) says it will hold a digital assets forum which will engage with some top digital asset firms. The CFTC in a release said that Ripple, Crypto.com, MoonPay, Coinbase and Circle have all committed to participate in the event. Final… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 12:30 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced a change regarding rules enacted by the Commission during the Biden Administration that sought to target climate disclosure for reporting firms. As part of the controversial ESG initiatives launched by the previous Chairman of the SEC, Gary… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 12:03 pm By JD Alois  |  

Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) has launched options trading in the UK. Jordan Sinclair, President of Robinhood UK, said that options trading in the UK has been historically difficult due to high fees and complicated platforms. Their service is said to be both affordable and accessible for their… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 11:52 am By JD Alois  |  

Stablecoin issuer Tether has announced an investment in Zengo, a self custodial digital wallet. The goal is to boost  stablecoin utilization including USDT. Terms of the investment were not disclosed. Launched in 2019, the company reports over 1.5 million wallets worldwide. The investment is expected… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 9:44 am By JD Alois  |  

The European Union (EU) has announced a commitment of €200 billion to boost development of artificial intelligence (AI). In a public statement at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the new funding to accelerate AI in… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 8:16 am By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), has partnered with Australia and the UK to sanction Zservers as it is an enabler of LockBit, a Russian ransomware group. LockBit is said to be the culprit in the attack against the… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 6:29 am By JD Alois  |  

British Business Investments will provide £25 Million to Shire Leasing and Shire Securities. The goal is to support smaller firms, specifically in the agriculture, business services, manufacturing, and construction sectors. The British Business Bank stated that it has had a successful operating relationship with Shire… Read More

February 10, 2025 @ 6:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

Rodney E. Hood has been selected as Acting Comptroller of the Currency. The US Department of Treasury said Hood’s leadership of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is effective immediately. Hood replaces Acting Comptroller Michael J. Hsu, who has been Comptroller since May… Read More

February 10, 2025 @ 2:45 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has halted all regulatory activity. The X account affiliated with the CFPB no longer exists, and the homepage is not updating correctly. The CFPB has been a controversial agency since its inception. The creation of the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFPB,… Read More

February 10, 2025 @ 2:17 pm By JD Alois  |  

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) says it had almost 20,000 financial advertisements pulled or changed during 2023 – almost double the year prior. The FCA specifically mentioned promotions involving crypto, debt, and “claims management company” (CMC). CMCs came from 46 authorized CMC firms, affecting… Read More