Latest Innovation News: Finextra Research

CloudTrade and OpusCapita in e-invocing alliance

CloudTrade, the leading provider of cloud based e-invoicing services, was today named as one of OpusCapita’s worldwide e-invoicing partners and its proprietary, patent protected e-invoicing solution will be available to all OpusCapita purchase to pay and order to cash customers.

16 January 2018

News/Innovation

China regulator says fintech must serve real economy

One of China's senior financial regulators has stated that the government will only support fintechs that serve the real economy, casting further doubt on the future of virtual currencies and related technologies within China.

16 January 2018

Company update/Innovation

Crypto market-maker recruits ex-Goldman Sachs exec as Japan CEO

B2C2, a leading cryptocurrency market maker, today announced the appointment of Phillip Gillespie as CEO of B2C2 Japan.

16 January 2018

Company update/Innovation

INS Tokens listed on Binance crypto exchange

INS Ecosystem, the decentralized grocery marketplace, today announced that its token (INS) has been listed on Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world by trading volume.

16 January 2018

News/Innovation

Erste Group brings PSD2-ready digital platform to Slovakia

Having racked up nearly two million users in Austria and the Czech Republic, Erste Group is rolling out its PSD2-ready digital banking platform, George, in Slovakia.

15 January 2018

Company update/Innovation

Banking app Emma gets FCA approval in time for Open Banking

London-based Emma Technologies LTD has been approved and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 for the provision of payment services.

15 January 2018

News/Innovation

Europe begins Open Banking era in subdued style

The EU's second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) took effect on Saturday 13 January, bringing with it the start of Open Banking, however the prospect of a sudden revolution is likely to be thwarted by unresolved technical and regulatory issues and a lukewarm reception from consumers.

15 January 2018

News/Innovation

Russia bids for blockchain success with latest banking launch

The largest commercial bank in Russia, Alfa Bank, is developing a new digital cash service where all transactions will be transmitted and cleared via the blockchain.

15 January 2018

Company update/Innovation

Precise Biometrics addresses fingerprint recognition in smart cards

Precise Biometrics’ algorithm solution for fingerprint recognition in smart cards, Precise BioMatch Embedded, has through the cooperation with Fingerprint Cards been deployed in the first market trial of dual-interface biometric payment cards in the USA, which is carried out by Visa and Mountain America Credit Union.

15 January 2018

News/Innovation

Wells Fargo to close 900 branches

As it books a $3.25 billion fourth quarter pre-tax charge related to the misselling scandal, Wells Fargo says it plans to make savings by closing around 900 branches by 2020.

12 January 2018

Company update/Innovation

Bank of Lithuania launches blockchain sandbox

Domestic and foreign companies will soon be able to develop and test Fintech blockchain solutions in the regulatory and technological sandbox platform-service LBChain, which is to be created by the Bank of Lithuania.

12 January 2018

News/Innovation

FinTech Scotland appoints new CEO

The industry body set up to promote the fintech sector in Scotland has named Stephen Ingledew as its first chief executive.

12 January 2018

News/Innovation

Crypto mining threatened by power capacity concerns

The craze for cryptocurrency mining is putting increasing strain on electrical grids, raising concerns about capacity around the world and the prospect of a migration of coin mining operators to new jurisdictions.

12 January 2018

Company update/Innovation

Danske Bank and TechStart NI launch open banking challenge

Entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland are being offered the opportunity to pitch for £60,000 of funding as part of a new competition launched today by Techstart NI and Danske Bank.

12 January 2018

News/Innovation

MoneyGram trials Ripple's XRP digital currency

Shares in MoneyGram gained on Thursday on news that the old-school money transfer player has teamed up with Ripple to pilot the blockchain startup's XRP digital currency in its payments flows.

11 January 2018

News/Innovation

Exchanges call for global fintech standards

As new technologies such as AI and DLT transform the capital markets landscape, the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) has called on regulators to hold new fintech entrants to the same standards as established players.

11 January 2018

News/Innovation

Buffett rubbishes cryptocurrencies; South Korea preps exchange crackdown

Warren Buffett, arguably the world's most successful and respected investor, has issued a scathing assessment of cryptocurrencies and predicted a "bad ending" for the current bitcoin boom.

11 January 2018

News/Innovation

SETL goes live with blockchain funds platform

SETL, a blockchain-based settlement system for the investment funds industry, has gone live with its pan-European funds record keeping platform IZNES having successfully processed its first transactions.

11 January 2018

Finextra TV/Innovation

Blockchain key catalyst for innovation

Luca Corsini, Global Co-Head, Global Transaction Banking, UniCredit, talks about the innovations and trends around transaction banking, what impact new technologies such as blockchain have in this space, what role fintechs owe to the development of solutions and how technological change is influencing supply-chain finance.

10 January 2018

News/Innovation

TD Bank buys Toronto AI outfit Layer 6

Toronto-Dominion Bank has acquired Canadian Artificial Intelligence startup Layer 6 in a deal reportedly worth more than US$100 million.

10 January 2018