India confirms digital rupee CBDC to debut by 2023
The finance minister announced a raft of digital economy support measures in her Union Budget 2022-23 speech.
Blockchain
Asian Development Bank and R3 team for cross-border securities transaction system
The cross-border multi-currency securities settlement system will be based on distributed ledger tech.
FinTech Australia appoints paytech veteran Andrew Porter as CEO
Porter previously held senior roles at OFX, World First and TransferMate.
Fintech funding deals globally 31 January – 6 February 2022
Featuring FTX, Chargebee, Koho, Phantom and League.
Video: fintech news pick of the week – Diem, SAP & FTX
Our top pick of news from the world of finance and tech in bitesize video format, every week.
Crypto wallet Phantom launches app following $109m Series B raise
Phantom claims to be “the fastest growing crypto wallet”.
Meta drops crypto project Diem due to regulatory roadblocks
The Diem Association has sold its intellectual property and tech assets to Silvergate Capital in a $182m deal.
Crypto platform Rain rakes in $100m in Series B funding
Rain’s $110m Series B funding round was co-led by Paradigm and Kleiner Perkins.
FTX Trading secures $400m Series C funding at $32bn valuation
The firm now claims to be the third-largest crypto exchange in the world.
Crypto paytech BCB Group acquires software firm LAB577, gains new CTO and COO
LAB577 founder Richard Crook and Farzad Pezeshkpour join BCB Group as COO and CTO, respectively.
CoinTracker lands unicorn status with $100m Series A round
Users collectively track over $50 billion in crypto assets on CoinTracker.
Digital acceleration shines a light on new challenges facing small businesses
The search for adequate SME funding and opportunities to minimise costs are at an all-time high.
Digital asset custody platform Fireblocks worth $8bn following $550m Series E
The round makes Fireblocks the highest-valued digital asset infrastructure provider in the world.
Fintech start-up destream to launch bank card aimed at internet content creators
Destream says banks often block large payments from donations and platform subscriptions.
The proliferation of digital transformation: from ‘nice to have’ to a necessity for success
Digital transformation has become the benchmark for survival in the financial market.
Baton Systems appoints ex-Barclays exec as its first COO
David Ornstein steps into a newly-created role of chief operating officer (COO) at Baton.
Crypto asset software and data provider Lukka lands $110m in Series E
New York-based Lukka is now valued at $1.3 billion.
Crypto IRA software platform iTrustCapital secures $125m in growth equity
The growth equity investment round values the company at more than $1.3bn.
EU’s first blockchain financial institution BENKER receives EMI licence
BENKER CEO sees the introduction of blockchain to banking as the beginning of a “New World Order”.
BitPay hires payments veteran Jim Lester as first COO
BitPay CEO says appointment of COO was necessary as more payments move to the blockchain.
House of Lords committee says UK digital pound is “solution in search of a problem”
The Economic Affairs Committee cited financial, privacy and data concerns over UK CBDC.
USDF Consortium launches to develop and promote bank-minted stablecoin
The FDIC-insured banks want to “unlock the financial opportunities” of blockchain technology.
SIX, BIS and SNB conduct CBDC core banking integration test
Citi, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, Hypothekarbank Lenzburg and UBS also took part in the experiment.
Digital asset fintech Zero Hash lands $105m in Series D round
The round saw participation from Bain Capital, NYCA and Point72 Ventures.
Swiss digital assets bank SEBA raises $120m in Series C funding round
The round was co-led by a consortium of specialised blockchain and fintech investors.
Checkout.com secures bumper $1bn Series D round at $40bn valuation to boost US growth
The paytech has now raised around $1.8 billion in total funding to date.
Fintech start-up Twig raises $35m to support Web 3.0 plans
The London-based fintech intends to expand into the EU and US in 2022.
Central Bank of Bahrain and JP Morgan conduct successful digital currency settlement test
The test was facilitated by JP Morgan’s new blockchain-focused business unit Onyx.
Customers Bank brings digital asset bankers onboard
Investment “signals we are a serious participant in this space”, says CEO.
NetCents Technology hires Sholeh Atash as COO
NetCents says Atash will have executive oversight to ensure that all key performance metrics are met.
Alternative retirement investment platform Alto raises $40m in Series B
The firm claims more than 15,000 IRA investors with a billion dollars of assets under custody.
Swiss digital asset neobank Sygnum raises $90m in Series B round
“The digital asset economy is rapidly crossing the chasm to mainstream adoption,” says CEO.
The heart of the matter: three predictions for 2022
It’s that time of year when crystal ball gazing is de rigueur.
ICYMI funding round-up: Anfin, Cion Digital, D2X, KRM22, & Orenda Finance
Our weekly “In Case You Missed It” funding round-up for you to get the latest funding news.
Four fintech trends to watch in 2022 and beyond
The rise of Web3, instant checkout, and embedded finance are just a few reasons 2022 will be a pivotal year for fintech.
NEAR Foundation hires fintech veteran Marieke Flament as CEO
Flament leaves her role as CEO of digital banking app Mettle by NatWest to join the Swiss foundation.
Digital asset infrastructure provider Anchorage raises $350m in Series D round
The round, led by global investment firm KKR, values Anchorage at over $3 billion.
Crypto infrastructure start-up Ramp raises $52.7m in Series A round
Ramp will use the cash to drive expansion and further product development.
Carbon as a currency
Linking currency to carbon could open the door to a better and more sustainable economy.
Nuvei partners Visa to launch branded crypto debit cards across Europe
The programme plays “a vital role in expanding the crypto ecosystem”, Nuvei CEO says.
