Philippines’ mobile wallet GCash closes on $1bn valuation with new funding
Mynt-operated firm raises $175m from US investor.
Digital
Shariah P2P fintech Alami raises $20m in debt financing
Alami hopes to distribute trillions to SMEs and micro businesses.
2021 predictions: don’t overlook the phone call
Due to the explosion in illegal robocalls, many consumers have simply stopped answering the phone.
UK payments acquirer Unlimint powers on with “aggressive” LatAm expansion
In November, the fintech rebranded to Unlimint from ‘Cardpay’ as part of its expansion plans.
IHS Markit acquires compliance firm Cappitech after year-long partnership
Cappitech had provided its platform for Markit’s SFTR system.
Curve lands $95m as it reveals losses have quadrupled
The fintech claims to have two million customers.
Stripe cuts off Trump campaign for inciting violence
Payments processor strips Trump for encouraging violence.
Revolut applies for UK banking licence to boost primary account numbers
Fintech unicorn seeks to transition to full bank in the UK.
Tackling mobile fraud in 2021
Mobile numbers and associated SIM information have become even higher prized targets for fraudsters.
Fintech funding deals globally 4-10 January 2021
Featuring Grab, Mynt, Divvy, Mambu, and SimpleNexus.
EXCLUSIVE: Oracle wins Flexcube deal with Somalia entrant BB Bank
Upcoming Islamic bank picks Oracle FS to furnish its core operations.
BBVA shutters Simple after paying $117m for it in 2014
The bank is cutting out standalone entities which no longer make sense to operate solo.
UK Treasury calls for input on planned regulation of cryptoassets and stablecoins
UK’s finance ministry says “the landscape has changed” in a short time.
SoFi set to go public via merger with Palihapitiya’s fourth Spac
The IPO will value SoFi at $8.65 billion.
India plans new bank to support $1.5trn infrastructure revamp
Prime minister Modi is expected to announce the news next month.
How FIs can reduce friction and drive value in the payments system
FIs can help clients proactively identify and respond to potential problems.
Video: Top fintech stories this week – 08 January 2021
FinTech Futures’ weekly news round-up.
Mambu raises €110m to hit €1.7bn valuation
Cloud core banking vendor has raised over €150m since launch.
Customer service start-up Glia lands $78m to help banks and credit unions
The round was led by Shopify and Checkout.com backer Insight Partners.
Trump bans transactions through Chinese apps including Alipay
The applications have 45 days to prepare for the ban.
Orange Bank acquires challenger Anytime to expand SME focus
Anytime to fall under the Orange brand as it looks to scale up for businesses.
JP Morgan in talks with China Merchants Bank over another wealthtech venture
JP Morgan already holds a majority stake in a Chinese venture.
Arab Investment Bank picks fresh batch of Temenos solutions
Egypt-based bank adds to existing portfolio of Temenos products.
HSBC signs multi-year AML partnership with Polish fintech Silent Eight
The bank’s global compliance division will deploy the Silent Eight’s resolution alert system.
Calls for change to LSE in bid to attract more multinational tech firms
The UK’s Investment Association (IA) is asking for the LSE to undergo a “rebranding”.
San Francisco challenger Oxygen raises $17m in Series A
Runa Capital, S7V, EFG Hermes, and Rucker Park, took part in the investment.
Fintech funding deals globally 28 Dec 2020-3 Jan 2021
Featuring Mission Lane, Narmi, Finja, CarPay, and ZipLoan.
Six trends that will change the crypto world in 2021
Which coins will rise in price and which ones will fall?
Israeli remittance fintech Rewire targets one million customers by end of 2021
Rewire currently boasts more than 200,000 European accounts.
UK challenger B-North raises £250,000 and signs deal with Channel 4
Channel 4 signed an advertising-for-equity deal.
Santander: Digital lenders have unfair regulatory advantage post-pandemic
“The pandemic will only entrench the digital players,” says Botín.
eToro plans for a $5 billion US IPO
The broker is eyeing a listing in New York and is already in talks with Goldman Sachs.
Oxbury plans 2021 launch after fresh £15m injection
Challenger bank for farmers receives investment from Duke of Westminster’s estate.
Tamam to launch Saudi Arabia’s first digital microfinance service
Tanam give green light after 18 months of sandbox testing.
Invincible TikTok: why video services are exciting and daunting at the same time
The ethical side of using AI video is becoming an increasingly acute problem today.
Crypto platforms drop support for XRP amid SEC’s Ripple lawsuit
Some crypto exchanges have delisted it while others have halted, suspended, or disabled trading for XRP.
China’s central bank issues Ant Group ultimatum after blocked IPO
The Peoples’ Bank of China wants Ant to overhaul its business or face the consequences.
What the Fintech? Season one | Fintech Jail
Here’s a list of all the buzzwords in our What the Fintech podcast game, “Fintech Jail”.
2020 in review: Top core banking stories
We run down the most interesting core banking stories from this year.
Independent broker-dealers: keep reps and build on fund-family partnerships
Let’s get the lay of the land with a quick industry-evolution review and where it’s left IBDs.
