Sony Bank launches online account for Japan’s foreign residents
Japanese bank pushes digital-only account for branch-shy immigrants.
Digital
South Korea’s KB Kookmin Bank to launch cryptocurrency custody service
The bank filed a trademark application at the end of January.
Phyre secures $1.7m to develop its e-wallet in Bulgaria
The fintech works with two major telcos in Bulgaria.
Tink completes €15.5m acquisition of Eurobits
The move is part of Tink’s growth strategy for 2020 and beyond.
Stripe leads $20m Series A into ecommerce checkout service Fast
Jumping from a $2.5 million raise to a $20 million investment in a few months is fast.
Fintech powerhouse: Understanding the rise of Singapore
Singapore has emerged as a global magnet for fintech entrepreneurs.
How enterprise architecture can help the financial sector transform
The transformation of traditional banks is centred on customer experience, tech and data.
Video: Top fintech stories this week – 27 March 2020
FinTech Futures’ weekly news round-up.
Meri Williams steps down as CTO of Monzo
It is not clear who is taking up Williams CTO responsibilities.
Cash flow firm Plastiq raises $75m in Series D funding round
Plastiq has raised more than $140m in funding since its founding in 2012.
Patch Homes rebrands to Noah & offers assistance for homeowners
It’s offering all new customers $1,000 at closing and waiving fees for existing customers.
Pleo offers new customers free services until July amid coronavirus
“With this uncertainty set to rumble on […] Pleo wanted to do something to help.”
The need to offer personalisation in financial research
It needs to be disseminated in a customised manner to provide personalised insights for clients.
Canadian financial planner Finally to launch in May
“People don’t want to tell strangers how bad they’re doing with their finances,” says founder.
N26 expects 70% of bank branches to disappear in 10 years
The coronavirus is accelerating a permanent change in consumer behaviour, says N26.
UK auto-saving app Chip lands authorisation from FCA
The app has seen an influx of savers using its platform as of late.
Love in the time of COVID-19
Amazing teams have teams that care. That’s how leadership works. It’s a team sport.
Australian telco ZipTel buys up challenger bank Douugh
Douugh uses AI to help customers get better insights on their money.
Brex acquires trio of San Francisco start-ups
Neji, Landria, and Compose Labs all brought under the Brex umbrella
Dublin start-up My Money Jar lands investment from Enterprise Ireland
The fintech has raised a total of $1.4 million.
Russia’s PM introduces new bill for fintech sandboxes
These new sandboxes will be subject to lighter regulations.
Coronavirus crisis forces the EU to redraw its digital strategy
Working remotely is also causing considerable strain on the EU’s IT system.
Survey: Corporate Banking & APIs – the state of play
Are there concrete API plans and strategies in place? We’d greatly appreciate your input in this survey.
Draft coronavirus stimulus bill considers ‘digital dollar’ to help unbanked
House Democrats have drafted a bill which, if enacted, would create a ‘digital dollar’.
A look under the hood of ABN Amro’s internal Covid-19 operations
The bank admits there were some VPN teething issues.
Erste Bank Hungary integrates OneSpan into mobile banking
The bank hopes to keep transactions secure and comply with PSD2.
Aussie challenger Xinja lands $255m from Emirates’ World Investments
Xinja will receive the bulk of the investment over 24 months.
Hong Kong’s first virtual bank opens its digital doors
Za Bank launches with incumbent-challenging interest rate.
Revolut heads stateside with US launch
The London-based unicorn expands to North America.
UK contactless limit raised to £45 to prevent coronavirus cash handling
“The changes were already under consideration by the industry,” says UK Finance
Jumia steps in to assist Africa amid rising coronavirus numbers
Jumia will help various African governments distribute masks to hospitals.
HSBC joins Alibaba to offer Hong Kong’s online merchants quick loans
This is the first time HSBC will use third-party data to approve trade finance loans.
Fronted, 11:FS and Credit Kudos create ‘Covid Credit’ for self-employed
Covid Credit uses open banking data to help the self-employed get income relief.
National Bank of Canada migrates Murex system to Amazon Web Services
Major Canadian bank shifts MX.3 to the Amazon cloud.
Will Asia’s Big Tech European expansion stick?
Asia’s mega funding rounds make Europe’s look like child play.
Are enhanced security procedures more important than faster payments?
The industry is doing all it can to fulfil the SCA requirements laid out by the EBA.
World Bank issues $300m loan to boost Indonesian financial sector
International bank seeks to support Indonesian fintech and banks.
Goldman Sachs becomes part of SAP’s Ariba Network
More than 4.6 million companies make up the Ariba Network.
Path Solutions signs Somalian challenger MyBank for iMAL core
Path Solutions says it now has a “stronger focus” on the Somali market.
ID Finance’s revenues hit $86.6m across Spain, Brazil and Mexico
“Despite macroeconomic volatility, the company plans to continue its growth,” says CEO.
