View profile

Global FinTech News - 22nd of January

Global FinTech News - 22nd of January
By Holland FinTech  • Issue #82 • View online
Hello dear reader,
This week has been marked by the official inauguration of Joe Biden as US president and his mission to begin reshuffling top office positions at various US financial regulators. Furthermore, ecommerce and fintech pioneer Jack Ma resurfaced after his disappearance from the public eye two months ago.
In the meantime, we invite you to dive into your four favorite categories of fintech news that keep you up to speed with the latest developments - news, funding rounds, research reports, to analysis and opinions on fintech, regtech, insurtech, lending, payments and much more….
As for our Flash Friday edition of today, our Founder & CEO, Don Ginsel, explored the latest on fintech and open banking with Bas van Marissing, Commercial & Product Manager at YTS Technology Services. Check out the video recording here.
From the Holland FinTech Team, we wish you an amazing weekend ahead!

Highlights from last weeks news related to fintech
Much news from fintech this week. M&A, investments, collaborations, Cloud computing, and regulations. Dive into our selection:
  • Douyin, TikTok’s Chinese version, recently added “Douyin Pay” to its list of existing payment options
  • Bitpanda, a crypto-broker, announced it is taking pre-orders for a new Visa debit card that combines all assets like cryptocurrencies, fiat and precious metals into one card in real time
  • The European Committee & the ECB are partnering up in order to investigate the policy, legal and technical implications of the possible launch of a digital euro
  • According to the People’s Bank of China, Ant Group has set up a working group to overcome the regulatory requirements which stopped the launch of its initial public offering (IPO)
  • Sweden’s five largest banks are formalizing an information sharing pact in cooperation with the police to develop a more formal framework for collaboration and governance
  • BlackRock, a US / multinational investment management corporation, announced its plans to add bitcoin as eligible investment to two funds
  • Goldman Sachs is going on an acquisition spree in order to bulk up its consumer banking unit Marcus, after the firm slowed loan and deposit growth due to Covid-19
  • Plaid announced that they are going to more than double its European workforce from 40 to 100 employees by the end of 2021
  • Checkout.com, a platform which integrates electronic payments, analytics and fraud monitoring into one platform, becomes Europe’s top fintech unicorn
Read more about this news HERE.
hollandfintech.com  •  Share
The largest funding rounds we found from across the world
New deals, new investments, new transactions… We explore the latest funding rounds from fintech and bring you the most relevant ones below, from 13th to 20th January:
  • MX (Lehi, US), a money experience company, raised $300 million (€247.7m) in a Series C funding round
  • Blend (San Francisco, US), a provider of digital lending solutions, closed a $300m (€247.7m) Series G funding round
  • Nucleus Commercial Finance (London, UK), an online balance sheet lender, reports that it has secured a £200 million (€225.7m) funding line
  • PPRO (London, UK), a global provider of local payments infrastructure, raised over US $180m (€148.6m) in new funding
  • LendingPoint (Atlanta, US), a financial technology platform, received a $125m (€103.24m) equity investment from Warburg Pincus
  • Figure Technologies (San Francisco, US), blockchain-based startup for providing loans against mortgage equity, has received $100 million (€82.5m) from JPMorgan
  • Creditshelf (Frankfurt, Germany) needs to add debt financing (the company received EUR 40 million debt financing from Amsterdam Trade Bank)
  • Other interesting founding rounds that we selected: Swimlane (€33.04m), Moss (€21m), Twisto (€16m), Mosaic (€15.28m), LeoCare (€15m), Prometheum (€12.39m), Own Up (€9.91m), Nayya (€9.08m), Arca (€8.26m), Perenna (€8.2m)
Read more about this funding news HERE.
hollandfintech.com  •  Share
A selection of recent research reports and papers worth reading
Crunch the latest stats and numbers from fintech with the white papers, reports and research studies below:
  • “What will drive the journey towards cashlessness and digitalisation?” (Finextra & HPS) - this research explores why the current market shift pinpoints towards a cashless and digital economy
  • “Overview of the fintech industry: stats, trends, and companies in the ecosystem market research report” (Business Insider) - with the rise of fintech activity and disruptive technologies in financial services, consumers are also turning to digital methods of managing their finances
  • “Global Digital Trust Insights 2021” (PwC) - the results of this survey, which gathered data from over 3,249 business and technology executives around the world, highlight what’s changing and what’s next in cybersecurity
  • “Lessons From The Failed Chatbot Revolution — And 7 Industries Where The Tech Is Making A Comeback” (CB Insights) - this analysis explores the primary underlying reasons for the rapid fallout of chatbots within BigTech
  • “ESG Legal Outlook 2021” (Linklaters) - it is expected by fintech and regulatory experts that the pace on all matters environmental, social and governance (ESG) will continue to accelerate in 2021
  • “Singapore Fintech Report 2021: Blockchain Dominates Singapore’s Fintech Scene” (Fintech Singapore) - this study looks at the state of the fintech industry in Singapore, highlighting the key developments made in 2020 that are set to shape the industry for the year to come
