Week in Digital Wealth

Activist hedge funds have fintech companies on their radar now that the space is making waves. Even though the summer is winding down, legacy banks are feeling the heat as the pipeline for fintech M&A and IPOs continues to grow. Coinbase is going across the pond on crypto. Google Pay is suffering some defections, Austin is a hotbed for tech talent and remote work is all the rage.

Despite the chaos in the world lately, the financial markets continue to turn. Global fintechs are exploring the U.S. markets for multi-billion-dollar public listings, including more potential SPACs. Just because a company looks like a fintech doesn’t mean it is one. Demand for bitcoin and Ethereum is only growing stronger, and crypto payments have made their way to Android. Let’s dive in.

With a combined market cap of $1.8 trillion, the cryptocurrency industry has gotten too big for lawmakers to ignore. But politicians are missing the forest for the trees with their hastily written legislation. Fintech startup Circle is looking to join the ranks as a digital currency bank. Meanwhile, since last week’s Square/Afterpay deal, Buy Now Pay Later startups are looking increasingly attractive. SPACs are still a trend and more. Let’s dive in! 

Just when it looked like the summer doldrums were upon us, Square saved the day, announcing a blockbuster deal in the buy now, pay later space. It is yet another sign that fintech continues to disrupt traditional payments. In addition, international M&A is afoot while the IPO pipeline continues to grow.

Financial technology continues to attract legacy finance players. Fintech IPO roadshows have gone digital, while big banks are also riding the digital wave. The IMF wants to know if CBDCs are the solution for the unbanked population, and Elon Musk is back on the good side of bitcoin investors.

Blockchain is all the rage these days, as evidenced by corporate America’s desire to pile in. Serena Williams backs a startup that gives the renters of the world a fighting chance. The Amazon.com and Netflix of the online mortgage lending industry made its listing debut, while Serena Williams scored on behalf of a segment of the population that is underserved in financial services. Let’s dive in.

What a difference a week can make! The SPAC deal pipeline continues to fill, while Wise tested the mettle of the LSE in a post-Brexit world and the Nasdaq provided a Shanghai surprise. One major Wall Street firm made a bullish call on a fintech consumer lending platform. Google is on the fintech prowl in Japan while the banks look on, plus traditional lenders are upping the ante to compete with their tech-savvy rivals.

JPMorgan is back on the fintech circuit with its second acquisition in the span of a few short weeks. Pop sensation Britney Spears and her conservatorship battle also made an appearance in this week’s roundup, while Robinhood is riding the IPO wave.

The deal pipeline is filling in the fintech space, chief of which includes Visa flexing its muscle in Europe’s open banking industry. Kids are gaining access to financial apps sooner than later, thanks to one UK-based challenger bank. In addition, a couple of German fintech startups are looking to gain a foothold in the US market while the IPO pipeline keeps growing. Andreessen Horowitz has made a key hire and is doubling down on crypto despite a murky regulatory environment.

Fintechs are increasingly coming into their own, with investment banks hunting ways to rub shoulders with the digital crowd. In the past week, JPMorgan made a splash with a fintech investment while the IPO pipeline is filling in the U.S., as well as globally. PayPal is upping the ante for merchants as it boasts its prowess in the competitive payments landscape, while central bank digital currencies are all the rage.