Financial institutions and technology companies have tinkered with trade finance for years, but progress has been slow. Despite automation advances in many areas of financial services, trade finance remains a largely paper-based, manual process. But it could be one area where blockchain technology will be successfully applied.
Start-up DiPocket has unveiled its new mobile banking app, which is not dependent on third party IT systems but built on its own platform. As well as “challenging” the traditional high street banks with its technology, DiPocket thinks it “has a thing or two to teach other ‘neo-banking’ start-ups”. Fedele Di Maggio, CEO and co-founder […]
Standard Chartered has unveiled its Open Banking Application Programming Interface (API) Developer Portal for transaction banking. The launch is part of its “digitisation agenda” and to increase collaboration with corporates, fintech firms and developer communities. The portal will initially provide a repository of API services focused on cash management and then roll out other API […]
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place! Temenos cuts jobs in US; eyes D+H payments business EXCLUSIVE. US layoffs cited as around 60 by some sources. Ziraat Bank London to replace legacy core banking tech EXCLUSIVE. Misys Fusionbanking moves in. Banks and UN launch sustainable […]
Brainy boffins have developed a mathematical algorithm that could boost new cryptocurrency Zcash‘s prestige and topple Bitcoin’s crown. Scientists at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) of the University of Luxembourg have created the algorithm – Equihash – a core component for Zcash, which “offers more privacy and equality than the famous […]
We’re only six weeks into the New Year and already we’ve seen significant activity on the regulatory front in the U.S. and more to come in the U.K. and Europe. Meanwhile, many of the other trends we identified as ones to watch in our Year-in-Review report—bots, blockchain and co-opetition—have been dominating the headlines (along with some major acquisitions). Are you investing in the right places?
In-app payments are cannibalizing more traditional payments.
Banks need to do more than just comply with the upcoming revised Directive on Payment Services (PSD2). To survive, banks will need to embrace these changes.
UK-based payments start-up Revolut has unveiled its “human-like” chatbot, Rita, to answer customer queries. Rita – which stands for “Revolut’s Intelligent Troubleshooting Assistant” – is accessible via the mobile app’s messenger support service. Customers can open the app, send Rita a message and get an instant reply. During the pilot scheme, Rita resolved 20% of […]
Accenture has unveiled a patent-pending solution for blockchain to integrate with industrial-grade security systems that support sectors including financial services. The solution creates an interface between emerging blockchain platforms and “widely used” hardware security technology. It uses Hyperledger Fabric; and Accenture worked with French firm Thales — whose hardware is used by banks to secure […]
The Indian city of Visakhapatnam, the commercial capital of Andhra Pradesh, has launched five start-up challenges in its quest to become a national and global hub for fintech. The big plan is to build an ecosystem including start-up entrepreneurs, innovators, incubators, investors and academia. Several start-ups including Paytm, Blocktrust, Knolskape, Transaction Analyst, GMS, ValueLabs have […]
BankUP, a new fintech venture based in Kontich, Belgium, looks to tap into the European SME banking market.
IBM has launched a blockchain initiative for trade finance with telecom operator du, Dubai Customs, Dubai Trade, Emirates NBD and Banco Santander. The plan is to explore the use of logistics solutions for the import and re-export process of goods in and out of Dubai. Using Hyperledger Fabric and IBM Cloud, their blockchain solution transmits […]
PayPal has a new pal – namely its first bot that lets users move and manage their money in a conversational and casual style. It is built on the Slack messaging platform, which has five million daily active users and lets teams centralise conversations. With the bot, people can send money between PayPal accounts without […]
BNP Paribas has unveiled a new 2017-2020 business development plan – building the bank of the future. €3 billion will be invested in the programme.
Input Output Hong Kong (IOHK), a blockchain architecture and development start-up, has built a proof-of-stake protocol as it seeks to create a “better” Bitcoin, aka Bitcoin 2.0. The protocol, called “Ouroboros”, is a consensus algorithm designed to be a foundation for blockchains that “improve” user governance, system maintenance, transaction processing speeds and blockchain scalability. IOHK […]
Emirates NBD has launched Cockpit Application, an intelligent new CRM solution for branches. The bank has also introduced biometric digital signatures and straight-through processing (STP) of digital forms.
