Coinbase and affiliates have taken the lead on introducing a legal framework for blockchain tokens as a security; on Wednesday they released a 27-page framework for regulation and best practices for blockchain tokens; paper provides a risk score measurement, best practices for token sales and a detailed securities law analysis. Source
A member of the Lend Academy forum has created a table sharing the annualized rate of return on 36 month loans based on differing charge off scenarios; the table outlines when returns will become negative at varying interest rates which can in turn be compared to interest rates on loans issued by Lending Club; the findings are valuable to investors who are interested in knowing what might happen to their portfolio if defaults were to increase. Source
Personal financial management app, Moven, is focusing on helping customers see the bigger picture when it comes to saving; features include savings account balance updates and a wish list timeline which helps keep consumers on track toward their saving goals; other apps such as Digit, Level Money, Chime, Dyme, Qapital and Simple are also providing similar services focused on motivating users to save for longer-term saving goals. Source
Businessagent.com is seeking to raise between 200,000 British pounds and 750,000 British pounds through a fundraising campaign on Angels Den; the platform currently aggregates and facilitates equity crowdfunding and debt financing; the firm plans to use the funds to improve user data, expand its broker and sales team, build new relationships and develop a secondary market; on December 8 the firm received investment from Malcolm Burne, who will support the firm's plans for a secondary market; Burne is an expert in secondary market trading for private investments. Source
Orchard has announced a new data services partnership with investment bank, Sandler O'Neill; Sandler O'Neill provides investment banking advisory services for clients in the financial services industry; the partnership will provide access to Orchard's full suite of marketplace lending data analytics services for Sandler O'Neill and its clients making Sandler O'Neill a leading investment advisory service for financial institutions considering bank partnerships. Source
Initially a German-only digital bank, N26 is now expanding to 17 countries across the continent including Spain, Italy, Greece, Ireland and Slovakia; according to Valentin Stalf, founder and CEO of N26, the company is looking at "disrupting retail banking further" with this expansion; the digital bank offers an eight minute signup process, real time money transfers and budgeting tools; in coming years they are looking to add new products like investments, savings, insurance products and artificial intelligence based features. Source
Fidor Bank saw in 2016 that incumbent banks were beginning to buy up and partner with fintechs because they needed to stay competitive; other digital banks do not share this view as Starling Bank issued a report back in September saying that collaboration with main street type banks will help to erode what fintechs are attempting to disrupt; 2017 looks to be a pivotal year for partnerships as big banks, regional banks and community banks are all moving in the direction of utilizing different aspects of new innovation. Source
CapitalStackers has received full authorization from the FCA also allowing them to begin the process for offering the innovative finance individual savings account to their investors; CapitalStackers provides secured loans to real estate developers; says investors can receive double digit returns up to 20%. Source
Partech Ventures has raised 100 million euros for its Partech Entrepreneur II investment fund; funds are used to invest in seed funding for startup companies; investment was raised from 90 entrepreneurs, business angels, senior managers of tech groups, and public and private participants; the fund invests in disruptive companies with the potential for major technological innovations; the company plans to use the funds to invest in 80 startups with company investment averaging three per month; the firm has been an active investor in marketplace lending companies. Source
In an outlook from Moody's, the rating agency says marketplace lending securitization performance is likely to be stable in 2017; outlook says marketplace lenders have strengthened their business models resulting in improved credit characteristics for the loans backing new securitizations; increased confidence in marketplace lending best practices is likely to continue however performance of loans may vary by category and economic conditions may also be a factor. Source
