Bitcoin surges past $US9,000 to new record
Bitcoin surged past $US9,000 for the first time, just six days after topping $US8,000 and taking its year-to-date rise to more than 850 per cent. The price of the largest cryptocurrency by market value is soaring as it gains greater mainstream attention despite warnings of an asset bubble. Everyone from Wall Street executives to venture capitalists has been weighing in with their thoughts on the digital currency, with some more skeptical than others. Bitcoin climbed as high as a record $US9,518 before paring gains, according to composite pricing available on Bloomberg. In another move towards mainstream investing, CME Group Inc. has said it plans to start offering futures contracts for […]
Fintech is not a threat: FPA
Financial planners overlooking fintech are missing out on benefits that can ultimately lead to higher client engagement and satisfaction levels, latest research from the Financial Planning Association of Australia shows. Released at the 2017 FPA Professionals Congress in Hobart this morning, the whitepaper maps fintech to the financial planning process and highlights that increased revenue, operational efficiencies and reduced client costs as some of the advantages advisers and planners can gain if they embrace fintech solutions. It maps out the financial planning process in six key steps and pinpoints where new technology can best add value in the process, particularly in the areas of compliance and regulatory requirements. According to […]
A ‘no commission’ share-trading app from Melbourne just raised $7.3 million and listed on the ASX
Melbourne fintech SelfWealth has floated on the Australian Securities Exchange, raising $7.34 million through an initial public offering. Based on the $0.20 IPO price, the company has a market capitalisation of $26 million. SelfWealth operates a share-trading platform that allows users to buy and sell any volume of shares for a flat fee of $9.50 per transaction. No monthly fees are charged, although an optional $20 “premium” tier is available for deeper market analysis and access to a “social investment network”. The company did not disclose current customer numbers, but founder and managing director Andrew Ward in last year revealed the platform had 3,000 self-managed superannuation fund clients plus 2,500 […]
Bitcoin speeds past $US8000 as its white-knuckle rollercoaster ride accelerates
Bitcoin’s relentless and volatile rally shows no sign of abating, with the world’s largest cryptocurrency defying growing bubble fears to hit yet another milestone. Bitcoin rose as much as 6.7 per cent to a record $US8224 ($10,898) as of 9.27am in New York. It’s been a tumultuous year for the virtual currency, with three separate slumps of more than 25 per cent all giving way to subsequent rallies. “The inflation in this thing is massive,” Luke Hickmore, a senior investment manager at Aberdeen Standard Investments in London, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “When will it collapse? Who knows. It will cause a lot of pain.” Even as many […]
Fintech start-up Douugh scores partnership with US mutual bank Choice
Sydney-based fintech start-up Douugh has scored a partnership with US mutual bank Choice Financial, as it readies to launch its smart banking personal assistant, Sophie. As part of the open banking partnership, Douugh will launch an integrated bank account and debit card with the bank, giving it the ability to accept deposits. Choice Financial has also invested in Douugh, as part of a $2.5 million seed round. Founder and chief executive Andy Taylor, who was also a co-founder of successful peer-to-peer lending platform SocietyOne, told The Australian Financial Review he wanted to reduce society’s reliance on credit cards and help people save money. “I’ve always been quite passionate about the […]
Equity crowd-funding’s Australian launch opens doors to small investors
YOU no longer need to be wealthy to buy into innovative business start-ups, thanks to a new type of investing set to launch early in 2018. Investors seeking to own a slice of start-up small businesses will soon be able to dive in. Equity crowdfunding – which will turn everyday Aussies into venture capitalists and angel investors – has been given the green light by the Federal Government and is likely to start matching investors and businesses early next year. Equity crowdfunding started globally in 2011 and start-up businesses have raised more than $3 billion using its platforms in countries including the US, Britain and New Zealand. Australian group OnMarket […]
On this trajectory it won’t be long before one Bitcoin is worth $1 million a pop
By Fred Schebesta, Co-Founder & CEO of finder.com.au Eight years ago, if I told you you’d be a millionaire today if you invested in Bitcoin, would you buy it? Back then, Bitcoin was one of the first cryptocurrencies to hit the market and had a price tag of $0.08 ($US0.06) per coin, as recorded in 2010. This month, it hit a record of $10,417 per coin. You would have only needed to buy 95 coins at a total cost of $7.68 to be worth $1 million today. Based on this trajectory, it won’t be long (perhaps a few years) before one Bitcoin will be worth $1 million a pop. It’s […]
The fintech transforming the cash investment sector for advisers
While investing cash as part of a client’s defensive investment portfolio is a necessity, many advisory businesses find the current lack of choice to be challenging. Traditionally the time taken to action cash investing, incremental costs together with laborious paperwork outweighed the effort by the adviser and the ability to enhance returns for the client. Cashwerkz, a leading edge Fintech company has developed a platform for advisers who wish to maximise earnings on defensive cash allocations, whilst simplifying the administration time to establish, transact and manage term deposits. Cashwerkz Relationship Manager, Lisa Gregory, explains “The combination of low interest rates and an increased administrative burden have made it far more […]
