Finextra’s year in review
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With 2021 drawing to a close, we take a look back at our most popular news items and community engagement activities over the course of the past year.
Top news stories of 2021
January
Bitcoin may ‘break down altogether’ – BIS chief
Bitcoin may “break down altogether”, according to BIS general manager Agustin Carstens, who has also poured cold water on stablecoin projects such as the Facebook-led Diem and argued that if digital currencies are needed they should be issued by central banks.
February
Ripple formally responds to SEC lawsuit
Ripple has accused the Securities and Exchange Commission of distorting the facts about the status of its cryptocurrency XRP in its first formal response to a regulatory lawsuit filed in December.
March
Chime investigating $30bn listing
American digital banking firm Chime has been talking to investment banks about an initial public offering that would value it at $30 billion, according to Reuters.
April
Revolut packs a punch with new glow-in-the-dark debit card
Revolut has launched a glow-in-the-dark debit card in partnership with two-times world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua as part of a programme to raise funds for independent boxing gyms across the UK.
May
Controversial fintech Lanistar scores FCA approval
Lanistar, the much-hyped fintech that found itself in hot water with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority last year, says it has now secured the regulator’s approval to operate as an Electronic Money Directive (EMD) agent of payments firm Modulr.
June
Big banks back Swift’s new platform and ISO 20022 roadmap
Messaging network Swift has secured support from six leading global banks for the forthcoming roll out of its new transaction management platform, which is set to go live in November 2022.
July
Chase customers become instant billionaires
A number of lucky Chase Bank customers have become billionaires overnight after a technical glitch dumped huge sums of money into their accounts.
August
GlobaliD and Uphold launch XRP rewards debit card
Digital identity firm GlobaliD has teamed up with digital currency outfit Uphold on a Mastercard debit card that gives users cashback in the form of XRP.
September
IOTA tapped by EU to enable region’s blockchain infrastructure
The IOTA non-profit and its distributed ledger technology has been named as one of seven providers selected by the Commission to develop the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (ESBI).
October
Accenture acquires BCS Consulting
Accenture has acquired financial change management consultancy BCS Consulting, extending its industry advisory expertise and experience in areas including payments, Open Banking, operational resilience, financial crime and cost optimisation.
November
Amazon to ban Visa credit cards in the UK
Amazon UK is to stop accepting credit cards from Visa, blaming the ban on the ‘high cost of payments’.
December
Lloyds on-site technology deemed “not fit for purpose” in leaked video
A senior Lloyds banker has warned its existing on-site technology is “not fit for purpose” during a recorded internal meeting acquired by the Mail on Sunday. This technology holds the vast majority of the bank’s data and services.
Most commented
Amazon to ban Visa credit cards in the UK
Lloyds gives users control over contactless limits amid fraud fears
Mastercard hikes interchange fees for UK online purchases from the EU
UBS: Fingerprint cards will generate $5bn in bank revenues by 2026
Tony Craddock: FCA’s ‘Dear CEO letter likely to destabilise the e-money sector’
Blogs
Crypto forecast for the first half of 2021
There is no reason to sell. What will happen to Bitcoin and Ethereum?
Blockchains comparison: what is the actual difference? Cardano, Elrond, Polkadot and Ethereum 2.0
Financial Services
via Finextra Research https://ift.tt/1NPRZTA
December 23, 2021 at 11:03AM
