The hottest Fintech Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

Long Take: How can Farcaster avoid the death trap of decentralized social media?

The Fintech Blueprint • 864 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Social media Blockchain Fintech Crypto Web3
  1. Farcaster aims to blend social media with Web3 capabilities to create a more engaging platform.
  2. When shifting platforms, it's important to innovate without compromising the core user experience.
  3. Decentralized social media platforms like Steemit, EOS Voice, and BitClout have struggled due to prioritizing financial features over user engagement.

❄️ 💳 Prime et Netflix gratuits ? Tinder Gold et 3 pass WeWork offerts ?

Snowball • 1395 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
💰 Finance Credit Cards Investing Fintech Rewards Banking
  1. Some credit cards offer unique benefits like free Amazon Prime or cashback in the form of investments.
  2. Revolut cards come with various advantages based on the subscription level, like free currency exchange or cashback on accommodations.
  3. American Express cards provide a range of benefits, from purchase guarantees to access to exclusive events. The higher-tier cards offer even more luxurious perks like worldwide lounge access.

CFPB Proposes Rule To Close TILA Overdraft "Loophole"

Fintech Business Weekly • 661 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
💰 Finance Regulation Banking Investing Fintech Economics
  1. CFPB proposed a rule to close the TILA overdraft loophole, aiming to protect consumers from billions in junk fees.
  2. The proposed rule would require large banks to treat overdrafts like credit products, disclosing APRs and considering actual costs.
  3. Exempting banks under $10 billion in assets from the rule has sparked debate, highlighting the complexity of regulating banking fees.
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Banking-as-a-Service: Wrapped

Fintech Business Weekly • 475 implied HN points • 31 Dec 23
💰 Finance Fintech Compliance
  1. The banking-as-a-service industry faced challenges in 2023, such as issues with compliance and partnerships.
  2. There was increased regulatory scrutiny on BaaS entities, with concerns around misleading claims and high interest rates.
  3. Multiple BaaS-related scandals and legal actions occurred throughout the year, impacting various companies in the industry.

Fintech: How Brex and other fintechs are streamlining their organizations

The Fintech Blueprint • 235 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
💼 Business Fintech Employment Investing Operations Digital
  1. Brex announced a 20% reduction in its workforce, aligning with a broader fintech trend of operational streamlining.
  2. Fintech industry is becoming leaner due to funding cuts and emphasis on profitability.
  3. Despite significant job cuts in tech, the general unemployment rate remains below 4%, indicating a luxury funding problem.

CBW Bank, A BaaS Pioneer, Is Up For Sale: Exclusive

Fintech Business Weekly • 59 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
💼 Business Fintech Banking Regulation Innovation Sales
  1. CBW Bank, a pioneer in Banking-as-a-Service, is up for sale, showing continued challenges in bank/fintech partnerships.
  2. CBW Bank grew significantly under new ownership, focusing on innovation and providing API access for startups and banks to build digital banking solutions faster.
  3. Regulatory shifts and challenges in innovation may have led to CBW's decision to sell, highlighting the impact of changing regulatory attitudes on banks like CBW.

Fintech: Joe Duran's Rise Growth Partners secures $250MM for minority RIA investments

The Fintech Blueprint • 196 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
💰 Finance Private Equity Wealth Management Fintech
  1. Joe Duran's Rise Growth Partners secures $250MM for minority RIA investments
  2. Rise Growth Partners focuses on acquiring a 30% stake in RIAs with $1B - $5B in AUM
  3. Competition is fierce in the RIA minority investing space with players like Constellation Wealth Capital and Merchant Investment Management

Leaked Treasury Prime Docs Show Risks Of BaaS Business: Churn, Concentration, Slowing Growth

Fintech Business Weekly • 89 implied HN points • 03 Mar 24
💰 Finance Fintech Banking Regulations Business Models Risk management
  1. Leaked Treasury Prime documents highlight risks in Banking-as-a-Service business, including issues like churn, concentration, and slowing growth.
  2. Treasury Prime's strategic pivot to focus on selling to banks instead of fintechs resulted in drastic employee layoffs, shedding light on the challenging environment for middleware platforms in fintech.
  3. Fintech companies like Chime and Green Dot facing regulatory actions and penalties underscore the importance of compliance and customer service in the financial industry.

