By Andrei Skvarsky. South African startup Wala, which runs a blockchain platform for instant micro-payments, has won a $100,000 prize for “innovation in financial inclusion” from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Mastercard Foundation. Continue Reading
Brochure released with full agenda of Connected Claims Europe forum
The organisers of the Connected Claims Europe conference in London on October 29-30 have released a brochure with the complete agenda and speaker line-up for the forum, which is going to deal with the re-engineering of claims, innovative technologies and other key issues. Continue Reading
Tolar sells blockchain licence to Bahrain govt
By Andrei Skvarsky. Tolar, a one-year-old blockchain and cryptocurrency developer group based in ex-Yugoslav states, has signed a deal licencing the Bahraini government to use an advanced technology based on its flagship blockchain project. Continue Reading
Sberbank to integrate investment arm with corporate business unit
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender, has announced it will integrate its investment arm, Sberbank CIB, with its Corporate Business unit. Continue Reading
Insurance Nexus whitepaper: ‘intelligent’ automation can revolutionise insurance
Research firm Insurance Nexus has interviewed senior company experts about the role of “intelligent” automation in the insurance business as opposed to routine robotics. Continue Reading
Sberbank puts David Rafalovsky in charge of tech unit with Nikita Volkov as no. 2
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s largest lender Sberbank has appointed two of its top executives, David Rafalovsky and Nikita Volkov, as, respectively, head and deputy head of its technology unit. Continue Reading
Sberbank hires head of lifestyle management firm for role at HNWI unit
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank has announced it has hired Julia Melts, chief executive of a lifestyle management company, as head of client coverage at Sberbank Private Banking, the unit of Russia’s biggest lender that provides services for high-net-worth individuals. Continue Reading
Tangier royal event guests include head of bank that has funded much of Morocco economy
By Andrei Skvarsky. The guests at a July 30 ceremony in Tangier celebrating Moroccan King Mohammed VI’s 19th anniversary of enthronement included the chief of the African Development Bank (AfDB), which has put more than $10bn into the Maghreb country’s economy over the past half-century. Continue Reading
Cryptos, blockchain high on agenda for Aug 16 FinTech Canada forum
Big companies such as Google, IBM, MasterCard and Amazon will be represented at FinTech Canada, a conference in Toronto on August 16 with an agenda largely taken up by cryptocurrency and blockchain issues. Continue Reading
Permira provides Bridgepoint with loan for buying out French retailer
By Andrei Skvarsky. Investment group Permira Debt Managers (PDM) has announced that one of its funds is acting as the sole lender to buyout firm Bridgepoint in the acquisition of Private Sport Shop, one of France’s largest sports equipment online retailers. Continue Reading
CORRECTION: Sept 11 Stockholm conference to discuss blockchain use in energy, real estate industries, media
(Correcting date to September 11 from November 11 in headline and lead). Experts, businesspeople and others specialising or interested in blockchain and cryptocurrencies are getting together at a planned conference in Stockholm on September 11 to discuss subjects including the use of blockchain in industries such as energy, real estate and newsmaking. Continue Reading
UPDATE 2: London to host two tech-focused European insurance forums in October
(Quoting changed codes for attendance fee discounts). Use of digital technology in insurance will be discussed in detail at two European conferences in London this October that are being organised by Insurance Nexus, a London-based intelligence company that is part of British-registered FC Business Intelligence. Continue Reading
Rhode Island hosting Opal conferences on cybersecurity, payment technologies
Newport, Rhode Island, is the site of two more financial conferences this week organised by Opal Group besides a family office event that has just ended – Cyber Security Summit 2018 and Financial Innovation and Payments Summit 2018, both being held on July 18-20. Friday’s agenda for the Cyber Security Summit includes panel sessions on… Continue Reading
Blockchain, cryptos to be among topics at Rhode Island family office forum
Blockchain and cryptocurrencies will be among a multitude of subjects to be raised at the Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum in Newport, Rhode Island, on July 16-18. Continue Reading
Sberbank subsidiary: Security firms technologically behind cybercriminals due to bureaucratic, legal constraints
