Opinion

March 14, 2025 @ 2:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The mortgage industry, traditionally burdening professionals with excessive paperwork, outdated manual processes, and sometimes error-prone human decision-making, is undergoing a major transformation due the emergence of advanced AI algorithms and other innovative technologies. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as a useful tool, aiming to streamline… Read More

March 14, 2025 @ 9:20 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

The recent $1.4 billion Bybit hack by Lazarus Group has crypto industry figures weighing in on lessons that should be learned moving forward. SMARDEX co-founder Jean Rausis said the industry should review its hiring practices and closely consider crypto’s “remote nature.” “Most of us work… Read More

March 14, 2025 @ 8:24 am By Omar Faridi  |  

MorganAsh recently hosted a webinar featuring Jess Trueman, Head of Business Development at Smart Money People, alongside James Edmond and Martin Grimwood, to explore how businesses can enhance their board reporting on vulnerable customer data under the Consumer Duty framework. The discussion centered on aligning… Read More

March 13, 2025 @ 4:56 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a significant policy reversal, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has scrapped its controversial proposal to routinely “name and shame” firms under investigation. In the US, it is common for regulators to name the firms or individuals under investigation. If a case is settled… Read More

March 12, 2025 @ 9:24 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

While the cryptocurrency industry is experiencing growing pains (with many self-induced), Flipster head of product Youngsun Shin said that is expected for a new sector. However, he does have solutions for many of its problems. Flipster is a cryptocurrency trading platform that offers high-speed, secure,… Read More

March 12, 2025 @ 8:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The European Union appears to be feeling the pressure to fast-track its digital euro project as the Trump administration in the United States signals a warmer embrace of cryptocurrencies, particularly stablecoins. With the European Central Bank (ECB) aiming to wrap up its testing phase for… Read More

March 10, 2025 @ 11:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by the billionaire Winklevoss twins, Cameron and Tyler, has taken a significant step toward going public by confidentially filing for an initial public offering (IPO), according to sources familiar with the matter. This move, reported recently by Bloomberg, positions Gemini… Read More

March 10, 2025 @ 11:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The FT recently reported that big banks are racing to keep pace with fintech startups in the rapidly growing arena of deferred payment solutions, such as Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services. This shift highlights a broader trend where traditional financial institutions are being challenged… Read More

March 10, 2025 @ 10:19 am By Nick Morgan  |  

In an era when public market listings continue to decline, and private capital dominates growth financing, the mechanism by which companies go public deserves fresh scrutiny. University of Kansas Law Professor Alexander Platt has provided precisely that in his groundbreaking paper, “Rethinking the IPO Bureaucracy…. Read More

March 9, 2025 @ 10:34 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

On March 6, 2025, Brazil’s Central Bank, the Banco Central do Brasil, released a statement following the 259th meeting of its Monetary Policy Committee (Copom), announcing that the Selic rate—the country’s benchmark interest rate—would remain unchanged at 10.50% per year. This decision reflects a unanimous… Read More

March 9, 2025 @ 8:12 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

David Sacks, recently appointed as the White House AI and crypto czar under President Donald Trump, has recently pushed back against allegations of leveraging his position for personal financial gain. In a discussion on The All-In Podcast, Sacks has dismissed assertions that he manipulated cryptocurrency… Read More

March 7, 2025 @ 1:27 pm By JD Alois  |  

Crypto executives and insiders are meeting today at the White House. The first-ever Crypto Summit, led by AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks, will establish a path for the US to lead the way in digital asset innovation. The Summit follows the Executive Order signed by President… Read More

March 7, 2025 @ 8:22 am By JD Alois  |  

  Multiple High Street banks recently experienced App outages impacting customer usage of their services. Making matters worse, the Parliament Treasury Committee issued a report sharing that: “Nine of the top banks and building societies operating in the UK accumulated at least 803 hours, the… Read More

March 6, 2025 @ 12:00 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Following the recent updates on the surge in cryptocurrency ETFs, we recently caught up with Manthan Dave, Co-founder of Palisade, a digital assets custodian backed by enterprise blockchain firm Ripple. Manthan Dave from Palisade shared key insights on the potential for more crypto ETFs beyond… Read More

March 6, 2025 @ 10:10 am By Omar Faridi  |  

On March 4, 2025, the U.S. Senate voted 70-27 to repeal an IRS rule that would have potentially imposed very stringent reporting requirements on decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, categorizing them as “brokers” under existing US tax laws. This decision, driven by a bipartisan coalition and… Read More

March 5, 2025 @ 4:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Coin Metrics noted that the Solana blockchain has emerged as a key player in the web3 and crypto ecosystem, due to its relatively high throughput, fairly low transaction costs, and a fast-growing ecosystem (although a lot of activity centers around speculative trading and meme coins)…. Read More

March 5, 2025 @ 3:09 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

February 2025 marked a difficult month for fintech companies (even though tech stocks in general have been seeing downward price pressure as well), with Block (NASDAQ:SQ) – once a major player in the sector—leading the charge downward, plummeting 28% in its steepest decline since 2023…. Read More

March 5, 2025 @ 10:40 am By JD Alois  |  

Following President Donald Trump’s announcement of his intent to create a Crypto Strategic Reserve, certain digital assets saw their prices rocket—only to collapse in the ensuing days. For example, Bitcoin, the most popular crypto in the world, rose by 10%. XRP jumped 33%, and AdA rocketed by 65%. But… Read More

March 5, 2025 @ 9:57 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has backtracked on another crypto-related enforcement action or investigation. Yesterday, Cumberland DRW posted on X that its case had been dismissed in principle and is currently awaiting Commission approval. Cumberland said it was looking forward to working with the… Read More

March 5, 2025 @ 8:43 am By Omar Faridi  |  

U.S.-based spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) finally snapped an eight-day streak of net outflows on Friday (February 28, 2025), recording a modest $94 million in net inflows. The slight turnaround was primarily driven by Ark and 21Shares’ ARKB fund, which pulled in $194 million, and… Read More