December 17, 2024 @ 12:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced sanctions against two individuals and a single entity regarding money laundering to the benefit of North Korea. OFAC says that Lu Huaying and Zhang Jian, working out of the UAE and… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 11:17 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Dark web threads discussing crypto-drainers – malware designed to drain cryptocurrency wallets – saw a rise in 2024, as revealed by the Kaspersky Security Bulletin. Kaspersky reported a “40% spike” in corporate database ads on a prominent dark web forum, highlighting cybercriminals’ “growing focus on… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 11:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) has decided to partner with Wise (LSE:WISE) to improve international transfers. Wise is a UK-based Fintech or neobank that started as a low-cost provider of payments and transfers and now offers additional banking features. Morgan Stanley is a prominent investment bank and… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 10:30 am By JD Alois  |  

Webull Securities (Canada) says it has launched options trading for registered accounts in Canada. Webull users can now trade options in Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) and Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs). The Webull Group currently operates in 15 regions globally, including Canada, serving over 20… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 8:41 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Bitpanda recently revealed that it will soon be able to offer their full range of products and services to users residing in the UAE, supported by their commitment to regulation in Europe and, as they expand, into the MENA region and other jurisdictions. The expansion… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 7:35 am By Omar Faridi  |  

UK-headquartered virtual payments services provider Modulr has reportedly entered a contract with HMRC for the provision of Confirmation of Payee (CoP) services, which has been secured under the latest Open Banking Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). As per the latest agreement, Modulr will aim to offer… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 7:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Societe Generale announces the successful completion of a collateralized market transaction “fully” executed on blockchain via its subsidiary Societe Generale – FORGE. This is reportedly the first repo transaction (Sale and Repurchase Agreement) in digital securities (Security Tokens) with an Eurosystem’s central bank. As explained… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 7:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

BitGo, the digital asset custody and security platform trusted by institutions since 2013, today announced it has entered into an agreement with FTX Trading Ltd. and its affiliated debtors to assist in distributing recoveries to both retail and institutional customers in “supported jurisdictions in accordance… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 7:30 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Anchorage Digital—the crypto platform for institutions—is pleased to announce that the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) has approved their subsidiary, Anchorage Digital NY, LLC, for a BitLicense. The addition of BitLicense-regulated trading means Anchorage Digital can offer institutions in New York State… Read More

December 16, 2024 @ 10:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a move towards climate accountability, The HBAR Foundation has issued a grant to WinCL to elevate carbon transparency and greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting standards for SMEs and large enterprises across South Korea. Built on Hedera’s Guardian platform, WinCL’s solution promises streamlined emissions tracking, reporting,… Read More

December 16, 2024 @ 5:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

PitchBook released their Quarterly Fintech M&A Review, which is tracking big bank M&A activity. PitchBook has shared informative and detailed insights on M&A by the 30 largest US banking institutions and by publicly traded fintech companies. Key takeaways shared by PitchBook from the report: Corporate… Read More

December 16, 2024 @ 5:16 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bitcoin (BTC), coined as “Magic Internet Money” is perhaps a “legitimate” investment asset alongside traditional assets such as stocks, commodities, and bonds. This, according to an update from CoinGecko. CoinGecko noted in its latest research report that from its returns over 10 years, Bitcoin (BTC)… Read More

December 16, 2024 @ 5:15 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Uplink, a decentralized connectivity ecosystem for existing and new internet infrastructure, has announced an implementation on Avalanche, a Layer 1 blockchain and smart contracts platform. The decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) Layer 1 project built on the Avalanche Blockchain, paves the way for “global decentralized… Read More

December 16, 2024 @ 12:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

OurCrowd revealed a new VC investment center in Abu Dhabi to manage deals for its platform while expanding its market back in late 2022.  At the same time, the investment platform announced an AI hub named Integrated Data Intelligence Ltd (IDI), which seeks to develop… Read More

December 16, 2024 @ 11:14 am By JD Alois  |  

Everyone knows the definition of an Accredited Investor is broken. The rule sets a monetary hurdle for individuals who may participate in certain private securities offerings. It is obvious to all that wealth is not necessarily an indicator of sophistication. Still, the SEC has failed… Read More

December 16, 2024 @ 10:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

equipifi, the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platform for financial institutions, announced its partnership with Synergent, a managed services provider and strategic host of Jack Henry Symitar core processing. As a result of this partnership, Synergent credit unions will be able to launch their own… Read More

December 16, 2024 @ 10:19 am By JD Alois  |  

The Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government issued its interim report this month outlining the abuse of financial data by the federal government. Whether you are a Republican or Democrat, you should be outraged by this… Read More

December 16, 2024 @ 9:47 am By JD Alois  |  

Last week, Gen Digital (NASDAQ: GEN) announced that it would acquire MoneyLion (NYSE: ML) for around $1 billion. Gen Digital is a software firm in the cyber sector with a market cap of around $18.26 billion. A neobank, MoneyLion, went public in a SPAC deal in September… Read More

December 16, 2024 @ 9:11 am By JD Alois  |  

Bitcoin continues to march higher following the election of former President Donald Trump and his forthcoming crypto-friendly administration. It was only a year ago when Bitcoin was trading around $40,000. This week, Bitcoin topped $106,000, setting a new all-time high for the world’s most popular… Read More

December 16, 2024 @ 8:34 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud banking platform Mambu released its annual Partner Predictions Report for 2025. The report identifies the key Fintech and broader industry trends for 2025 including the “increased adoption of AI, embedded finance, and real-time payments.” The report highlights other areas… Read More