Finextra Research: Latest fintech news, analysis, interviews, features and opinion by industry experts

Company update/markets

TD Securities joins Paxos Settlement Service for Commodities

Paxos, the leading regulated blockchain infrastructure platform, has announced that TD Securities has become the latest financial institution to join the Paxos Settlement Service for Commodities.

13 November 2023

News/crypto

BlackRock expands crypto strategy with Ethereum ETF application

In a filing through Nasdaq, the world’s largest asset manager revealed its plans to create an ETF that holds Ethereum’s ether token (ETH), bolstering its cryptocurrency strategy.

10 November 2023

Company update/startups

Almond FinTech Raises $7M

Almond FinTech, a B2B technology company bridging the worlds of fiat and digital currency, is excited to announce a new funding milestone of $7 million. The funding will help broaden Almond's rapidly expanding network in Asia, the Americas, and Africa, while reinforcing their commitment to making financial services affordable and accessible to people everywhere.

10 November 2023

News/crypto

Bitwise distances itself from fraud charges levelled at firm of same name

Bitwise Asset Management distanced itself from charges issued by the SEC and US Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday, which take aim at the former CEOs of defunct startup Bitwise Industries Inc.

10 November 2023

Company update/crypto

Membrane Finance to integrate EUROe stablecoin on Concordium

Concordium, the Layer 1 science-backed blockchain dedicated to creating a safer digital world, has announced the upcoming launch of EUROe, a fully regulated MiCAR-compatible, Euro-backed stablecoin developed by Finnish fintech powerhouse Membrane Finance, natively on Concordium.

09 November 2023

Finextra TV/inclusion

Global FinTech Institute on financing implications of digital inclusion

Professor David Lee, Chairman of the Global FinTech Institute, discusses the significant progress made in advancing digital inclusion within the financial sector ahead of Singapore Fintech Festival 2023. He covers advancements in mobile wallets and digital lending, highlighting the need for improved financial inclusion metrics, the benefits of educating SMEs on the ways data contributions can lower borrowing costs, and explores the practical applications of blockchain technology improving agricultural practices.

09 November 2023

News/startups

Due raises $3.3m for blockchain-based cross-border payments

Blockchain-based international payments startup Due has raised $3.3 million in seed funding.

07 November 2023

Company update/payments

AtPay taps Pismo for in-store and online payments

Fintech disruptor @Pay (AtPay) has chosen Pismo's cloud-native API-based platform to support its operations in Australia.

07 November 2023

Company update/crypto

Chainlink Labs inks deal with Hong Kong's Arta TechFin

Arta TechFin (“Arta”, HKSE: 0279) is developing regulated, interoperable fund tokens on major chains, will collaborate with Chainlink labs to use Chainlink services and will deliver fiat-based investment returns to Arta TechFin clients. All products and services are subject to relevant regulatory approval.

03 November 2023

Company update/crypto

Dubai Financial Services Authority approves Ripple XRP under virtual assets regime

-(BUSINESS WIRE)-Ripple, the leader in enterprise blockchain and crypto solutions, today announced that the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has approved the digital asset XRP for use within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Licensed virtual asset firms within the DIFC will now be able to incorporate XRP into their virtual asset services.

03 November 2023

Company update/markets

ADX teams with HSBC on the introduction of digital bonds

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (HSBC) are working together in the first regional collaboration of its kind to develop digital fixed-income securities, paving the way for the introduction of a broader array of capital market use cases in the Middle East.

02 November 2023

Company update/regulation

ADGM introduces DLT Foundations Regime

The Registration Authority (RA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) officially released the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) Foundations Regulations 2023, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of digital assets regulatory frameworks across the region and at an international level.

02 November 2023

News/wholesale

HSBC becomes first bank in the world to offer tokenised gold

HSBC has unveiled a platform that uses distributed ledger technology to tokenise the ownership of institutional clients’ physical gold held in the bank’s London vault.

02 November 2023

News/payments

HSBC tests tokenised deposit platform for global treasury payments

HSBC has successfully tested the use of tokenised deposits in intra-group treasury transactions using blockchain technology provided by China's Ant group.

01 November 2023

News/crypto

Thai bank buys stake in crypto exchange

Thailand's second-largest bank has acquired a 97% stake in a company that runs a crypto exchange.

30 October 2023

News/crypto

Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered pilot network for stablecoins and CBDCs

Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered have carried out the first digital currency transfer and swap on the new Universal Digital Payments Network (UDPN).

26 October 2023

Company update/markets

R3 DLT underpins first live issuance of digital bond at Euroclear

R3’s enterprise distributed ledger technology (DLT) platform Corda underpinned the first live issuance of a digital bond with Euroclear’s International Central Securities Depository (ICSD).

24 October 2023

Company update/regulation

Crypto outfit Orbital receives Gibraltar licenses

Orbital, the crypto and traditional finance payments platform for global enterprises, has secured permissions from the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) to operate two separate entities, namely Pay Perform Digital Limited (PPDL) as a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) Provider and Pay Perform Gibraltar Limited (PPGL) as Electronic Money Issuer (EMI) in the jurisdiction. Orbital is the first group to receive both DLT and EMI permissions in this jurisdiction.

24 October 2023