In the near future, there will be financial assets that are not only shared but genuinely interactive. Plus, which states mine the most Bitcoin? More
Venture Capital Is Broken—But Who Can Really Fix It?
VC helped create just about every post-’70s tech company you can think of, but now it must evolve—or die. Here's why. More
Business Cryptocurrency Finance
Why Big Company Fintech Innovation Is So Hard
Google and Santander both pulled back on major fintech plans this week. The short lives of these megaprojects provide a lesson in why it is so hard for big multinational institutions to truly innovate. Plus, cracking down on Kraken. More
Cryptocurrency Finance Government Policy
The Would-Be Banking Regulator Who Wants to Eliminate Banks
This week, Biden surprised a lot of people by nominating Saule Omarova to head the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Could her proposal for a “people’s ledger” eliminate banking as we’ve historically understood it? More
Cryptocurrency Finance Government
The Senate’s Crypto Theater
A Congressional hearing is typically a poor venue for gaining insight into the American financial regulatory system. That sorry dynamic was on full display this week as Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Gary Gensler testified before the Senate’s committee on banking, housing and urban affairs. More
Does the Buy Now, Pay Later Wildfire Make Sense?
Like a barely contained wildfire, the Buy Now, Pay Later sector has been blazing across acres, bringing white-hot valuations and eye-watering acquisitions—and it’s happening worldwide. More
Does the SEC Have a “Crypto Mom” Problem?
Commissioner Hester Peirce has been unusually vocal in expressing her opinion that the SEC has failed to articulate clear and consistent rules. But simply saying “there ought to be rules” isn’t adequate in the long run. More
Crypto Market Commentary is Kinda Malarkey
Modern market behavior is too large and diverse to lend itself to neat summary, leading to a lot of blather. Producing timely commentary on cryptocurrency is even more dubious. Plus, customer satisfaction in fintech. More
Cryptocurrency Finance Net Giants
Facebook’s Coming Currency and Its Banking History No One Remembers
Facebook was on a trajectory in the financial space to create the first non-Chinese superapp. Then Cambridge Analytica happened. Can Diem restore trust in Facebook? More
Cryptocurrency Finance Government
Will Circle Become a Full-Fledged Bank?
Circle's USDC is a huge "stablecoin." It hopes to make USDC essentially a regulated central bank digital currency. But questions are many, including on Circle's bungled Poloniex deal. More
The SoFi Battle That Won’t Go Away
A long-simmering conflict over fintech superstar SoFi got a fresh boost of energy when Rep. Brad Sherman sent a letter to SEC chairman Gary Gensler, calling the recent entry into the stock market “alarming” and “troubling.” Plus, hard lessons in regulating crypto. More
Revolut Shows Why Building a Superapp Is So Hard
Six-year-old Revolut boasts 16 million customers worldwide, 150 million transactions a month, and just announced a new travel booking feature. But will it become the superapp of its dreams? Plus, Part II of why stablecoin regulation is coming. More
Stablecoin Regulation Is Coming Soon. But What Will It Look Like? (Part I)
Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell seemed almost vexed by stablecoins in his recent testimony before House and Senate committees. Stricter US regulation is clearly imminent. Plus, why the UK dominates open banking. More
Chime’s Customer Nightmare Exposes a Fintech Flaw
The company is the largest digital-only financial provider in the United States. Will this debacle ding its IPO? More
Cryptocurrency Democracy Finance
Robinhood, Binance, and the Culture of Contempt
A fintech movement that wraps itself in the “democratization of finance” ought to understand that with democracy comes responsibility: to customers, to stakeholders, and to society. More
Cryptocurrency Energy & Green Tech Finance Sustainable Development Goals
Fintech Shows Its Green Side
As Gen Z deepens its financial and investing commitment, fintechs that can tap into that cohort’s environmental passion will be the financial leaders of the future. More
How to Keep Fintech From Being Predatory
The federal government and Congress *could* do so much more, but it's unlikely to do so, because too many of its members have been captured by the financial industry. More
Meet the Kayak of Private Financing
Hum Capital wants to be the go-to hub for private investing. More
The Fintech IPO Market Is On Fire. Here’s Why.
Investment executives say exit pressure, valuation pressure, talent pressure, and story pressure have all contributed to the new fintech "IPO mania." More
Fintech Is Winning With Black Americans. Why Isn’t That a Media Story?
Black consumers and Black-owned businesses use fintech companies disproportionately higher than their overall population numbers would predict. Plus, the pay-me-now revolution is here. More
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