Featured Headlines

January 25, 2021 @ 10:43 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The blockchain and digital assets space is well-positioned for even more growth and adoption in 2021 by mainstream consumers and institutions. The COVID-19 outbreak has dramatically accelerated the shift towards all-digital platforms and services because it’s no longer considered safe to visit physical business locations…. Read More

January 24, 2021 @ 9:38 am By Xu Gao  |  

Meituan to Close its Mutual Aid Platform On January 15th, China’s leading on-demand food delivery platform Meituan announced that it would close its mutual aid platform at the end of this month. Meituan launched this program in June 2019, providing a basic health plan covering… Read More

January 22, 2021 @ 11:27 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff Ronald Klein distributed a Presidential Action by President Joe Biden that is poised to impact recent improvements to security crowdfunding including the Reg CF and Reg A+ exemption. Entitled Regulatory Freeze Pending Review, President Biden has… Read More

January 20, 2021 @ 6:02 pm By Lee A. Schneider  |  

As with most years, I started 2020 with a sense of optimism, looking forward to another productive year at work and doing the Appetite for Disruption podcast with my co-host Troy Paredes. In fact, he and I wrote an article discussing 2019 that focused more… Read More

January 19, 2021 @ 2:11 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week, Christine Lagarde, the President of the European Central Bank (ECB) commented on the need to regulate Bitcoin on a global level last week during a virtual event hosted by Reuters. Speaking at the Reuters Next conference, Lagarde pointed to the “funny business” affiliated… Read More

January 19, 2021 @ 12:16 pm By Steven Knipfelberg  |  

  While recent headlines may be focused on the meteoric rise of Bitcoin, another disruptive technology derived from the famed cryptocurrency may have even more profound implications for the future: blockchain-based “smart contracts.” A wide variety of companies are already experimenting with the ability of… Read More

January 19, 2021 @ 7:59 am By JD Alois  |  

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) has released Q4 earnings topping expectations with top-line revenue ahead of anticipated results. Shares in Goldman rose slightly in pre-market trading. Goldman has traded significantly higher since the beginning of 2021. Earnings per share for Q4 came in at $12.08 with full-year… Read More

January 18, 2021 @ 10:40 am By JD Alois  |  

Gary Gensler, the former Commodities Futures Trading Commissioner Chair, has been selected by President-elect Joe Biden to helm the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Gensler previously led the CFTC during the Obama administration. Prior to the CFTC, Gensler spent 18 years at Goldman Sachs. He is… Read More

January 18, 2021 @ 9:02 am By JD Alois  |  

Following a call for input on the consumer investment market that closed to comments last month, the UK Financial Conduct Authority has issued a report on how the regulator “works to protect consumers from investment harm” citing activity during the first 10 months of 2020…. Read More

January 17, 2021 @ 9:25 am By Xu Gao  |  

The Peoples Bank of China Issues the “Administrative Measures for Credit Investigation (Draft for Comment)” On January 11th, the People’s Bank of China (PBC) issued the “Administrative Measures for Credit Investigation (Draft for Comment)” (hereinafter referred to as “Measures”). The seven-chapters of the document covered… Read More

January 15, 2021 @ 11:30 am By Omar Faridi  |  

We recently caught up with Uma Rajah, CEO and Co-founder at CapitalRise, a UK-based prime property lending platform. CapitalRise is an investment platform that seeks quality over quantity with just 2% of deals being approved by the platform. Sophisticated or high net worth investors may… Read More

January 13, 2021 @ 7:38 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has conditionally approved Anchorage Trust Company, a South Dakota chartered trust company, to become Anchorage Digital Bank, National Association. Founded in 2017, Anchorage has emerged as a top digital asset platform serving institutions investing in the crypto… Read More

January 13, 2021 @ 9:30 am By JD Alois  |  

OurCrowd is a leading venture marketplace where smaller (accredited) investors can participate in private securities offerings alongside really big investors. A recent example is where JumpCloud, an enterprise cloud service provider, raised $100 million in a Series E Round. OurCrowd’s name was alongside high profile… Read More

January 11, 2021 @ 10:34 pm By JD Alois  |  

For Crowdcube, the UK’s largest crowdfunding platform by total raised, 2020 has been a stellar year in terms of funding rounds. The 3rd quarter of the year was described as “remarkable” and the platform generated £2.67 million in revenue – reportedly Crowdcube’s best ever. The… Read More

January 11, 2021 @ 8:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Prominent digital bank Revolut is expecting half of its clients to deposit their salaries and switch over to Revolut as their main bank account provider, after the Fintech challenger has acquired a banking license. Revolut issued a statement earlier today stating it has submitted its… Read More

January 10, 2021 @ 7:00 pm By Jayanta Roy  |  

Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending has come a long way since its early days as a casual crowdfunding platform. Today, individual borrowers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can access loans without the hassle of going through banks and lengthy financial assessments. Still, P2P lending is a… Read More

January 9, 2021 @ 7:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

UK-based digital bank Revolut notes that in 2020, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) had introduced a requirement for all cryptocurrency-related companies or businesses (in the UK) to register with the regulator to confirm that they’re adhering to the country’s money laundering regulations. Revolut’s management pointed… Read More

January 9, 2021 @ 11:30 am By Jan Večerka  |  

With plenty of options out there, choosing which investment opportunity is right for you is a potential minefield. You can look into the traditional market investments such as stocks and mutual funds, but there is also the burgeoning real estate crowdfunding market to consider. This… Read More

January 8, 2021 @ 11:33 am By JD Alois  |  

In March of 2020, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak delivered the UK budget. Included in the presentation was the announcement of a Fintech sector review – a study to be led by Ron Kalifa OBE, who was previously CEO Worldpay and current Chair… Read More

January 7, 2021 @ 12:18 pm By JD Alois  |  

Chamath Palihapitiya, CEO of Social Capital (NASDAQ:IPOE), has announced that SoFi will go public via a SPAC deal that is worth $8.65 billion via CNBC According to a Tweet by Palihapitiya, his thesis is based on the challenges of incumbent banks and the benefits of Fintech… Read More