Is the future of Artificial Intelligence tied to the future of Blockchain?
Since the beginning of modern times, each industrial revolution was driven by different automation. While factory machines and fossil fuels drove the previous industrial revolutions, the on-going automation revolution is based on data-driven artificial intelligence (AI). Understanding its impact and what will be required to support the AI-driven automation revolution is a fundamental necessity. So, as we evaluate the impact and the support needed to harness this automation revolution, it seems that at the center of this revolution is the growing need for computing power. There are indicators that raw computing power is on its way to replacing fossil fuels and will be the most valued fuel in the rapidly […]
Bitcoin vs. Ethereum – What’s the Difference?
Bitcoin and Ethereum are two of the largest cryptocurrencies. They are part of the first and second generation of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, these two projects have gone through various difficulties and remained the most dominant crypto assets on the planet. However, there are differences which exist. Bitcoin and Ethereum are two crypto projects with different ends and different means. Let’s understand this. The Creator The creator of Bitcoin is Satoshi Nakamoto, a pseudonym used for a person or a group, which has never been identified. Nakamoto is best identified for his Bitcoin whitepaper “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-peer Electronic Cash System.” Some people have claimed to be Nakamoto in the past, but […]
Super will help fund the next wave of unicorns
The country’s leading venture capitalists are tipping more direct investment will flow from superannuation firms such as Hostplus into start-up deals, as more $100 million-plus raises test the funding capacity of the VC firms. Last week cross-border payments start-up Airwallex became the latest Australian company to achieve the lauded $US1 billion valuation milestone, making it the quickest local start-up to achieve unicorn status. The valuation came on the back of a $US100 million raise ($141.3 million) for the fintech, which is less than four years old. The raising was led by US investor DST Global, with participation from Sequoia Capital China, Tencent, Hillhouse Capital, Gobi Partners, Horizons Ventures and Square Peg […]
What impact could Facebook’s digital currency have on the financial industry?
According to a New York Times report we have recently covered, Facebook is on pace to issue its own digital currency in the next few months. Prompted by its rivals, especially Telegram, which managed to raise a whopping $1.7 billion in its ICO campaign, the effort Facebook has put towards creating its own cryptocurrency could have a substantial impact on global commerce. In this article, we are going to discuss the primary reasons why Facebook’s digital currency could lead to a revolution in e-commerce, what advantages Facebook has over the competition in the payment processing space, and the likelihood of Facebook solving the huge remittance problem workers and employees are facing around the […]
Digital Commerce Association and Blockchain Australia to merge
The Australian Digital Commerce Association (ADCA) and Blockchain Australia have announced plans to merge the two organisations to create what they say will give them a stronger and consistent voice advocating for the blockchain community in Australia. According to the industry bodies, bringing the two organisations together will allow the whole Australian blockchain community to speak more clearly and consistently to key stakeholders including governments and regulators and “will strengthen the connections between all parts of the Australian blockchain ecosystem”. Traditionally, ADCA’s focus has been on businesses utilising or investigating blockchain technology – from start-ups to SME’s and through to corporates – and it has worked with regulators and policy […]
Archa joins list of new neobanks aiming to transform Aussie banking
Australian banking is changing rapidly and a new wave of digital banks are hitting our shores, with companies like volt, Xinja and 86 400 set to launch this year, but there is another player coming to town soon that may be worth your attention. Archa is a new Melbourne-based neobank that is scheduled to launch in the near future, offering a state of the art online banking app that is connected to a pre-paid debit card. Oliver Kidd, Archa’s founder and CEO doesn’t come from a banking background, but “he hopes by founding Archa, his friends and colleagues have access to a totally refreshed relationship with their money,” – according […]
The Winners of the 2019 Fintech Business Awards have been announced
The Winners of the 2019 Fintech Business Awards have been announced. Congratulations to all the Australian fintech companies and leaders – well done! Individual categories Femtech Leader of the Year Jodi Stanton – SendGold Fintech Entrepreneur of the Year Ruth Hatherley – Moneycatcha Fintech Mentor of the Year Peta Tilse – Sophisticated Access Fintech Thought Leader of the Year Charmian Holmes – The Fold Legal Fintech Business Excellence Award (Individual) Ruth Hatherley – Moneycatcha Company categories Accounting Innovator of the Year Class Limited Compliance Innovator of the Year Advice RegTech Financial Advice Innovator of the Year Myprosperity Fintech Start-Up Business of the Year Trade Ledger Insurance Innovator of the Year […]
Wisr $10 million placement heavily overbid, upscales to $15 million
Wisr Limited (ASX: WZR), Australia’s first neo-lender, announces it has received commitments to raise approximately $15 million after costs via a placement of approximately 220 million shares. The Placement was oversubscribed and completed with the support of new and existing institutional, sophisticated and professional investors.The issue price for the Placement is 6.8c per share, representing an 8% premium to the last traded price of the Company’s shares on 25 March 2019. The shares issued pursuant to the Placement will rank equally with existing ordinary shares of the Company.The Company will issue shares for the Placement in two tranches. Settlement of Tranche 1 of the capital raise, for 134,767,857 shares, is […]