By Andrei Skvarsky. Cybercriminals across the world are technologically “a step ahead” of cybersecurity firms as the latter are handicapped by bureaucratic formalities and legal requirements, according to the head of a cybersecurity subsidiary of Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank. Continue Reading
McKinsey: Russian banks making more use of blockchain, opening up to cryptos
By Andrei Skvarsky. Global consultancy McKinsey has said in a detailed report on the current state of the Russian economy that Russian banks are using blockchain on an increasing scale and has confirmed that cryptocurrencies are making their way into Russia. Continue Reading
Blockchain/crypto event to be hosted by crypto-friendly France
The blockchain/cryptocurrency theme, which has been discussed at numerous meetings across the world, is going to be raised again in a month’s time, this time round in an increasingly crypto-friendly country – at Blockchain and Bitcoin Conference France on July 18. Continue Reading
Sberbank vice-CEO Poletaev stepping down but staying as adviser
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank has announced an upcoming top-tier reshuffle to include the resignation of Maxim Poletaev, one of chief executive officer Herman Gref’s two senior deputies, who will, however, stay at the bank as a senior adviser. Continue Reading
Over 150 insurtechs to get together at London conference on June 19-20
More than 1,000 people are going to gather at the Insurtech Insights conference in London on June 19-20 to hear what over 240 speakers from a bunch of companies including more than 150 insurtechs have to say about how their firms use modern technologies in their business. Continue Reading
Permira refinances loan for French surveillance equipment maker Anaveo
By Andrei Skvarsky. Global investment firm Permira has refinanced a loan it provided for French electronic surveillance equipment manufacturer Anaveo a while ago. Continue Reading
Big-scale forum on cryptos to be held in New York
New York City will host a conference on cryptocurrency investment on June 11-12 that is going to be an outstanding event for the range of issues it will address. Continue Reading
Sberbank chief: fintechs, except big ones, not rivalling Russian banks
By Andrei Skvarsky. According to the chief executive of Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank, Russian banks face no serious competition from small and medium-sized financial technology companies. Continue Reading
Sberbank launches versatile electronic brokerage platform for institutional clients
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank has launched a single electronic brokerage platform for institutional clients that gives them access to all key Russian and international floors for financial instrument trading. Continue Reading
Retirement Products and How They Work
Retirement products (like provident funds, pension funds and retirement annuities) all come with various benefits and restrictions, thus it is important to understand how they work so that you can choose the one that is right for you. Your investment return in retirement products comes from underlying investments such as unit trusts. These need time… Continue Reading
Individuals withdraw $479bn from Russia between 2016 and 2017 – Tranio, central bank
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russian individuals withdrew $479bn from Russia between 2006 and 2017, taking the money to 257 foreign countries and territories, Russian real estate broker Tranio said, citing Russia’s central bank. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Some of RenCap’s traditional products offer crypto market access – senior manager
By Andrei Skvarsky. Legislative gaps prevent Russians from pursuing full-scale cryptocurrency business, yet Russian banks have been finding legally safe ways of access to cryptocurrency markets in meeting growing client demand – Renaissance Capital, for one, sells traditional products that offer exposure to the crypto world. Continue Reading
BlockShow study: Switzerland Europe’s most cryptocurrency-friendly country
By Andrei Skvarsky. Switzerland is Europe’s most cryptocurrency- and blockchain-friendly country, according to a study carried out in the framework of BlockShow Europe 2018, a planned flagship conference on blockchain technology in Berlin on May 28-29. Continue Reading
BlockShow attendees to be able to use blockchain-based voting app
By Andrei Skvarsky. Those attending BlockShow Europe 2018, a planned conference on blockchain on May 28-29, will be able to use a blockchain-based application for voting to compile rankings of women executives and companies that have made outstanding achievements in blockchain development. Continue Reading
“Hypersmart contract” creator ORS hopes to raise nearly $30m via ICO
By Andrei Skvarsky. ORS Group, a software company that claims to have developed a modernised type of smart contract, the “hypersmart contract (HSC)”, by connecting artificial intelligence to blockchain, hopes to raise €25m ($29.5m) through a current initial coin offering (ICO). Continue Reading