Digital asset management platform Safe raises $100m
Funds will enable the firm to grow an ecosystem of applications on top of its smart contract account protocol.
Blockchain
Brazilian payments app PicPay to launch crypto exchange and stablecoin
PicPay sees crypto as a way to decentralise payments and other financial services.
ING spins out digital post-trade market infrastructure tech to GMEX Group
GMEX intends to combine Pyctor with its MultiHub offering.
What the FinTech? | S.3 Episode 10 | Making money work harder
In this episode of the podcast, we’re joined by Jay Swanston, chief platform officer at Moneybox.
FCA appoints six new directors as it embarks on “ambitious” new strategy
The appointments sit alongside the nearly 500 new staff hired this year.
Binance.US hires ex-PayPal exec Jasmine Lee as CFO as firm eyes IPO
Lee joins from micro-investing app Acorns, where she served as CFO and COO.
Why central banks need to engage the private sector on CBDCs
Companies can help policymakers evaluate technology choices and design incentives to foster innovation and competition.
FinTech Futures: Top five stories of the week – 8 July 2022
Here’s our pick of five of the top news stories from the world of finance and tech this week.
UK fintech Mode hires Jose Sanchez Loureda as CTO
Loureda will be tasked with helping Mode enhance its digital wallet offering.
Wyre partners MoneyGram to allow crypto-to-cash conversion
It’s hoped the integration will address a “major pain point for users” in the crypto ecosystem.
Central bank digital currency (CBDC) – why go slow
CBDC will catapult society to new heights. We better get it right!
Meta calls time on digital wallet project Novi
The Novi app and Novi on WhatsApp will no longer be available starting 1 September 2022.
Cartoon: Swimming naked
A new cartoon illustrating how the shift in the market will reveal which crypto unicorns can deliver.
EU reaches agreement on crypto regulation proposal
The new regulation will help protect investors while allowing for continued innovation within the sector.
US crypto platform Voyager Digital suspends all trading, deposits and withdrawals
Voyager’s CEO cites “current market conditions” as the reason behind the decision.
WTH are ZKPs? Making blockchain transactions private
In order to gain or have mainstream adoption of blockchain tech, it needs to be private.
Video: Bitstamp at Money 20/20 Europe – Putting trust in crypto
We chat with Bitstamp CEO JB Graftieaux to discuss how trust in and adoption of crypto varies across the world.
Video: Kraken at Money 20/20 Europe – Keeping up with cybercriminals
We chat with Curtis Ting of Kraken to discuss how financial crime is evolving in the digital asset space.
Flowdesk bags $30m in Series A funding round
Flowdesk plans on using the new funds to grow and scale its platform.
The future of crypto compliance
Exploitation by criminals has brought about a need for more regulation in the crypto world.
Citi partners METACO to develop digital asset custody capabilities
Citi will integrate METACO’s bank-grade digital asset custody and orchestration platform, Harmonize.
Blockchain paytech Roxe to go public via SPAC merger in $3.6bn deal
Roxe will merge with Goldenstone Acquisition and become a publicly traded company on Nasdaq.
Why I do want to use crypto to buy my pizza
I predict that in the medium term, we will begin to consider crypto a safe and reliable form of tender.
FinTech Futures: Top five stories of the week – 17 June 2022
Here’s our pick of five of the top news stories from the world of finance and tech this week.
Fintech Zytara partners deadmau5 to create branded banking solution
deadmau5 will join Zytara’s advisory board “to help enhance the creative direction for Zytara moving forward”.
NatWest, Citi, Barclays trial Finteum intraday FX swap and repo platform
Given the rising interest rate environment, liquidity optimisation is a high priority, Finteum says.
Crypto firm Celsius halts withdrawals, cites “extreme market conditions”
Celsius says the pause is designed to put the firm in a “better position” to honour its withdrawal obligations in the future.
Money 20/20 Europe: Digiseq connects the digital and physical world
At Money 20/20 Europe, FinTech Futures sat down with David Birch, chair of wearable payments disruptor Digiseq.
Money 20/20 Europe: A new era for a digital Sterling
Project New Era, set to launch in September, is a pilot evaluating the future digital currency ecosystem in the UK.
Jewel Bank, a new digital asset bank, launches in Bermuda
Bitbull Capital invested in Jewel Bank’s Series A round in 2022.
Blockchain-based trade finance platform we.trade shuts shop
We.trade claims to be “the world’s first enterprise-grade blockchain-enabled trade finance platform”.
New bank alternative, Fluid Finance, launches “revolutionary global super-app”
Fluid Finance offers “the world’s first bank alternative linked to your Web3 wallet”.
Why trade finance should embrace blockchain to realise its digital ambitions
Digital innovation in trade finance is gaining momentum, and blockchain offers a number of possibilities.
Money 20/20 Europe: Mode CEO Rita Liu on crypto adoption and regulation
Education and regulatory clarity are key to mass adoption of crypto, Mode CEO Rita Liu says.
Crypto exchange Coinbase extends hiring pause and rescinds some job offers
The firm cites “current market conditions” as a reason behind the move.
The future of fintech and insurtech is DeFi and Web3
Financial institutions must start allowing access to DeFi functionality through their banking and insurance services.
US fintech funding round-up: Pebble, Arteria, Hardbacon & Digital Asset
A handy round-up of the recent funding endeavours of fintech companies across North America.
Cartoon: Untethered
A new cartoon illustrating the potential economic risks surrounding asset-backed stablecoins.
Video: Wells Fargo at FinovateSpring 2022 – How to achieve digital acceleration
FinTech Futures chats with Madhu Narasimhan of Wells Fargo to discuss approaches to digital transformation.
Babel Finance bags $80m Series B at $2bn valuation
The firm says it limits business to Bitcoin, Ethereum and stablecoins, and serves around 500 “select clientele”.
