Fintech Focus For April 6, 2021

Quote To Start The Day: [S]tock declines of 30-40% are overdone, and growth names should begin to re-inflate. True, interest rates will likely rise over time. However, they still hover near record lows, and borrowers of all shapes and sizes can afford to pay more.

Source: Adam Johnson

One Big Thing In Fintech: “Wall Street — it’s a fallacy to think it’s hard.”

That's according to Saad Hussain, founder, and CEO at Vesica Technologies, the company behind SHIFT, a search engine for the options market.

As part of Vesica’s launch of SHIFT and the closure of a $2.1 million seed round led by Mercury Digital Assets and Miami International Holdings, Hussain spoke with Benzinga on how his organization is making financial data more accessible and actionable, for all market participants.

Source: Benzinga

Other Key Fintech Developments:

• Grayscale eyeing ETF conversions.
• Kyber adds market-making protocol.
• Miley Cyrus is promoting Cash App.
• Airtel taps $100M from Mastercard.
• Ribbit Capital leads $26.7M for Cora.
• Alinea empowers Gen-Z investment.
• Sterling, Rho signed an agreement.
• UP Fintech added $90M in funding.
• Options Technology bought Fixnetix.
• Number of fintech unicorns is rising.
• Fed announces specs for FedNow.
• YieldStreet has launched new fund.
• Tencent competency mitigates risks.
• Redfin finished RentPath purchase.
• Alkami eyeing IPO at $2B valuation.
• SpotOn has added new leadership.
• IRS is planning to digitize operation.

Watch Out For This: Millions of homeowners who’ve fallen behind on mortgage payments due to the pandemic would have more time before facing foreclosure under rules proposed Monday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Source: Bloomberg

Interesting Reads:

• Credit Suisse’s chief plans to leave.
• Looking into the StockX origin story.
• Why trucks have quilted rear doors.
• LG is cutting smart phone business.
• Richest New Yorkers face tax hikes.

Market Moving Headline: U.S. stocks rallied on Monday with the Dow and S&P 500 closing at record levels, as a round of strong economic data buoyed investor optimism for the economic reopening and a muted climb in the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield kept inflation worries in check.

Source: Reuters