News


Natixis Asset Management to test blockchain with FundsDLT

Natixis Asset Management has started testing the FundsDLT blockchain-powered platform for fund managers. The FundsDLT concept, announced last December in Luxembourg, is a collaboration between Fundsquare, IT firm InTech and KPMG Luxembourg. The platform will enable asset managers to sell funds through a new distribution channel, while doing all the other usual blockchain stuff – […]

HSBC unveils £10bn fund for UK SMEs

HSBC has launched a £10 billion lending fund for SMEs in the UK as it looks to tap into this lively market. The bank says it continues to be open to lending, having approved 91% of small business lending applications in the last year. Ian Stuart, UK CEO, HSBC, says: “We want to put SMEs […]

Citizens Bank takes a crack at digital revamp with Bottomline

Rhode Island-based Citizens Bank is partnering with Bottomline Technologies to unleash a brand spanking new online and mobile banking platform for its commercial and business banking clients. The new digital banking platform offers a suite of cash management and payment services. The application features simplified transactions; integrated payment workflows; user personalisation with self-service capabilities; and […]

Blockchain fuels IBM and Standard Chartered insurance policy pilot

American International Group (AIG), IBM and Standard Chartered have piloted the “first” multinational, smart contract based insurance policy using blockchain. The trio converted a controlled master policy written in the UK, and three local policies in the US, Singapore and Kenya, into a smart contract that provides a shared view of policy data and documentation […]

White paper: GDPR – banks, breaches and billion euro fines

The European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) introduces 72-hour breach notification requirements along with severe regulatory fines and consumers and affected third parties now have the right to sue organisations responsible for data breaches.

Voice is a natural step in the technology evolution – Amazon

If there is any doubt in which direction the technology world will head next, its being brushed aside by Amazon Web Services (AWS); voice is the natural progression. Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication) reports. Speaking at TechXLR8 in London, David Low, “principal evangelist” at Amazon Alexa EU, highlighted that the voice user interface will be […]

Monese debuts direct debits to challenge traditional banks

Mobile-only bank Monese has unveiled direct debit functionality for its customers – a move designed to offer services closer to that of a traditional high street bank account. Alongside this, it has also gained access to Faster Payments, so customers can send funds to accounts outside or within the UK with a “quicker transfer”. In […]

Fiserv the Architect for Affinity Plus digital banking revamp

Minnesota-based Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union has selected Fiserv’s Architect platform for a digital banking overhaul. The credit union will use Architect to help its online and mobile customers in branches, over the phone, and through digital channels. Dave Larson, president and CEO, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, says Fiserv has “the size and expertise […]

Dutch regulator fines International Card Services €2.4m

The Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) is fining International Card Services (ICS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of ABN Amro, for excessive credit limits. In March 2017, ICS says it took the initiative itself and prepared a compensation plan for the clients concerned. ICS will pay the €2.4 million fine imposed by the AFM. Which […]

UK regulator reveals second wave of sandbox start-ups

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has unveiled the second wave of firms that have made it into its regulatory sandbox. As reported in 2015, the sandbox allows businesses to test out new products and services without “incurring the normal regulatory consequences”. The move is part of the FCA’s Project Innovate, which aims to boost […]

CFPB Seeks Comment on Proposed Changes to Prepaid Rule

The CFPB has issued a request for comment on proposed changes to its final rule on prepaid accounts that would adjust requirements for resolving errors on unregistered accounts and provide greater flexibility for credit cards linked to digital wallets.

Circle rounds on rivals with free cross-border payments

Payments services provider Circle is offering its customers in the US, UK and Europe the ability to send and receive money across borders with no fees and no mark-up on foreign exchange (FX) rates. The firm says it is “just like sending email or sharing photos” – meaning it’s “free and instant”. There will be […]

Warburg Pincus buys stake in Avaloq

Private equity (PE) firm Warburg Pincus has acquired a 35% shareholding in Avaloq from existing shareholders – with the deal a first step towards a potential public listing. The transaction values Avaloq in excess of CHF 1 billion ($1 billion). Detailed financial terms are not being disclosed, but Francisco Fernandez, CEO at Avaloq, retains a […]

AI will make humans redundant in security, but that’s a good thing

If security is too big a question for us to answer, maybe it’s time to hand the responsibility over to the machines, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). During a panel at “AI and Machine Learning World”, part of tech event TechXLR8 in London, artificial intelligence (AI) was discussed. What might seem quite a controversial […]

