Robo advice start-up Six Park closes $1.5m capital raise
Melbourne-based robo-adviser Six Park has closed a $1.5 million capital raise from a powerful group of investors that includes a former finance minister.
China is behind the latest Bitcoin craze
Bitcoin had a great 2016. The cryptocurrency rallied 120% to $952, and is threatening to break the $1,000 mark for the first time. While Bitcoin has seen a consistent bid throughout the year, its 57% gain (in US dollar terms) over the past three months has been particularly impressive. So what’s behind the move? China. In his latest edition of “Greed & Fear,” CLSA’s Christopher Wood notes, “Daily turnover in Shanghai-based BTC China, the world’s largest bitcoin exchange by volume, has risen from around Rmb1bn in late September to a peak of Rmb27.8bn on 22 December and Rmb16.4bn on Wednesday (see Figure 11) while the Bitcoin price has risen by […]
The price of bitcoin is at a 2016 high
The price of cryptocurrency bitcoin has passed its 2016 peak in recent days, with some market commentators taking it as a sign of fears about global growth in 2017. Bitcoin has hit $807 on Wednesday at just after 11.13 a.m. GMT (6.13 a.m. ET). It is the first time bitcoin has been above $800 this year and represents a fresh peak from June’s high of $775: The June high came after a spike in the price of the cryptocurrency following Britain’s shock vote to leave the European Union on June 28th. However, within a month of the $775 high, the price of bitcoin fell bellow $600 again. It began steadily […]
Upstart fintechs learn to live with industry ‘elders’
As 2016 closes, the relationship between legacy institutions and fintech companies has reached another turning point. Fintech, the brash upstart, was initially intent on dominance through total disruption, but it now has a grudging respect for the scale, if not the agility, of the industry’s decades-old incumbents. If phase one was all-out disruption, the dominant feature of phase two has been collaboration, with phase three likely to be some kind of hybrid model. The hype that lasted several years has been diluted by a recognition that most fintech companies operate in a small, targeted niche of the financial services value chain, with very few aiming to take over the entire […]
Google Wallet launches web app for payments
Just in time for Christmas, Google has released its new Google Wallet web app, allowing users to send and receive money via their browser. Google’s new platform doesn’t require money transfer recipients to have the app to receive payments. Cash can be sent to a friend’s email address or phone number and they can then transfer the balance to their bank account without having to install the app. However, senders must link their debit card to their Google account and have access to a browser in order to process the transaction. Google relaunched its tap-and-pay Google Wallet app as a peer-to-peer payment solution last year. The new web app is […]
A broken chain of investment providers: why investors pay the price
by Doug Morris, CEO, Sharesight Buying food from a shop is so simple, it’s something many of us take for granted – but it doesn’t have to be. Instead of taking say, a carton of eggs to the checkout, imagine having to first ask the farmer if they’re free-range or caged, the grader for the size and quality, the Food Standards board for nutritional information, and (finally) the shop for the price. Investors face a similar proposition every day. Crucial information such as performance data, tax reporting, share dividends, corporate actions, and cost bases are spread across online brokers, share registrars, investment platforms, wraps and even old-fashioned spreadsheets. Bringing these […]
Invapay partner with ANZ to deliver payment innovation to clients
UK based Invapay and ANZ (Australia and New Zealand Banking Group) announce that they are working together to deliver automated payments innovation to their business customers. ANZ’s vision to use technology and innovation to help solve the payment challenges faced by CFO’s has been realised by utilising Invapay’s cloud based automated payment platform. Invapay complements ANZ’s existing corporate product portfolio. In the absence of any development and integration work, the association made good sense and was easy to achieve. Adam Grant, Head of Transaction Banking, ANZ Australia had this to say of the association: “Working with Invapay has enabled ANZ to deliver a proven payables solution which allows our customers […]
ASIC lets the fintech start-ups out of the sandbox
The corporate regulator will today release its eagerly anticipated regulatory “sandbox” policy for fintech companies, enabling start-ups to test their products and services for a limited period without having to hold an Australian financial services license. ASIC released a consultation paper in June and has now completed its regulatory guidance, with commissioner John Price set to cut the ribbon. As with all these processes, the fintech industry hasn’t got everything it wanted. However, the final version from an industry perspective is said to be an improvement on the draft, putting in place a sound platform for future improvements. For a start, the AFS licensing exemption is believed to have been […]
