FinTech


OCBC Bank unveils first standalone mobile payments app

Singapore’s OCBC Bank has launched its first standalone mobile app for QR code cashless payments at nearly 2,500 NETS terminals. The new OCBC Pay Anyone app brings together all its Pay Anyone services – peer-to-peer e-payments, QR code payments, and integration with Siri and iMessage – into one place. Pranav Seth, OCBC Bank’s head of […]

Legacy IT is the least of a bank’s problems

A recent Reuters article explored how companies like Cobol Cowboys make a fortune helping banks who struggle to keep their legacy systems running. But in fact, the real problem is not legacy IT, that’s just a symptom of the root problem in banks… the decision makers.

NCR makes it nice and Eazy for Bahrain’s biometric payments

Bahrain-based Eazy Financial Services will launch the region’s “first” biometric payment network powered by NCR. Consumers will be able to register their fingerprint through any bank linked to Eazy’s network and then use that at any device (ATM or POS) to start a transaction rather than using a card. In the first phase, NCR will […]

Skills over degrees in IBM’s new cybersecurity initiative

IBM Security has launched fintech programmes and partnerships to overcome the projected 1.8 million-person cybersecurity worker shortage and boost its market share. As part of its initiative, IBM is sponsoring alternative education models such as Hacker Highschool and Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH). It is also looking to change traditional hiring models […]

Fintech funding round-up: 30 May 2017

It’s all go for money flow. Our latest fintech funding round-up, featuring NetGuardians, Banco BNI Europa, Raize and Wave. Swiss fraud prevention vendor NetGuardians has reported a Series C investment of CHF 8.5 million ($8.7 million). The investors in this round are Swisscom Ventures and Freemont Management. The financing will be used to fund NetGuardians’ […]

Till left with no part in Barclaycard pocket checkout

Barclaycard has begun trialling a new payment concept that lets consumers scan and pay for their shopping using their smartphone, without the need to visit a physical checkout. Called Grab+Go, it’s the firm’s plan to turn a smartphone into a “pocket checkout”, allowing users to scan the items they want to buy as they pick […]

Malaysia’s central bank unveils fintech sandbox

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the nation’s central bank, has approved four fintech start-ups to operate within its regulatory sandbox. As Banking Technology reported last month, BNM called out to fintech start-ups for ideas to improve the financial services sector. The bank’s Financial Technology Enabler Group (FTEG) announced it was open to concepts through its “Fintech […]

Nasdaq powers Kazakhstan’s new stock exchange

Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) has chosen Nasdaq to power Kazakhstan’s nascent stock exchange, the AIFC Exchange. The exchange is targeted to launch in late-2017 and will initially trade equities and fixed income with other asset classes for future phases. Within the framework of the agreement, the Nasdaq Matching Engine will be implemented and go […]

Lombard Risk still feeling the loss

UK-based regtech and risk management vendor Lombard Risk is still reporting losses in its latest full year results. For the period ended 31 March 2017, pre-tax loss came in at £1.6 million, an improvement on the £2.2 million from the year before. As reported in May 2016, as a result of its loss for 2015/16 […]

Cecabank and Grant Thornton create Spain’s first blockchain banking consortium

Spanish wholesale bank Cecabank and consulting firm Grant Thornton have created the first blockchain consortium in Spain. Called Blockchain Banking Consortium, the project intends to progressively develop the potential of blockchain in the financial sector, and according to the pair it presently comprises 33% of the Spanish banking sector. Luis Pastor, Grant Thornton technology and […]

DLT not yet delightful for Canada’s payment system plan

The results from phase two of Canada’s plan for a blockchain-powered interbank payment system reveal that it still faces many obstacles. The Bank of Canada, Payments Canada, R3 and seven commercial banks, have disclosed their report from Project Jasper, an experimental wholesale interbank payment system. First launched in 2015, the results so far show that, […]

Estonia’s digital banking is for everyone everywhere

Estonia has launched an e-residency programme to let anyone apply to join its new digital nation and register a global EU company that can be managed online from anywhere in the world. This means e-residents don’t have to travel to Estonia in order to access business banking. An EU company with a fully digital EU […]

Android Pay to launch in Canada

Android Pay is set to launch in Canada on 31 May, according to sources that gave news site MobileSyrup internal documents. MobileSyrup says there are still a number of questions that need to be answered regarding the payment service, “including specific bank partners and how setting up the payment platform with a Canadian debit and […]

ASIC boosts Australia’s regtech innovation scene

It’s smiles all around as two fintech groups are welcoming the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) initiative for more regtech innovation. The RegTech Association and FinTech Australia joined forces to welcome the release of the report, “ASIC’s Innovation Hub and our approach to regulatory technology”. This latest bout of happiness follows nicely on from […]

Mizuho ventures deeper into fintech

Japan’s Mizuho Financial Group will start a venture next month to create new fintech businesses and catch up with its rivals, according to Reuters. As Banking Technology reported last month, Mizuho Financial Group, Mizuho Bank and IBM Japan teamed up to build a blockchain-based trade financing platform – and so edged commercialisation ever forward. So […]

HSBC plots to stop rise of the technophobe

A lack of understanding and trust in technology is stalling mainstream adoption of innovative new fintech services, according to HSBC’s research. The bank’s report, “Trust in Technology”, shows that technologies such as fingerprint recognition, voice recognition and robo-advice “hold enormous potential” for uses from bank security to mobile payments and investment advice. John Flint, global […]