Banks facing fines totalling €4.7bn under GDPR

Consult Hyperion is forecasting that European financial institutions could face fines totalling €4.7 billion in the first three years under the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The report, “GDPR: Banks, Breaches and Billion Euro Fines”, which was commissioned by security firm AllClear ID, is a “conservative” forecast and excludes compensation claims, costs associated with […]

Infographic: financial institutions optimistic for first UK CRS filing

An online survey carried out amongst our readers in the run up to the UK’s first Common Reporting Standard (CRS) submission has found respondents largely optimistic about how their first transmittal would go; were appreciative of the support given to them by their IT departments and thought that HMRC and OECD had done a good job in communicating with them. Their primary concerns were their ability to pull data from their internal systems and keeping up with compliance.

Singapore’s diamond trading takes a shine to blockchain

Singapore Diamond Investment Exchange (SDiX) has teamed with Kynetix and Everledger to trial the “first-ever” blockchain verification and record-keeping service for diamond trading. SDiX, Kynetix, a physical commodity digitisation firm, and Everledger, a supplier of blockchain and distributed ledger (DLT) infrastructure, have completed the first part of their proof of concept. The technology is designed […]

Finastra heads to IBM cloud for digital banking

Fintech titan Finastra is turning to IBM to power its banking operations with cloud and cognitive technologies. As reported yesterday (14 June), Misys and DH Corporation (D+H) joined forces to create Finastra, the third largest financial services technology company in the world. With Finastra now officially alive and kicking, it’s wasted no time in showing […]

Yes Bank and TerraPay tap into India’s migrant market

Mobile payments switch TerraPay has partnered with Yes Bank to enable real-time international money transfers to bank accounts in India – with the Indian migrant market firmly in their sights. TerraPay provides its clearing and settlement service, and via a “Rupee Drawing Arrangement”, its network partners can make the transfers to bank accounts in the […]

European Banking Federation wants fintech at overclock speed

Responding to the European Union (EU) consultation on fintech, the European Banking Federation (EBF) wants the creation of an inclusive ecosystem and asks for people to get on with it. Earlier this year, the EC called for feedback and said it wanted to prise open national barriers as only 7% of consumers currently buy financial […]

2017 Pay Awards Results Are In

Today, June 14, Paybefore reveals the Best-in-Category winners in 21 categories and the two recipients of its highest individual recognition, Industry Achievement, for the 2017 Pay Awards.

Fintech billionaire wolf whistles during meeting to address sexism

The career of an elderly billionaire lies in tatters after he decided that a meeting to address sexism in the fintech industry was the right time to wolf whistle at the crowd and boast about his sexual exploits. David Blooperman, CEO and founder of identity and internet of things service provider ID-IOT, was invited to […]

Bahrain’s central bank creates sandbox for fintech start-ups

The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) has announced new regulations to create a regulatory sandbox for fintech start-ups and firms to test and experiment their banking ideas and solutions. The framework provides a “virtual space” and it is open to existing CBB licensees and other local and foreign firms. The testing duration is nine months, […]

Australia and Hong Kong get it on for fintech innovation

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) have signed a co-operation agreement for financial innovation. Both parties play up their “already close ties” and the Australia-Hong Kong trade and investment relationship “more broadly”. ASIC says Hong Kong is Australia’s seventh most important destination for services exports, valued […]

Swift unveils new instant payments solution for Europe

Swift has launched an instant payments messaging solution for the European market, offering a single gateway to multiple systems, and available by November 2018. According to Swift, this latest development builds on its earlier deal in Australia. In 2015, it was awarded the contract to deliver the messaging infrastructure to underpin Australia’s new payments platform, […]

Misys and D+H merge to launch fintech titan Finastra

Misys and DH Corporation (D+H) have joined forces to create Finastra, the third largest financial services technology company in the world. As reported in March, D+H was acquired by Vista Equity Partners for $3.6 billion. The venture capital firm, which owns UK-based banking software vendor Misys, beat rival Advent International to acquire D+H. Finastra will […]

Ghana’s Premium Bank opts for NetGuardians’ anti-fraud solution

Ghana-based Premium Bank has selected NetGuardians’ anti-fraud solution FraudGuardian. FraudGuardian uses a “patented big data model to correlate and analyse human behaviours across the entire bank system including eBanking, service channels, IT systems and financial transactions”. The firm says it can help banks prevent fraud in a proactive manner. FraudGuardian will integrate with the Temenos […]