Tagged: financial inclusion

March 12, 2020 @ 7:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Facebook-led Libra stablecoin project might now have some competition. The Celo Foundation has managed to sign up 50 organizations to its “Alliance for Prosperity” program, which aims to enable greater financial inclusion by leveraging blockchain technology and helping people transact with digital assets. Giant… Read More

March 9, 2020 @ 10:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

U Microfinance Bank Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) – Etisalat Company, has reportedly signed a grant agreement with Karandaaz Pakistan, a company that aims to promote improved access to finance for small business owners via an investment platform, and financial… Read More

February 28, 2020 @ 8:38 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Colombia-based Fintech Puntored confirmed recently that it plans to invest around COP$20 billion (appr. $6 million) into further expanding and strengthening its existing network of 75,000 payment points. Puntored’s financial services have been developed to make it easier for millions of people to conduct transactions… Read More

February 21, 2020 @ 4:34 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

JPMorgan, the largest bank in the US, and UK Aid confirmed last month that they would invest $15 million into the business operations of Catalyst Fund, a Boston-headquartered project accelerator which funds Fintech firms in order to support financial inclusion efforts in India,  Mexico, and… Read More

February 17, 2020 @ 12:47 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ant Financial, an affiliated company of the Chinese Alibaba Group, is reportedly running the first international blockchain-powered payment service in Pakistan. This is a major milestone in the Asian nation’s journey to enable greater financial inclusion. Ant Financial is notably the world’s highest-valued Fintech firm,… Read More

February 3, 2020 @ 11:00 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ajay Banga, CEO at payments giant Mastercard, recently talked about why his company decided to leave the controversial Facebook-led Libra global payments and stablecoin project. Banga claims his firm doesn’t quite understand Libra’s business model. He told the Financial Times: “When you don’t understand how… Read More

February 3, 2020 @ 8:21 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Jumio, an established provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced end-to-end identity verification and authentication services, has teamed up with CIMB Bank Philippines’ all-digital bank to offer a convenient and user-friendly digital onboarding solution to Filipinos. Having completed its first full year of business operations, CIMB Bank… Read More

February 3, 2020 @ 8:07 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Denis Pitcher, Chief Fintech advisor to the Premier of Bermuda, confirmed recently that the island country’s government has been focusing on encouraging blockchain and crypto adoption. Bermuda aims to enable greater financial inclusion with its national virtual currency in an area where residents are reportedly… Read More

January 27, 2020 @ 5:54 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Bank of Thailand is reportedly considering issuing licenses to digital banks, which aim to provide greater financial inclusion while catering to changing consumer requirements in the digital age. New Fintech industry participants are encouraging competition and disruption in Thailand’s banking sector. These startups aim… Read More

January 21, 2020 @ 9:01 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Although the overall progress on reducing poverty has been steady during the past few decades, about half or 50% of the global population still has to live on less than $6 per day. Catalyst Fund is a newly established VC fund with a goal to… Read More

December 17, 2019 @ 10:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Bank Muscat, the leading financial services provider in the Sultanate, recently revealed that the Central Bank of Oman has approved the institution’s request to establish a $100 million (appr. OMR38.5 million) nationwide, strategic Fintech investment program. The investment program is reportedly part of Bank Muscat’s… Read More

December 16, 2019 @ 7:47 am By Omar Faridi  |  

HSBC Bank plc, one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations with a market cap of more than $156 billion, is reportedly working with UK-based charities to assist homeless citizens, who do not have residential addresses or government-issued IDs, to open bank accounts… Read More

December 10, 2019 @ 9:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Tania Aidrus, a former director of products and payment at Google and former country manager (Singapore) for South Asia’s emerging markets at Google, has returned to Pakistan after spending 20 years working abroad. Aidrus will now be leading Pakistan into the digital age. The MBA… Read More

December 9, 2019 @ 12:04 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Banking software developer Temenos (SIX: TEMN) revealed on December 3 that the Egyptian National Post Organization (ENPO) has chosen its cloud-native, cloud-agnostic Temenos T24 Transact, which is described as “the next generation in core banking.” ENPO has also selected Temenos Infinity, an omnichannel online banking… Read More

November 15, 2019 @ 10:59 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A recent analysis performed by Paysend, a company that allows money transfers to any Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay cards and to regular bank accounts, has revealed the world’s top ten nations with the greatest gender divide for accessing modern financial services such as banking accounts and… Read More

November 14, 2019 @ 11:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The State Bank of Pakistan, the nation’s central bank, has announced the development of a new national digital payment systems strategy that is aimed at promoting financial inclusion, especially for women. Cash transactions dominate Pakistan’s $300+ billion economy, with most people receiving their salaries in… Read More

November 13, 2019 @ 10:30 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Christian Catalini, co-creator of the Facebook-led Libra payment system and head economist at Calibra, a subsidiary of the social media giant that’s focused on developing a digital wallet for Libra, says he’d been doing research in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space for many years before… Read More

October 1, 2019 @ 1:57 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Tarin Thaniyavarn, the country head for Fintech firm Grab’s Thailand division, points out that advancements in telecommunications and mobile technology allow users to perform and manage many different tasks from their smartphones. For example, we can book rides, order meals or groceries, and pay for… Read More

September 24, 2017 @ 9:18 pm By Jennifer Rimbach  |  

  Millions of Americans rely on domestic discretionary spending appropriated by the U.S. Federal Government, including everything from affordable housing and education to the arts. Agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development provide programs and services that impact neighborhoods and communities across… Read More

August 8, 2017 @ 12:21 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

  It’s been quiet an exciting week for Abu Dhabi Global Market: global Fintech challenges, new alliances and partnerships. ADGM and KPMG have synced to launch the first ever FinTech Abu Dhabi Innovation Challenge on 22 October 2017 in Abu Dhabi to enable startups to… Read More