Singapore tests blockchain digital currency system for banks
Singapore will launch a new electronic payment system using blockchain, the technology behind the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, the city-state’s central bank chief said Wednesday. The Singapore stock exchange and eight banks will take part in the pilot project, which includes payment between banks, said Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) chief executive Ravi Menon at the Singapore Fintech Festival. Blockchain technology debuted in 2009 as a public ledger for the digital currency bitcoin, but its potential for securely tracking transactions has meant it is being eyed for other uses. The pilot project aims to integrate the service into the mainstream as the Southeast Asian country seeks to become a regional hub for […]
Here’s why Trump’s win boosted Bitcoin
As Trump’s electoral victory became clear, global markets plunged into volatility. Dow Jones stock futures dropped by 3.8% in premarket trading, S&P futures by 3% overnight, and Nasdaq futures by almost 5%. All major European indices dropped by 2%, on average. The price of bitcoin, however, surged around 4% to reach highs of $738.33 overnight. The cryptocurrency saw similar gains in June after the Brexit vote, suggesting that investors are increasingly turning to bitcoin in times of political and economic uncertainty. There are a number of reasons why bitcoin proves attractive in these circumstances: It’s an alternative asset. Alternative assets are non-traditional assets — other examples include precious metals and […]
Here’s why India’s fintech sector could boom
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, announced on Tuesday that existing R500 ($9.93) and R1,000 ($19.86) banknotes would no longer be legal tender from November 9, with airports, railway stations, and hospitals only accepting them until November 11. The government made the surprise move in a bid to combat “black money,” or currency that is unaccounted for, and counterfeit currency. Consumers have until December 30 to exchange their R500 notes for new editions with enhanced security features, while limited numbers of new R2,000 ($39.70) notes have been issued. A replacement R1,000 note will be introduced in “due course,” according to a government official. Here’s how the government’s move could benefit the […]
The world’s biggest bitcoin wallet provider will have a record month thanks to Trump
The world’s biggest bitcoin wallet provider will “pretty easily” have its biggest ever month for activity in November, following a surge in use after Donald Trump’s shock election victory in the US. Peter Smith, the Co-Founder and CEO of London-based Blockchain, told Business Insider: “We’re setting a new record pretty much every day since the election in terms of activity on the platform. “People are basically hedging against economic instability. It’s a worrying time to be holding a lot of British pound or if you’re America — people flee to safe haven assets. Bitcoin is one of those. Bloomberg added to its list of safe havens last week actually.” The […]
Adviser Ratings Expands Business with String of New Appointments
Financial services technology company, Adviser Ratings has recently expanded its business with the appointment of two new senior staff members and a full service PR agency to manage its B2B and B2C communications activity. Following a successful launch to market in 2015, the expansion comes as a result of increased demand in the business’ personal finance offering, as its advisory and consumer member base continues to thrive. Joining Adviser Ratings as Chief Operating Officer, Jaime Brands brings with her 10 years of industry experience, six of those spent at Google Australia & New Zealand as the Head of External Telesales Operations for the entire region. With expertise in team leadership, […]
US giant buys Canberra online transaction business eWAY for $US50m
Canberra multimillionaire Matt Bullock has sold his online transaction company for more than a thousand times the money in his bank when he started it. When the Pearce man developed eWAY 18 years ago, he had $50,000 to his name. On Friday, he sold it to American payment technology services giant Global Payments for $US50 million. Understandably, Mr Bullock feels a great sense of achievement from his brainchild that grew to doing 5.8 billion online purchases last year, or about a quarter of all internet transactions in Australia. “What this shows is that you can do anything in Canberra,” he said. “It is a beautiful place and there are a […]
Fintech sector held back by fear factor, not a lack of capital
A dearth of ideas and entrepreneurs, rather than capital, is the main barrier to innovation in Australia, delegates at the Australian Financial Review Banking & Wealth Summit heard on Wednesday. Chris Brycki, chief executive of online investment adviser Stockspot, said that high salaries and the low number of job losses in the financial services sector after the global financial crisis meant that few people were prepared to leave their employers and take the risk of starting a business. Mr Brycki’s comments run counter to the perceived wisdom that the unwillingness of Australian investors, particularly superannuation funds, to invest in start-ups is inhibiting their development. “I think the lack of capital […]
UK fintech startup truRating knew Australia would be a prime market
“Australia was in our sights early on as a prime market for truRating to launch in following our early success in the UK. Our local market research demonstrated that consumers want a simple and anonymous way to provide feedback about their experiences to businesses and truRating is committed to delivering that capability via our world-first technology. The rapidly growing fintech scene and market potential we identified here cemented Australia as the natural next step. Australia has a flourishing startup ecosystem which is producing world-class technologies and truRating is proud to join the mix.” – Georgina Nelson – CEO & Founder truRating
