In my last Blog I suggested that regulation of the crypto markets would be one of the main issues for 2020 and beyond. There seem to be urgent need for more clarity on many cryptocurrency issues. The EU Fifth ALM Directive came into effect early January, while ESMA announced its plans to develop a legal framework for cryptocurrencies in 2020. In the US the Crypto Currency Act of 2020 is being discussed in the House of Representatives. My prediction that a growing number of regulators worldwide would more prominently enter the crypto stage this year will come true.

The boss of Travelex has broken his silence about a cyber attack that forced its staff to use pen and paper and halted travel money sales at some banks and supermarkets.

The firm has released a number of short statements since cyber criminals held the firm to ransom on 31 December.

But in a video message on the firm's website, boss Tony D'Souza said the IT system used by in-store staff was working again.

However, while he said the system used by staff is now working, there was no word on when the firm's main UK website would be returned to service.

Form3 was founded in 2016 to help create better experiences for customers and their users when moving money globally. Our mission is to leverage technology to lower barriers and open up payment clearing and settlement scheme access to financial communities globally in order to move money in real-time.

Reapit, the UK's largest estate agency platform, has joined the IPN Consortium, a gaggle of industry players developing a distributed ledger technology-based system that lets customers go through the entire home buying process through their mobile phones.

Tink today announces it has completed a €90 million investment round. This investment round follows Tink’s €56 million investment round in February 2019, which makes today’s funding Tink’s largest to date.

 Wirecard, the global innovation leader for digital financial technology, and EasyTransfer are collaborating to enable seamless mobile payments for digital-native Chinese students. Together the two companies are launching a new mobile payment and loyalty app designed for Chinese students studying outside of China. Approximately $3.8 billion in tuition payments were transferred via EasyTransfer in the first year alone.

Cashfac is delighted to announce that one of the UK’s largest wealth manager and specialist SIPP provider - trusted by thousands of investors with billions of pounds in pension and investment savings - has selected Cashfac to help drive their business transformation.

With cryptocurrency-related compliance issues on the rise, and an increase in enforcement actions anticipated, the need for financial institutions to adopt solid AML programs addressing this market segment is expected to escalate this year.

ISOLAS LLP’s distinguished Fintech practice has been included in the newly-published Fintech rankings, as part of the Chambers Global edition for 2020, with three of its lawyers ranked.

Chambers described the firm as “a top-tier firm highly regarded for its expertise in advising on regulatory matters stemming from real-life blockchain implementations.