Fintech Brain Food 🧠

Fintech Brain Food 🧠 analyzes and summarizes key fintech trends, focusing on the intersection of technology and finance. It covers topics like regulatory changes, the role of big tech in finance, cryptocurrency's impact, the evolution of payments and lending, and the significance of partnerships and data privacy in reshaping the financial landscape.

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Payments and Digital Wallets Banking and Fintech Partnerships Regulatory and Market Trends Financial Technology Innovations Artificial Intelligence in Fintech Open Banking Embedded Finance Lending and Credit Consumer Finance Trends

The hottest Substack posts of Fintech Brain Food 🧠

And their main takeaways

10th April 2022 - Disclosure DAOs, Jamie Dimon's annual letter, Fast closes its doors and why Lightning Network Matters.

334 implied HN points • 06 Apr 22
  1. Financial inclusion is important, and using transparency in disclosures can help consumers access risky financial products.
  2. Banks should adapt to the changing competitive landscape by investing in skills, technology, and acquisitions.
  3. Lightning Network's potential for transforming global payments, with implications for the decentralized finance sector.

Fintech 🧠 Food - 27th Feb 2022 - Sanctions the Geopolitical weapon that needs an upgrade. Chime is delaying its IPO and Flutterwave is a regional powerhouse.

353 implied HN points • 26 Feb 22
  1. Sanctions give the West control over the global economy but rely heavily on banks and the SWIFT messaging service.
  2. SWIFT is slow and expensive, leading countries like China to build alternatives like CIPS.
  3. Fintech companies like Chime and Flutterwave face challenges with fraud prevention, highlighting the need for better infrastructure and specialized services.
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Fintech 🧠 Food - 6th March 2022 - The role of Crypto in a Crisis, Klarna raising @ $60bn and Payhawk the Bulgarian Unicorn

314 implied HN points • 04 Mar 22
  1. Crypto donations are playing a significant role in the current crisis in Ukraine, showing the potential for cryptocurrencies in aiding humanitarian efforts.
  2. Sanctions on Russia are being implemented at an unprecedented scale with significant impacts on various sectors, indicating the power and limitations of economic warfare.
  3. Fintech companies like Klarna experiencing losses during expansion, while others like Payhawk are achieving unicorn status, highlighting the diverse landscape and challenges in the industry.

Fintech 🧠 Food - 19th Sep 2021 - Square launches Cash App Pay, China forces Ant to break up lending & Why everything is BNPL

373 implied HN points • 19 Sep 21
  1. Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) is a major trend in fintech with companies like Afterpay, Affirm, and Klarna leading the way.
  2. BNPL benefits merchants with higher conversion rates, order values, and repeat purchases.
  3. BNPL is reshaping consumer credit, forcing banks to adapt with products like credit cards with installments and partnerships with BNPL providers.

1st May 2022 - Could Web3 be backwardly compatible with Fiat? Stripe USDC Payouts, Truelayer Open Banking Payments

216 implied HN points • 29 Apr 22
  1. Crypto narratives are shifting in policy circles, with increasing support and acceptance from regulators and financial institutions.
  2. Web3 projects are focusing on sustainability and ESG, with potential for partnerships with Crypto miners to support renewable energy infrastructure.
  3. Challenges in Web3 include choice overload, complexity in blockchain networks, and the need for interoperability and backward compatibility with traditional Fintech infrastructure.

Fintech 🧠 Food - 6th Feb 2022 - Apple in Merchant Acceptance, Walmart acquisitions and CBDCs vs Stablecoins the battle for the future of payments?

216 implied HN points • 03 Feb 22
  1. The battle between CBDCs and Stablecoins for the future of payments is intensifying, with implications for both consumers and institutions.
  2. The introduction of Stablecoins is changing the dynamics of currencies by offering stability and potential global accessibility.
  3. Companies like Apple and Walmart are making moves in the Fintech space, indicating a shift towards more integrated money management platforms.