  • “5G Outlook Series: Enabling Inclusive Long-term Opportunities” (World Economic Forum & PwC) - this report concludes the 5G Outlook Series of publications in 2020 that have been analysing the role of 5G in the short, medium and long term in the context of the pandemic and the economic crisis.
  • “Why the potential end of cash is about more than money” (EY) - with banks rejoicing at the prospect of a cashless society, the rise of a digital economy imposes questions around identity and inclusion
  • “Findings from the INNOPAY Open Insurance Monitor: front-running insurers and banks are making inroads” (INNOPAY) - with insurers encouraged by the fact that digital ecosystems contribute to value creation in other industries, many businesses are on the lookout for capitalizing on these insights in their own sector
  • “The Global Risks Report 2021” (World Economic Forum & Marsh) - this report presents the effect of Covid-19, with various geopolitical and societal consequences
Read more about the research papers and download the pdf’s HERE.
hollandfintech.com  •  Share
Background information and insights from opinion leaders and experts
Curious to find out the latest voices of the fintech industry? Look at the latest opinions and expectations from the industry:
  • “SEC charges against Ripple face criticism” via Bobsguide.com - the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) latest charges against Ripple pinpoints new measurements taken by regulators to supervise the crypto sphere
  • “What’s Next For Fintech Infrastructure After Visa And Plaid Call It Off” via Forbes - Lindsay Davis, Head of Markets at Atomic, explores the consequences for the fintech world after the Visa and Plaid agreement failed to happen
  • “Understanding the three key trends in SME banking for 2021” via Fintech Futures - Tomer Guriel, CEO at Ezbob, explores what 2021 has in store for the UK’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they build towards recovery
  • “Private Capital Markets Present the “Greatest Opportunities” for Tokenized Digital Assets, According to Industry Professionals” via Crowdfund Insider - in this analysis researchers have identified several emerging business models that “hold promise” by leveraging the potential benefits of blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT)
  • “The payments ecosystem isn’t fit for the pandemic recovery economy” via AltFi - Luke Massie, CEO of VibePay, highlights that with the rise of the Passion Economy comes a more prominent role for the payments industry, with clear disruptive effects
  • “Treasury’s digital revolution: How corporates can ensure stability in uncertain economic conditions” via Global Banking & Finance Review - in an interview with Frank Nicolaisen, UniCredit’s Head of Global Transaction Banking, Americas, it is explored how Covid-19 put pressure on corporates to upgrade their treasury infrastructure and what solutions can be undertaken
  • “Fintechs competing unfairly with banks, Dimon says” via American Banker - Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO, warns fintech upstarts that are doing business unfairly
  • “Why neobanks have refocused from skyrocketing growth to reaching profitability” via Finextra - Ricardo Falter, Associate Royal Parks Partners, highlights that neobanks are shifting their aim, and focusing on reaching profitability rather than chasing expansion
Read more about these analyses & opinion pieces HERE.
hollandfintech.com  •  Share
Connect with the fintech ecosystem at some of the upcoming events
Holland FinTech’s Founder & CEO, Don Ginsel, presents Flash Friday – a weekly live show that brings you the latest fintech news and developments! On 29th January, 09:30, Don will be joined by Douwe Lycklama, Founding Partner at INNOPAY, to co-host the show. Together, the hosts will discuss what is happening in the world of fintech and answering questions from Holland FinTech members.
Register HERE.
hollandfintech.com  •  Share
Open Banking MENA Digi-Conference - 25th January
The banking sector has been impacted in its earnings due to the global pandemic. Coupled with increased competition from financial technology companies who are increasingly expanding products and financial services to banking customers in ways traditional banks are not able to due to regulations.
Register HERE.
hollandfintech.com  •  Share
Frankfurt Digital Finance - 3rd February
Frankfurt Digital Finance connects the people and companies shaping the future of the European finance industry.
Register HERE.
hollandfintech.com  •  Share
Big Tech Event UK & EMEA: Transform Finance - 3rd-4th February
This event brings together senior leaders from the banking and insurance sectors to discuss economic recovery, technology innovations, big data, AI and ML.
Register HERE.
transformfinance.media  •  Share
Finnovex East Africa - 9th-10th February
Finnovex East Africa will discuss the roles of banking and non-banking institutions, financial organizations, investment firms, fintech companies, and other stakeholders in developing incentives to the paradigm shift in this sector.
Register HERE.
hollandfintech.com  •  Share
Future of Finance & CFO Summit - 16th-17th February
he 2021 Future of Finance and CFO Summit will be going virtual – 100% online! The event will not only ensure you meet like-minded finance professionals, but give you the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts from CFOs and finance leaders.
Register HERE.
www.ssonetwork.com  •  Share
Ready to get involved? Click here to find out more.
Did you enjoy this issue?

Global Fintech News

If you don't want these updates anymore, please unsubscribe here.
If you were forwarded this newsletter and you like it, you can subscribe here.
Powered by Revue
Amsterdam