CBA plugs 500,000 customers into Apple Pay in just two weeks
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s backflip on its longstanding Apple Pay boycott has paid off in spades, with more than half a million people flocking to the new payment service just two weeks after it was made publicly available to customers. The stampede of iPhone users is so big it has boosted the CBA’s total number of mobile banking by half, propelling the number from 1 million Android users to a total of 1.5 million total mobile numbers. The fresh numbers were revealed to investment analysts this week by CBA chief executive Matt Comyn, who credited the bank’s customer engagement platform for the delivering the result, before outlining how robust […]
Fintech disruption threatens wholesale payment revenues
Banks with large wholesale payments and cash management operations must innovate to avoid being ousted by disruptors. Wholesale payments and cash management (PCM) is a rapidly growing area, but existing players are under threat from technological disruption and must innovate in order to survive, according to a report by management consulting firm Oliver Wyman. In ‘Wholesale payments report: Disrupt from within’, the consultancy argues that banks must look closely at the strategies adopted by challengers and make changes to their legacy systems in order to defend their turf. “We see up to $175 billion (70% of revenue pool) in revenues at risk for incumbents,” writes Ronan O’Kelly, partner at Oliver […]
The reasons Bitcoin is still first in the ranks
After a decade, Bitcoin is still ranked number 1 on the list of cryptocurrencies. No other coin has come close to taking its crown and reaching the level of the Bitcoin price. In fact, in 2018, it seems to be cementing its place at the top rather than slipping. We know that Bitcoin is just a protocol and that protocols can easily be copied and forked to create new cryptocurrencies. Many of those new currencies seem to have a technological advantage over Bitcoin. So what is it about Bitcoin that keeps it at the top? Bitcoin is Still Number 1 Despite everything that has happened, Bitcoin has retained over […]
Global fintech investment hits a record high with Australian funding continuing to grow
Investment in Australia’s fintech sector followed the upwards tick of global growth patterns in the first half of 2018, with US$63.7 mil invested, up from US$56.1 mil in 2H’17 and US$56.0 mil in 1H’17, though remained lower than the highs recorded in 2H’15 and 1H’16 according to KPMG’s Pulse of Fintech report. Much of the investment in Australia, however, is concentrated across a small number of deals. Australia saw just seven deals during the period, down from 12 in 2H’17 and 16 in 1H’17. Total VC, PE and M&A investment amounted to US$171.5 mil, across 14 deals. “Significant outliers still dominate the Australian fintech ecosystem, propelling the majority […]
Bitcoin blows past $2,500, $2,600, and $2,700
The bitcoin rally just keeps going. Thursday’s action has run bitcoin above $US2,500, $US2,600, and $US2,700 for the first time. It hit a high of $US2,749 before paring its gains. Currently, the cryptocurrency trades up 11.2%, or $US270, at $US2,682 a coin. It has gained in 27 of the past 30 sessions and has tacked on more than 130% over that time. Bitcoin has climbed aout 20% since Tuesday’s close, propelled by news that the Digital Currency Group, representing 56 companies in 21 countries, reached a scaling agreement at the Consensus 2017 conference in New York. The announcement was the latest bit of good news for the cryptocurrency. In early […]
Moneysoft analysis shows worth of financial coaching as personal debt reaches record levels
High-quality financial coaching and automated tracking software can help Australians almost halve their discretionary spending, according to an analysis of Moneysoft’s client database. The ability to overhaul negative spending habits has never been more important as Australians’ total household debt recently reached a record 185 per cent of annual household disposable income. However, 101 Moneysoft clients working with a financial adviser were able to reduce their average spending on irregular discretionary items such as entertainment, travel, hobbies and existing credit card repayments from $11,400 to $5,730 after 12 months. The most marked reduction in discretionary spending was in the 25-35 age bracket. Source: Moneysoft analysis of 101 clients over first […]
Bitcoin rises to record on currency controls
Bitcoin hit an all-time high overnight, according to Bloomberg data, thanks to continued adoption in China and other parts of the world where traditional currencies are tightly controlled. The digital currency, which just turned eight years old, reached $US1140.64, which was higher than the $US1137 it hit in November of 2013. In December, bitcoin also surpassed its previous all-time high in total market capitalisation, which now exceeds $US16.1 billion. The latest increase was driven by capital or currency restrictions in countries ranging from China to India and Venezuela, where people purchased bitcoin to protect their savings, as well as increased adoption by investors. The digital currency beat every other currency, […]
The ten year gap in financial services technology
In my estimation, technology in traditional financial services lag other industries by about a decade. Having trouble remembering what your online life was like in 2006? Here’s a benchmark: Facebook, Twitter, and the iPhone are each more than 10 years old. Sure, the word fintech has been all the rage the past couple of years, but it’s not a good sign when the word “tech” is wrenched into a moniker to explain what the companies involved actually do. We don’t refer to Uber as “taxitech,” just like we don’t think of Airbnb as “hoteltech.” It just works. It’s how we live. I’m not sure who coined the term fintech, but I can confidently say it’s been popularised […]
