First Growth Funds raises funds for blockchain
Investment company First Growth Funds (ASX:FGF) has announced it will raise $3.45 million to expand into the blockchain sector. The company has agreed to issue more than 282 million shares to Australian and international investors, representing just under 25 per cent of the issued share capital of the company. The placement is led by blockchain technology company Blockchain Global which will hold 10 per cent of the issued capital on completion of the placement. The partnership with Blockchain Global is expected to provide strategic deals for blockchain-related investment opportunities. To read more, please click on the link below… Source: First Growth Funds raises funds for blockchain | Finance News […]
Bitcoin stumbles out of 2018 starting blocks
Bitcoin is already having a bad year. For the first time since 2015, the cryptocurrency began a new year by tumbling, extending its slide from a record $US19,511 reached on December 18. The virtual coin traded at $US13,150 as of 12.58pm in New York, down 8.1 per cent from Friday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That’s also a fall from the $US14,156 it hit Sunday, according to coinmarketcap.com, which tracks daily prices. Bitcoin got off to a much stronger start last year, and then kept that momentum going, eventually creating a global frenzy for cryptocurrencies. In a sign of its phenomenal price gain in 2017, it rose 3.6 per cent […]
Cash payment decline tipped to gather pace in 2018
A $1 billion piece of infrastructure to be switched on in early 2018 is likely to accelerate the decline of cash and further cut into already tumbling use of cheques, payments company BPay Group predicts. In a change that Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe has described as potentially “transformational,” the new payments platform is due to be switched on soon after Australia Day in 2018. The project, which is going through its final stages of testing over summer, will offer consumers the ability to make real-time payments to customers of other banks. The system will also allow people to link bank accounts to phone numbers or email addresses, removing the […]
Ripple’s 53 per cent surge makes it the 2nd-biggest cryptocurrency
A new contender has moved into second place in the race to catch bitcoin. Ripple, a cryptocurrency that first surfaced in 2013, surged 53 per cent in 24 hours to surpass ethereum and take the title of the world’s second-most valuable digital coin by market cap on Saturday US time. Ripple’s market value rocketed to $US86 billion ($110 billion), making ether No.3 at $US73 billion. Bitcoin’s market cap is near $US250 billion. It’s the latest twist in the crypto saga known as the “flippening”. That’s what ether enthusiasts call the coin’s anticipated rise to the most valuable by market cap. Rather than catching up to bitcoin, though, ether has fallen […]
Australian FinTech Tyro launches SMB services
Australian bank Tyro is introducing new services for its small- and medium-sized business (SMB) customers. The new services include lending products, reports in The Adviser said, that provide SMB borrowers flat-fee business loans that can be provided in minutes. The FinTech is also providing banking services via SMB deposit accounts that integrate with cloud accounting solution Xero. The solution supports batch payment scheduling and payroll and earns daily interest. Tyro added that the account is also compatible with iPhones, which can be used by SMBs to pay bills. The firm is also launching an EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale) technology that integrates with point-of-sale solutions for SMBs. […]
Is bitcoin back? Cryptocurrency passes $US16,000 as rebound begins
Bitcoin rallied past $US16,000 ($20,705) on Tuesday US time as traders of the world’s biggest digital currency sought to draw a line under its rollercoaster five-day slump. The tokens rose 16 per cent to as much as $US16,132.09, the biggest gain on a closing basis in more than two weeks and the first in six days. It traded higher by 14 per cent to $US15,659.9 as of 1.36pm in New York. Rival currencies litecoin and ethereum were up 4.4 per cent and 2.6 per cent, respectively, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. High trading volumes at Coinbase, one of the biggest exchanges, forced the company to issue a warning on its website that […]
Cryptocurrency wallet temporarily restricts Australian dollar deposits
Popular cryptocurrency wallet CoinSpot has stopped accepting deposits in Australian dollars, blaming local banks for being “unwilling to work” together. In a blog post updated this morning, CoinSpot said the restriction on all forms of AUD deposits will remain in effect until at least the first week of the new year. “We assure you we are just as unhappy with the situation as you,” the platform writes on its blog. “But unfortunately Australian banks have been so far unwilling to work with the digital currency industry which leads to frequent account closures and strict limits on accounts whilst they remain operational, in effect debanking our industry.” The digital wallet service […]
Moneycatcha moves into Stone & Chalk and expands team
Australian fintech start-up Moneycatcha has been selected to join fintech hub Stone & Chalk’s Sydney office following a rigorous vetting process. The move cements the company’s footing on Australia’s East and West coasts and signals confidence in its unique blockchain end-to-end loan origination solution. Stone & Chalk is the largest fintech hub in Asia, supporting successfully selected companies to connect with industry heavyweights and accelerating the development of world-leading start-ups. Moneycatcha founder and CEO Ruth Hatherley said that the move will allow the company to more efficiently collaborate with financial institutions. “Our growth and increasing traction are signs that financial institutions are accelerating their understanding of the fundamental improvements in speed, efficiency […]
