Partnerships


Fujitsu to trial blockchain payments with three Japanese banks

Fujitsu will work with Mizuho Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) to conduct a joint field trial of a person-to-person (P2P) money transfer service using blockchain. The trial will begin in January 2018 and last for about three months. Fujitsu says it has already initiated development of the […]

Tascet teams with Secured2 to launch Algo5 data security offering

Identification technology company Tascet is partnering with Secured2 to launch a new data security offering. The product, Algo5, aims to protect data against both internal and external breaches, hacks, and disasters, reports Julie Muhn at Finovate (Banking Technology‘s sister company). The new data storage solution combines Tascet’s SuperToken, which verifies a user’s identity, with Secured2’s Beyond Encryption, […]

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 6 October 2017

Blockchain funding, Pubcoin blockchain rewards programme, network and technology sharing and platform test launching. Our latest blockchain and Bitcoin round-up features Anryze, Leanpub, MicroMoney, Karma and Zilliqa.

Temenos teams with MuleSoft to accelerate open banking

Banking software provider Temenos has teamed up with Mulesoft, a platform provider for building application networks. The move is intended to break down barriers to the open banking initiative by facilitating API connections, reports Julie Muhn at Finovate (Banking Technology’s sister publication). As a part of the partnership, Temenos will develop a core banking adaptor […]

Central banking and fintech: a brave new world?

This is a moment to celebrate 20 years of independence during which the Bank of England has been a stabilising force for the UK economy, inspiring others in the world of central banking.

Singapore and Thailand mull digital payments alliance

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Bank of Thailand are in discussions about connecting their national digital payment systems as officials step up efforts to curb the use of cash, according to Bloomberg. The link would bring together Southeast Asia’s first national digital payment platforms, Singapore’s PayNow and Thailand’s PromptPay, says Naphongthawat Phothikit, […]

Singapore sets Phase 2 to stun for blockchain inter-bank payments

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) say that the consortium which they are leading has developed software prototypes for improved payments on blockchain. The prototypes included three different models for decentralised inter-bank payments and settlements with liquidity savings mechanisms. The project, conducted together with 11 financial institutions […]

Hey big lender! Finastra, R3 and seven banks have blockchain plan

Finastra, R3 and seven banks – including BNP Paribas, BNY Mellon, HSBC, ING and State Street – are working together to create a blockchain-fuelled online marketplace for the syndicated loan market. Underpinned by Corda, R3’s distributed ledger technology (DLT) based platform, Fusion LenderComm exposes real-time credit agreement, accrual balances, position information and transaction data to […]

Standard Chartered takes TradeIX and Infor route for digital trade finance drive

Standard Chartered is using TradeIX’s TIX blockchain platform and Infor’s GT Nexus Commerce Network for two separate digitalisation efforts in trade finance. The TradeIX platform enabled Standard Chartered’s unnamed client to “help its customers increase their payment terms whilst maintaining the company’s receivables at current terms”. The financing was offered by Standard Chartered with credit […]

Fintech funding round-up: 5 October 2017

Four of the latest stories in one for a fast fintech funding round-up. Features SalaryFinance, Featurespace, Worldpay, Invoke Capital, ESF Capital and ThinCats.

IBM teams with big banks for blockchain-powered trade finance platform

Tech giant IBM has partnered with five banks – UBS, Bank of Montreal, CaixaBank, Commerzbank and Erste Group – to launch a blockchain-based trade finance platform. The new platform, called Batavia, is built to be accessed by organisations of all sizes anywhere in the world.

Voleo and Nasdaq to launch equity trading competition

Social investing platform Voleo has teamed up with Nasdaq to launch its Voleo Equity Trading Competition – with winning investors and investing teams getting $10,000 in real cash portfolios, reports David Penn at Finovate (Banking Technology‘s sister company). “The goals of the competition are to improve financial literacy, to break down the knowledge barrier, and […]

Snapsheet and KeyBank form virtual duet for insurance claims

Snapsheet, a virtual claims insurtech provider, is partnering with KeyBank for the launch of Snapsheet Transactions, a payment solution for insurance claims. Instead of insurance carriers sending claimants a cheque in the mail once a claim is settled, Snapsheet Transactions provides carriers a hub for issuing claims and expense payments. CJ Przybyl, president of Snapsheet, […]

OCBC Bank, HSBC and MUFG in KYC blockchain breakthrough

OCBC Bank, HSBC and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), together with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), has become the “first consortium” in South East Asia to complete a proof of concept for a know your customer (KYC) blockchain. The parties say the development “raises the possibility” of using blockchain to make KYC “more efficient […]

Banco Santander makes Mioti move for IoT education

Banco Santander, through Santander Universities and Fundación Universia, will work with internet of things (IoT) institute Mioti to provide training grants and courses in the growing IoT sector. Madrid-based Mioti, “the first 100% IoT institute in Spain”, is a place for companies, entrepreneurs and start-ups to develop their ideas. Banco Santander becomes one of four […]

Banking Technology October 2017 issue out now

Oh brave new world! Where transparency reigns. The latest edition of our flagship magazine – Banking Technology – is out now, packed with news, analysis and insights, case studies, research and expert commentary.