TabaPay Working On A Deal To Acquire Synapse, Sources Say

Fintech Business Weekly • 59 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
💼 Business Fintech Venture Capital Startup Regulation
  1. TabaPay is in talks to acquire Synapse, a banking-as-a-service platform, to potentially mitigate damage caused by a past financial incident.
  2. Oxygen, a neobank, is pivoting to focus on 'health solutions' temporarily, suspending its banking services.
  3. Trade groups are suing to block a new CFPB rule that limits credit card late fees, arguing it restricts choices and responsible credit card use.

Is the Capital One/Discover Deal Good or Bad For “Competition”? Yes.

Fintech Business Weekly • 81 implied HN points • 25 Feb 24
💰 Finance Fintech Regulation Banking Acquisition Legislation
  1. Capital One's acquisition of Discover is a complex deal that has both good and bad elements for competition, creating a potential shake up in the US payments space.
  2. The CFPB is using once-dormant authority to supervise nonbank entities like World Acceptance Corp, focusing on risks to consumers.
  3. Acting Comptroller Hsu suggests creating a federal money transmitter licensing framework to better regulate non-bank companies providing bank-like services, highlighting potential risks in the growing role of non-bank firms in banking areas.

Morgan Stanley-Backed TomoCredit Isn't Paying Its Bills, Faces Mounting Legal Challenges

Fintech Business Weekly • 89 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
💰 Finance Fintech Credit Legal Challenges Startups Banking
  1. TomoCredit, a startup backed by Morgan Stanley, is facing financial troubles and legal challenges despite its initial success claims.
  2. Mission Lane, a subprime card startup linked to LendUp, has raised $50 million and replaced its CEO in an effort to reposition itself.
  3. A study by the Federal Reserve reveals differences in how financially stable versus fragile households utilize buy now, pay later services, impacting the types and frequency of purchases made.

Consent Order Double Header Suggests Tough 2024 For Fintech, Banking-as-a-Service

Fintech Business Weekly • 141 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
💼 Business Fintech Regulation Partnerships
  1. Fintech and media businesses are facing challenges like layoffs and closures, highlighting the importance of independent journalism.
  2. Regulatory changes like the CFPB proposed rules on junk fees and NY BNPL law are impacting the banking and fintech industry.
  3. Recent enforcement actions on Blue Ridge Bank and Choice Bank reveal the regulatory scrutiny on BaaS relationships, emphasizing the need for due diligence and compliance.

Potential Class Action Argues High APR "Rent-a-Bank" Scheme Violates RICO

Fintech Business Weekly • 96 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💰 Finance Banking Legal Regulation Fintech Lending
  1. A potential class action case argues against a "rent-a-bank" scheme for high APR loans, highlighting the importance of understanding financial regulations and usury laws in the lending industry.
  2. The case brings attention to the evolving landscape between fintech companies and traditional banks, showing the complexities and discussions around defining the true lender in partnerships.
  3. The case also underscores the need for transparency and clarity in financial partnerships, as demonstrated by the alleged lack of distinction between a fintech entity and bank in customer-facing materials.

Long Take: Is Apple Wallet's Open Banking integration a fintech extinction event?

The Fintech Blueprint • 530 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23
💰 Finance Fintech Banking Technology AI Big Tech
  1. Sharks' decline and human growth show the power of general intelligence over specialized adaptations.
  2. Smartphones like iPhones with general intelligence capabilities outperform specialized devices like ATMs.
  3. Big tech's embrace of open banking could lead to a future where standalone bank apps become obsolete.

