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10 FinTech Predictions for 2018
It was a big year for FinTech in 2017 – and 2018 is shaping up to be every bit as exciting. Here are some FinTech predictions for 2018.
How to Scale Your Startup: 3 Key Areas
At the LHoFT, we help founders with innovative ideas turn those ideas into startups with a transformative effect in the finance industry. We also help established startups expand into Europe and beyond, expanding their reach and market penetration.
In talking with founders who fall into the latter group, established and expanding, we have identified the three most significant concerns when attempting to scale after finding initial traction.
Trends: Is the blockchain era finally here?
In from the cold and finally joining AI, Big Data and the Cloud around the fire, the announcement on Sunday that CBOE was now trading bitcoin futures suggests the technology behind it is now being taken seriously. Whatever your opinion in the various debates that surround the cryptocurrency - whether it is an asset or a currency, whether its shady past deserves legitimacy - few can deny the sustainability of the technology underlying bitcoin.
Have we finally cut the inaugural blockchain ribbon to the future?
Decrypting Crypto, From Bitcoin and Blockchain to ICOs
On the surface, the story of cryptocurrencies has been a story about new financial opportunities — whether it’s people betting on bitcoin, or banking on the blockchain. But the building blocks of this story go back to the history of currency, the evolution of the internet and distributed networks, and towards the advent of Ethereum. As these threads come together, how are they being woven together into new opportunities right now?
Andreessen Horowitz general partner Alex Rampell reflects on all this and more, in this talk delivered at our most recent annual a16z Summit in November 2017.
Will 2018 Be the Year of the Bank of Amazon? Experts Weigh In
For the financial technology industry, 2017 will be defined as the year that the threat of tech giants grew stronger, artificial intelligence cemented its importance and some startups applied to become banks.
What to look for in 2018? Maybe more mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and deeper forays by Amazon.com Inc. and Facebook Inc. Here’s a wrap from industry experts:
Regtech & the Disruption of Compliance
Regtech recently became a trendy term commonly associated with the financial sector. Summits, events, discussions and reports around this new field are popping up everywhere, including in Luxembourg. But what is regulatory technology (regtech) all about? Does it only impact banks and funds? Let’s try to get a better understanding of regtech and how it creates positive opportunities for Luxembourg.
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Emma: Your Financial Advocate - Early Access for UK Readers
Emma is a UK based app that can help people avoid overdrafts, find and cancel subscriptions, track debt and save money. They have just launched their closed beta and given us 200 invites to get early access to skip the queue of thousands. The link will expire in 2 days, so hurry up!
Hot News
Bank of Canada releases white paper on merits of creating digital currency
The Bank of Canada is considering the merits and risks of digital currencies as interest in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin reaches a fevered pitch.
In a research paper released by the central bank Thursday, report authors Walter Engert and Ben Fung said there are merits to creating a central bank digital currency as society starts to move away from cash, and the bank’s potential to reap profits off issuing that cash could be threatened.
Bitcoin feeding frenzy fuelled by 15 times leverage, says exchange
The Japanese exchange at the heart of bitcoin’s recent surge has said its investors are fuelling the cryptocurrency’s feeding frenzy as they buy in with leverage up to 15 times their cash deposit.
Revolut Launches Cryptocurrency Support, Flat 1.5% Fee to Buy Bitcoin
Revolut, the European fintech startup we wrote about earlier this year, is now gearing up to combine the fiat world and the crypto world. The platform has now begun allowing users to buy and hold the popular cryptocurrencies ethereum, litecoin, and bitcoin at competitive rates. Given Revolut’s large mainstream user base, it could become a game changer.