Modern banking is not limited to banks anymore. It’s not only about online or mobile banking, it’s about all the things you would do in your banking system, but now you can do in apps or other solutions provided by third parties, not banks. Payments are one of such functionalities.
Central 1 Credit Union, a software and services provider to 300 financial institutions in Canada, will overhaul its MemberDirect digital banking platform with Backbase’s tech. This is the first known deal for the Dutch vendor in Canada.
Fintech zeitgeist! Welcome to the third in a new series of brief reports. Every Monday, we might look back at last week; look ahead to this week; share a few thoughts (our own or others); or discuss anything that catches our eye. This week we welcome the views of guest writer Soumik Roy on India’s latest budget and its implications for e-payments and digital economy.
United Nations, together with 19 banks and investors worldwide, have launched “a global framework aimed at channelling the money they manage towards clean, low carbon and inclusive projects”. The framework – The Principles for Positive Impact Finance – is a first of its kind set of criteria for investments to be considered sustainable, says the UN.
BankMobile, a mobile-only bank launched by Customers Bancorp two years ago, is expected to be sold this quarter, according to Customers’ president and CEO, Jay Sidhu.
Game-changing innovations, paradigm shift and synergy… Buzzwords no more! The Rainmaking Summit tapped a frustration with the kind of language that obfuscates more than it clarifies, initiatives that pay lip service to innovation while skirting around the edges, and the cultural, organisational, and technological blockers to change that define many large corporates.
Synergy Research has released its latest findings for the global cloud computing market, painting a worrying picture for any challengers looking to cash in on the craze.
The latest edition of our flagship magazine – Banking Technology – is out now, packed with news, analysis and insights, case studies, research and expert commentary.
There are many reasons to be excited about insurtech in 2017!
BBVA Compass has unveiled a “goodwill impairment” charge of $60 million in its latest financial results, attributed to its direct banking service subsidiary, Simple. BBVA bought Simple in 2014 for $117 million. It has since written down $89.4 million.
Swiss online bank Swissquote has developed a virtual reality (VR) trading application that enables users make trades with a glance. The VR headset creates a 360° trading wall for users to monitor the markets.
SIX Payment Services brings to market PayLife 0100, Austria’s first mobile credit card.
Switzerland’s Federal Council has issued a consultation paper on amendments required to its Banking Act and Banking Ordinance, to create an environment that helps fintech start-ups thrive in the country.
Scotiabank has updated the market on how it has adopted the digital technology so far and how it plans to become a “digital leader” in its five key markets.
Citi’s institutional e-banking platform, CitiDirect BE, will now use MobilePASS which lets corporate users replace their physical login tokens with their personal mobile devices for authentication.
The New Zealand Tech Industry Association (NZTech) is launching a new working group, FinTechNZ, which will focus on financial innovation and technology. This working group will be inaugurated in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland next week.
Catch up on Banking Technology’s top five fintech stories of the week – all in one place!
Africa is becoming a very interesting fintech innovation hub (in particular South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt). As much as 80% of the continent is unbanked, opening the door to a breadth of opportunities for fintech companies to seize market share.
The Wall Street Blockchain Alliance (WSBA), a US-based non-profit trade organisation, has set up a new working group – the Blockchain Assets Working Group (BAWG). It will focus on “native assets riding upon public blockchains, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Zcash, and more”, WSBA explains.
Turkey’s largest bank Isbank has launched a new P2P money transfer service, called “social account”, available for the “first time” in the republic. The launch quickly follows on from the release of its new app, IsCep, to allow “for the first time” banking and stock exchange transactions through one application with real-time data. With the […]
The world moves fast, so you need a fast read. A round-up of key events to save you time. PayCommerce, an open cross-border payments network, has completed its real-time, cross-border payment, clearing and settlement testing. It is the first phase of its multi-country global roll out strategy and was done between the US and India. […]
The dynamic and successful world of UK fintech has left the British public shocked as they’ve become numbed to shoddy customer service, invisible trains and useless politicians. Banking Technology took to the litter-strewn and phlegm-coated streets of London to inform the citizens about the nation’s start-ups, innovation, energy and can-do attitude. And to gauge the […]
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has issued a consultation paper, “Crowdfunding: SME Financing Through Lending”. The paper proposes a regulatory framework for anyone looking to operate a loan-based crowdfunding platform in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
