Finance disrupters still rely on big banks, but bitcoin may replace
Start-ups, telecommunications giants, supermarkets and postal services are all getting into banking, but they concede they are not really disrupting big lenders or dominant card networks because most have to rely on banks or Visa and MasterCard to provide financial services. Source: Finance disrupters still rely on big banks, but bitcoin may replace
Fintech start-ups become hot property | The Courier-Mail
Hundreds of millions of dollars in funding await local financial technology start-ups as the largest banks, insurers and wealth management institutions jostle for pole position, in fear of missing out on the “next big thing”, experts say. “When companies look at tipping funds into fintech start-ups, talks of $50 million-plus are common as opposed to $1m-$2m,” said AWI Ventures accelerator manager Simran Gambhir. Source: Fintech start-ups become hot property | The Courier-Mail
Fintech hub Stone & Chalk names Alex Scandurra as CEO with big plans to disrupt banking
New Sydney fintech hub Stone & Chalk has appointed former army captain Alex Scandurra as its chief executive, as the location for start-ups seeking to disrupt banking prepares to open in June.About 330 entrepreneurs from 120 fintech start-ups have registered to work in the space, ensuring Stone & Chalk will open at full capacity of about 150 people and suggesting it could take up an option to double its area by expanding into a second floor at 45 Clarence Street at the northern end of the Sydney CBD. Clarence Street is shaping up as the heart of the promising fintech scene in Australia, with payments disrupter Tyro earlier this month […]
ADDCA launches Bitcoin constitution | The Courier-Mail
ADDCA launches Bitcoin constitution The Australian Digital Currency Commerce Association (ADCCA) has announced a new constitution that has been built into and certified by the Blockchain – the technology underpinning digital currencies like Bitcoin. Source: ADDCA launches Bitcoin constitution | The Courier-Mail
Tyro says Stone and Chalk needs competition
Tyro chief Jost Stollman, says another fintech hub, independent of bank-backed Stone and Chalk, is needed to ensure new bank rivals don’t remain “rounding errors”.Mr Stollman has dubbed Sydney’s Clarence Street “Fintech Alley” since he opened Tyro’s FinTechHub at 155 on Wednesday, just down the way from bank-backed hub Stone and Chalk at number 45 – the same building as eBay and its subsidiary PayPal.Tyro was one of the first payments challengers to the banks when it started a decade ago, but it remains the only so-called card acquirer – meaning it processes card payments for merchants as well as rolling out its own terminals – that is not a […]
Fintech split on lower regulatory hurdles
Challengers to the banks and global payment giants disagree on whether there should be an easing of regulations for finance start-ups, a major recommendation of the Murray inquiry.Peer-to-peer lender RateSetter Australia argues current regulations are adequate and flexible enough. It said “graduated” regulation applied based on the company’s risk to the financial system suggested by the Murray financial system inquiry could threaten confidence in the emerging loan business models – particularly those lending to the public.”It is important that regulations for P2P lending are not weakened in any way and that consistency of regulation is critical for the P2P lending industry to prosper,” it said in its submission to the […]
High time to find out what you’re missing out on
If you’re being ripped off by banks and other financial institutions a new website, monetise.com.au, will tell you even though you may have suspected nothing.It threatens to do to comparison websites, which are being reviewed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), what Uber is doing to taxis. Source: High time to find out what you’re missing out on
Banks shadow box with online business lenders
Banks are courting a rash of new online lenders that have moved quicker than their giant rivals to use technology to give better deals to small businesses.Prospa has been quietly building its small business loan book for two years. It is one of several local and international players discussing mutually beneficial deals with banks that have favoured the less risky mortgage sector for years, but are looking for growth in business lending. Source: Banks shadow box with online business lenders
