Reconsidering the dollar bill

Reconsidering the dollar bill

In an op-ed for MIT Technology Review, Lana Swartz, who studies the history and future of money at the University of Virginia, reflects on monetary tools that serve public interests. Cash, she argues, is the best financial technology for community and individual autonomy.

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Small businesses are people, too, with Grasshopper Bank

Small businesses are people, too, with Grasshopper Bank

In an interview with The Financial Revolutionist, Danielle Kane, Director of Small Business Banking at Grasshopper Bank, explains the bank’s lean partnership model, describes how small businesses can operate like consumers, and hints at the bank’s long-term goals.

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Compliance as a gateway to growth with Federico Baradello (Finalis)

Compliance as a gateway to growth with Federico Baradello (Finalis)

In an interview with The Financial Revolutionist, Federico Baradello, Founder and CEO of Finalis, dives into his company’s mission, outlines how compliance can be a strategy for growth, and encourages other entrepreneurs to find “unsexy” but promising niches to disrupt.

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Why does Mastercard want to monetize your face?

Why does Mastercard want to monetize your face?

The payments giant announced the launch of its Biometric Checkout Program, which lets customers pay by smiling or waving their hand over a reader. It will first be used at five supermarkets in Brazil as a pilot program.

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Will Affirm's new strategy keep it afloat?

Will Affirm's new strategy keep it afloat?

The BNPL provider announced that it will offer its solution on Fiserv point-of-sale technology, including the Carat commercial system as well as Clover POS devices at brick-and-mortar stores. Visa announced a similar partnership with FIS last week.

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Preparing for a business exit with James Jack (UBS)

Preparing for a business exit with James Jack (UBS)

In an interview with The Financial Revolutionist, James Jack, Head of the Business Owners Client Segment at UBS, suggests ways fintechs can learn from the experiences and strengths of banks like UBS.

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Can Visa pull off a BNPL overhaul?

Can Visa pull off a BNPL overhaul?

Visa announced that it’s added a BNPL option to its “Visa Ready” program. Unlike traditional BNPL solutions, Visa’s product also lets consumers opt into BNPL installments at point-of-sale through virtual cards, not just online.

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3 trends shaping celebrity power in finance

3 trends shaping celebrity power in finance

Four years of hindsight, especially the underwhelming results of crypto’s Super Bowl ad blitz, suggest the power of celebrity endorsements in finance is overhyped, or, at the least, uneven.

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Will the EU kill Apple’s fintech plans?

Will the EU kill Apple’s fintech plans?

This morning, the European Commission released the initial findings of an antitrust case surrounding Apple Pay and third-party access to NFC technology on Apple hardware. The Commission has concluded that Apple unfairly prevents competitors from using NFC payments tech on Apple devices.

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WhatsApp doubles down on P2P payments in India

WhatsApp doubles down on P2P payments in India

The Meta-owned messaging platform said it will offer cashback rewards for Indian consumers who make peer-to-peer payments on the app. It will also look into similar rewards for merchant payments.

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EBA, SWIFT, TCH launch cross-border program

EBA, SWIFT, TCH launch cross-border program

EBA CLEARING, SWIFT, and The Clearing House (TCH) announced this morning that they will launch a pilot program for immediate cross-border (IXB) payments. The pilot would support payments in dollars and euros.

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CFPB doubling down on fintechs

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said it would carry out supervisory exams of nonbank fintech companies that pose a risk to consumers. The CFPB has had the authority to look into nonbanks since 2013, but it’s only decided to invoke that authority now.

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Payday dispute resolutions moved online. Chaos ensued.

Analysis by The Markup, a data-driven newsroom covering Big Tech, suggests Utah’s decision to move payday disputes to online courtrooms has increased default judgments against defendants. Defaulting on these loans can lead to garnished wages and a lower credit score.

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JPMorgan finances $285B for ESG goals

In its ESG report for 2021, JPMorgan announced that it had financed and facilitated $285B toward various ESG goals, including development finance, green projects, and community development. It’s part of its larger goal to commit $2.5T toward ESG initiatives over the next decade.

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What’s next for SMB payments?

This morning, Fyle, an India-based expense-management platform serving US businesses, announced that it launched a real-time spend-management integration for all Visa cards. Fyle said it would roll out similar integrations with other card issuers at an unspecified date.

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