FinTech
EU agrees on landmark regulation to clean up crypto ‘Wild West’
Bitcoin is a volatile asset, and has been known to swing more than 10% higher or lower in a single day. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images EU officials on Thursday secured an agreement on what is likely to be the first major regulatory framework for the cryptocurrency industry. The European Commission, EU lawmakers […]
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FBI adds ‘Cryptoqueen’ to Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List after alleged $4 billion OneCoin fraud
The Federal Bureau of Investigation seal is seen at FBI headquarters. Yuri Gripas | Reuters WASHINGTON — The FBI on Thursday added Dr. Ruja Ignatova, the self-proclaimed ‘Cryptoqueen,’ to its list of Ten Most Wanted fugitives, and is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to her arrest. Ignatova, the founder of a cryptocurrency called OneCoin that […]
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Coinbase seeks licenses in Europe as it looks to ramp up growth outside the U.S.
Coinbase reported a 27% decline in revenues in the first quarter as usage of the platform dipped. Chesnot | Getty Images Coinbase is seeking licenses with various countries in Europe as part of an aggressive expansion in the region. The exchange already has an active presence in the U.K., Ireland and Germany, but wants to […]
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Here’s what’s hot — and what’s not — in fintech right now
There has been something of a rotation out of certain pockets of fintech that were hyped by venture capitalists last year, such as crypto and “buy now, pay later,” and into less sexy areas focused on generating stable streams of income. Jantakon Kokthong / Eyeem | Eyeem | Getty Images Financial technology is the hottest […]
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As Klarna and Affirm falter, a new breed of ‘buy now, pay later’ startups are stealing the spotlight
Klarna is in talks to raise funds at a sharp discount to its last valuation, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. A spokesperson for the firm said it doesn’t comment on “speculation.” Jakub Porzycki | NurPhoto via Getty Images With hype over the “buy now, pay later” trend fading, some investors are […]
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One of the most prominent crypto hedge funds just defaulted on a $670 million loan
Bitcoin rallied to a record high of nearly $69,000 at the height of the 2021 crypto frenzy. In 2022, it’s moved in the opposite direction. Nurphoto | Getty Images Prominent crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital has defaulted on a loan worth more than $670 million. Digital asset brokerage Voyager Digital issued a notice on […]
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CEO of $4.8 billion fintech Wise faces investigation over tax breach
Kristo Kaarmann, CEO and co-founder of Wise. Eoin Noonan | Sportsfile | Getty Images The CEO of £3.9 billion ($4.8 billion) fintech firm Wise is being investigated by U.K. regulators after tax authorities found he failed to pay a tax bill worth over £720,000. Kristo Kaarmann, who co-founded Wise in 2011, was recently fined £365,651 […]
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El Salvador’s $425 million bitcoin experiment isn’t saving the country’s finances
A bystander uses a Bitcoin ATM in San Salvador, El Salvador, on May 16, 2022. Alex Pena | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images El Salvador bet its economic salvation on bitcoin, but so far the gamble isn’t paying off like President Nayib Bukele hoped it would. The government’s crypto coffers have been cut in half, […]
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Bitcoin billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried bails out embattled crypto firms BlockFi and Voyager
With no central bank willing to come to the rescue, beleaguered crypto companies are turning to their peers for help. Billionaire crypto exchange boss Sam Bankman-Fried has signed deals to bail out two firms in as many weeks: BlockFi, a quasi-bank, and Voyager Digital, a digital asset brokerage. FTX, Bankman-Fried’s crypto exchange, agreed Tuesday to […]
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Another ‘algorithmic’ stablecoin has fallen below its $1 peg — but experts say it’s not ‘Terra 2.0’
Cryptocurrencies have been under immense pressure after the collapse of a so-called stablecoin called terraUSD. Umit Turhan Coskun | Nurphoto via Getty Images A controversial stablecoin launched just before the collapse of a similar token called terraUSD is struggling to maintain its peg to the U.S. dollar. USDD, a so-called “algorithmic” stablecoin that’s meant to […]
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