Fintech Focus For April 20, 2021

Quote To Start The Day: "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."

Source: Thomas A. Edison

One Big Thing In Fintech: Earlier this month, Bakkt, a digital-currency fintech that specializes in concurrency, rewards and loyalty points, announced a partnership with prepaid and payments product provider Blackhawk Network, to empower users to easily purchase eGift using digital assets, supported loyalty points, and cash.

As part of the development, Benzinga chatted with Bakkt CEO Gavin Michael.

Source: Benzinga

Other Key Fintech Developments:

• WSB selected BSCstarter for token.
• BoE, HM Treasury intro CBDC unit.
• Ex-Pimco exec talking digital assets.
• How brokers are breaking into BTC.
• PBoC on crypto as alt-investments.
• Insurtech Versured launches offers.
• eToro adds Chainlink and Uniswap.
• NA startup funding was on fire in Q1.
• Knox Financial raises $10M funding.
• Open Bank Project, API3 partnered.
• Pluto Digital Assets planning an IPO.
• UK removing MiFID II requirements.
• US banks deploy AI monitoring tech.
• How fintechs lower acquisition costs.
• Citi eyes big technology ambitions.
• OKEx integrates Lightning Network.
• UK fintech investment starts strong.
• OCC intros a clearing fee reduction.
• Circle picked Signature over USDC.
• Mastercard to buy a digital ID firm.
• Brex is expanding instant payouts.
• Goldman Sachs invests in Starling.
• Public unlocked debit card funding.
• CME won’t launch dogecoin futures.
• Revolut looking to raise new funds.

Watch Out For This: President Joe Biden’s ambitious infrastructure spending plan would see hundreds of billions of dollars spent on high-tech sectors including expanded broadband access, investment in domestic semiconductors, renewable energy and electric vehicles — all areas where venture capitalists and other startup investors spy business opportunities.

Source: Crunchbase

Interesting Reads:

• Morgan Stanley plays off Archegos.
• Citi hiring 2.3K workers in Asia push.
• Facebook adds Soundbites feature.
• COVID-19 variants are hitting young.
• JPM bankrolls big soccer upheaval.
• Apple will allow Parler back on Store.
• Andrew Yang on running New York.
• Stunning loan, deposit divergences.
• Institutions fuel a surge in Dogecoin.

Market Moving Headline: “With a deluge of earnings activity this week from across industries, we may be in a bit of a holding pattern until investors digest any beats or misses on that front,” said Chris Larkin, managing director of trading and investing product at E*Trade Financial. “Bottom line is that short-term volatility is typical when we’re knocking around market highs as traders look to uncover value.”

Source: Bloomberg