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Nigerian Central Bank Wants Financial Institutions to Develop Products Based on Its CBDC
29.11.2021
The Central Bank of Nigeria has said it wants players in the country’s payment industry to develop and help introduce products based on its central bank digital currency, the e-naira. Central Bank Open to Suggestions In its bid to deepen the adoption of the e-naira, the Central Bank...
Report: Traditional Banks in Africa Hold Trust Advantage Over Fintechs
13.11.2021
A recent report by CR2 on Africa’s fintech transformation suggests traditional financial institutions can still be a part of the fintech financial revolution if they leverage one of their most significant assets: client trust. Partnerships Between Banks and Fintechs The report urges...
Digital Euro Should Be Attractive But Not ‘Too Successful,’ ECB’s Panetta Says
7.11.2021
The digital euro should be an attractive means of payment but its design should prevent it from becoming so successful as a store of value that it threatens banks and private money, according to Fabio Panetta, a high-ranking executive at the European Central Bank. Panetta stressed that both this...
African Fintech Giant Raises $150 Million in Funding Round Led by FTX, Firm Now Valued at Over $2 Billion
4.11.2021
Chipper Cash, one of Africa’s biggest fintechs, recently concluded a Series C extension funding round in which it raised $150 million, a report by Techcrunch has revealed. New Investors Participate in Latest Round According to the report, this latest funding round — which was led...
Up to 12 Million Iranians Own Cryptocurrency, Traders Choose Local Exchanges
1.11.2021
Cryptocurrencies are a popular investment among Iranians and estimates suggest that the number of those who already own one coin or another may be as high as 12 million. The majority of Iranian traders prefer the services of local crypto exchanges, the chief executive of one of them claims....
Nigerian Judge Rules in Favor of Accused Crypto Startup, Accounts to Be Reopened
27.10.2021
A Nigerian Federal Court judge recently ruled that the two frozen bank accounts belonging to Rise Vest Technologies, which is accused of trading cryptocurrencies, must be reopened. CBN’s Bank Account Freeze Order Dismissed In a ruling that overturns the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s...
Where Banks, Financial Institutions, Fintechs & Startups Meet
14.10.2021
The coronavirus pandemic has changed everything, from the way we live and work to the way we consume and get basic services. Financial services will never look the same again. In this new reality, financial services companies will have to accelerate the development of their digital services...
Nigerian Central Bank Freezes Bank Accounts of Fintech Firms, Accuses Them of Violating Forex Regulations
19.8.2021
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reportedly frozen bank accounts belonging to four fintech firms for up to 180 days after a Federal High Court in Abuja acceded to an “ex parte motion.” The ex parte motion, which is a form of temporary suspension, was granted after a Nigerian chief...
Africa Fintech Start-up Growth: Nigeria Dominates in ‘Big Three’ Markets
10.7.2021
According to the findings of the latest study by Disrupt Africa, the number of fintech start-ups based on the African continent grew to 576 in 2021. This figure represents a 17.3% jump from the 491 start-ups that were operating on the continent in 2019. Overall, the number of fintech start-ups...
Korean Banks Elevate Cybersecurity to Deal With Crypto-Related Risks
7.7.2021
South Korean banks are taking steps to bring cybersecurity to a new level as they try to keep up with fintechs and address new threats arising from their interaction with the crypto space. A number of institutions are adopting unprecedented measures including the integration of blockchain...
Report: Fintech’s Growing Popularity a Threat to Profitability of Nigerian Banks
7.7.2021
Financial technology companies (fintechs) are now among the biggest threats to the overall profitability of Nigerian banks, analysts from the country’s Coronation Merchant Bank (CMB) have warned. The Efficiency of Fintech As a report carried by local media explains, this threat from fintech...
Bank of Tanzania Hints at Possible Crypto Ban Reversal as Spokesman Confirms Bank Is ‘Working on the Directives Given’
28.6.2021
In a hint that Tanzania might soon reverse its 2019 crypto ban, an unnamed spokesperson of the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) recently suggested the apex bank is “working on the directives given.” The remarks by the spokesperson follow Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s call on...
Government Cannot Stand in the Way of Crypto Technologies, Iran Minister Says
7.6.2021
New technologies, including blockchain and cryptocurrency mining, have helped Iran to increase budget receipts and withstand foreign sanctions, according to the country’s minister for economy and finance. The high-ranking official believes the government can’t interfere with their...
Study Shows 36% of Nigerian Adults Are Financially Excluded — Digital Financial Services Bolsters Inclusion
6.6.2021
Nearly 36% of Nigeria’s 106 million adults lack access to both regulated and unregulated financial services, according to the findings of the Enhancing Financial Innovations and Access (EFIA) study. In addition, while the findings do suggest a marginal drop in the percentage of financially...
Bank of Ghana ‘in the Advanced Stages of Introducing a Digital Currency’— Governor Repeats Anti-Cryptocurrency Claims
4.6.2021
The governor of Ghana’s central bank, Ernest Addison, has said his institution is now “in the advanced stages of introducing a digital currency.” However, before its release into circulation, the digital currency—which is also known as the “e-cedi”— will...
Restrictions on Crypto Trading to Deprive Nation of Opportunities, Iranian Fintechs Warn
18.5.2021
Startups have spoken out against government attempts to curb the operations of crypto exchanges in Iran. Cryptocurrency trading is not illegal, Iranian fintechs insist, calling on lawmakers and regulators to develop rules that would allow the sanctioned country to continue to take advantage...
Mastercard Payment Index: More Consumers in Three African Countries Plan to Use Crypto Based Payment Methods
12.5.2021
According to a recent Mastercard payment index report, the Covid-19 related lockdowns helped spread the use of cryptocurrency in three African countries, namely Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. The report also reveals that a greater number of consumers from these countries are “likely to...
Fintechs Invited to Work on Georgia’s Central Bank Digital Currency
7.5.2021
National Bank of Georgia (NBG) has issued a call for companies in the fintech sector, financial institutions and technology firms to support its efforts to create a digital currency. Georgia’s central bank wants to employ new technologies to raise the efficiency of the country’s payment...
Nigeria’s SEC in Talks With Central Bank of Nigeria Over Crypto Regulation— 2020 Crypto Guidelines Still Suspended
17.4.2021
Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has revealed that talks with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) regarding the regulation of cryptocurrencies are ongoing. The securities regulator also reiterated that due to a CBN directive that was issued on February 7, 2021, the crypto...
Central Bank of Nigeria Blocks Fintech Startups From Accessing KYC Service— Decision Described as an ‘Attack on All Fintechs’
12.4.2021
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has recently suspended the provision of the bank validation number (BVN) service to all fintech and third-party partners. The decision means non-banks entities include crypto startups “have lost one of the most comprehensive means of identity verification...