Bitcoin Gold: The world’s biggest cryptocurrency looks set to split again
Another bitcoin split is in the works, as a group of developers plans to establish an offshoot called Bitcoin Gold (BTG). According to bitcoin developer Jimmy Song, the aim is for BTG to become “a better gold than bitcoin”. The world’s biggest cryptocurrency is commonly compared to the precious metal, as investors debate its merit as a safe-haven store of value. Back in August, analysts at Morgan Stanley made an interesting appraisal of the similarities and differences between the two assets. Bitcoin Gold developers are planning to establish a hard-fork on October 25 and the new version of the currency is scheduled to be in operation by the start of […]
Equity Trustees employs fintech solution
Partnering with a specialist fintech helps in adapting to an ever-changing regulatory environment and boosting capabilities that will attract customer investment, according to Equity Trustees. Equity Trustees announced its own fintech partnership this week with the pControl Oversight solution, with the intention of further expanding its professional funds governance capability. Commenting on the partnership, Equity Trustees executive general manager, Corporate Trustee Services (CTS), Harvey Kalman, said: “We are constantly looking to invest in a way to strengthen our oversight functions and bolster scalability and compliance capabilities.” “We’ve experienced significant growth in our trustee services business for fund clients, which includes taking on the responsible entity role for the funds.” […]
Westpac increases investment in mortgage broker start-up uno Home Loans with $5m
Westpac Banking Corporation has increased its majority stake in digital mortgage broking platform Uno, ploughing another $5 million into the company. The big four bank has now invested about $26.5 million into the venture and owns 92 per cent of ordinary shares, according to Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents. Factoring in shares that are subject to vesting, on a fully diluted basis Westpac still owns more than three quarters of the company. Founder and chief executive Vincent Turner told The Australian Financial Review the funding provided by Westpac had given the fintech start-up a leg up it couldn’t have had otherwise. “If we wanted to move fast, learn fast […]
Netwealth founders say AI, data mining to shape $750b platform market
The founders of financial planning platform Netwealth predict artificial intelligence and data mining will lead innovation in the fast-growing platform market, ahead of an expected $900 million sharemarket listing of the family company later this year, which could catapult its founders onto the Financial Review Rich List. Michael Heine, his brother Leslie Heine and and Michael’s son Matt Heine, founded the company, which provides software and financial products to non-bank aligned financial planners, in 1999. Since then, Netwealth, which now has funds under management, administration and advice of $15.5 billion and employs 220 staff, is among a clutch of increasingly influential companies that have built businesses by signing up advisers […]
‘Facebook for investors’: Selfwealth launches $7.5m initial public offering
Online share trading platform and investment community Selfwealth has pushed the button on its initial public offering as it looks to expand its suite of offerings and position itself as the Facebook of investing. Selfwealth describes itself as a potentially disruptive brokerage service with a peer-to-peer portfolio construction functionality in the offer document lodged with the corporate regulator last week. The platform provides a flat fee share trading of $9.50 per parcel of shares and allows members to publish and monitor share trades in real time. The service is looking to capitalise on the rise of the self directed investor while the IPO should benefit from a growing appetite for ‘fintech’ […]
So what is an initial coin offering (ICO)?
An initial coin offering (ICO) is a concept that has been getting increased airplay in recent times, with estimates that more than $1 billion has been raised globally via ICOs. With some key decisions being made by regulators globally (including the US and China) – and with guidance from ASIC released last week – we thought it timely to provide an overview on the concept. So what is an ICO? ICOs generally operate as a blockchain-based funding process, allowing investors to use cryptocurrency (such as bitcoin or ether) to purchase coins or tokens relating to a specific product or project via the internet for a set period of time. The […]
Millennials could pay over $300,000 in super fees
Millennials in a Fat Cat Fund could lose over a quarter of their super balance to fees. Robo advice platform Stockspot has launched its fifth annual Stockspot Fat Cat Funds report, which analysed a record 4,102 super and managed funds and highlights the link between high fees and poor long-term performance. A Fat Cat Fund is one that has performed worse than others in the market by more than 10% over two, three and five years, and typically has fees of more than 1.5% p.a. This year’s report has shown the number of Fat Cat Funds has decreased slightly by 18%, from 638 in 2016 to 521 now. However, it […]
DigitalX advises Power Ledger on Australia’s first Initial Coin Offering (ICO)
DigitalX Ltd advises that it has been engaged as an advisor to Blockchain energy trading company Power Ledger for its Initial Coin Offering (ICO). Following a pre-ICO or “Token Generation Event”, in which Power Ledger raised the equivalent of AUD$17 million of digital currency, Power Ledger is offering 140 million POWR tokens as part of the main sale. POWR tokens will effectively be auctioned to the public, generating interest from solar developers, renewable energy projects, retail investors and speculators. “DigitalX is quickly becoming a market leader for ICO advisory services and we are pleased to be able to work in a strategic role to the Power Ledger project. “Power Ledger […]
