Issue 9  April 18th 2015

Trickle-Down Innovation: How FinTech Is Enabling Startups

Amidst continuing bank crises and stock market woes, the number of new businesses registered in the UK reached 581,173 in 2014 – a record high. It’s a telling statistic not only for the UK, but for other parts of the world in which advanced technology, startup accelerators, and new funding options are empowering individuals to turn their ideas into companies more than ever before. A closer look at the forces behind this entrepreneurial surge reveals that FinTech – with its innovative options for raising capital, purchasing and payments, cashflow management, and general administrative tools – is a major enabler in the startup ecosystem.

TAGP274 Nasir Zubairi : FinTech Is On The Verge Of Dramatically Disrupting The World Of Finance

Nasir Zubairi founder of BillFront Ltd talks about the problems in fintech. Lots of opportunities for app entrepreneurs.

Tumbling Interest Rates in Europe Leaves Some Banks Owing Money on Loans to Borrowers

Tumbling interest rates in Europe have put some banks in an inconceivable position: owing money on loans to borrowers.

At least one Spanish bank, Bankinter SA, the country’s seventh-largest lender by market value, has been paying some customers interest on mortgages by deducting that amount from the principal the borrower owes.

What is the future of the ATM in a world of digital money?

The many challengers to cash—checks, debit cards, credit cards, and so forth—are used mostly for high-value transactions. Small sums, which make up the majority of all payments in the United States and globally, are still ruled by cash. After all, nobody writes out a check for a sandwich. And in many places around the world, using a card for small payments incurs additional fees.

A Stanford Professor Says His Digital Currency Is Better than Bitcoin

The total value of the digital currency Bitcoin is now approximately $3.4 billion, and many companies and investors are working to prove that the technology can make financial services cheaper and more useful.

But Stanford professor David Mazières thinks he has a faster, more flexible, and more secure alternative. If Mazières is correct, his technology could make digital payments and other transactions cheaper, safer, and easier—particularly across borders. He released the design for his system in a white paper last Wednesday.