Issue #396 - The Die Is Cast2022-12-29The year is near to its end, and you might think that this should be the time for recap. But not for fintech. Financial technology is still giving us many innovations, food for thought, investments, and it seems that some countries are taking advantage of the end of the year to expand. In this number of FinTech Weekly, we want to let you discover what regulators are doing, how wages could change soon, what’s the future of work, and what are the events that are making headlines. This and much more on FinTech Weekly: follow us on LinkedIn to stay ahead of your competitors – for free! |
Top Stories
Top Events
Podcasts and Videos
 | Turkiye's biggest Fintech Summit takes place in IstanbulDespite the challenging times, there’s no doubt that fintech is one of the thriving industries, and it spans across multiple sectors. Turkey organized its biggest fintech summit, Webrazzi 2022, to make entrepreneurs and technology meet to find innovative solutions to afford the modern economy. |
Crypto
 | DeGods and Y00ts NFTs are bridging off Solana: Here’s whyThe NFT space is becoming even more popular, and NFT companies want to explore new opportunities. This is the reason behind the decision of Dust Labs to move its top NFT projects – DeGods and y00ts – to different blockchains: from Solana to Polygon and Ethereum. |
 | Japan to lift the ban on foreign stablecoins like USDT in 2023: ReportJapan is considering the restrictions applied to stablecoins. In fact, even if there are over 30 exchanges registered in the country, none of them offer trading with top stablecoins like USDT and USDC. This may change in 2023, since regulators in Japan are considering allowing trading of top foreign stablecoins. |
Banking
 | Banking reforms could make the UK a sustainable finance hub, but also threaten financial stabilityWe at FinTech Weekly have already covered the so-called Edinburgh reforms, a set of changes to banking rules to make the UK financial system more stable. The reforms were recently announced by Jeremy Hunt, UK chancellor. Will these reforms make the UK financial system actually more stable, or will they threaten its stability? |
Innovation
 | Japanese fintech leader Smartpay first to launch the next phase of digital consumer finance through open bankingSmartpay, the Japanese fintech company founded by seasoned fintech professionals with previous experiences in companies like Facebook and Stripe, launched Smartpay Bank Direct. It’s the first finance service that will allow for online installment purchases directly from people’s bank accounts – thanks to partnerships with over 60 banks across the country. |
Fintech
 | Jakarta-based fintech Akulaku raises $200M from Japan’s largest bankJapan is not only reconsidering its regulations regarding cryptocurrencies, but also expanding its investments in the fintech sector. The Indonesian fintech company Akulaku has just raised $200 million from MUFG – Mitsubishi UFJ Financial group. The investment was necessary to allow both the company and the group to further expand in new markets. |