Fintech Focus For December 9, 2021

One Big Thing In Fintech: With a goal of bringing DeFi technology to the masses, WonderFi has teamed up with Animal Capital to launch Money Goals.

The Money Goals initiative will expose the young followers of some of the biggest influencers and entrepreneurs like Richards, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, and others, to commentaries by some of the world’s most renowned finance experts.

Source: Benzinga

Other Key Fintech Developments

• Kredivo unveiled a new card.
• Lydia raises at $1B valuation.
• FNBO looks to AI technology.
• AU targets fintech regulation.
• Rapyd acquiring fintech Neat.
• Q2, ZSuite are partnering up.
• Jack Henry streams process. JKHY
• Westpac buys MoneyBrilliant. WBK
• Plastiq, PayGround team up.
• TRM secures $60M Series B.
• Chip adds more free features.
• Nav, Creditsafe partnered up.
• Flip secures a $48M Series B.
• Greenshades selects Branch.
• Zeta finishes a funding round.
• Kabbage adds credit offering.
• Visa launches crypto offering. V
• Google exec joined Chainlink. GOOGL
• Flint closes on a $100M fund.
• AMM Voltz announces raise.
• Gemini, Bancolombia partner.
• Figure unveiled new features.
• Biconomy launches Hyphen.
• Tipalti raises a $270M round.
• AllianceBlock is eyeing DeFi.

Watch Out For This: Michael Cohen, who once served as a lawyer for Donald Trump, has kept busy since his relationship with the president resulted in disbarment and imprisonment.

After being sentenced to three years in prison, Cohen was placed in home confinement given the heightened risk COVID-19 posed to him due to pre-existing health conditions.

Weeks later, Cohen returned to prison after refusing to hold off on publishing a book about Trump.

In light of his second release, Benzinga spoke with the former lawyer to discuss his bestselling tell-all "Disloyal: A Memoir," as well as intentions to auction NFT-backed items connected to the origins of the story, and a new book.

Avery Andon, the founder of ArtGrails, the platform facilitating the transactions, also joined the conversation.

Source: Benzinga

Interesting Reads:

• Deloitte talking trends in tech.
• The people defining business.
• Apple car project loses talent. AAPL
• BLK cut a $2T STT allocation. BLK STT

Market Moving Headline: Equities will struggle to generate above-average returns in 2022.

European equities look set to make up lost ground with their US peers.

One of the critical calls will be whether value stocks can begin to reverse their underperformance of the last several years.

The wide valuation gap between value and growth stocks and the prospect of higher interest rates suggest upside is ahead.

Source: BNP Paribas