The hottest Fintech Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics
The API Changelog 1 implied HN point 12 Nov 24
  1. Cybercriminals are manipulating the Docusign API to send fake invoices to businesses, making them look real to trick users. This highlights the potential risks in API security that could extend to other services too.
  2. Qpoint has raised $4 million in funding to help companies manage their external APIs better. Their goal is to give teams more control and insights over the apps they rely on.
  3. Ollama's AI framework has been found to have serious security flaws, which can lead to data theft and DoS attacks. This underlines the importance of strong security measures in AI technologies.
Afridigest 7 implied HN points 25 Feb 24
  1. Nigerian neobank FairMoney made an offer to buy Umba, which includes a healthy premium.
  2. The South African Intergovernmental Fintech Working Group is examining stablecoin use cases and might respond with regulations this year.
  3. Nigerian governmental authorities have temporarily blocked access to global crypto exchanges to combat the rapid depreciation of the Nigeria naira.
Fintech Radar 6 implied HN points 28 Feb 24
  1. Capital One's acquisition of Discover for $35.3 billion aims to boost competitiveness in the payments network but may face regulatory challenges due to concerns about bank consolidation.
  2. Monzo's potential £4 billion valuation in a funding round signifies ongoing investor interest in neobanks adapting to profitability and growth in the consumer fintech market.
  3. FairMoney's talks to buy Umba in a $20 million deal show a trend of consolidation in fintech markets like Africa, where companies navigate challenges to serve a growing demand for digital financial services.
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Fintech Radar 6 implied HN points 22 Feb 24
  1. Revolut ventures into telecom by introducing phone plans in the UK with eSIMs, aligning with its all-encompassing super app vision.
  2. FIS partners with Banked to offer pay-by-bank solutions, a move towards A2A payments that could challenge traditional card schemes.
  3. Temenos faces allegations from Hindenburg Research, highlighting the challenges in large corporate tech transformations and the need to address accusations.
Fintech Radar 6 implied HN points 07 Feb 24
  1. Apple Card has over 12 million users and provided $1 billion in cashback rewards last year, showing challenges in acquiring users for embedded financial services.
  2. Fintech Ramp's acquisition of Venue highlights the competition in SMB banking to be a central hub for financial operations.
  3. Mastercard introduces Decision Intelligence Pro, using Gen AI to enhance transaction risk assessment, indicating the potential for Gen AI in compliance within the fintech sector.
Fintech Radar 6 implied HN points 31 Jan 24
  1. PayPal failed to impress the market with its new features, losing momentum after an initial spike in stock value.
  2. TikTok is testing a feature to make every post shoppable, aiming to boost its e-commerce business with enhanced shopping experiences.
  3. Klarna introduced a $7.99 subscription plan 'Klarna Plus' to generate recurring revenue as it gears up for its IPO, reflecting mixed opinions on the BNPL industry.
Fintech Radar 8 implied HN points 31 Oct 23
  1. Elon Musk plans to turn Twitter into a financial app called X by 2024.
  2. Monzo is in talks to sell a stake in the company worth over £300m to prepare for an IPO.
  3. JPMorgan's JPM Coin handles $1 billion in daily transactions, showing slow but significant growth in blockchain-based financial infrastructure.
Fintech Radar 6 implied HN points 06 Dec 23
  1. Aussie banks unite to combat scams and improve security measures for customers
  2. Robinhood expands into the UK with commission-free trading offering for US-listed stocks
  3. Apple and Goldman Sachs seem to be parting ways as Goldman Sachs shifts focus away from retail banking
Fintech Radar 6 implied HN points 22 Nov 23
  1. Wise reported impressive financial results for H1 2023 with quadrupled pre-tax profits, showing success in expanding beyond peer-to-peer money exchange.
  2. Adyen launched Capital in Australia, recognizing the growing demand for embedded financial services in platform businesses.
  3. Mastercard received approval for bankcard clearing in China, a big step to settle transactions directly and establish presence in the Chinese market.
Fintech Radar 8 implied HN points 22 Aug 23
  1. The UK is investing heavily in late-stage fintech startups with a £1 billion fund.
  2. Investors are cautious about valuing FinTech companies due to global economic concerns.
  3. Nubank has achieved record revenue growth and increased customer base, while BitGo has secured a significant funding and valuation.
The API Changelog 4 implied HN points 24 Jan 24
  1. A new book called 'Building an API Product' by Bruno is now available and targeted towards Product Managers and non-technical individuals.
  2. Several companies have made significant announcements, such as Techmap launching an international Job Posting API and Blue Sage Solutions launching a digital servicing platform for mortgage life cycle support.
  3. Reddit is planning to launch an IPO in March, aiming to become the first social media IPO since Pinterest in 2019.
Fintech Radar 6 implied HN points 02 Oct 23
  1. Apple introduces feature allowing UK users to view bank account balance via Apple Wallet using Open Banking APIs.
  2. Ant Group expands payment ecosystem for Asian e-wallets through Alipay+ Program, enabling seamless mobile payments.
  3. Nova Credit partners with HSBC UK to offer credit card for immigrants, leveraging international credit history for new customers.
The API Changelog 3 implied HN points 12 Mar 24
  1. Google introduced a unified SQL translator API for BigQuery, aimed at enhancing efficiency in translating jobs and supporting various SQL dialects.
