Global

January 3, 2020 @ 9:45 am By JD Alois  |  

Starting on Friday, January 10, 2020, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) expects all “cryptoasset businesses” (IE VASPs, Digital Asset firms etc.) to be compliant under Anti-money Laundering (AML) and Counter Terrorist Financing (CFT) rules. The FCA is the main securities regulator in the UK… Read More

January 3, 2020 @ 7:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The insurance technology (Insurtech) vendors aim to provide software that should simplify the decision-making process for clients. North America is reportedly experiencing the highest rate of Insurtech adoption because of how much customers in the area are spending on insurance-related products (according to a new… Read More

January 2, 2020 @ 4:34 pm By Cali Haan  |  

International Investment (II) is reporting that Qatar’s financial regulator, the QFC, has banned the use of cryptocurrencies in the region. The ban appears to be comprehensive. It covers, “anything of value that acts as a substitute for currency, that can be digitally traded or transferred… Read More

January 2, 2020 @ 8:55 am By Cali Haan  |  

Virgil Griffith, an Ethereum programmer accused of advising North Korea on how to using cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions, has been released on $1 million bail in New York. The case is being covered in-person by the Inner City Press: “Upshot: for Virgil Griffith, SDNY Judge Broderick… Read More

January 2, 2020 @ 8:05 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Maker Foundation, a non-profit entity that supports the MakerDAO project, an initiative involving the decentralized stablecoin Dai, revealed that it will be transferring the Maker and Dai trademarks to an autonomous Denmark-headquartered foundation, the Dai Foundation. The Maker Foundation confirms it will also be… Read More

January 2, 2020 @ 7:45 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A consortium, which includes Fintech firm Razer and the founders of Sheng Siong, has reportedly filed an application for obtaining a digital full-bank license in Singapore. The application notes that the consortium wants to mainly focus on the “underserved youth and millennials segment.” Insurance business… Read More

January 1, 2020 @ 10:59 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Paraguay’s Secretary for Preventing Money and Property Laundering (SEPRELAD) has ordered all Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) in the country to submit to a “mass audit” of the sector and, “to open their books to the government for the first time,” Born 2 Invest (B2I) reports. The… Read More

January 1, 2020 @ 4:00 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Parity nodes on the Ethereum cryptocurrency network stopped syncing December 30th after sustaining an apparent attack. Parity Technologies acknowledged the attack in an announcement December 31st: “We have investigated reports of some Parity Ethereum nodes not syncing and believe there may be an attack underway.”… Read More

December 31, 2019 @ 3:06 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Companies wishing to provide the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) with, “feedback on the regulatory and capital raising challenges faced by innovative businesses at various stages of development,” have until Friday, January 3rd, to complete the OSC’s Launchpad Survey. The survey was designed in collaboration with… Read More

December 31, 2019 @ 2:53 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Japan-based JCB, an established business to business (B2B) payments company, is teaming up with the Singapore blockchain tech solution developer Keychain, in order to deploy DLT-based platforms in the country’s payments industry. According to a press release, Keychain is creating a new data security framework… Read More

December 31, 2019 @ 1:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

New York-based tech giant IBM and the Argentine Chamber of Fintech have entered an agreement to support various innovative projects and digital transformation initiatives in Argentina’s financial technology and banking sector. IBM will reportedly support the chamber in developing activities to promote Fintech-related projects such… Read More

December 31, 2019 @ 9:16 am By JD Alois  |  

The United Kingdom is home to the most robust investment crowdfunding ecosystem in the world. A determined group of innovative entrepreneurs and a collaborative regulatory environment have combined to foster a successful industry of online capital formation that most countries aspire to achieve. While there… Read More

December 31, 2019 @ 8:29 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Binance’s digital asset exchange for US-based traders, Binance.US, has launched beta testing of its iOS application for all platform users. The leading cryptocurrency exchange noted that it had started its beta testing via a December 30 tweet. Binance’s management confirmed the successful private beta test… Read More

December 31, 2019 @ 8:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Over 40 Fintech companies operating as small and medium-sized (SMEs) businesses in South Korea reportedly were unable to clear the appropriate security checks needed to obtain final approval to take part in the open banking initiative. The Fintech companies had applied for operational licences in… Read More

December 30, 2019 @ 6:52 pm By JD Alois  |  

Baanx a banking app, payment platform, and cryptocurrency trading platform, is nearing its £600,000 funding goal on Seedrs. Baanx is looking to sell a 7.1% equity stake in the firm at a pre-money valuation of £7.85 million. To date, Baanx has raised £567,825 from 276… Read More

December 30, 2019 @ 2:57 pm By JD Alois  |  

Brazil’s Piemonte Holding says it is the first secondary market place in the country to facilitate trading in a tokenized bond offering. According to a release, a R$ 66m (USD $ 16.2 million) private bond issuance, Piemonte “Smart Bond,” is leveraging Globex US Holdings, Corp… Read More

December 30, 2019 @ 10:20 am By Omar Faridi  |  

London-based TransferWise, a privately-held Fintech firm that allows private individuals and businesses to send money abroad at affordable and transparent rates, reveals that it is now a community of over 6 million users, which transfers an average of £4 billion (appr. $5.25 billion) every month…. Read More

December 30, 2019 @ 9:34 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The National Bank of Oman (NBO), the first local bank and one of the largest financial institutions in the Middle Eastern country of Oman, has been awarded Best Mobile Banking Application – Oman 2019 by the International Finance Magazine. The bank has also received various… Read More

December 30, 2019 @ 8:48 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Non-financial firm ride-hailing service provider Grab confirmed on December 29 that it is partnering with one of Singapore’s largest telecommunication companies, Singtel, in order to acquire a digital full bank license in the Asian country. Singapore is currently accepting applications for a licenses to establish… Read More

December 30, 2019 @ 7:35 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Investment applications, online financial data processing tools and decentralized cryptocurrency platforms will most likely be targeted by the “financially motivated cyber threat actors” next year, leading cybersecurity company Kaspersky claims. Financial cyber threats and attacks are some of the most dangerous or damaging ones, as… Read More