Banking


Banks and UN launch sustainable investment framework

United Nations, together with 19 banks and investors worldwide, have launched “a global framework aimed at channelling the money they manage towards clean, low carbon and inclusive projects”. The framework – The Principles for Positive Impact Finance – is a first of its kind set of criteria for investments to be considered sustainable, says the UN.

Klarna acquires BillPay

Sweden-based payments provider Klarna has acquired a fellow payments company in Germany, BillPay. The deal is understood to be worth £60 million.

The “entrefunereal” spirit takes hold at Rainmaking Summit

Game-changing innovations, paradigm shift and synergy… Buzzwords no more! The Rainmaking Summit tapped a frustration with the kind of language that obfuscates more than it clarifies, initiatives that pay lip service to innovation while skirting around the edges, and the cultural, organisational, and technological blockers to change that define many large corporates.

Glance and trade: Swissquote introduces VR trading

Swiss online bank Swissquote has developed a virtual reality (VR) trading application that enables users make trades with a glance. The VR headset creates a 360° trading wall for users to monitor the markets.

New Zealand announces new fintech working group

The New Zealand Tech Industry Association (NZTech) is launching a new working group, FinTechNZ, which will focus on financial innovation and technology. This working group will be inaugurated in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland next week.

The European Banking Authority favours arbitrary box-ticking over data innovation

The European Banking Authority (EBA) recently proposed new rules that would require payment card operators to enforce additional security measures, such as passwords or security tokens, for all online transactions over €10, aimed at fraud prevention. This is a clumsy solution to a problem that is already being addressed by far more sophisticated means, argues Nick Wallace, senior policy analyst at Centre for Data Innovation, and policymakers should reject the EBA’s proposal.

UK watchdog driving open banking revolution

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says its banking “final order” is giving people greater control over their money and reckons the open banking revolution is getting closer. As Banking Technology reported in August, the CMA unveiled its plans to make banks “work harder for customers” and ensure the “benefits of new technology are […]

Become a banking “curator” says ANZ

The future of commercial banking may well lie in being “curators”, according to Australia and New Zealand-based banking group, ANZ. In an interview with the Australian Financial Review, Mark Hand, managing director, corporate and commercial banking at ANZ says commercial bankers will “morph into ‘curators’ for their business clients by linking customers with reputable, external […]

India Post Payments Bank launches pilot services

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has launched and is rolling out pilot services in Raipur and Ranchi. IPPB is the third payments bank to be authorised in India, and follows on the heels of Paytm (launched last year) and Airtel (opened for business this year). IPPB’s chief executive officer, A P Singh, says: “The idea […]

2017: the year fintech shifts its focus to Africa

Africa is becoming a very interesting fintech innovation hub (in particular South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt). As much as 80% of the continent is unbanked, opening the door to a breadth of opportunities for fintech companies to seize market share.

Wall Street Blockchain Alliance launches Blockchain Assets Working Group

The Wall Street Blockchain Alliance (WSBA), a US-based non-profit trade organisation, has set up a new working group – the Blockchain Assets Working Group (BAWG). It will focus on “native assets riding upon public blockchains, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Zcash, and more”, WSBA explains.

Dubai ponders regulatory framework for loan-based crowdfunding platforms

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has issued a consultation paper, “Crowdfunding: SME Financing Through Lending”. The paper proposes a regulatory framework for anyone looking to operate a loan-based crowdfunding platform in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

Varo Money joins forces with Envestnet | Yodlee to drive fintech innovation

California based technology companies Varo Money and Envestnet | Yodlee have teamed up to drive fintech innovation. Varo Money, a mobile-only banking start-up hopes to leverage Envestnet | Yodlee’s data analytics and aggregation platform to provide customers with a more customised mobile banking experience, and better insights into their financial well-being.

Mastercard victorious in UK interchange lawsuit

Mastercard can put a notch in the win column after a High Court judge ruled in the payment card network’s favor regarding a lawsuit brought on by retailers disputing cross-border interchange fees on debit and credit cards.

Trend Watch 2017: Payments Year in Review

Paybefore’s first-ever payments year-in-review report, sponsored by The Bancorp, is available now. Offering an in-depth look at key trends and the Top 10 payments stories from 2016 that will continue to shape the industry in 2017 and beyond, this must-have resource examines everything influencing the industry from the CFPB and Uber to Brexit and Trump and much more.

FinTecSystems fuels Smava automatic credit system

FinTecSystems, Fidor Bank and credit comparison site Smava have teamed up to offer the “first fully” automatic credit system with an “immediate payout” in Germany. Called Kredit2Go, the entire process of requesting, processing and disbursement is digital, and the payment is made immediately after the digital signature. FinTecSystems provides the “building blocks” for the credit assessment […]

Berlin-based online lender Spotcap starts operations in New Zealand

Spotcap, an online lending company headquartered in Berlin, Germany, has announced it is now operating in Auckland, New Zealand, as a registered financial services provider and is accepting applications for credit of up to NZD 250,000 ($182,000) from eligible businesses.

Mastercard growing faster than Visa in Americas

Mastercard saw faster growth than Visa in the Americas in 2015 but, with 43%, Visa still has significantly the largest market share, according to research by Retail Banking Research (RBR). According to RBR’s Global Payment Cards Data and Forecasts to 2021 study, the number of Mastercard cards grew by 6% in the Americas in 2015, […]

Deutsche Bank fined record £163m for AML control fails

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined Deutsche Bank £163 million for failing to maintain an adequate anti-money laundering (AML) control framework during the period between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2015. This is the largest financial penalty for AML controls failings ever imposed by the FCA, or its predecessor the Financial Services […]

DFS Innovation Lab launches fintech bootcamp

Powered by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Digital Financial Services (DFS) Innovation Lab has launched a new high-intensity fintech bootcamp for companies in Sub-Saharan Africa and and South Asia.

Bank Central Asia sets up fintech focused VC company

Bank Central Asia (BCA), an Indonesian bank with over 1,100 branches and 17,000 ATMs, has established a venture capital company, Central Capital Ventura (CCV). CCV has a paid-up capital of IDR 200 billion ($15 million).

BNP Paribas Securities Services invests in fintech start-up Fortia

BNP Paribas Securities Services has acquired a minority stake in an Fortia Financial Solutions. This deal helps Fortia, a start-up that provides compliance software to the financial services industry, cement the relationship it formed with the bank during the inaugural session of the fintech accelerator by L’Atelier BNP Paribas.

Qatar International Islamic Bank recommits to Misys

Qatar International Islamic Bank (QIIB), a long-standing customer of Misys, is implementing the new version of the vendor’s core system for Islamic banks, FusionBanking Essence Islamic, front-to-back office.

The Monday mindset: 30 January 2017

Fintech zeitgeist! Welcome to the third in a new series of brief reports. Every Monday, we might look back at last week; look ahead to this week; share a few thoughts (our own or others); or discuss anything that catches our eye. This week we welcome the views of guest writer Soumik Roy. Last week, […]

Barclaycard trials contactless donations to tap into £80m shortfall

Barclaycard is trialling contactless donations as it says charities may be missing out on more than £80 million each year by only accepting cash donations. According to its research, four in ten (42%) Brits say they carry less cash now than they did three years ago. While, one in seven (15%) people admit to walking […]