London threatening San Francisco’s fintech unicorn dominance, research says
London could soon overtake San Francisco as the fintech (financial technology) unicorn capital of the world, according to a new study. Of the world’s 29 fintech unicorns – private companies valued at more than $1 billion – nine are based in San Francisco, while seven are headquartered in London, the research published Tuesday said. The report, by London-based recruitment firm Robert Walters and research group Vacancy Soft, said London was “showing signs of potential to threaten San Francisco’s historic dominance of the market.” It noted that London’s fintech sector received more venture capital (VC) funding than any other EU city in 2018, securing 39% of all European fintech funding. Berlin’s […]
YTML signs Merit Wealth and expands team
YTML has signed national dealer group Merit Wealth to its Seido platform – a financial services app store which consolidates multiple systems and solutions into a single integrated platform and support document generation including Statements of Advice (SoAs). Merit Wealth (a part of Easton Investments Limited group along with GPS Wealth) is replacing its existing self managed super fund (SMSF) advice application with Seido, recently releasing it to its 400 strong network of accountants with limited SMSF authorizations nationwide. According to YTML chief operating officer Piew Yap, the power of Seido is its ability to allow businesses to differentiate their value proposition to clients and its deep connectivity between financial […]
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. […]
