Facebook meets FinTech
Banking has come a long way since the stamped passbook. Social media has come a long way since the simple status update. Can the two intersect? Social media is transforming banking relationships almost as quickly as it has changed our interpersonal communications. With the rise of interfaces such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well as fintech start-ups such as Tyro and Coinjar, financial outlets can use social media for everything from improving customer service to allowing users to send money to others via online platforms. Emerging fintech companies like Movenbank are using social media data to help people get access to credit or even simply open a bank account. […]
Bitcoin price plunges after SEC rejection
Regulator says no to first ETF to track the digital currency. The US Securities and Exchange Commission has denied a request to list what would have been the first US exchange-traded fund built to track Bitcoin, sending the price of the digital currency plunging. Investors Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss have been trying for more than three years to convince the SEC to let them bring the Bitcoin ETF to market. CBOE’s Bats exchange had applied to list the ETF. In response to the rejection, the digital currency’s price fell as much as 18 percent in trading before rebounding slightly. It last traded down 7.8 percent to US$1098. Bitcoin had scaled […]
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, […]
Value of digital currency Bitcoin surges past $US1000
The value of Bitcoin has surged above $1000 as the digital unit continues a dizzying rise that made it the best-performing currency of 2016. Its value has more than doubled in the last year and it was trading at around $US1,024 in afternoon European trading yesterday, after breaking through the $US1000 mark on Sunday. It is now within reach of its historic high of more than $US1200 reached in 2013. Some analysts believe the rise in Bitcoin is due to some investors treating it as a safe-haven, like gold, at a time of global uncertainty. Others believe buying is being driven by speculative demand, with investors anticipating future rises and […]
Robo advice start-up Six Park closes $1.5m capital raise
Melbourne-based robo-adviser Six Park has closed a $1.5 million capital raise from a powerful group of investors that includes a former finance minister.
Google Wallet launches web app for payments
Just in time for Christmas, Google has released its new Google Wallet web app, allowing users to send and receive money via their browser. Google’s new platform doesn’t require money transfer recipients to have the app to receive payments. Cash can be sent to a friend’s email address or phone number and they can then transfer the balance to their bank account without having to install the app. However, senders must link their debit card to their Google account and have access to a browser in order to process the transaction. Google relaunched its tap-and-pay Google Wallet app as a peer-to-peer payment solution last year. The new web app is […]
A broken chain of investment providers: why investors pay the price
by Doug Morris, CEO, Sharesight Buying food from a shop is so simple, it’s something many of us take for granted – but it doesn’t have to be. Instead of taking say, a carton of eggs to the checkout, imagine having to first ask the farmer if they’re free-range or caged, the grader for the size and quality, the Food Standards board for nutritional information, and (finally) the shop for the price. Investors face a similar proposition every day. Crucial information such as performance data, tax reporting, share dividends, corporate actions, and cost bases are spread across online brokers, share registrars, investment platforms, wraps and even old-fashioned spreadsheets. Bringing these […]
Hashching creates virtual ID system for first fully-digital loan approvals
Hashching, a website for home buyers to choose mortgage brokers, has built the first fully-digital process for home loan verification in Australia, which would allow banks to comply with strict regulations for identifying clients without having to send them to a branch. This weekend, Hashching, which has processed $2.6 billion of mortgages since launching 15 months ago, will begin the pilot for a biometric identity verification service allowing brokers on its platform to satisfy strict “know your client” (KYC) banking regulations by asking a customer on a video call to hold up a proof of identity to the camera on their computer or mobile phone. Across the banking industry, KYC […]
