March 14, 2025 @ 9:20 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

The recent $1.4 billion Bybit hack by Lazarus Group has crypto industry figures weighing in on lessons that should be learned moving forward. SMARDEX co-founder Jean Rausis said the industry should review its hiring practices and closely consider crypto’s “remote nature.” “Most of us work… Read More

March 14, 2025 @ 7:16 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

Flutterwave, an African payments technology company, has announced a strategic partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the nation with digital payment solutions, e-commerce tools, financial access, and capacity-building programs. The… Read More

March 12, 2025 @ 11:05 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

This past week, United Kingdom cashflow management platform Lenkie announced £49 million in Series A funding. The round, which includes £4 million in equity and a £45 million debt facility, was led by a “large US private credit fund focused on supporting lenders internationally.” Lenkie… Read More

March 12, 2025 @ 9:24 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

While the cryptocurrency industry is experiencing growing pains (with many self-induced), Flipster head of product Youngsun Shin said that is expected for a new sector. However, he does have solutions for many of its problems. Flipster is a cryptocurrency trading platform that offers high-speed, secure,… Read More

March 12, 2025 @ 9:13 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

The British Business Bank’s Small Business Finance Markets 2024/25 report, published this week, finds that challenger and specialist banks’ share of gross lending is the highest on record – accounting for 60% and outperforming the UK’s big five banks. The report also finds that business… Read More

March 11, 2025 @ 1:10 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

This week, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) was launched in Kenya and Rwanda. Launched by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, PAPSS was launched by KCB Group… Read More

March 10, 2025 @ 10:40 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

A new report from Strata Decision Technology finds financial institutions nationwide are preparing to navigate significant economic uncertainties and mounting competition from non-traditional, digitally based competitors and industry consolidation throughout 2025. The 2025 CFO Outlook for Financial Institutions report combines industry analysts’ projections with Strata’s independent research. The… Read More

March 10, 2025 @ 8:59 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

UK Fintechs are among the beneficiaries from the second close of the Arāya Super Angel Fund. Valued at £18.2million, the Arāya Super Angel Fund got a £5 million boost from British Business Investments, a subsidiary of the British Business Bank. The community-powered fund will invest… Read More

March 10, 2025 @ 8:56 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

Asset Token Ventures, a company merging real-world assets with blockchain, has launched MBSToken, a solution targeting the $11 trillion mortgage-backed securities market. Designed for institutional accredited investors and qualified purchasers, MBSToken offers on-chain exposure to mortgage-backed securities, which have been traditionally restricted to major financial… Read More

March 9, 2025 @ 1:33 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Fintel Connect’s new report 2025 Cost-Per-Acquisition Benchmarking Guide For Financial Services: How to Drive Growth and Optimize Spend analyzes the different parts of a financial institution’s cost-per-acquisition strategy (CPA) while providing tips for maximizing value. An important consideration is ensuring you compare apples to apples;… Read More

March 8, 2025 @ 4:08 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Lili, a financial platform designed for small business owners, announced this week that Lili Connect is available to eligible entrepreneurs who are not U.S. residents, a key milestone in Lili’s emerging global footprint. Through Lili Connect, corporate formation services partners can now offer their customers… Read More

March 8, 2025 @ 9:48 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

Fireblocks, an enterprise platform for managing digital asset operations and building businesses on blockchain, has launched its Cyber and Operational Resilience (COR) Compliance Package. This suite is designed to help financial institutions meet their obligations under the new Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), which came… Read More

March 7, 2025 @ 6:39 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

This week’s announcement of a US strategic crypto reserve has tongues wagging across the industry. The reserve will include Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana’s SOL and Cardano’s ADA. Many believe it will propel the industry forward and stimulate a bull run, but others found faults. deVere… Read More

March 4, 2025 @ 7:49 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Q2 Holdings (NYSE:QTWO), a provider of digital transformation solutions for financial services, has released the 2025 Retail Banking Trends and Priorities report, authored by Jim Marous and published by Digital Banking Report. This report details important retail banking trends and priorities, providing a roadmap for financial institutions as they navigate… Read More

March 4, 2025 @ 7:44 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

This past week, PassEntry announced a strategic investment led by Bonsai Partners and Acurio Ventures to strengthen its digital pass issuance and enhance integrations with point-of-sale (POS) systems worldwide. The company said it expects this investment to triple its customer base and expand into five countries… Read More

March 4, 2025 @ 8:14 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

This week, Augie introduced a credit card that enables consumers to build credit without setting aside security deposits, paying fees, or incurring interest charges. “The credit card industry hasn’t meaningfully evolved since its inception, even though how people manage money today is completely different,” said… Read More

March 4, 2025 @ 6:45 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

Flutterwave, a leading African payments technology company, has officially secured a payment system license to operate in Zambia. This new license positions Flutterwave to deliver mobile money services to enterprises in Zambia. The company believes its potential in Zambia is substantial, given the country’s increasing… Read More

March 3, 2025 @ 8:15 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

While political priorities come and go, strong compliance practices should remain constant. Done properly, Marqeta’s chief compliance officer Alan Carlisle said they are a competitive advantage. Carlisle offers more than 25 years of compliance experience with Marqeta (NASDAQ:MQ), SoFi, banks, broker-dealers, crypto firms, and venture… Read More

March 1, 2025 @ 12:19 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Memes Lab, the platform linking SocialFi and meme coins, has announced the successful closure of its $2.3 million seed round, led by Lemniscap. The round also included participation from TVM Ventures, Animoca Brands, OKX Ventures, Mirana Ventures, Gate Ventures, MEXC Ventures, Kucoin Ventures, Oak Grove Ventures,… Read More

March 1, 2025 @ 11:36 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

This week’s crypto sell-off has industry watchers wondering what if any, long-term effects it will have. Two shared their thoughts with Crowdfund Insider. Kevin Rusher founded the real-world asset lending platform RAAC. He believes the sell-off is another reminder that DeFi needs more stable assets… Read More