Global

December 5, 2020 @ 7:52 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to businesses or companies adopting artificial intelligence (AI) based solutions. Firms operating in nearly every sector have integrated AI and automation software according to a new survey of professionals working in the financial services sector. Nearly 66% or two-thirds of… Read More

December 5, 2020 @ 5:20 pm By JD Alois  |  

Bizzabo, a platform for event planning and attendee experience that consolidates logistical, promotional, and social tools, has raised a solid $138 million in a funding round announced this past week. In a blog post, Bizzabo CEO and co-Founder Eran Ben-Shushan, commented on the new funding… Read More

December 5, 2020 @ 4:11 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis notes that global darknet markets have long “fascinated” the general public, beginning with the infamous Silk Road, which represented around 20% of all Bitcoin (BTC) related activity during its “heyday” back in 2013. But since that time, these illicit activities account… Read More

December 5, 2020 @ 2:01 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Last month, the digital asset markets were “on a tear” as many cryptocurrencies experienced significant gains, Binance notes in its market report. The leading digital currency exchange confirms that Bitcoin (BTC) continues to dominate global headlines as its price surged from below $14,000 on November… Read More

December 5, 2020 @ 12:37 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Chainlink (LINK), a “decentralized” Oracle network that securely connects various blockchain-based smart contracts with data from “the real world,” has announced that it has awarded a grant to Anyblock Analytics, a Germany-based infrastructure provider and development “shop” for blockchain-powered solutions. According to a blog post… Read More

December 5, 2020 @ 10:00 am By JD Alois  |  

  The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) released a report this week entitled The Global Covid-19 Fintech Market Rapid Assessment Study. The report seeks to better understand the development of Fintech during a time of a global pandemic. The research was supported by the… Read More

December 4, 2020 @ 6:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Argentina-based Fintech firm Ualá will be offering mobile payments services to small businesses. Ualá is backed by major investors such as George Soros, Steve Cohen, and Tencent Holdings Ltd. The company confirmed that it will be expanding its operations into merchant services in Argentina. Ualá… Read More

December 4, 2020 @ 5:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Lee Birkett, founder of UK-based peer-to-peer (P2P) lender JustUs, has noted that he doesn’t think demand for his platform’s Small Business Interruption Loan Service (SBILS) will increase to greater levels until the UK government support schemes have ended. JustUs had introduced SBILS to offer financing… Read More

December 4, 2020 @ 4:41 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Blockchain platform VeChain (VET) has updated the E-HCert App so that it may go beyond maintaining COVID-19 records while onboarding another hospital based in Cyprus. As mentioned in a blog post by VeChain, the Coronavirus crisis has shown the world the true value of digital… Read More

December 4, 2020 @ 11:49 am By JD Alois  |  

Revolut Business is challenging established payment platforms with its new feature that enables business accounts to accept payments that are deposited directly into their accounts. Yesterday, Stripe announced a service to provide digital banking to its customers. Today, Revolut is challenging Stripe and others by… Read More

December 4, 2020 @ 7:51 am By Omar Faridi  |  

We recently connected with Scott Freeman, Co-Founder and Partner at JST Capital, a New York-based financial services firm currently focused on the digital asset market. The partners of JST have spent more than twenty years working in the traditional financial services sector. They’ve now entered… Read More

December 4, 2020 @ 7:42 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The team at Security Token Advisors, which aims to “reinvent” finance with security tokens, reveals that the world’s top 100 banks in terms of assets under management (AUM) are learning how to “reinvent themselves” with blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT). The Security Token Advisors… Read More

December 4, 2020 @ 7:31 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Huobi Global, a leading digital asset exchange, claims that when it comes to the blockchain and crypto sector, there are “arguably no blockchain projects more important than Ethereum.” The second-largest digital currency by market cap has also been credited with being “the mother of ‘Generation… Read More

December 4, 2020 @ 7:29 am By Omar Faridi  |  

John Goodall, CEO at Landbay, a UK-based digital buy-to-let finance platform, has noted that the property market may have benefited from the stamp duty holiday. Goodall, an Imperial College London and Durham University graduate, says that he won’t be too surprised if the tax break… Read More

December 3, 2020 @ 9:14 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Yolt, a money management app, will now allow its debit card-holding customers to make payments through Apple Pay. The integration will let Yolt’s users complete digital payments via their iPhones or Apple Watches, instead of having to settle transactions with cash or their physical cards…. Read More

December 3, 2020 @ 1:41 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

As the digital asset market approaches the end of 2020, Kraken Intelligence (part of US-based crypto exchange Kraken) has carried out its second VIP client sentiment survey for this current year. According to Kraken, the goal of the survey is to assess digital asset market… Read More

December 3, 2020 @ 1:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

In another nail in the coffin of brick and mortar banking, Stripe has announced Stripe Treasury, a platform that will allow users to leverage APIs to embed or leverage financial services such as savings accounts. In an extensive announcement Stripe said it was also partnering… Read More

December 3, 2020 @ 10:29 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Blockchain security firm Ciphertrace noted in a blog post published on December 2, 2020 that within the last 24 hours, the company noticed a significant uptick of alerts and comments within the online digital currency community of users’ funds having been stolen through a malicious… Read More

December 3, 2020 @ 9:36 am By JD Alois  |  

Pockit, a digital banking app designed to cater to the underbanked masses, has announced a new partnership with Railsbank while simultaneously announcing a £15 million Series B funding paired with an offering on Crowdcube. The Crowdcube securities offer is for £500,000 Future Fund convertible note… Read More

December 3, 2020 @ 8:47 am By JD Alois  |  

Updraft, described as an app that is part lending, part credit report, and part financial planning, has raised £16 million in funding. The new capital is in the form of both equity and debt. Updraft did not disclose the split between the two. Quilam Capital… Read More