2024 saw many ups and downs, from standout regulation, landmark elections in the
US and
UK, and key developments in cryptocurrency, such as
MiCA regulation, and
AI. As the year is reaching its end, let us look back at Finextra’s highest viewed long reads of 2024.
Top long reads of 2024
10. Apple’s digital wallet monopoly: The juicy drama
I outlined how the EU, Russia, and the US enacted antitrust regulation to block Apple’s digital wallet monopoly, citing charges against the tech giant and complaints from other payments platforms on the lack of competition in the digital market.
9. US election 2024: What does Project 2025 say about finance and fintech?
Madhvi Sonia, Finextra’s head of content, took a deep dive into The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 mandate that has been linked to US conservative politics. The project promotes right-wing policies which Republicans may implement now that they have control
of the House and Senate.
8. Stablecoins under MiCA: What it means to be compliant
Rowan Varall, associate director at the DTI Foundation, summarised the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation and how stablecoins will be impacted.
7. Rise of the superapp
In an explainer article, I detailed the how and what of superapps, discussing how Alipay and WeChat are booming in Asia and their potential in Western markets.
6. Cross-border digital wallets are key to financial inclusion
I discussed how digital payments have facilitated cross-border payments, making the financial ecosystem more accessible and therefore more inclusive to underbanked and underserved populations as digital wallet usage and international remittances has skyrocketed
in regions of South Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
5. What’s AML? Understanding anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing
Dominique Dierks, content manager at Finextra, explained what exactly the term ‘anti-money laundering’ (AML) means in banking and fintech, and how it relates to counter-financing of terrorism (CFT).
4. Stablecoin: How will it impact the UK payments regime?
A part of the Gillmore Centre Series, Bazil Sansom, research fellow at the Gillmore Centre of Financial Technology at Warwick Business School examined how stablecoins could be effectively implemented in the UK payments system.
3. Stablecoin currency exchanges are impacting traditional FX trading
In another article from the Gillmore Centre of Financial Technology, assistant professor Ganesh Viswanath-Natraj discussed research findings on the market potential of stablecoin in cross-border payments and foreign exchange trading.
2. What trends and challenges will fintechs face in 2024?
Vladimir Krasik, global head of internal treasury at Revolut, predicted what trends and disruptions would emerge in the fintech and banking landscape of 2024.
1. When is the next Bitcoin halving? Everything you need to know
Top spot goes to Dominique Dierks, content manager at Finextra, in her detailed summary of Bitcoin halving, leading up to the historic Bitcoin halving event that took place on 17 April 2024.
If you are interested in contributing a long read to Finextra, please contact content@finextra.com.