Dec 24, 2020

Global FinTech News - 24th of December

By Holland FinTech • Issue #78 • View online

Hello, dear reader!

We would like to take a moment and wish you, avid fintech reader, a joyful and relaxing holiday season! Even though these upcoming days might look and feel quite different this year, one thing is certain: we are looking forward to seeing you again for our upcoming Online Meetup on January 8th. Join us to welcome the new year and hopefully more physical networking opportunities and drinks!

In the meantime, while a Brexit deal seems to come to a closing, we leave you off for your holiday with your favorite reading materials in terms of fintech. Dive into the category of interest - recent global news, leading expert views, largest funding rounds, and latest research and data!

From the Holland FinTech Team, we wish you a wonderful Christmas break!

Highlights from last weeks news related to fintech

Weekly News Highlights - 24 December 2020

New regulations, partnerships and technology developments. There is just so much going on in Fintech. Here is our selection of news, relevant for the industry.

Ripple fights back against the lawsuit brought by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which also led to a crash in the XRP cryptocurrency market
Robinhood agrees to pay $65 million to settle SEC charges
Goldman Sachs plans to offer digital wealth management to Main Street investors
Coinbase, an online platform for buying, selling, transferring, and storing digital currency, announced to go public
The USA State Administration for Market Regulation launched an antitrust probe against Alibaba earlier this week
Google, Cisco and VMware announced that they are joining WhatsApp in its battle against NSO Group, an Israeli intelligence firm
IBM has announced its latest acquisition, Nordcloud, a Helsinki-based multi-cloud consulting firm
TransferWise, a London-based online money transfer service, is planning for a blockbuster stock market flotation
Citi, an American multinational investment bank and financial services corporation, is building a marketplace of third party fintech apps

Read more about this funding news HERE.

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A selection of recent research reports and papers worth reading

Weekly Research Highlights - 22 December 2020

Much research is conducted across the world, providing data and insights about market developments at large. Below you can find the research reports and white papers we discovered and selected for you this week.

“How Australian fintechs are planning to emerge stronger from the crisis” (EY Australia) - this study finds that the fintech sector is maturing, with 78% of respondents post revenue, strong growth in paying customers and optimistic for global expansion
“Map of the Fintech Ecosystem in Spain” (astorya.io) - in a recent overview by ElReferente and ABANCA Innova, a comprehensive presentation of the startups and scaleups Spanish fintechs is given
“State Of Fintech Preview: Investment Trends To Watch” (CB Insights) - in this study, an overview of the key investment trends, funding activities, and projections for 2020 is given
“Financial Services Technology 2020 and Beyond: Embracing disruption” (PwC) - the study emphasizes 6 priorities for success in 2020 and beyond, which include the importance of businesses updating their IT operating models
“The Future of ESGTech 2020” (Finextra) - this study explores the tools and processes that can assist organisations in developing their ESG offering and driving growth through meeting sustainable goals in the years ahead
“Global Mapping and Infographic of Key Players in the Open Banking Ecosystem 2020–2021” (The Paypers) - in this research, the findings highlight a comprehensive mapping of the global key players’ ecosystem and the range of services and solutions that Open Banking players are offering
“Tech Trends 2020” (Deloitte) - the 11th annual report Deloitte Tech Trends 2020 identifies the trends believed to be contributing to business disruptions
“What is Really New in Fintech” (IMF Blog) - according to Arnoud Boot, Peter Hoffmann, Luc Laeven and Lev Ratnovski, the financial industry is undergoing rapid technological change
“Digital Asset Report” (Fintech.tv) - this report provides a look forward to digital assets, blockchain, crypto, innovation, disruption and legislation/regulation.

Read more about the research sources and download pdf’s HERE.

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Background information and insights from opinion leaders and experts

Weekly Analysis & Opinion Highlights - 21 December 2020

We are keeping track of what opinion leaders across the world have to say about everything that is happening in and around financial services and technology. Below, you can find the views that stood out this week.

“SolarWinds hackers have a clever way to bypass multi-factor authentication” via Ars Technica - after last week’s series of hacker attacks on multiple software vendors, such as Microsoft, Dan Goodin, Security Editor at Ars Technica, explains the consequences of the hack
“The Top Five Strategic Technology Trends for 2021 The Year of Digitalism” via Datafloq - according to Dr Mark van Rijmenam, founder of Datafloq and Mavin, there are five prominent trends to be expected in 2021 for the tech sector
“2020 – A shock to the system for the banking industry” via FinTech Futures - in an interview conducted by Alex Hamilton, Deputy Editor at FinTech Futures, together with James Buckley, vice president and Europe director for Infosys Finacle, the rapid adoption of new innovations by the banking industry is discussed
“Data in the changing payments landscape and the role of ISO 20022” via Finextra - Akhil Rao, Director of Nth Exception, claims that data is becoming significantly more essential for the payments industry each day
“Emerging Cybersecurity Challenges And Solutions In The Finance Sector” via Finance Monthly) - Rob May, Managing Director and founder of ramsac, analyzes the latest security threats for businesses and solutions to overcome these issues
“Regulators Continue Reviews Of Market Data Pricing, Little Action” via Forbes - Tom Groenfeldt, finance and technology writer at Forbes, explains why investment firms, traders and hedge funds are pursuing US, UK and European regulators to take a closer look at market data prices and practices.
“Risk rise in pandemic-hit fintech sector” via Bobsguide.com - Selwyn Parker, journalist at Bobsguide.com, explores in-depth the consequences of Brexit for the fintech sector

Read more about these analyses & opinion pieces HERE.

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Connect with the fintech ecosystem at some of the upcoming events

Holland FinTech Online Meetup - 8th January

Our Holland FinTech Online Meetups allow the international fintech ecosystem to gather together and for the companies in our network to stay at the forefront of innovation. If you are looking for exposure, new customers, investors, team members or cool startups, you will surely meet them here! For this month, we will have industry expert speakers from: AMDAX Group, Stock Republic, The Software House and OmegaLab.

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Asian Financial Forum Online - 18th-19th January

AFF is Asia’s premier platform for global leaders in government, finance and business to exchange insights, intelligence as well as business and investment opportuntieis.

www.asianfinancialforum.com • Share

Sustainable Financial Innovation Centre Annual Conference - 21st January

The Sustainable Financial Innovation Centre (SFiC) at the University of Birmingham brings together colleagues from the full spectrum of disciplinary perspectives on FinTech and sustainable finance.

www.birmingham.ac.uk • Share

AI in Financial Services 2021 - 3rd-4th February

The Artificial Intelligence in Financial Services conference will be going virtual in 2021. Over the course of 2 days, 150+ senior executives from leading financial institutions will gather to discuss current AI success, how you can leverage new tools, and when and where to use them for best effect.

www.arena-international.com • Share

Ai4 2021 - AI For Finance Conference - 3rd-4th March

Over two days, the Ai4 2021 Finance Summit will welcome 30+ speakers from leading organizations. All of our speakers are actively involved in artificial intelligence and machine learning projects.

ai4.io • Share