You might have heard the news over the past few weeks: The IPO is officially dead. Yes, many were quick to claim that Uber’s less-than-stellar (and that’s putting it mildly) stock debut was the final death knell of the “IPO craze.”
Read MoreCryptocurrencies are notorious for existing outside the normal regulatory oversight that governs most financial assets. Indeed, that’s a main selling point for many fans of crypto. But a group of international regulators this week outlined a plan to try and put some shackles on these shackle-less digital currencies.
Read MoreGenerally, left-wing politicians and banks are not on the same side. At least that’s the case in the United States, where the vast majority of our elected officials are unable to think independently, but simply toe the party line.
Read MoreGermany has one of the most robust and innovative fintech sectors in the world. A big reason is that the country has a regulatory landscape that seeks to work with and incubate start-ups, as opposed to stifling innovation. A number of German challenger banks and fintech firms have made waves over the past few years.
Read MoreThe nation’s major card networks are seemingly in a fierce acquisition battle as they try to differentiate themselves from one another and from upstart fintech competitors as well.
Read MoreOne of the enduring memories of the Obamacare rollout in 2013 was the extreme tech issues with its website, Healthcare.gov. California officials hope a similar fate doesn’t derail its ambitious new data privacy law, set to go into effect at the beginning of next year.
Read MoreIt’s long been known that small businesses, feeling often overlooked by their banks, have increasingly turned to fintechs for a variety of services. Now fintechs are looking at FX trading as another avenue by which to attract small businesses.
Read MoreIn today’s always-on digital world, cybersecurity is a chief concern for most industries. With the rise of so many internet-connected devices, there are exponentially more attack vectors through which hackers can target organizations than ever before.
Read MoreThere are myriad reasons given as to why the banking industry lags behind in tech innovation and can’t seem to hire top tech workers. Some say it’s because they lack a “start-up culture.” Regulatory constraints are also frequently cited, as well as the general risk-averse nature of banks.
Read MoreIn the early part of this decade, fintechs were viewed by some traditional financial institutions as barbarians at the gate, eager to take customers away. Fintechs, for their part, frequently talked about “disrupting” the financial industry and doing things digital-first, not being held back by legacy technology or processes.
Read MoreWe’ve written a bit on Uber’s IPO, one of the most anticipated stock offerings in many years. However, one person who is not sharing in the enthusiasm is Warren Buffett, who is going to pass on this one. That’s part of a larger strategy the Oracle of Omaha abides by, which is not to invest in any new stock offerings as a practice.
Read MoreInsurtech is a booming sector, and deep-pocketed investors show no sign of slowing down in pouring money into the next hot start-up. The latest example is Health IQ Insurance Services, Inc., which this week announced it has raised $55 million in growth capital, bringing its total funding raised to $140 million.
Read MoreWhy can’t banks innovate like start-ups? It’s a question that’s been asked a thousand times and has many answers. It’s certainly true that financial firms face a more stringent regulatory environment than most other industries. And they tend to have a more conservative nature than other businesses that tend to take fewer risks.
Read MoreIn light of Michael Cohen’s conviction and prison entrée on May 6, we thought we’d share a fascinating story from Institutional Investor on what white collar criminals and Wall Streeters face in prison. Since the 80s and the height of the “greed is good” era, there has been a perception that the minimum security prisons that white collar felons go to are more akin to hotels (think “Club Fed”).
Read MoreBitcoin, and the wider crypto industry, took a big step forward to mainstream acceptance this week when the owners of the New York Stock Exchange announced they had acquired a crypto custodian service called Digital Asset Custody Company. Atlanta-based Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), which owns the NYSE, also applied for its cryptocurrency subsidiary—known as Bakkt—to become a registered trust with the state of New York.
Read MoreThe Financial Revolutionist is weekly newsletter and blog focused on the torrid pace of financial innovation. Today, thanks to the exponential rate of technological change, explosion in global trade and new regulations ushered in by the Great Financial Crisis, a new financial revolution is under way. In this battle, virtually every aspect of the greater financial services sector is subject to rigorous challenge. With the Financial Revolutionist, we are aspiring to create a boots-on-the-ground and highly opinionated assessment of important financial innovation developments in the past week.
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