Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are becoming a focal point in global finance, with various countries at different stages of development. In fact, 4 monetary authorities – the Bahamas, Eastern …
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BNPL in 2024: Navigating Growth, Regulation and New Frontiers
Buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services are facing a pivotal year in 2024, particularly as related to evolving consumer preferences and regulatory challenges. While experts are predicting continued growth for BNPL solutions, they …
Read More »Despite Progress, Greenwashing Remains a Challenge
In the last 5 years, the fintech sector has seen a significant shift towards sustainability. This trend, however, has led to unintended greenwashing. While research by Ivalua (a cloud-based spend …
Read More »Tokenized Deposits, Stablecoins and CBDCs in Modern Finance
The future of money is often characterized by tokenized deposits, stablecoins and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). While very similar in terms of what they offer, their key distinguishing factor …
Read More »Restoring Trust in Cryptocurrencies
Trust in cryptocurrency markets has been significantly eroded by numerous events in recent years (e.g. FTX’s bankruptcy in 2022, which wiped out its USD 34 billion valuation overnight). These events …
Read More »Key Trends and Opportunities in Uzbekistan’s Fintech Sector
Mastercard has released a comprehensive analysis of Uzbekistan’s fintech market, highlighting the main observed trends as well as identifying key opportunities and challenges. Here is an overview of what was …
Read More »Open Banking’s Imminent Rise in the MENA Region
Paytech, Arab Financial Services (AFS) and Brankas have published a new whitepaper on open banking in the MENA region. The paper highlights an expectation that the region (especially Bahrain, Saudi …
Read More »Younger Generations Prefer Brand-Linked Banking
A recent study by Vodeno/Aion Bank revealed that younger consumers are increasingly opting for their favorite brands over traditional financial institutions for financial services. Surveying 3,007 consumers across Belgium, Germany …
Read More »PayPal’s Stablecoin Launch Could End the Crypto Winter
PayPal’s launch of the PYUSD stablecoin has the potential to shift the cryptocurrency landscape from speculative ventures to practical payment applications. The combination of the first US financial firm (and …
Read More »93% of Central Banks Globally Interested in CBDCs
A 2022 survey by the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) has found that 93% of central banks globally are interested in exploring some form of central bank digital currency (CBDC). …
Read More »60% of Consumers Turn to Fintech Apps Before Financial Professionals
According to Capterra’s 2023 Fintech Survey of over 870 consumer fintech users, fintech apps have simplified financial management, with 60% of respondents seeking advice from personal finance tools before financial …
Read More »Barriers and Opportunities for Fintech in Central Asia
The e-commerce and fintech markets in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are rapidly growing, largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, they are also facing challenges related to low …
Read More »Why Banks Created Zelle [Video]
Competition among peer-to-peer payment apps like Venmo, PayPal, Cash App and Zelle have been heating up in the last decade. While the initial attempts of big banks to compete in …
Read More »Fintech Solutions Can Help Consumers Achieve Financial Wellbeing
Jerry Young, the CEO of ieDigital, discussed the role fintechs have in ensuring the financial wellbeing of consumers. As personal finances come under more and more pressure, fintechs are rising …
Read More »What Are Stablecoins, and Why Are Some So Concerned about Them? [Video]
Stablecoins are being touted as everything tokens like bitcoin and ether aren’t. Whereas the price of cryptocurrencies can fluctuate greatly, stablecoins are designed to be worth the same as a …
Read More »Non-Binary Persons Feel Discrimination in Financial Experiences
A new study from Mastercard has revealed that non-binary persons feel discrimination in their financial experiences. Specifically, the study found that: 68% of non-binary persons’ IDs feature the name and …
Read More »Metaverse to Reach USD 5 Trillion Value by 2030
According to a recent study by Mckinsey and Company, the value of metaverse is expected to reach USD 5 trillion by 2030, including e-commerce (USD 2–2.6 trillion), virtual learning (USD …
Read More »Microfinance Investing through Uncertainty (24th Annual MFC Conference)
Microfinance Centre (MFC) is hosting its 24th Annual Conference June 29–30, 2022 in Istanbul Turkey. The theme of this year’s conference is Microfinance Investing through Uncertainty, which will feature discussions …
Read More »The State of Kazakhstan’s Digital Tenge
Binur Zhalenov, chairman of the board for the Center for Development of Payment and Financial Technologies of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, recently spoke at the FinTech without Borders: Digital …
Read More »Four Keys for Successful Post-Pandemic Financial Institutions
While many point to the COVID-19 pandemic as being a massive disruption to the banking industry (and it is), the fact is that the industry was already experiencing tumult prior …
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