FinTech Weekly - Fintech News Issue #335

COVID-19. Again. The pandemic completely changed our way of perceiving money and payments, and the result is that the demand for digital payments is booming. Payments Journal discusses this topic with Christina Wagner, Head of Global Payments Products for FIS, and Don Apgar, Director of Merchant Services at Mercator Advisory Group.

Where will we end up if banks are crypto-friendly? Those who don’t like cryptocurrencies should accept that they are becoming an important part of everyday life. Mastercard announced its partnership with the fintech company Bakkt, so banks will be able to offer customers the opportunity to issue crypto cards.

Jack Dorsey speaks bluntly: “The world ultimately will have a single currency, the internet will have a single currency. I personally believe that it will be Bitcoin”. Open this article to discover why the CEO of Twitter said that in 2018.

Not only kids, but also their parents need financial advice. Greenlight, the fintech startup that pioneered debit cards and budgeting apps for kids, is now focusing on their parents: by filling out a survey, they will get useful tips to find the right stock and ETF.

Banks found a strong competitor: FinTech. FinTech is faster, can be personalized, is more accessible, and is easier to use. It doesn’t only offer financial management tools, but also cards, electronic payments, insurtech and online borrowings. If fighting were to break out, we would know the winner.

It is expensive to be poor”. Dan Schulman shares this anecdote at the Washington DC Fintech Week. Financial health and inclusion can be extremely expensive for those who are not affluent individuals, and even the easiest task can be a burden. The CEO of PayPal tells us how the company is working on financial inclusion.

The Bank of the Free further supports digital nomads: Bunq makes people able to pay with different currencies, with no intermediaries and without leaving the neobank fintech company’s mobile app.

It’s no secret: Latin America offers countless opportunities to FinTech companies. Village Capital released its report: in 2021, 70% of Latin Americans still don’t have a bank account. Who will fix this?

From innovative digital experiences to creative rewards programs, FinTech companies are fighting to offer their customers the best deal. Competition is hard, and “we’ve never had more choices”, as Mikael Castaldo says.

Now, also cannabis-related businesses have their dedicated payment method. The Valley Bank launches a new app for the cannabis industry, to make it more secure - this business is still relying too much on cash.