VIAINVEST blog

It’s no secret that the Baltic nations are considered a hub for fintech activity. This is especially true in the wake of Brexit, given the compliance and regulatory uncertainty surrounding financial services between the U.K. and the European Union. Entrepreneurs need more clarity. Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania are increasingly bridging that gap, thanks to a culture of nurturing tech innovation and embracing digitization that in many ways have made the Baltics the envy of the world.

Fintech is the intersection of finance and technology. It is a sector that looks to tech to make financial services better and more intuitive for consumers and businesses alike. The sector has disrupted legacy financial systems by leaning into what consumers want and the way in which merchants and entrepreneurs can deliver. The Baltics take the lead in areas like peer-to-peer (P2P) investing, where the region has the largest slice of the market in the EU, with France in a distant second. Continue reading Fintechs Flock to Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania

With 2021 about to be in the rear-view mirror, we thought it would be a good time to take stock of some of the key investment themes that have emerged over the past year and what’s ahead for 2022. Investors have had to navigate some choppy market waters with headwinds like inflation and the emergence of the omicron variant, which suggests that diversification could become more important than ever.

While there are still plenty of returns to be had, investors might also need to expand into new areas to capture them and move closer to their financial goals. Some of the areas we’ll explore include stocks, cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), peer-to-peer (P2P) investing, and sustainability as well as alternative asset classes including luxury items from fine art to fine wine.

In addition, we’ll take a look at some of the overhanging risks, not least including inflation and the omicron variant, as well as the effect they could have on investments. We’ll also tell you the latest exciting developments at VIAINVEST so you know what to look out for in the new year. Continue reading Investment Trends Then and Now: A Look Back on 2021 and Ahead to 2022

The world is increasingly going digital, including the monetary system. The economy has been flooded with digital assets and mobile apps that consumers are flocking to over traditional money and financial institutions. Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are taking the lead on the digital transformation in a global economy where inflation has reared its head and seemingly intends to stick around for a while. The rise of bitcoin has challenged the legacy financial system and placed a fire under the feet of countries that have not already done so to go digital. Continue reading Europe’s Potential Digital Euro a Reality Check for ECB Officials