Fintech is a trendy industry for startups to choose, many of which came on the scene in the wake of the Financial Crisis, which rely on technology innovation to bridge the gap between traditional finance and their customers, including both individuals and merchants. Continue reading Fintechs and Traditional Finance Finding Common Ground
Technology is growing at an exponential rate, and no industry can escape the impact of it. As we have explored in other posts, finance is not an exception. After the boom observed over the past few years, fintech is now becoming increasingly mature, and the impact that is having on small and medium-sized enterprises is more and more evident. Continue reading Fintech and SMEs – what has changed?
The alternative finance industry in Europe does not show any signs of slowing down. According to a new report “Expanding Horizons” published by the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) of the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, that is capturing an estimated 90% of the market, online alternative finance grew a 101% in Europe, from € 1019 million to € 2063 million in 2016 (excluding the UK), with a substantial acceleration from the 72% increase in 2015. Continue reading P2P Lending in Europe Doubles in Size
The days of retiring from a decades-long career at the same large company, while honorable, are mostly history. Millennials and Gen Xers hop jobs more than any other generation before them, and the gig economy aka freelance economy or the flexible economy is disrupting economic cycles in ways that could not have been forecasted. Continue reading As Gig Economy Matures, Growing Pains Surface
In what could prove to be a match made in heaven, China is lifting its profile for fintech and is increasingly looking to the UK more than any other European country for influence. In a landmark announcement, China revealed it’s selected the UK as a partner on its project to develop a sustainable fintech city near its capital Beijing – dubbed the Xiong’an New Area. The rising trend of China and the UK collaboration satisfies different needs for both regions that could ultimately usher in the next generation of fintech. Continue reading China Looks to the UK to Increase Its Fintech Influence
Are you familiar with Open Banking? Do you know what PSD2 is? If not then you are not alone. The UK Consumers’ advice firm Which? had done a survey a few months before the implementation of the new directives and discovered that an astounding 92% of the consumers are not aware of these changing regulatory environment that is set to change the financial system in the way that we know it. Continue reading Open Banking Is Still a Well Kept Secret for Consumers
Simplicity was at the heart of early peer-to-peer lending, a trait that has since become more elusive as the market has matured. Early on, borrowers and lenders were matched directly, and everyone was happy. A borrower got access to the cash they needed to repay a debt, and a lender was able to generate a return that was more attractive than the broader financial markets had to offer. That’s how Lending Club began more than a decade ago; it made its debut on Facebook as the social media giant’s first app. Continue reading Blockchain Could Return P2P Lending Back to Its Roots
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), will enter into force in the second quarter of 2018, with the aim to strengthen and unify data protection inside the European Union. New laws on data protection and privacy will bring some new challenges and a whole new set of great opportunities. Continue reading Are You Ready for the GDPR?
With slightly more than six million residents across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania combined, the fintech profile among Baltic states is on the rise. Consider some of the leading fintech players that were formed in the Baltics, such as Latvia’s P2P leaders Mintos, Twino and VIAINVEST or blockchain innovator BitFury , Estonia’s Transferwise and Lithuania’s PaySera – a money-transfer companies worth more than $1 billion now, or Skype, which is the product of Swedish and Estonian innovation, proving fintech plays are quite active in the Baltic region of the European Union. Continue reading The Baltic Region Boasts Tech Prowess
January is always a good time to take a look back at what has happened in the past twelve months and think about what lays ahead in the new year that has just started. For the fintech industry, 2018 will bring a mix of what has been trending lately and some new topics that we have included in points below. Continue reading 5 Fintech Trends for 2018