Worldpay marks the PoC for VR payments

Researchers at Worldpay are investigating how shoppers can pay using a credit or debit card while remaining within a virtual environment. As part of its real ambitions, the payments firm has created a proof of concept (PoC), with the aim to provide the “same levels of convenience, and security” that shoppers have in-store and online, […]

Payments UK predicts debit cards to overtake cash in 2018

Rapid growth in the use of contactless cards means cash will be overtaken as Britain’s most frequently used payment method by the end of 2018, according to trade association Payments UK (soon to become UK Finance). Despite this surge, its latest forecast still does not herald the demise of cash – even in ten years’ […]

Bank for International Settlements unveils code for special FX

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has unveiled its FX Global Code, a set of global principles promoting good practice in the foreign exchange (FX) market. The code has been developed by a partnership of central banks and market participants from 16 jurisdictions for “integrity and effective functioning”. Many organisations are welcoming the code, such […]

Amsterdam Trade Bank revamps tech with Misys and Sentia

Amsterdam Trade Bank (ATB) is undergoing a major technology overhaul with Misys as a key partner. The bank is implementing Misys’ solutions from the Fusionbanking and Fusioncapital portfolios to modernise its corporate banking, treasury and capital management (TCM) and trade finance operations.

Europe strives to standardise cybersecurity

The EU Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) has joined forces with the semiconductor industry in a bid to improve the continent’s cybersecurity, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). As ever region-wide initiatives such as this tend to be glacial affairs, but this announcement comes at a time when both cyber and physical security are […]

Nasdaq looking cool with Chile CSD tech revamp

Chile’s central securities depository (CSD), Depósito Central de Valores (DCV), has chosen Nasdaq to revamp its technological infrastructure. Under the agreement, Nasdaq’s CSD solution will include trade and instruction management, settlement, custody, corporate event management and registry capabilities; and full coverage for all types of securities and multi-currencies. In addition, it will support settlement with […]

Gemalto bus-ts a move with GDPR double decker delight

Should you hear a vehicle trundling down your litter-strewn UK street don’t all rush out assuming it’s an ice cream van. Calm yourself and your desires for a gigantic calorie-drenched concoction, and instead prepare for Gemalto’s GDPR Clinic. Before you ask WTF? (i.e. what the fintech) – this is payments firm Gemalto and its double […]

Dubai regulator unveils fintech innovation licence to thrill

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) will allow firms to apply for a financial services licence as it seeks to boost innovation in the region. As reported in March, DFSA issued a new consultation paper and proposed its licence plans. The licence, known as an Innovation Testing Licence (ITL), will allow qualifying firms to develop […]

FIS to sell majority interest in litigious Capco consulting business

FIS will sell off its majority ownership stake in Capco to private equity investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), establishing Capco as an independent company. FIS will sell approximately 60% equity interest in Capco, the public brand for its management consulting offering, and receive net cash proceeds of $477 million. Upon closing, FIS will […]

Travelex kills off Supercard

Supercard, a new card and mobile product launched by Travelex and Wirecard last June, is now being sunsetted.

Form3 teams with Apply Financial for payments validation

Form3, a cloud-based fintech firm launched last year, has partnered with payments validation company Apply Financial. The deal enhances Form3’s Payments-as-a-Service platform with “automation services to validate, enrich, and fix single and bulk payments”, Form3 says.

Blockchain and Bitcoin round-up: 24 May 2017

Cut to the chase with this brief blockchain and Bitcoin round-up. Features Waves Platform, Everex and Bitcoin’s price surge. Moscow-based Waves has launched its Euro gateway, which will allow users of the platform to deposit and withdraw Euros directly from within the lite client, holding and trading them directly from their Waves accounts as WEUR […]

Israel Discount Bank implements Linedata Capitalstream platform

Israel Discount Bank of New York (IDBNY) has chosen Linedata’s lending and leasing solution Capitalstream. IDBNY will use Linedata Capitalstream to manage its entire commercial lending origination process and ongoing account monitoring, implemented alongside Linedata Hosting to enable the rapid roll-out of the solution. Louis Turano, SVP of IT, IDBNY, says by implementing both solutions, […]

BBVA launches open banking business

BBVA has unveiled its open banking programme and is making eight of its APIs commercially available for the first time. The launch of BBVA API Market comes after the Spanish bank says it spent more than a year working with developers and businesses to prepare the way the open API service would be delivered. With […]

MyState in core banking system consolidation

Australia-based MyState Bank has moved onto a single core banking platform, replacing two separate installations. The solution is understood to be TCS Bancs from TCS Financial Solutions.

Android Pay launches in Russia

Android Pay has now landed in Russia and can be used with an eligible Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card from a supported bank. The supporting banks are AK BARS, Alfa-Bank, B&N Bank, MTS Bank, Otkritie, Promsvyazbank, Raiffeisen Bank, Rocketbank, Russian Standard Bank, Russian Agricultural Bank, Sberbank, Tinkoff Bank, Tochka, VTB24 and Yandex.Money. There […]

UK challenger CivilisedBank gets banking licence

UK digital bank CivilisedBank has received its banking licence from the Bank of England, paving the way for it to build its infrastructure and launch to customers in early 2018. As Banking Technology reported in June last year, the bank submitted its banking licence application and had planned to open for business in early 2017. […]