FnConn launched Chained Finance at LendIt USA 2017; the platform is built with blockchain technology and is intended to provide alternative loans for supply chain companies; Jack Lee, CEO of FnConn, says the platform has the potential to help improve supply chain finance in a number of ways specifically through greater cost efficiency from the use of blockchain; Chained Finance will be fueled through the support of FnConn's financial subsidiary Foxconn and P2P lender Dianrong. Source
Russian marketplace lender Blackmoon allows professional investors to acquire portfolios of emerging market loans; it has now reported a new partnership with ID Finance, a data science, credit scoring and nonbank digital lending as an application provider; loans are screened and scored by ID Finance's advanced risk assessment system and qualifying loan transactions are automatically transferred to the creditor setting up an automated securitization process. Source
Ram Ahluwalia from PeerIQ was a featured keynote speaker at LendIt USA 2017; Ram reports marketplace lending securitizations reached over $12 billion in issuance from over 75 transactions; in the third quarter of 2016 rated tranches reached a peak of nearly 25 and in the fourth quarter of 2016 rated tranches were approximately 18. Source
Carvana is working with Wells Fargo and Bank of America on plans for a US initial public offering (IPO); the company is one of a few specialist providers selling used cars and offering auto financing through the internet with automated towers storing vehicles in cities such as Austin, Dallas and Nashville; Reuters reports the company has a valuation of $2 billion and is planning for its IPO in the first half of 2017. Source
The UK's National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB) has lifted insurance restrictions for its brokers; it will now provide insurance coverage to its brokers for all P2P loans; "Peer-to-peer lending is booming and it's fantastic that our members can now use it as much as they like, safe in the knowledge that they enjoy protection arranged by NACFB Insurance Services," said Paul Goodman, NACFB chairman. Source
Olaf Carlson-Wee recently launched a fund with $15 million in assets under management and backing by Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures; Laura Shin sat down with Olaf on her Unchained podcast to discuss the fund and how he discovered bitcoin back in 2011; the podcast covers how Polychain Capital invests exclusively in digital assets, not companies, and how Olaf Carlson-Wee views cryptocurrencies; they also cover Olaf being the first employee at Coinbase and how he put what he called at the time his meager life savings into bitcoin. Source
Avant has joined the Global Debt Registry (GDR) network; through the network partnership Avant's investors will have enhanced access to loan due diligence services; in comments regarding the partnership, Kevin Friedrich, senior director of treasury at Avant said, "We are delighted to partner with GDR to provide our investors with this independent loan data integrity service and help drive new transparency for the lending industry." Source
According to Bloomberg, defaults have triggered a breach in a 2015 SoFi bond deal; Bloomberg provides some details on the breach, reporting that the SoFi loans backing the bonds averaged more than $35,000, were unsecured and were from prime credit borrowers with annual salaries averaging around $130,000; the SoFi breach adds to worries about rising defaults overall which have been a factor for bond deals and troubled lenders in the marketplace lending industry. Source
RateSetter Australia is one of the country's leading P2P lenders, introducing the first P2P lending platform in the country for retail investors in 2014; the company has announced a new addition to its Australian board of directors which serves separately from its parent company RateSetter UK; Vaughn Richtor will join the board bringing significant retail banking experience from his role as CEO of ING Direct; Richtor will help advise the company in key initiatives including improving alternative banking channels and growing market share in personal and business loans. Source
Ernst & Young has released its EY Global Banking Outlook 2017 report which provides insight on incumbent bank investments; says approximately 60% plan to invest in new technologies and reports that banks have the highest priority on customer facing technology; the survey report includes data from approximately 300 banks across Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia-Pacific. Source