Australia’s ETF industry set to grow in 2019
Australian exchange traded fund (ETF) industry is expected to see further growth in 2019, with increased allocations to fixed income ETFs, according to BetaShares’ annual predictions. This year to November, the Australian ETF industry finished the month at $41.1 billion, up from $35.5 billion in 2017. BetaShares identified three major predictions which would be expected to drive the ETF market further up in the coming months. The adoption of ETF model portfolios would increase as advisers would be seeking to add more efficiencies into their businesses and lower costs for clients. Additionally, more ETF strategists, investment consultants, portfolio construction specialists and robo-advisers were expected to enter the market. The fund […]
Australia punches above its weight with Blockchain Innovation
ACS, the professional association for Australia’s ICT sector, today announced the publication of Blockchain Innovation: A Patent Analytics Report at Barangaroo, Sydney. Through providing insight into innovators in blockchain technology – based on patents filed – the report will assist both businesses and governments in understanding the technology and the degree to which it is a critical enabler for continued economic growth. ACS President Yohan Ramasundara said, “Blockchain has been hyped as one of the most transformative and disruptive technologies on the immediate horizon. With the global market forecast to grow to US$60 billion by 2024, Australian businesses and governments alike have ample opportunity to leverage the technology as it matures.” The […]
Yet another end of Cryptocurrency? What influences the market now
Most cryptocurrencies have seen their growth slow down in recent months. The prices of Bitcoin and major altcoins have leveled out at a point well below their peak prices. While some investors take this as a sign that the market is starting to mature, others see this trend as disconcerting. The situation surrounding cryptocurrency is not what it was a year ago. This also means that the factors that influence the market have changed, although some factors are enduring and will always affect cryptocurrency performance. Here are some of the major factors influencing the market right now. Bitcoin Price The price of Bitcoin influences the prices of all other digital […]
Nasdaq moves towards bitcoin futures, unphased by crypto carnage
When you’re searching for volatility, market gore might mean you’re heading in the right direction. “Will digital assets survive?” New York Stock Exchange chairman Jeffrey Sprecher quoted at the Consensus Invest conference last Thursday. “The unequivocal answer is yes… We’re kind of agnostic to price.” He was followed up by Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)-backed Bakkt CEO Kelly Loeffler, who reiterated the trading giant’s plan to release bitcoin futures contracts for more reliable price discovery. “The Bakkt futures contract will help Bitcoin traders establish a trusted price. Bitcoin now trades at different prices on different exchanges, many of which are unregulated,” she explained. Nasdaq is now reported to be making decisive moves […]
Fintech currency wars heat up as Pelikin prepares to launch
A travel cash mishap in Croatia was Sam Brown’s inspiration to launch startup Pelikin into the competitive space of travel money and foreign exchange. “I was in Croatia, I went to get money out, put my travel card into the ATM and then cancelled my transaction because I changed my mind. My travel provider thought that was suspicious and blocked my funds. What that led to was having to borrow money, from the people I was travelling with,” Brown says. Brown has just closed out a crowdfunding raise for Pelikin of close to a quarter of a million dollars that has been “essentially a marketing campaign” for a the company’s […]
New deal connecting Australian businesses to Chinese visitors
Australian businesses are set to benefit from a collaboration between NAB and Alipay which will revolutionise how Chinese tourists pay for products and services. NAB Executive General Manger of Deposit and Transaction Services Shane Conway said more than 1 million Chinese tourists visit Australia each year spending more than $11 billion. “By making China’s number one payment method available to NAB business customers, we’re enabling greater customer service and providing our business customers with access to this large tourism sector which is a win-win for everyone,” Mr Conway said. “We’re beginning pilot testing with a small group of business merchant customers in November, before making the payment system available to […]
Satoshi vs. Bitcoin Jesus: Australian at centre of crypto name squabble
Australian Craig Wright, the self-proclaimed inventor of Bitcoin under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, is poised to win a fight that will likely lead to the creation of another version of Bitcoin Cash, the original offshoot of the biggest cryptocurrency. A group headed by Wright is expected to take control tomorrow of the world’s fourth-largest cryptocurrency following a software upgrade. A rival faction that disagrees on how to best expand has been trying to persuade the community of computer operators running the network to adopt their version. About 70 per cent of the so-called miners that process the transactions that keep the network afloat are signalling they support the version backed […]
DIY super funds getting into Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
More do-it-yourself super funds are investing in cryptocurrencies as interest in investing in digital currencies rises among investors generally. While no hard data will be available until later next year when the Tax Office releases figures for the first time on how much cryptocurrency is held by funds, industry players say there are more self-managed super funds (SMSFs) investing. Fred Schebesta, a co-founder of comparison site Finder as well as digital currency exchange HiveEx, notes a marked increase in enquiries from SMSFs looking to buy cryptocurrency. And Adrian Przelozny, the chief executive of Sydney-based digital currency exchange Independent Reserve, has about 6000 self-managed super funds on the platform, with half […]
