Opinion

January 30, 2017 @ 1:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

The United Kingdom has dominated the Fintech sector globally.  Starting with innovations in capital formation from crowdfunding and peer to peer lending platforms, the UK has fostered an impressive ecosystem of Fintech entrepreneurs. While a culture of innovation and risk-taking has been vital to this… Read More

January 29, 2017 @ 2:35 pm By Joy Schoffler  |  

Since Title II of the JOBS Act went into effect September 23, 2013, crowdfunding has been gaining traction. With investors becoming increasingly more comfortable with new Fintech platforms, the amount of money invested in crowdfunding in the Americas jumped from $11.4 billion in 2014 to… Read More

January 28, 2017 @ 1:50 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

“We are convinced that the moment has come for Spanish banks and insurance companies to recognize the great opportunity that the whole country and financial sector have thanks to the impulse and promotion of Fintech. It is also the time to begin to promote strategies… Read More

January 25, 2017 @ 11:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

The current Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has engendered much respect from the land of Fintech. An unabashed supporter of the potential for financial innovation to improve financial services for all, Carney has periodically addressed the subject of Fintech with pointed speeches…. Read More

January 24, 2017 @ 8:38 am By Erin Hobey  |  

“We can do online voting on blockchain in a highly scalable way, and that’s what we did.” Focusing on solving the problem of securing public, private and proxy global election systems, Votem offers a blockchain-based solution which aims to give democracy back to the people by allowing… Read More

January 23, 2017 @ 9:23 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, Prime Minister Theresa May revealed her vision for a modern industrial strategy for the UK. The policy proposal was released during her first regional cabinet meeting. May is engaged in a tight-rope walk of policy as she manages ramifications of Brexit while crafting an… Read More

January 22, 2017 @ 2:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

The concept of a Fintech Charter for emerging firms in the financial services industry has generated plenty of attention on Capitol Hill and with Fintech entrepreneurs. Originally pitched by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency towards the end of last year, a comment… Read More

January 21, 2017 @ 3:38 pm By JD Alois  |  

“If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old” ― Peter F. Drucker The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) rattled the cages of big finance and state regulators in proposing a possible “Fintech Charter” to license and regulate emerging… Read More

January 20, 2017 @ 4:16 pm By Victoria Silchenko, PhD  |  

“The more cashless our society becomes, the more our moral compass slips.” ― Dan Ariely Happy New Era, my fellow entrepreneurs, and next generation financiers! In a world of dramatically accelerating technological, social and economic changes, it is clear we are heading into a time where… Read More

January 19, 2017 @ 5:24 am By Erin Hobey  |  

2016 marked a strong year for Berlin-based crowdfunding platform Companisto.  Founded in 2012 by Tamo Zwinge and David Rhotert. In an earlier interview, Zwinge envisioned Companisto as a crowdinvesting platform that enabled ideas to be implemented to benefit many people, a hope that continues to be realized. “According… Read More

January 17, 2017 @ 5:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

    I expect to see more of these comment letters as battle lines have clearly been drawn regarding the debate on the proposed Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Fintech Charter. In brief, the OCC has proposed crafting a Fintech Charter for… Read More

January 17, 2017 @ 12:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

Financial Innovation Now (FIN) has sent a letter to the Office of the Comptroller (OCC) of the Currency in support of the OCC’s initiative to support Fintech innovation. FIN is an alliance of big tech including; Apple, Amazon, PayPal, Intuit and Google (Alphabet). As big… Read More

January 14, 2017 @ 5:23 pm By JD Alois  |  

  The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is still accepting comments on the proposed Fintech Charter for financial firms looking to operate with a federal charter. The deadline was initially set for January 15th but one report says the OCC has pushed the… Read More

January 13, 2017 @ 5:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act has become an iconic act of legislation for the Democratic party. Not because it is good legislation but because its demise represents a profound retrenchment of what they fought so hard to accomplish. This is a… Read More

January 12, 2017 @ 3:11 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Marketplace Lending Association has called on Congress, and the incoming Trump Administration, to become a catalyst for Fintech innovation and not an obstacle. In a letter addressed to House and Senate leaders, Nathaniel Hoopes, Executive Director of the MLA, asked Congress to move  away… Read More

January 11, 2017 @ 4:54 pm By JD Alois  |  

  SeedInvest is one of the most prominent investment crowdfunding platforms in the US. A full stack funding platform, SeedInvest lists opportunities from issuers under Reg D (both 506c & 506b), Reg A+, and Reg CF.  The platform boasts a solid community of over 140,000… Read More

January 10, 2017 @ 1:02 pm By JD Alois  |  

Senators Sherrod Brown and Jeffrey Merkley have published a letter, sent to Thomas Curry, Comptroller of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), bashing his push to create a Fintech charter for innovative financial firms. Brown and Merkley state; “While we share your… Read More

January 10, 2017 @ 12:15 pm By Therese Torris  |  

France is the second largest European crowdfunding market after the UK. We asked the CEOs of France’s leading crowdlending and crowdinvesting platforms to share their hopes, wishes and predictions for the sector in 2017. They expressed their confidence in the sustained growth of their market…. Read More

January 10, 2017 @ 8:06 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Mark your calendars, log on and learn! LendIt, the world’s largest lending and fintech conference, is hosting two free webinars on January 11 and 18. LendIt Forums offer a series of free, intensive (and interactive) learning events for Asset Managers, Real Estate Investors, Financial Advisors, Commercial Bankers, Lending Innovators, Venture Capitalists and the Media…. Read More

January 9, 2017 @ 9:05 am By Vincent Basulto  |  

Predicting what will transpire in the coming year is always challenging, particularly in relatively nascent and growing industries such as marketplace lending. While surprises are undoubtedly in store for 2017, indications are that certain trends—the growth of bank partnerships and industry consolidation—will continue and accelerate… Read More