Fintech Nexus Newsletter

In the new Apple iOS 17.4 update there is a little something for fintech enthusiasts: a new API called FinanceKit. This is another example of Apple edging its way into open banking after last November the company allowed UK users to connect outside accounts.

The New York Community Bank saga has occupied the headlines for much of the past month. But the bank may finally be seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Yesterday, NYCB received a $1 billion infusion of capital from a group that included former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and former OCC head Joseph Otting.

You may remember a few months ago when PayPal launched Tap-to-Pay on Android for merchants using Venmo and Zettle. Yesterday, the fintech behemoth announced that the feature has now been added for iPhone users.

The fintech space, and the tech space more broadly, is enamored with company valuations. The term unicorn arose out of that fascination.

A lack of financial literacy can be devastating to maintaining financial health. The big problem is that most people find financial literacy programs boring and don't stick to it. Many fintechs and banks have tried to counteract this by creating gamified learning.

Stripe has, for some time, been one of the leading fintech companies globally when it comes to scale. But the numbers it revealed today in its annual letter are truly staggering. It processed $1 trillion, around 1% of global GDP, through its platform in 2023. It crossed that milestone just 15 years after it was founded.

This week marks one year since many fintechs thought their world was ending. Almost every venture-backed fintech company banked with Silicon Valley Bank and for three harrowing days last March, many wondered if all their non-FDIC-insured money sitting at Silicon Valley Bank would be safe.

TransUnion, one of the big three credit bureaus, has launched a new data analytics platform called OneTru. The new platform will offer banks and fintechs AI and ML tools for addressing a variety of credit, anti-fraud and marketing needs.

When I first chatted with Mike Cagney back in 2011, when he was CEO of SoFi, it was clear he had big goals. His second act in fintech, Figure, quickly became a leader in home equity lending with all loans originated and processed through blockchain technology.

BNPL is showing no signs of slowing down. Consumers love this fintech innovation and now everyone seems to want in on the action.