SME lending is a valuable source of diversification for brokers says fintech lender OnDeck Australia
The Banking Royal Commission has highlighted the perils of relying on a single revenue stream, and SME lender OnDeck Australia is urging mortgage brokers to think beyond home loans and diversify into SME lending. Research by commercial lending fintech OnDeck Australia[1] confirms that 25 percent of Australia’s small to medium enterprises plan to seek additional business finance. Michael Burke, Head of Sales at OnDeck Australia, says, “There is clearly strong demand for SME finance, making this a revenue channel that brokers cannot afford to overlook. Moreover, our discussions with brokers indicate that, on average, one in four of a broker’s existing home loan clients are SME owners, providing a ready […]
ANZ leads regulators towards trade finance blockchain
Regulators in Hong Kong, Singapore and China are working with ANZ Banking Group to digitise trade finance through blockchain technology, a move that will enable banks to make faster lending decisions and regulators to better monitor international capital flows. ANZ is one of seven banks to create the eTradeConnect platform, which allows importers and exporters to make purchase orders and invoices and pipe relevant data directly to banks to streamline financing decisions. Vivek Gupta, ANZ’s head of trade and supply chain for North Asia and greater China, said the platform was the first commercialised trade ecosystem built on blockchain. He said two key regulators in the region, the Hong Kong […]
Australian and African tech startups forge Blockchain-Powered partnerships
Now fintech companies like Australian startup Power Ledger are combining renewable solar energy and blockchain tech to deliver P2P energy trading solutions. They have already expanded their activities in India, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the US and are looking for more opportunities. They have attended ACTAI & Bitfury’s Annual Blockchain Summit in Morocco last year, discussing how blockchain and bitcoin-based tech can help transform the region and the world. Last year, Tanzanian fintech startup ClickPesa joined forces with Australian fintech and telecom leader Novatti Group to facilitate cross-border transactions for Australian mining companies based in Tanzania. They used an AUD utility token and the blockchain-based Stellar protocol, which provides a […]
Next bitcoin halving is attractive for investors, says top asset manager
Now is the right time for investors to create their core strategic positions in bitcoin, says a top asset management firm. New York-based Grayscale Investments, backed by Barry Silbert’s Digital Currency Group, published an evaluative report detailing the historical correlation between bitcoin halving events and its price. The firm used those metrics to predict how the bitcoin price would react to the next halving event, which is going to take place on May 24 next year. In retrospective, miners contribute computational power to confirm blocks on the Bitcoin network and add them to its public blockchain. The system automatically rewards them with newly issued bitcoin tokens. This reward, according to […]
Bitcoin vs. Ethereum – What’s the Difference?
Bitcoin and Ethereum are two of the largest cryptocurrencies. They are part of the first and second generation of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, these two projects have gone through various difficulties and remained the most dominant crypto assets on the planet. However, there are differences which exist. Bitcoin and Ethereum are two crypto projects with different ends and different means. Let’s understand this. The Creator The creator of Bitcoin is Satoshi Nakamoto, a pseudonym used for a person or a group, which has never been identified. Nakamoto is best identified for his Bitcoin whitepaper “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-peer Electronic Cash System.” Some people have claimed to be Nakamoto in the past, but […]
Australian banking giant ANZ fails to understand Blockchain Technology
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) — Australia’s third-largest bank by market cap — doubts blockchain technology’s ability to provide trustless transactions, at least for now. Additionally, the firm acknowledges the benefits of the technology but claims banks don’t need to make the switch. Could ANZ be any more wrong? After curiously examining distributed ledger tech, ANZ associate director of trade and supply chain product Maria Bellmas, stated the futuristic technology is far from becoming the main method of executing trusted payments. Taking another jab at blockchain, Bellmas claimed most of the hype surrounding the technology is created by “crypto fanatics” trying to find comfort in the ongoing bear market. […]
Novatti joins IBM World Wire network as a foundation member
Novatti Group Limited (ASX: NOV) announces it will join IBM Blockchain World Wire1, a real-time global payments network for regulated financial institutions such as Novatti’s subsidiary Flexewallet Pty Ltd. IBM World Wire is designed to optimize and accelerate foreign exchange and remittance services through a New Cross-Border Payments Network Supporting Real Time Payments and Foreign Exchange on the Stellar Protocol. By connecting to the World Wire network, Novatti now has access to a single unified network for foreign exchange and cross-border payments clearing and settlement built on blockchain technology and the Stellar public protocol. This will allow Novatti to offer clients the ability to conduct transactions across additional currencies and […]
Westpac abandons financial advice
Westpac will get out of the troubled personal advice sector and two of its top executives will depart the bank as it joins its big-four rivals in abandoning the once-dominant model of vertical integration. The bank announced on Tuesday it would exit the high-cost, loss-making business, producing $280 million in savings by 2020. Westpac group executives George Frazis and Brad Cooper will leave the bank as part of the changes. Westpac chief executive Brian Hartzer said most customers did not differentiate between banking and wealth products and just wanted help to buy a home or plan for retirement. “We’re realigning our capabilities into the lines of business where it makes […]
