FinTech Weekly - TrumpTech Turbulence - Issue #478

In the latest episode of "The Ben & Marc Show," a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz delve into their recent article, “The Little Tech Agenda,” discussing the pivotal moment facing American innovation. During their one-on-one conversation, they compare Donald Trump’s and Joe Biden’s policies on Little Tech, analyze the future trajectories of blockchain, crypto, and AI, and consider the impact of tax policies on startups and venture capital. They also address the recent assassination attempt on President Trump and disclose their preferred candidate for the upcoming election.

Following Donald Trump's recent revelation of a JPMorgan bitcoin bombshell, speculation is rife that he may announce the creation of a U.S. bitcoin strategic reserve during his highly anticipated appearance at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville next week—an announcement that could potentially cause an "instant moon" in bitcoin prices.

Despite being wounded in an assassination attempt, Donald Trump entered this week with improved betting odds of becoming the next U.S. president, a sentiment seemingly echoed by the stock market's movements.

Donald Trump has stated he will not attempt to remove Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell before the end of his term and is considering JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon for the role of treasury secretary if he wins the November 5 election.

GoTo Group, Indonesia’s digital ecosystem, has unveiled GoTo AI, a long-term innovation program aimed at integrating cutting-edge AI technology throughout its platform. As part of this initiative, the company launched “Dira by GoTo AI,” the first AI-enabled FinTech voice assistant in Bahasa Indonesia. Currently available to a limited number of users on the GoPay app, Dira will soon expand to the Gojek app, enhancing user experience across GoTo’s services.

Mastercard has teamed up with Premier Bank, a Sharia-compliant commercial bank in Somalia, to launch Premier Payment Gateway, a digital payments platform that allows Somali businesses to accept international card payments for online purchases. This innovative initiative is set to significantly expand market reach, boost local business revenues, and drive the growth of Somalia’s digital economy.

Some of Silicon Valley's wealthiest and most influential investors are publicly backing Donald Trump's campaign, representing powerful firms coveted by every startup founder. However, due to their financial support for Trump, some Black founders are reconsidering whether to include these investors on their cap table, according to insights from seven Black founders and investors who spoke to TechCrunch.