Global

January 10, 2020 @ 7:27 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Telefonica, a Spanish telecommunications giant, will be teaming up with Spain’s Association of Science and Technology Parks (APTE) in order to provide access to its blockchain-based platform to around 8,000 local companies. Telefonica will reportedly be deploying nodes of its Hyperledger-enabled blockchain at APTE’s 52… Read More

January 10, 2020 @ 7:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The number of financial technology (Fintech) companies operating in Scotland has reportedly increased by 60% over the past year. According to Fintech Scotland, there are 119 Fintech-focused businesses based north of the border, which is significantly greater than 72 financial technology companies from the previous… Read More

January 9, 2020 @ 9:14 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Former IMF managing director and newly-appointed president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde, says Europe’s central bank has set up a special committee to study the feasibility and “unintended side effects” of a central bank digital currency. Lagarde made the comments at the… Read More

January 9, 2020 @ 2:18 pm By JD Alois  |  

Fintech forward bank Siam Commercial Bank (SBC) has partnered with blockchain firm Ripple, according to a blog post. SBC is Thailand’s oldest bank and has established itself as willing to push forward with Fintech partnerships. According to Ripple, SCB and Ripple will work together to… Read More

January 9, 2020 @ 11:49 am By JD Alois  |  

Creditshelf Aktiengesellschaft (CSQ.DE), an online lender targeting SMEs in Germany, has released its Q3 2019 numbers. According to the Fintech, topline revenue for the first 9 months of 2019 rose to €2.46 million versus €1.57 million during year prior. The increase in revenue was said… Read More

January 9, 2020 @ 8:26 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a consultation on the competition for savings and ISA accounts. The FCA has previously raised concerns regarding interest rates paid to consumers who tend to remain with a financial institution even though their money may generate a… Read More

January 9, 2020 @ 7:13 am By JD Alois  |  

Transferwise, one of the most successful Fintechs of all time, is now enabling European users to set up direct debits for users to pay their bills. Traditionally, this is a process that more mundane banks handle for their customers but Transferwise continues to operate more… Read More

January 9, 2020 @ 6:55 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Qonto, a neo-bank for business account holders that was established in France in 2017, has expanded its operations into Germany, Italy, and Spain. Notably, Qonto was the recipient of the first investment by billionaire Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures in France during its Series A funding… Read More

January 9, 2020 @ 6:28 am By JD Alois  |  

Riverside Capital, a platform for professional investors and intermediaries to invest in the UK commercial property market, has received a £2.3 million loan from OakNorth Bank. The funding will be utilized to acquire and develop a two-story office in Hoxton. The development is also said… Read More

January 9, 2020 @ 5:59 am By Cali Haan  |  

China’s Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), which oversees the country’s financial markets, has, “published a guideline saying it would promote the conversion of household savings into long-term capital market fund,” South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports. The CBIRC did not say how it will… Read More

January 8, 2020 @ 4:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Dutch financial giant ING will spin out the bond analytics platform Katana, the latest startup to successfully complete and graduate from the bank’s Fintech incubation labs. Katana is presently among 25 other innovation projects being incubated at ING Labs, which have centers based in Amsterdam,… Read More

January 8, 2020 @ 2:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

It’s been eight years since Accenture’s London-based Fintech Innovation Lab was launched. The innovation lab is now welcoming a new group of 20 Fintech companies, with reportedly a 50% increase in the number of women founders when compared to last year. The Lab has been… Read More

January 8, 2020 @ 12:46 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

InsurTechNY, an InsurTech community that is based in the New York metro area, announced on Tuesday it has opened applications for the 2020 InsurTech Startup Competition. According to InsurTechNY, the competition has two tracks and will award $300,000 in prizes to the six winning teams. Startups in… Read More

January 8, 2020 @ 9:25 am By Omar Faridi  |  

UK-based OakNorth Bank, an institution managed by OakNorth, has reportedly finalized a debt financing deal valued at £20 million (appr. $26.25 million) with LV Care Group, one of the leading care home providers in Jersey. Established in 2011 by Nick Bettany and Chris Shelton, the… Read More

January 8, 2020 @ 8:55 am By JD Alois  |  

There has been a good amount of discussion regarding Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) – digital iterations of the Euro, Dollar etc. Many central banks are experimenting with the concept. Another thought-provoking idea is the creation of a “synthetic hegemonic currency” as proposed by the… Read More

January 7, 2020 @ 9:29 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tel Aviv-headquartered Axell, a Fintech and insurance technology (Insurtech) innovation hub, revealed that it officially launched on January 6, 2020. The Israeli tech innovation hub will reportedly be led by Moshe Tamir, former deputy CEO at Tel Aviv-listed insurance firm Migdal Insurance and Financial Holdings,… Read More

January 7, 2020 @ 8:09 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The ongoing race and competition between local Fintech firms for acquiring a digital banking license in Malaysia continues to intensify, particularly after Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the nation’s central bank, revealed additional details regarding the licensing process. BNM’s Exposure Draft on Licensing Framework for Digital… Read More

January 7, 2020 @ 4:03 pm By JD Alois  |  

Telegram, issuer of one of the highest-profile token offerings of all time that raised $1.7 billion, is in the midst of a protracted legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Last October, the SEC filed an emergency action and obtained a temporary restraining… Read More

January 7, 2020 @ 3:16 pm By Cali Haan  |  

The judge presiding over an SEC case alleging Telegram sold unlicensed securities has denied the SEC’s request for immediate disclosure of bank records relating to Telegram’s $1.7 billion sale of GRAM cryptographic tokens. Instead, Judge P. Kevin Castel has ordered the private messaging company to, “set… Read More

January 7, 2020 @ 3:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

Goldman Sachs  (NYSE: GS), the leading global investment bank, will be segmenting out its business operations in the upcoming Q4 earnings report scheduled for January 15, 2020. This will include breaking out its emerging consumer division, a portion of its business that includes its digital… Read More