Fintech 🧠 Food - Oct 3rd 2021 - Alloy Raises $100m, Visa is building a Stablecoin to CBDC bridge & why CeFi x DeFi is the biggest trend of 2022

275 implied HN points • 03 Oct 21
  1. Crypto is evolving from finance to the future of the internet, intertwining economics and finance.
  2. Fintech plays a crucial role as an on/off-ramp for Crypto, bridging the gap between traditional finance and the new Crypto world.
  3. The future of finance lies in the intersection of CeFi and DeFi with opportunities for incumbents, Fintech giants, and new companies to build innovative solutions.

Fintech 🧠 Food - Feb 20th 2022 - Crypto's coming of age party, Affirm stock plunge & FIS buying Payrix

196 implied HN points • 17 Feb 22
  1. Crypto is gaining mainstream attention and growing rapidly, as seen in the Superbowl ads and market investments.
  2. The US is focusing on regulating crypto markets, with discussions about oversight and clarity for DeFi and other crypto-related activities.
  3. Affirm's stock drop indicates challenges in the BNPL sector, while FIS's acquisition of Payrix shows the continued growth and consolidation in the fintech industry.

Fintech 🧠 Food - September 5th 2021 - Amazon & Affirm partner, PayPal Stock trading, and the Fintech provider tradeoffs.

235 implied HN points • 05 Sep 21
  1. Fintech providers offer different trade-offs, from fully integrated solutions to providing just a piece of the capability.
  2. Choosing between opinionated providers for quick market entry or building specific solutions presents a critical decision for Fintech builders.
  3. The emergence of open-source finance primitives offers a middle ground between opinionated providers and self-building, catering to larger companies looking for bespoke solutions.

Fintech 🧠 Food - 28th Nov 2021 - Moonpay raises $555m, Afterpay is doing subscription installments & The war of the payments buttons

196 implied HN points • 28 Nov 21
  1. The battle of payment buttons is crucial for increasing checkout conversion, with BNPL creating a strong shopping ecosystem for merchants.
  2. BNPL providers leverage data from checkout buttons to enhance user shopping experiences and drive repeat customers, potentially disrupting traditional card networks.
  3. Moonpay's significant funding, Afterpay's move into subscription installments, and the evolving landscape of payment buttons mark major shifts in fintech trends.

Fintech 🧠 Food - 20 March 2022 - The Crypto Executive Order, Consensys raises @ $7bn, Stripe does Crypto & Putin's Geopolitics

137 implied HN points • 18 Mar 22
  1. The US Government's recent Executive Order on Crypto was balanced and supportive, signaling industry growth and political importance.
  2. Europe's MiCA regulation sets detailed rules for digital assets, legitimizing Stablecoins and regulating service providers.
  3. Consensys' growth and Stripe's entrance into Crypto reflect the expanding role of major players in the Crypto industry, catering to new use cases and market demands.

Fintech 🧠 Food - 26 Sep 2021 - Truelayer $130m raise, Airwallex $200m, and why Chase is going all-in on cloud-based core banking

196 implied HN points • 26 Sep 21
  1. Chase is making significant moves in the Fintech industry, going all-in on digital banking and core system upgrades.
  2. Fintech is growing rapidly, with companies like Truelayer and Airwallex raising substantial funding, while traditional banks are lagging behind.
  3. The shift towards cloud-native core banking systems, like the one with Thought Machine, is seen as a crucial step for large banks to stay competitive in the evolving Fintech landscape.

Fintech 🧠 Food - Aug 8th 2021 - Robinhood is a meme stock.

196 implied HN points • 08 Aug 21
  1. Robinhood's stock saw significant volatility due to consumer trading and has had a history of controversy.
  2. Options trading provided by Robinhood democratized access to financial markets, but raises concerns about consumer protection and responsibility.
  3. Fintech companies like Afterpay, Rapyd, and others are making significant moves and innovations in the financial services industry.

Fintech 🧠 Food - Jan 16 2022 - Checkout, Brex and Zerohash raise, Paypal stablecoin and Opinions vs Choice in APIs.

137 implied HN points • 16 Jan 22
  1. January 2022 is showing significant momentum in the Fintech industry, with high valuations and funding rounds.
  2. When building a Fintech company, deciding between 'buy vs. build' for APIs is crucial, impacting factors like time to market and unit economics.
  3. The Crypto space continues to see developments, such as stablecoin exploration by PayPal and growth in services like Zerohash and Goldfinch.

