Blockchain technology – why all the hype?
As one of the most talked about emerging technologies, some say blockchain technology could revolutionize everything from stock exchange settlements and transport logistics to voting or welfare payments. So what is it and why is it relevant to financial advisers? Internationally, the benefits and wide range of possible uses for blockchain technology have been touted for a couple of years now. Within Australia, it’s gained some ground after a recent Australian Securities Exchange decision to examine its use for a new clearing and settlement system that’s faster and cheaper than the existing CHESS system. To enable this effort, the ASX bought a five per cent stake ($14.9 million) in Blythe […]
Blockchain technology to hit bank profits
Revolutionary blockchain technology threatens to slash the profits of banks and wipe out lenders which fail to quickly adopt the online record-keeping innovation, a high-powered panel of finance and technology experts warned. Jose Fernandez Da Ponte, global digital business executive at Spanish banking giant BBVA, said digital disruption to financial institutions by blockchain posed “extremely large” threats and opportunities. “Those institutions not up to that are likely to cease to exist,” he said at a conference in Washington. At a panel convened by the International Monetary Fund, financiers, technologists and regulators debated the ramifications of the evolving blockchain. IMF deputy managing director David Lipton said banks and regulators were grappling […]
Fintech Market Growth to Add A$1 Billion New Value to Australian Economy by 2020
The global Fintech sector exhibited robust growth in 2014 when investment activity tripled to US$12.21 billion from US$4.05 billion in 2013. This activity continued in 2015 with an increase in global funding into Venture Capital (VC) backed Fintech startups. Fintech growth in 2015 was international, and Frost & Sullivan anticipates this international dispersion, as well as the global growth trend to continue with more Fintech companies successfully reaching the exit stage of funding in 2016. In the Asia-Pacific region, Fintech investments were concentrated in Australia, China and Singapore, and in 2015, skyrocketed to reach US$3.46b – a four-fold increase from 2014 to 2015. Asian Fintechs garnered strong support, with funding […]
Resisting Fintech disruption amounts to a loss of $13 billion in aggregated revenues
Sydney, Australia, 4 April 2016 – The Australian Banking sector is heavily regulated to prevent monopolies and collapses, and is guided by the Four Pillars Policy of the Australian Government which maintains the viability and separation of the “Big Four” banks: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), Westpac Banking Corporation (WBC), National Australia Bank (NAB), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ). Following the global financial crisis, in 2008, for reasons motivated by stability rather than customer satisfaction, consumers flocked to the ‘Big Four’ who benefited by recovering market share previously lost to the smaller financial institutions. While the Big Four are more dominant than ever, future bank profitability is more […]
Foster Stockbroking readies KYCkr for ASX boards
Global fintech business KYCkr will meet investors for a proposed initial public offering this month, as it seeks to raise capital for growth. KYCkr has hired Foster Stockbroking to handle the proposed $8 million IPO which, if successful, would value the company at $28 million. KYCkr has a suite of KYC (know your customer) products which help payments companies such as PayPal and Swift gain greater visibility over their customer books. The software is all about enabling payments companies to say in compliance with anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing legislation. KYCkr is expected to begin marketing the IPO in late April and list before June 30. The offer comes […]
iSignthis & Coinify deliver AML regulatory compliance via Blockchain
Media Release: APRIL 4TH, 2016; MONEY 20/20 EUROPE, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – The strategic partnership between fintech industry’s innovative KYC compliance service provider, iSignthis Ltd (ASX : ISX) (‘iSignthis’), and the leading blockchain payments provider, Coinify ApS (Coinify), delivers service commencement of a new global product connecting blockchain payments, KYC identity & credit cards. Enabled by ‘top of class’ AML/CTF KYC services by iSignthis, the new payment product will allow instant bitcoin purchases on the Coinify platform. This development will support majority of the credit card types and will open the option to use Coinify Trade platform internationally. The Coinify trade platform acts as a processor of up to 17 blockchain currencies, as well as […]
How to embrace change and survive digital disruption
Digital disruption is a trend that’s here to stay and no industry is safe. Traditional industries like manufacturing, transport, retail, tourism and hospitality, print media and entertainment may have been hit first, and hit hard, but it’s only a matter of time before others, including the advice industry, feel the heat. The banking and finance industry could lose almost a quarter of its revenue to fintech disrupters by 2021, based on a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The report, ‘Blurred lines: How Fintech is shaping financial services’, says the disruption of the financial sector is already underway. It’s currently reshaping the nature of consumer banking and payments, and a second wave […]