Long Take: The craft of scaling fintechs beyond their niche -- analyzing Twitter, Bunq, and Goldman Sachs

The Fintech Blueprint • 589 implied HN points • 02 Aug 23
💰 Finance Fintech Startups Market Analysis Business Growth Investments
  1. The craft of scaling fintechs involves understanding successful growth drivers and failures
  2. Successful business building requires targeting disruptive technologies to the right market with demand
  3. Goldman Sachs' exit from consumer business contrasts with neobanks like Bunq's profitability and growth in their niche

Open Banking & Embedded Finance – Two sides of the same coin; Which technologies are shaping the future of fintech?; So what has the winning strategy for fintechs been over the last decade?;

Fintech Wrap Up • 58 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
💰 Finance Fintech Investments Technology Trends Market Analysis
  1. Open Banking and Embedded Finance are closely related concepts driving innovation in fintech through APIs.
  2. Key winning strategies for fintech success include starting with a unique product, scaling to improve cost efficiency, and expanding to offer multiple related products.
  3. Fintech investments globally saw a significant drop in 2023, but confidence started to return towards the end of the year.

Brigit's Good Intentions Aren't A Defense to FTC Allegations

Fintech Business Weekly • 156 implied HN points • 12 Nov 23
💼 Business Fintech Regulation Investment Financial Services
  1. Brigit faced FTC allegations despite good intentions in serving lower-income users
  2. FTC alleged deceptive practices by Brigit, including misleading claims and difficult subscription cancellations
  3. The Federal Reserve proposed lowering the debit interchange cap, expecting cost savings for merchants and potential impacts on fees and ecommerce

The Smallest Bank in Tennessee Grew Fast With BaaS. Why It May Give The Entire Industry A Hangover.

Fintech Business Weekly • 267 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
💰 Finance Banking Fintech Regulation Partnerships Deposits
  1. The smallest bank in Tennessee saw significant growth by leveraging BaaS partnerships, but this rapid expansion may raise concerns about the bank's ability to manage increased complexity.
  2. The Herrington family behind Lineage Bank has a history of running banks, facing challenges and controversies in their previous ventures.
  3. Synapse, a key BaaS partner of Lineage Bank, has faced regulatory scrutiny and may be pressuring Lineage to approve more programs, highlighting risks in complex financial partnerships.

Future of Goldman's "Platform Solutions" Looks Grim

Fintech Business Weekly • 170 implied HN points • 24 Sep 23
💰 Finance Fintech Banking Cryptocurrency Regulation
  1. Eco shut down its banking app and laid off its team as it focuses on new money initiatives with cryptocurrency.
  2. Goldman Sachs is near selling GreenSky, indicating a bleak future for its "Platform Solutions" division.
  3. CFPB warns that lenders using AI must provide specific reasons for adverse actions and initiates rulemaking to remove medical debt from credit reports.

Going cashless in Nigeria: How startups are digitizing payments in the country's trickiest verticals

Afridigest • 15 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
💼 Business Payments Fintech Economics Startups
  1. Nigeria is a leading fintech hub in Africa, receiving a significant amount of funding in the sector since 2022.
  2. Despite fintech activity, cash remains prevalent in Nigeria, especially in everyday transactions like public transportation, informal economy vendors, and fuel purchases.
  3. Startups in Nigeria are innovating to overcome challenges in digitizing payments in tricky sectors, offering solutions like digital payment systems for transportation, mobile money for informal vendors, and e-wallets for fuel payments.

Big Changes Are Coming to FIN!

James Ledbetter's FIN • 15 implied HN points • 25 Feb 24
💼 Business Fintech Investments Technology Media Finance
  1. Big changes are happening to FIN, with new editorial leadership and a vision for cross-platform expansion in the fintech industry.
  2. Investors are showing interest in fintech companies like Eigen Labs securing significant funding for innovations like restaking protocols and dub platform for copy trading.
  3. AI-driven fintech and regtech companies like Napier AI are experiencing growth through substantial funding to enhance compliance and security measures.

Was Fintech's Biggest Lending "Innovation" A Willingness To Serve Riskier Borrowers By Charging Higher Rates?

Fintech Business Weekly • 237 implied HN points • 09 Jul 23
💰 Finance Fintech Lending Venture Capital Banking
  1. Fintech lenders rely heavily on conventional credit scores like FICO and possibly overcharge riskier borrowers.
  2. Fintech's main 'innovation' is serving borrowers banks reject by charging higher interest rates.
  3. Goldman Sachs is looking to offload its Apple partnership, showcasing the shifting landscape of fintech engagements.