Are end-to-end solutions the future of finance?
That may (seem to be) the case, with collaborations and integrations hinting at improved consumer access.
That said, regulators focused on transparency with a bias toward stability.
In the news:
- FINRA started publishing Treasury transactions on its website;
- Cboe (reportedly) asked the SEC to consider mutual fund exposure using ETFs. The SEC may (not) approve the request because of previous Bitcoin ETF approvals (too many for one year);
- The BIS is needling the tokenization space with a new solution;
- Skipify and Visa want to enhance checkout experiences for shoppers;
- And, the InsurTech industry is buzzing!
Of course, it’s your week in digital wealth!
WealthTech, RegTech, Regulatory, and Treasury
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
To improve market transparency, FINRA started publishing Treasury securities transactions. Also, from April 1, the self-regulatory institution made six months’ worth of transactional histories available.
Clear Street
Following Clear Street’s successful December 2023 Series B funding, the boutique finance titan launched clearing services for US-listed equities and options. The newly launched service works with the firm’s self-hosted cloud ecosystem.
IBI Investment House (IBI) /ViewTrade
ViewTrade and IBI partnered to provide IBI’s clients with enhanced retail trading via NextGen, the ViewTrade premier solution. Also, clients within the IBI ecosystem now have access to fractional trading.
According to an April 4 Reuters report, Cboe requested that the SEC approve a rule amendment that could (potentially) enable issuers to add ETF share classes to mutual funds. The request, if approved, will give access to mutual fund exposure via ETFs.
Luma Financial Technologies/BNY Mellon (Pershing)
Annuity-focused Luma revealed its collaboration with Pershing, the BNY Mellon premier wealth management platform. The cooperation gives advisors access to Luma’s learning materials, analytics tools, and more within NetX360 ®+, Pershing’s flagship solution.
Crypto, Blockchain, and Digital Assets
CFTC-registered Coinbase Derivatives and Talos, a premier digital asset infrastructure provider, revealed their collaboration. The partnership integrates the Talos ecosystem with the Coinbase Derivatives platform, creating options for interested traders.
Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
The BIS revealed plans to launch Project Agorá, an end-to-end tokenization ecosystem. Project Agorá has several central banks and private sector institutions as partners. The Institute of International Finance (IIF) will act as a middleman for everyone.
Ripple Labs
Despite its legal issues, Ripple Labs, the firm behind the XRP token, unveiled plans to launch its USD-backed stablecoin. The stablecoin will (expectedly) be at parity with the greenback.
Also, Ripple intends to back the stablecoin with short-term US Treasuries, dollar deposits, and other in-kind instruments. A third party will (reportedly) audit the ecosystem with (published) monthly attestations.
The stablecoin will (initially) be available on the XRP Ledger and the Ethereum blockchain, with future expansion plans.
FinTech, Personal Finance, and Apps
Tally, a debt repayment assistance-focused FinTech, unveiled its white-label solution. Also, an unnamed publicly traded company will deploy the credit card debt management software later in July.
Vertical integrations are now possible for small businesses with the launch of the Revenued marketplace. The new ecosystem provides small businesses with all the tools they need for banking, credit, compliance, and insurance without the (usual) red tape.
Checkout-focused Skipify partnered with Visa to create enhanced experiences for shoppers. The collaboration integrates the Skipify digital wallet with Visa’s ecosystem. Additionally, the cooperation leverages the Visa Digital Commerce Program.
Form3, an accounts-focused FinTech across the pond in the United Kingdom, collaborated with San Mateo, California-based Feedzai to launch an authorized push payment (APP) anti-fraud product. Also, based on models, the solution has a 95% detection rate.
Banking, Payments, and Infrastructure
TD Bank/Google Cloud
Across the border in Maple Country, TD Bank revealed a multi-year deal to continue cooperating with Google Cloud. The partnership will enable the seamless deployment of new products and services across TD Bank’s ecosystem.
First State Bank/Jack Henry
Wisconsin-based First State Bank partnered with Jack Henry to drive its digitization efforts. The cooperation includes retail and commercial operations integrating with Banno, Jack Henry’s boutique solution, while the product handles several activities.
Cloud-focused Alkami gave banks and credit unions a (big) boost with a partnership with SWIVEL, a transactions-focused FinTech.
The collaboration integrates the SWIVEL Transaction Enablement™ Platform with Alkami’s single sign-on capabilities. Also, the integration improves loan payment efficiency by offering flexible options to FIs.
The banking sector has a new embedded solution with the launch of Account Galaxy™ (by Finzly). Account Galaxy™ enables virtual accounts and ledgers for FIs, giving them (straight through) extended capabilities.
Baker Hill/CrowdStrike
Baker Hill, a niche banking software solutions provider, revealed the deployment of Texas-based CrowdStrike’s Falcon solution within its ecosystem. The integration enables cutting-edge AI-powered cybersecurity for FIs on the platform.
REtech, InsurtTech and Investing
NEXT Insurance
Palo Alto, California-based NEXT Insurance revealed Copilot (please don’t confuse the product for Microsoft’s Copilot), a small business-focused solution which offers businesses efficient underwriting, quoting, and more.
Amwins/Boost Insurance
Boost Insurance and Amwins’ Underwriting Division partnered to improve Lawyers’ Professional Liability (LPL) solutions. Additionally, the cooperation deploys Amwins’ industry expertise within the Boost Insurance ecosystem for professionals.
In related news, Amwins launched Amwins InstantQuote (Amwins IQ), a new marketplace.
Menlo Park, California-based Gensasys, introduced an addition to its ecosystem (Genasys Unify). The solution has everything related to insurance administration under one umbrella.
Allstate/Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Insurance behemoth Allstate and BCG cooperated to deploy Generative AI (GenAI). The duo aims to use GenAI to improve customer experiences across all industry verticals.