  2. StackOne secured €3.3M in seed funding to improve its AI-powered unified API for SaaS enterprises, acknowledging its potential in streamlining SaaS integrations.
  3. Salt Security launched a Developer Portal as a centralized resource to automate API security, focused on improving developer experiences and enabling secure API integrations.
Afridigest 3 implied HN points 11 Mar 24
  1. One fintech financing transaction and two fintech M&A deals were announced, showcasing growth and activity in the African fintech space.
  2. Significant news of the week included M-Pesa celebrating 17 years, Binance stopping Naira services, Lemfi's move to China, and Flutterwave streamlining its product offerings, indicating shifts and changes in the industry.
  3. Key companies and executives highlighted in this Fintech Review include Binance, M-Pesa, Brass, Flutterwave, Interswitch, Mastercard, and more, offering insights into the major players and leaders shaping the African fintech landscape.
The API Changelog 3 implied HN points 05 Mar 24
  1. Tyk introduces AI-augmented API management for collaborative integration and microservice creation, reducing technical debt and operational costs.
  2. Dwolla unveils Open Banking Services enhancing payment functions for seamless business integration and operational efficiency.
  3. JetBrains releases Compose Multiplatform 1.6.0 with a UI testing API, improving cross-platform UI testing and accessibility on iOS.
Fintech Radar 6 implied HN points 04 Sep 23
  1. Elon Musk's X obtaining licenses in multiple U.S. states to process payments, entering into the fintech space.
  2. UK experiencing a surge in open banking payments, with significant growth in single domestic payments.
  3. Hallmark and Venmo partnering to allow sending money in physical greeting cards, showcasing embedded finance innovation.
The API Changelog 3 implied HN points 14 Feb 24
  1. API trends in 2024 include a dynamic ecosystem of tooling, AI integration, and the rise of API product managers for enterprise success with a focus on governance and visibility
  2. Companies like Nylas, MuleSoft, and BlueBox Systems are introducing new API solutions to enhance performance, security, real-time tracking, & urban infrastructure development
  3. Security remains a critical concern with news of over 18,000 exposed API secrets discovered by the team at Escape, emphasizing the importance of token management and regular rotations
Fintech Radar 4 implied HN points 11 Sep 23
  1. Visa expands stablecoin settlement capabilities by partnering with merchant acquirers, facilitating instant payment authorizations.
  2. Temenos introduces a generative AI tool to automatically classify customer banking transactions, potentially revolutionizing banking processes.
  3. ThetaRay raises $57M for AI tools to fight money laundering, showcasing the increasing importance of compliance-focused startups in fintech.
Fintech Business Weekly 2 HN points 23 Feb 24
  1. Lineage Bank faced regulatory issues with the FDIC due to oversight failures in its banking-as-a-service partnerships.
  2. The consent order from the FDIC requires Lineage Bank to make significant changes in its management, risk assessment, and operational practices.
  3. The impact of Lineage Bank's BaaS wind down and the FDIC order on Synapse, Synctera, and their fintech clients is not yet clear.
Fintech Radar 2 implied HN points 15 Feb 24
  1. The acquisition of Onfido by Entrust indicates the evolving landscape of KYC beyond financial services, with the expansion of AI/ML-based verification technology to various sectors.
  2. JPMorgan's decision to open 500 new branches seems counterintuitive in a digital age; however, it presents a unique opportunity to invest in physical presence amidst industry trends of branch closures.
  3. MEPs implementing rules for Euro transfers to arrive within 10 seconds will likely stir industry activity to meet this requirement and may impact how charges are structured for instant transactions.
James Ledbetter's FIN 5 implied HN points 07 May 23
  1. Income and wealth inequality decreased during the pandemic due to stimulus and increased minimum wages.
  2. The pandemic accelerated technological advancements, such as the development of mRNA vaccines and digital payments.
  3. Changes in real estate preferences indicate a lasting shift towards valuing residential space over commercial space.
Golden Pineapple 4 HN points 03 Jul 23
  1. Ex-McKinsey employees are founding more venture-backed businesses compared to Google and Microsoft alumni across various sectors.
  2. In the Healthcare sector, ex-McKinsey employees topped the list with 106 companies founded by them.
  3. Ex-McKinsey employees are excelling in founding venture-funded companies in sectors like Biotechnology, Manufacturing, and Artificial Intelligence.
Chaos Engineering 5 implied HN points 24 Feb 23
  1. ChatGPT can learn some superficial aspects of finance but needs explicit training to become a financial expert.
  2. For ChatGPT to learn fintech, a hybrid architecture combining its pretrained model with a specific ML model optimized for financial tasks is necessary.
  3. Improving ChatGPT's understanding of finance requires training it on structured financial data and updating its architecture to process dense, numeric data.
The API Changelog 1 implied HN point 20 Feb 24
  1. Kong has introduced a new open-source AI Gateway with features focused on simplifying AI integration and centralized access.
  2. Feever, a Swedish Powertech firm, secured a substantial €10 million funding for expanding its energy asset connection platform across Europe.
  3. Bitly Inc. unveiled the first API for generating 2D Barcodes to enhance product data capture and consumer engagement, aligning with the predicted industry shift towards 2D Barcodes becoming standard by 2027.