Fintech 🧠 Food - 1st August 2021 - Paxos & BofA, Solaris raises $224m & What does Fintech look like in the Metaverse?

196 implied HN points • 01 Aug 21
  1. The term 'Metaverse' is being used a lot, without a clear definition, causing division and annoyance.
  2. Fintech companies are starting to explore opportunities within the Metaverse, but there are challenges and uncertainties in this new territory.
  3. Recent investments and developments show a growing interest from traditional companies like Bank of America in Crypto and companies like Paxos are positioning themselves as bridges between traditional finance and the Crypto world.

Fintech 🧠 Food - 22nd Aug 2021 - JP Morgan and Plaid, Robinhood results and would you rather be a Super App or Neobank?

176 implied HN points • 22 Aug 21
  1. Fintech companies must decide whether to pursue a banking model or a Super App model for profitability.
  2. Banks rely on net interest margin, scale, and managing costs, while Neobanks have lower operating costs but struggle with profitability due to fewer deposits.
  3. Super Apps like PayPal and Square offer diverse services, analyze user behavior, and have low acquisition costs, but may face regulatory challenges if they resemble banks.

Fintech 🧠 Food - 21st Mar 2021 - Embedded Finance beyond cards, why Stripe's raise matters, and what Flutterwave's PayPal partnership means.

216 implied HN points • 21 Mar 21
  1. Embedded finance is finance that shows up when needed, making experiences more engaging for users and helping businesses grow revenue.
  2. Understanding the complex stack of providers is crucial in embedded finance, as different layers offer different values.
  3. Different types of financial products require different infrastructure stacks, and regional differences can also influence the embedded finance landscape.

Fintech 🧠 Food - Coinbase Listing, Moneylion adds crypto, embedded fintech and why Doge making it to the moon matters

196 implied HN points • 18 Apr 21
  1. The rise of Dogecoin shows the power of memes in moving markets and represents a protest against traditional finance.
  2. Retail investors are reshaping the financial landscape with a focus on crypto and decentralized finance.
  3. Fintech companies like Rho, Bumper, Pancake Bunny, and Appzone are innovating to meet evolving financial needs and market demands.

Fintech 🧠 Food - 6th June 2021 - The EU Digital Wallet, CBDCs vs Privacy and what Fintech can learn from Operating Systems

176 implied HN points • 06 Jun 21
  1. Linux revolutionized computing by offering open-source primitives and empowering developers to build their operating systems.
  2. B2B fintech industry has evolved with better packaged software options and APIs, enabling quicker and cost-effective product development.
  3. The future of finance lies in better primitives that offer scalability and flexibility, akin to a high-performance server-side operating system.

Bonus Food: YCombinator W21 Batch Fintech Breakdown 💸 (Part 2)

196 implied HN points • 03 Apr 21
  1. Bookeeping for SMBs in emerging markets is a huge opportunity
  2. BNPL and Plaid expanding geographically is a significant trend
  3. Embedded lending, proptech, homeownership fintech, and insurance are key themes in the YCombinator W21 batch

Fintech 🧠 Food - 9th May 2021 - Marqeta IPO Price, Wealthsimple raise, A core banking primer & why exponentials matter in finance

176 implied HN points • 09 May 21
  1. Financial institutions need to adapt to exponentials in finance like fintech companies did, or risk being left behind.
  2. The move from fintech to crypto is the next exponential shift in finance, and the infrastructure innovation is key.
  3. Understanding the metrics and embracing new trends like crypto can help traditional banks achieve exponential growth.

Fintech 🧠 Food - 4th July 2021 - Robinhood IPO, Current.com does Defi & Why the net is closing in on Binance

157 implied HN points • 04 Jul 21
  1. Fintech and crypto are merging, with platforms like Tala incorporating crypto for cheaper payments.
  2. Robinhood's IPO and regulatory challenges highlight the importance of balancing financial inclusion with responsibility.
  3. Defi is reshaping finance, with services like Compound Treasury offering higher APY through partnerships with neobanks like Current.com.