VIAINVEST blog

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

London mayor Sadiq Khan believes that the capital city could replace Silicon Valley as the go-to destination for tech startups based on venture capital (VC) momentum. Of the GBP 2,99 billion in VC funding that poured into UK-based tech plays in 2017, approximately 80%, or GBP 2,45 billion, was directed toward London-based tech companies, as per Pitchbook data gathered for London & Partners. Continue reading London Takes Spotlight for VC-Backed Tech

Bitcoin has taken the financial world by storm, and now it’s changing the face of the sharing economy, including peer-to-peer lending. Startups on the blockchain are increasingly taking the form of bitcoin-driven P2P lenders, while others, such as Fast Invest, which has been a traditional lender for the past few years, are expanding their business model to include cryptocurrencies. Continue reading Risks and Rewards of Cryptocurrency-Driven P2P Lending Platforms

Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of bitcoin, in his 2008 document debuting bitcoin as a digital currency defined it as a “peer-to-peer version of electronic cash.” He proposed a “peer-to-peer network” on which payments could be made without friction or the added expense of trusted third-party service providers. It seems fitting, then, that bitcoin has since found its way to P2P lending. Continue reading Bitcoin-Backed P2P Loans on the Rise

Time flies – the end of the year is just a few days away and with holiday season already in sight, you can start putting together the agenda for the amazing year of 2018 you have ahead. We have done the hardest part by selecting events we consider the most exciting fintech gatherings for the first quarter of 2018. You just have to pick ones that may bring the most added value for you! Continue reading 10 Fintech Events You Should Consider Attending in Q1 2018

The alternative finance market in the UK has been on a tear. According to the University of Cambridge report, the online alternative finance market segment ballooned 43% to GBP 4,6 billion in 2016 from GBP 3,2 billion the prior year. While the 4^th Annual UK Alternative Finance Industry Report reflects performance for all of 2016 over 2015, much of the momentum has spilled over into 2017, evidenced by milestones and records being set by the likes of Zopa, Funding Circle RateSetter among others. Continue reading P2P Shines in UK Alternative Finance Overview