CBDCs – miracle money or new world order?
CBDCs promise much, but their cost when it comes to privacy could be dear.
Cash
Employee financial wellness start-up Rain lands $116m in equity and debt
The total funding is made up of a $66 million Series A equity round and a $50 million debt facility.
US, European agencies seize €44m worth of BTC in crypto mixer raid
The law enforcement agencies seized seven terabytes worth of data, consisting of 1909.4 BTC.
Stripe raises $6.5bn in funding at reduced valuation of $50bn
In March 2021, the fintech landed $600 million in funding, confirming a valuation of $95 billion.
US regulators shutter New York’s Signature Bank following SVB collapse
Signature Bank is a large lender in the cryptosphere.
Canada’s Versapay names Carey O’Connor Kolaja as new CEO
O’Connor Kolaja replaces former CEO Craig O’Neill, who is set to move to an advisory role within the firm.
Solving the cybersecurity puzzle
FinTech Futures speaks to City University of London’s Raj Muttukrishnan and Crossword’s Stuart Jubb.
FinTech Futures: Top five stories of the week – 3 February 2023
Here’s our pick of five of the top news stories from the world of finance and tech this week.
US lender Upstart to cut 20% of jobs in bid to return to profitability
Upstart is also suspending development of its small business loan product.
B2B BNPL platform Tranch raises $100m in debt and equity
$5 million have been raised in equity while the rest – $95 million – have been taken on as debt.
PayQuicker appoints Nazuk Jain to lead product development
Jain will build out the firm’s product team and manage its expanding product roadmap.
2022: Top five crypto developments
FinTech Futures takes a look back at some of the year’s top crypto developments and stories.
Getting banked: financial services and the US cannabis industry
We chat with Michael Beird of Infused Banking about how banking is changing for US cannabis businesses.
Binance signals intent to acquire rival crypto exchange FTX
FTX’s CEO wrote on Twitter that a “strategic transaction” has been hashed out with Binance, pending due diligence.
Ampla Technologies acquires B2B BNPL firm Upside Financing
Ampla says the acquisition will open up a B2B BNPL market that is worth an estimated $1 trillion.
DBS and digitalisation: what the West can learn from the East
“Meaningful innovation is the true litmus test,” says DBS’ Shee Tse Koon.
Video: Brim Financial at Sibos 2022 – Card and payments innovation
At Sibos 2022, Brim Financial’s Meenaz Sunderji discusses the evolving retail and corporate card landscape.
Jiko lands $40m Series B, launches T-bill corporate money storage solution
Jiko’s solution provides firms access to spendable T-bills.
Billtrust snapped up by EQT Private Equity in $1.7bn deal
The deal, set to close in Q1 2023, will see Billtrust become a private company.
Lessons from a car that won’t unlock
Based on recent experiences, here are some thoughts on what finance can learn from the auto industry.
The role of the payments industry in saving people and planet
Changing the way we make payments can have a substantial positive impact on our society’s carbon emissions.
What comes after cashless?
Data lies at the heart of the financial services sector’s digital transformation.
Digital makes the world go round: a reflection
We have the tools and resources to do more, and to do better, but more action is needed.
The gathering momentum of CBDCs
CBDCs offer a means for secure digital payments with legal tender status, and no bank account is required.
Wyre partners MoneyGram to allow crypto-to-cash conversion
It’s hoped the integration will address a “major pain point for users” in the crypto ecosystem.
US proptech HomeLight acquires Accept, raises $115m at $1.7bn valuation
The acquisition of Accept will make HomeLight the largest agent-focused cash offer programme in the country.
How CBDCs will transform the way India transacts
The proposed implementation of CBDCs will completely change how the country perceives money.
FinTech Futures: Top five stories of the week – 13 May 2022
Here’s our pick of five of the top news stories from the world of finance and tech this week.
New small business payments platform Hopscotch seeks to make invoicing hassle-free
Hopscotch, founded in June 2021, has raised nearly $10m from 12 investors.
California fintech Point secures $115m Series C to accelerate growth
Point enables homeowners to unlock equity from their homes.
When cash ceases to be king: the rise of innovative payment methods
Digital payment systems have seen explosive growth with many people moving away from cash.
Funding pours into rapidly growing climate fintech scene across Europe and US
Climate fintech start-ups raised $1.2 billion in 2021, according to figures from CommerzVentures.
The outlook for payments in 2022 and beyond
In 2022 we can expect more industry consolidation and further demand for alternative digital payment methods.
Video: fintech news pick of the week – Mynt, Oracle, Standard Bank & more
Our top pick of news from the world of finance and tech in bitesize video format, every week.
Cartoon: Landfill
This new cartoon illustrates how the excess of cash is diminishing the ‘Valley of Death’ for many start-ups.
Sibos 2021 video: SmartStream on cash and liquidity management in difficult times
FinTech Futures interviews Peter Dehaan, new business director for cash and liquidity management at SmartStream.
Have you made these five transformational tweaks to your self-service channel strategy?
A modern ATM fleet equipped with innovative new features and cash recycling technology is essential.
Expense management platform Jeeves secures $57m Series B funding
The new investment takes the start-up’s valuation up to $500 million.
Sightline Payments becomes Nevada unicorn with $244m raise
Sightline closed an earlier $100 million funding round in April.
Money is not a problem
Don’t tell me money is not a problem. It most definitely is a problem. It just isn’t the real problem.