Timex and Barclaycard collaborate to create contactless payment watch

Timex and Barclaycard have partnered in true style to produce a new range of contactless payment watches. The Fairfield Contactless promises to be a perfect fusion of style and smart functionality. Coming in at a retail price of £159, it’s all about the leather bPay embedded strap, which brings wearable technology to the wrist. bPay […]

Fintechs – friends or foes?

Visa employees have a saying that “cash is our biggest competitor.” Mightier threats, however, are looming.

SEB and Nasdaq working on blockchain prototype for Swedish mutual fund market

Swedish financial services group SEB and Nasdaq are working on a joint project to test a developed prototype for a mutual fund trading platform based on Chain’s blockchain ledger. The aim is to increase efficiency in the processing of purchases and sales of fund units and to create a unit ledger – an area which […]

CK Hutchison and Ant Financial form JV for Hong Kong payments plan

Conglomerate CK Hutchison and Ant Financial have formed a joint venture (JV) to offer a digital wallet under the AlipayHK brand, with the aim to integrate online and offline payments in Hong Kong. Ant Financial says AlipayHK got over 100,000 active users in the first two weeks after its launch last May. The mobile app […]

R3 and TradeIX plan open account trade finance DLT network

Enterprise software firm R3 and trade finance specialist TradeIX are developing an end-to-end open account trade finance business network which will be powered by TradeIX and R3’s Corda distributed ledger platform. The initiative is a joint undertaking between the duo, and 12 financial institutions including Bangkok Bank, Barclays, BBVA, Bladex, BNP Paribas, Commerzbank, CTBC Bank, […]

Japanese banks to launch new national digital currency

A consortium of Japanese banks has confirmed they are to launch a new national digital currency in time for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. As Banking Technology reported last week, there was talk about plans to establish this currency by 2020. At that time, the name was mooted to be J-Coin. Now, and according to the […]

Kasasa rolls out Kasasa Loans

Fintech and marketing services company Kasasa unveiled its newest offering, Kasasa Loans, which lets consumers pay ahead to reduce debt and take that extra money back if they need it.

FinovateFall 2017: a look back at the four-day flow

Adding a pair of discussion days to Finovate’s traditional demo days format, has made it that much easier for FinovateFall attendees to answer the question perennial post-conference question: “So. What did you think?”

Bankart and Nets to deliver new payments infrastructure to Slovenian banking sector

Bankart and Nordic payments processor Nets will provide the Slovenian banking sector with a new payments central infrastructure to handle both SEPA Credit Transfers (SCT) non-urgent and SCT instant credit transfers. The duo has signed an agreement where Nets will deploy and operate an instant payments solution for Bankart via Nets’ RealTime24/7 solution. The latter […]

SEI and Coinfirm concur for blockchain-powered asset transfers

Wealth management firm SEI is partnering with London-based blockchain company Coinfirm as they plan to tap into the UK’s asset transfer market. Coinfirm and the SEI Wealth Platform will use digital ledger technology (DLT) – and as with 99.9% of comments on any blockchain project, SEI says its solution will reduce costs and risks. Brett […]

Interview: Aleksey Chubar, VTB – leading a fintech revolution in Russia

If you’ve got preconceptions about what fintech looks like and where it’s happening, then Aleksey Chubar, head of digital transformation at VTB, has news for you. Russia is becoming a hotbed of fintech innovation – not just domestically, but internationally too. More than that, the rapid pace of technological change in the country means you’ll soon wonder how you got left behind.

Doreming brings it for Lien Viet Post Bank retail banking ambitions

Doreming, a Japanese financial inclusion firm, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Lien Viet Post Bank to build a solution for managing and paying wages to workers in Vietnam through the bank’s Vien Viet non-physical card. Doreming provides businesses with an HR platform that enables workers to receive pro-rata payments, “easing cash flow […]

Bank of Baroda teams with Amazon for SME lending

India’s second largest bank, Bank of Baroda, has got itself an “exclusive” micro lending partnership with Amazon. The bank says through this partnership it is running a process for underwriting Amazon sellers “who would traditionally not be able to procure a line at formal financial institutions”. The deal is part of the bank’s ambitions to […]

Fintech alliance round-up: 15 September 2017

The power of love, a force from above, cleaning my soul – flame on burn desire, love with tongues of fire, purge the soul, make fintech alliances your goal. Our latest cuddly round-up features the Securities Commission Malaysia, Dubai Financial Services Authority, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Taiwan Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. The Securities Commission Malaysia […]

BitFlyer competes for Japanese Bankers Association’s blockchain experiment attention

Tokyo-based Bitcoin exchange BitFlyer has been selected as a partner vendor to provide an experimental environment for the Japanese Bankers Association’s “collaborative blockchain platform”. BitFlyer’s proprietary blockchain technology – Miyabi – will be used and the platform is scheduled to begin operation in October. Miyabi is a private blockchain “exclusively” for enterprise users. The experiment […]