Global

April 13, 2020 @ 1:37 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital bank Revolut allows its 7 million customers to purchase cryptocurrencies. This, as reserve banks across the globe have announced huge stimulus packages to support their struggling economies, following the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. This support from Revolut, which is notably one of Europe’s most… Read More

April 12, 2020 @ 10:44 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

The Linux Foundation, a nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open collaboration, announced on Friday that Fintech Open Source Foundation (FINOS), a nonprofit whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of open-source software, standards and best practices in financial services, has become an official Linux Foundation organization…. Read More

April 12, 2020 @ 5:16 pm By Xu Gao  |  

Chinese Banks Seek Technology Talents for Digital Transformation The outbreak of the COVID-19 has accelerated the digitalization process of the financial industry. In order to respond better to future challenges, banks in China are seeking more technology talents. For example, Postal Savings Bank of China… Read More

April 12, 2020 @ 4:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Venezuela-based digital currency exchange Criptolago has confirmed that it will introduce a text message-based payment platform that can handle transactions in Venezuela’s controversial (allegedly) oil-backed Petro (PTR) cryptocurrency and other major digital assets. The new payment system could potentially help Venezuela’s residents with transacting in … Read More

April 12, 2020 @ 2:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Lloyds of London has reportedly chosen 12 promising, early-stage Insurtech firms to take part in its innovation accelerator program, called Lloyds Lab. The 12 insurance technology startups were chosen out of over 90 companies that had submitted applications, as they were interested in participating… Read More

April 12, 2020 @ 10:42 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Albert Isola, Gibraltar’s minister for digital and financial services, has confirmed that the territory will be introducing regulatory guidelines specifically for eliminating or reducing market manipulation – which is allegedly being carried out by crypto and blockchain companies. Isola explained in a recent interview with… Read More

April 11, 2020 @ 6:37 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Block.one, a Cayman Islands-registered firm that developed EOS, one of the largest platforms for building and deploying decentralized applications (dApps), has confirmed that it is planning to begin staking and voting on decisions and initiatives involving EOS in May 2020. Block.one’s management clarified that its… Read More

April 11, 2020 @ 10:55 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), a global bank with businesses across New Zealand, Asia, the UK, and the US, recently noted that there’s been a significant increase in mobile-based digital payments at point-of-sale (PoS) terminals. This, as Australian residents may be trying to avoid… Read More

April 11, 2020 @ 10:52 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The European Parliament suggests that the EU should consider broadening the existing definition of digital assets or cryptocurrencies and expand its current list of blockchain or crypto-related organizations that may need to follow financial regulations. The EU adopted the Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD5) back… Read More

April 11, 2020 @ 10:32 am By Omar Faridi  |  

During the past few years, blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT) has been adopted by a large number of companies from several major industries. There are currently hundreds of different DLT platforms being operated across the globe. Most of these blockchain-enabled networks are unable to… Read More

April 10, 2020 @ 7:10 pm By JD Alois  |  

Following approval by the British Business Bank as  CBILS lender, Starling Bank – a digital-only bank, has issued a statement. Starling is a fully licensed and regulated bank, founded by Anne Boden, former Allied Irish Banks COO, in 2014. Helen Bierton, Starling Bank’s Chief Banking… Read More

April 10, 2020 @ 7:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

The British Business Bank has announced new lenders participating in the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) including several digital banks. Established in 2014, the British Business Bank is the UK government’s economic development bank. The Bank’s mission is to make finance markets for smaller… Read More

April 10, 2020 @ 4:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

Snowball Effect, a leading investment crowdfunding platform in New Zealand, is launching new debt products as it expands it services to firms looking to move beyond equity capital. Since platform launch, Snowball Effect has helped Kiwi businesses raise over $70 million. By providing online capital… Read More

April 10, 2020 @ 4:29 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

A group of Fintech firms are planning to create a hardware-free mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) system. The mobile-based payments system will process contactless payments made from Android devices. Germany-based Fintech companies CCV Group, Intertrust, Riscure, and Rubean have reportedly been working on the PhonePOS concept, in… Read More

April 10, 2020 @ 12:04 pm By JD Alois  |  

It will take some time to fully understand the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic but clearly the economic fallout will be profound. Markets have tanked, default risks are rising and unemployment is moving up rapidly in a historic fashion. Simultaneously governments everywhere are moving… Read More

April 10, 2020 @ 10:10 am By JD Alois  |  

Funding Circle (LSE:FCH), an SME lender that facilitates loans in both the US and parts of Europe, has decided to pause its secondary market due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a blog post. Funding Circle has recently taken multiple actions to buttress the platform… Read More

April 10, 2020 @ 7:48 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Investment firm Index Ventures has acquired $2 billion in funding during a time when there are concerns that tech startups won’t be able to secure the capital they need to sustain operations. This, as individuals and businesses cope with the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and… Read More

April 9, 2020 @ 10:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

UK-based Phos, a Fintech firm that provides a software-only PoS to help vendors take payments directly via their phones without requiring additional hardware, has secured €1.3 million in capital. Phos’ latest round was led by Bulgaria-based New Vision 3, an early-stage venture capital firm (part… Read More

April 9, 2020 @ 7:24 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

MuchBetter, the developer of a payments app, has teamed up with Switzerland-based firm  Winwatch, in order to launch an analog watch that allows users to conduct contactless payments. The payments are processed with the help of a face made of “smart glass.” The watch uses… Read More

April 9, 2020 @ 5:09 pm By JD Alois  |  

In 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) detected an intrusion of the Commission’s EDGAR test filing system that may have provided the basis for illicit gains. A vulnerability in EDGAR was promptly patched but it highlighted the perils of a financial system that is… Read More