Oct 6, 2023

FinTech Futures: Top five stories of the week – 6 October 2023 6th October 2023 Here’s our pick of five of the top news stories from the world of finance and tech this week. Coinbase receives payment licence from Monetary Authority of Singapore Coinbase gains payment licence in Singapore The cryptocurrency exchange has landed a Major Payment Institution (MPI) licence from the regulator, and comes just one year after it also received its In Principle Approval (IPA), enabling it to kickstart operations and offer its products and services in the country. In its attempt to gain a foothold it what it describes as a “vital” market, Coinbase has developed and released products “tailored specifically” for Singapore, including the launch of PayNow and FAST bank transfers earlier this year. It also claims to have led various training and hiring initiatives in Singapore, while simultaneously investing in 15 start-ups through its ventures arm, and building partnership with local associations and partners. At the same time, and just over 9,000 miles away, the exchange is also readying the ground for its intended launch in Canada, as part of its plan to create a platform that is “for Canadians, by Canadians”. Visa to invest $100m in GenAI firms focused on commerce and payments Claiming to have used the technology since 1993, the payments giant hopes that through this initiative, which is to be led by its corporate investment arm, Visa Ventures, it can extend its “leadership” in AI to drive innovation in payments and help create value for its partners and clients. “While much of generative AI so far has been focused on tasks and content creation, this technology will soon not only reshape how we live and work, but it will also meaningfully change commerce in ways we need to understand,” Jack Forestell, chief product and strategy officer at Visa said this week. David Rolf, head of Visa Ventures, echoed the sentiment by describing generative AI as “one of the most transformative technologies of our time”. Affinity FCU partners Green Check New Jersey’s largest credit union intends to leverage the partnership announced this week to connect more cannabis-related businesses (CRBs) in the tri-state area – including dispensaries, wholesalers and cultivators – with banking and financial solutions. Green Check is a fintech founded in 2017 to provide technology and advisory services to CRBs and financial institutions, and its participation in the partnership is set to enable the union to “broaden” the reach of its programme. The programme is expected to now benefit from Green Check’s additional industry insights, back-end support, risk assessment procedures and “extensive” educational resources with an emphasis on compliance and financial wellbeing. Brite Payments secures $60m funding, eyes international expansion The round was led by Dawn Capital, with participation from Headline and existing investor Incore Invest. With the new funding, the Swedish instant payment provider intends to expand geographically, “strengthen” its presence in existing markets, and invest further in its product development. Brite Payments claims it “more than doubled” its transaction volume and revenue in 2022, leading it to achieve profitability. It also appointed a new CFO and COO in July this year. Additionally, it plans to further develop its Brite Instant Payments Network, a proprietary network that facilitates 24/7 “instant” processing throughout the year, claiming “significant advantages” over traditional open banking payments, including full receipt of funds and instant settlement in the currency of the merchant’s choice. Monzo hires Conor Walsh as new US CEO Walsh will be tasked with executing the UK digital bank’s stateside strategy, product development and growth, marking Monzo’s latest attempt to live out its American dream. He is the third CEO the digital bank has appointed to lead the move, following TS Anil and Carol Nelson, and his arrival comes close to two years after Monzo initially withdrew its application for a US banking licence after failing to reach an agreement with stateside regulators. However, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again – an agenda the digital bank appears to be operating by with its latest appointment of Walsh, who prior to his six-and-a-half year tenure at Square’s mobile payment service Cash App, also served as CEO of mobile payments provider Verse.