BANKING
Microsoft and Finastra Open Cloud Solution to Exponentially Accelerate Innovation for 8,500 Banks and Institutions
Finastra and Microsoft Corp have announced a strategic, multiyear cloud agreement to help accelerate the digital transformation of financial services and help realise and open source future for finance.
Italian Banking Association Chose Decentralized Blockchain Route
The Italian Banking Association, Associazione Bancaria Italiana (ABI), chose to leverage the blockchain-based system Spunta, as they could not identify an appropriate single actor to run a centralized system.
Bank of America Considers Bitcoin and Crypto Transactions to be Equivalent to Cash
Bank of America is considering Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other altcoins to be cash equivalent, and will treat crypto-related transactions as cash advances. Adjustments to the fees in that category of transactions will also be made.
Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
DeFi stands for decentralized finance, which owns the blockchain advantages, thus removes trusted third parties and more. DeFi will have profound impact to traditional financial industries.
Ziglu Mobile Banking App Makes Cryptocurrency Easy for Everyone
Ziglu, the first UK regulated cryptocurrency bank, has launched its platform app after successfully completing its testing phase.
Fintech not Big Tech: Square is a Greater Threat to Banks than Google and Amazon
A recent survey of 300 senior executives at US-based mid-sized financial institutions found that more than half of bank and credit union executives view Big Tech companies like Amazon and Google as significant threats to the banking industry. Meanwhile only a third believe financial technology (fintech) firms will be a threat in the future, but are they sleeping on Square, Jack Dorsey’s financial technology venture whose stock price recently recorded a 20 month high.
Ripple (XRP) Check Feature May Soon See the Light of Day
The long-awaited Ripple Check may soon be launched as the margin for the needed votes by the network's validators narrows. With the Check feature, institutions and users will find flexibility in money exchange and adherence to compliance.
JP Morgan Chase Approves Major Crypto Exchange Clients Coinbase and Gemini
JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the United States, has set the ball rolling by accepting crypto exchanges Gemini and Coinbase as banking customers. This is a sign that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are being embraced in the American financial landscape and Wall Street. The bank gave Coinbase and Gemini accounts the green light in April, and transactions are just kick-starting. Reportedly, JPMorgan Chase is offering cash-management services to the exchanges, as well as dealing with dollar-based transactions for their US-based clients.
WeBank Blockchain Patents Filings Rank Third Highest Globally for 2019
China’s WeBank is leading the global banking community in banking technology patents jumping ahead of US giants JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America with 632 filed patents in 2019.
Banking on Blockchain: ICBC Releases First-Ever White Paper on Blockchain for the Financial Sector
One of China's major banks, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has released its white paper on blockchain-based applications in the financial sector. The document is the first white paper related to blockchain technology in the financial industry. The paper also highlights the present challenges faced by the banking sector.
Brazilian Banking Federation President Claims Crypto Cannot Replace Fiat Money
The President of Brazilian Banking Federation has argued that cryptocurrencies do not meet the basic criteria of real currencies.
Standard Chartered's Planned Hong Kong Virtual Bank Announced as Mox
Mox is the new virtual bank in Hong Kong to be launched by Standard Chartered in partnership with PCCW, HKT and Trip.com. Launching later this year, the mission of Mox is to help everyone in Hong Kong grow – “your money, your world, your possibilities.”
Wells Fargo Injects $5M into Blockchain Startup Bridging Crypto Exchanges and Banks to Expand in Asia
US Banking Giant, Wells Fargo is investing in blockchain startup focusing on forensics, Elliptic. Wells Fargo Strategic Capital (WFSC), the venture capital arm of the bank, has decided to inject $5 million into Elliptic’s Series B funding round.
DAG Global Seeks to Break New Ground as First UK Bank to Support Crypto Businesses
DAG Global, a UK financial services company, aims to set a precedent by gaining a UK banking license to close the void between banks and crypto businesses. It intends to become the nation’s first bank to support cryptocurrency businesses.
Goldman Sachs and Citigroup Perform the First Equity Swap on Blockchain
Traditional equity swaps have to be continuously updated for multiple variables. These include different interest rates, end-of-day market prices, and corporate actions like stock splits and dividend payments. Financial institutions need to hire many people to verify the process until the swap completion, which in some rare cases, could take months.