November 26, 2023 @ 7:37 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Lloyds Banking Group, a UK based financial services group, has released the first Housing Stocktake 2023 report sharing insights on “the stalling efforts to decarbonize the UK’s housing stock.” In the UK, homes are one of the highest emitting sectors, “with the 28 million residential… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 5:57 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Dubai’s ambitious journey towards becoming a global leader in innovation and sustainability is gaining momentum, as highlighted by the emirate’s forward-thinking initiatives and investments in futuristic technologies. At the heart of this journey is the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, aimed at making Dubai the… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 5:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The non-profit sector performs a vital role in our society, providing relief and support to groups of the population in need, “at times of urgent crisis and often in challenging circumstances and regions.” Unfortunately, charitable fundraising has also “been used to provide cover for the… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 12:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Mangopay, a platform-specific payment infrastructure provider, today announces that it has been selected by Maisons du Monde, a home decor and furniture retailer, to offer seamless payment experiences to its marketplace customers. The integration of Mangopay’s modular payment infrastructure “marks a significant step forward in… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 12:40 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Australia and New Zealand’s non-bank business lender ScotPac, and global financial services firm Ebury have announced a new partnership aimed “at making trading on a global scale faster and more accessible for all businesses.” The collaboration will provide clients of both businesses “with ready access… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 10:23 am By Omar Faridi  |  

HMRC recently announced the latest Inheritance Tax (IHT) receipts. (HMRC tax receipts and National Insurance contributions for the UK (monthly bulletin) – GOV.UK.) For April 2023 to October 2023 these “are £4.6 billion, which is £0.5 billion higher than the same period last year.” This… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 10:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

AMLYZE, a RegTech specializing in anti-financial crime solutions for FinTechs, banks and crypto businesses, and Plumery, a digital banking solution provider, have joined forces in a partnership in order “to reshape the landscape of financial technology.” With a commitment to combating financial crime, AMLYZE offers… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 10:21 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Habyt, the flexible housing provider,  announced an exclusive partnership with Singapore-based startup, Rently, that marked a significant milestone in “the evolution of flexible living solutions.” For the first time in the co-living sector, Habyt has introduced “a disruptive rental model which allows new members freedom… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 10:18 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Stefan Rust, CEO of independent economic data aggregator Truflation, says that the resignation of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao or “CZ” as part of the exchange’s settlement with US authorities marks a “sad” day that should “serve as a clarion call for the build-out of decentralized… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 10:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Digitt+, an agri-fintech company, has been granted with a full commercial approval by the State Bank of Pakistan. This recent achievement marks “the culmination of an exciting journey that began with pilot approval, during which they onboarded 10,000 customers, facilitated transactions of worth PKR 400… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 10:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Mastercard (NYSE: MA) announced that its joint venture entity, Mastercard NUCC Information Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., has received formal approval from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and the National Administration of Financial Regulation (NAFR) in order “to commence domestic bankcard clearing activity in China.”… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 10:13 am By Omar Faridi  |  

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is known for her anti-crypto stance, referring to virtual currencies as being highly speculative, completely worthless, and often used as a tool by bad actors/criminals for engaging in illicit activities. Recently, the ECB President Christine Lagarde claimed that her… Read More

November 25, 2023 @ 6:54 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Scapia, an India-based fintech company focused on making travel more accessible, has successfully raised $23 million in its Series-A funding round. The round was led by Elevation Capital and 3STATE Ventures, with participation from existing investors Matrix Partners India and Tanglin Venture Partners. Scapia said… Read More

November 25, 2023 @ 6:51 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Indonesia’s central bank, the Financial Services Authority (OJK), has partnered with the country’s fintech associations to issue what it describes as ethical guidelines on artificial intelligence (AI) use in the context of the fintech industry. The guidelines were formulated in collaboration with four leading fintech… Read More

November 25, 2023 @ 6:47 pm By Michael Wong  |  

India-based micro-lender Arohan Financial Services is reportedly planning to expand its digital lending operations as part of its overall goal of revolutionizing microfinance with digital push. Arohan said it will leverage its ‘Apna Arohan’ app for more efficient loan disbursements and improved repayment compliance. Launched… Read More

November 25, 2023 @ 6:44 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

This week, BSV Blockchain revealed the findings from its inaugural Blockchain Barometer, a worldwide report that seeks to establish an official record of the public’s perception and level of understanding of blockchain and other emerging technologies like AI and the metaverse. The survey, which included… Read More

November 25, 2023 @ 2:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

New research from online pension provider, PensionBee, reveals a notable enthusiasm among c.1,000 UK pension holders “for the recently announced ‘pot for life’ pension model.” Over three-quarters (76%) of pension savers “expressed that they would consider opting for the new model, while only 5% of… Read More

November 25, 2023 @ 2:15 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Funding Circle (LSE: FCH), the UK’s SME lending platform, and Atom bank, the UK’s first app-based bank, announce a new lending partnership that “will provide up to c.£150m of funding to small businesses.” Atom bank is a “long-standing” and returning investor in the Funding Circle… Read More

November 25, 2023 @ 2:11 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

PonchoPay says it is on a mission to streamline payments in the childcare ecosystem. PonchoPay has raised 98% (£393,383) of its £400,012 target from 86 investors with 26 days left in the firm’s crowdfunding campaign, carried out via Seedrs. Based in London, United Kingdom, Ponchopay… Read More

November 25, 2023 @ 2:08 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Pitchbook notes that their extensive Country Snapshot series provides an overview of both macroeconomic and microeconomic trends in the region, “covering various countries across Europe.” Pitchbook researchers look at how “both public and private data points have trended in Q3 for the UK.” As noted… Read More