53% feel badly informed about the topic, PassFort is calling on the banking industry to prioritise education on the common UK digital identity

A piece of original survey-based research conducted by RegTech Associates on behalf of PassFort, the SaaS RegTech provider, whose platform automates financial crime and compliance processes, has revealed two-thirds of Brits feel indifferent about a common digital identity. Only 17% of respondents stated they are very much in favour of it, while occupying the middle ground, 34% said they are cautiously in favour and 31% were sceptical about it. At the other end of the scale, 6% stated they are very much against a common digital identity.

While the UK Government consultation on the common digital identity concluded in September 2021 with an updated framework, only 15% of Brits feel well informed on it. In contrast, 52% of respondents said they were either not well informed or knew nothing about the issues surrounding it. Younger respondents are the best informed when it comes to the debate around digital identity though - 36% regard themselves as "well informed" vs. only 1% of over-65s.

The intention of the framework is to provide clear standards to protect against digital identity fraud and remove legislative and regulatory barriers from the use of secure digital identities. However, 19% of over-65s claimed they "know nothing" about the debate in comparison to only 5% of 18-24s. Evidently, there is a lot of room here to educate the general public on these issues.

“Currently, in banking we see 7 in 10 people using a unique ID and password for identification. Some 67% use a security question. While these methods have worked well in the past, there are limitations to the security these techniques provide. Biometrics, or a digital identity, provide a higher level of security. Interestingly, 21% of people we surveyed have used biometrics. And of those who have, 80% said the experience was ‘great’,” said Donald Gillies, CEO PassFort.

In an increasingly complex compliance landscape, the common digital identity offers huge benefits to financial institutions in delivering better, faster, and more reliable checks for consumers. The research also shows that customers who feel they have had a better than expected experience of compliance onboarding were more likely to recommend their provider (77%) and more likely to buy more products (62%).

A stable 27-37% of respondents of all ages claim to know something of the UK digital identity debate, indicating some level of generalised understanding about the issues. With the exception of some minor variations (e.g., a spike in 35-44 year olds who "don't know" or prefer not to share their views), there are no strong correlations between age and attitude towards a common UK digital identity. Similarly, with fewer than one quarter (23%) of respondents stating a strong view on the topic, there is some way to go before the debate is settled.

“Given the obvious benefits of a common digital identity in fighting fraud, financial institutions have a vested interest in helping to explain these issues to their customers”, said Rob Stubbs, Head of Research at RegTech Associates. “Not only could this help to stem the rising tide of financial crime in the UK but, in conjunction with the latest developments in biometrics, it can also help to deliver better, faster and more reliable compliance checks for consumers, which is in everyone’s interest.”

“Biometric identification needs to be managed and regulated and carefully controlled,” said David Birch, author and leading advisor on digital financial services. “I sign up for things all the time and it gets to the point where I have to get this document, or that, and I think ‘Oh I can’t be bothered’. But if I just need to scan my passport and take a picture then that’s easy. However, that’s in the context of a well-regulated and well managed space in finance. We’re not talking about mass surveillance. And that’s what consumers need to be able to understand, and it’s something that financial providers have a duty to help educate people on.”

“Financial providers have a great opportunity to lead the conversation on digital identification and in the process secure crucial loyalty and trust from consumers. As we move into 2022 this conversation is going to become increasingly important and it’ll be the organisations that act now, who will reap the rewards in the long term,” finished Gillies.

Apex Group and Governance.com strike global digitalisation deal to automate regulatory process management
Digitalisation partnership enables Apex to more efficiently and securely deliver client services in full regulatory compliance, starting with its subsidiary entity, the Luxembourg-based European Depositary Bank (“EDB”)
Governance.com, the leading low-code process management platform for regulated companies, today announces the signing of a 5-year deal with global financial services provider Apex Group Ltd. (“Apex”), to implement a digital process management platform and systems. Starting with Apex Group’s Luxembourg-based entity, European Depositary Bank (“EDB”), Governance.com will deliver the new digitalisation partnership that will enable Apex to more efficiently and securely deliver services to its clients, underpinned by robust regulatory compliance.

By securely digitalising Apex’s process management systems step by step, the new process management platform will support EDB's depositary duties such as asset registration, ownership verification and regulatory oversight. The new platform solution will be used by EDB’s teams across several locations starting with Luxembourg and Ireland.

Governance.com’s FinTech solutions are based on a low-code and open architecture approach that supports Apex’s “digital first” agenda and enable it to be an early adopter of FinTech in the space of regulatory process management.  

Through EDB, Apex offers independent banking, depositary and custody services to institutional investors and asset managers for UCITS and alternative investment structures, spanning the full spectrum of asset classes. The new deal will be executed with the support of global consultancy Alpha FMC to ensure expedient and effective implementation.

Peter Hughes, CEO and Founder, Apex Group comments: “This new digitalisation partnership with Governance.com is indicative of our commitment to providing our clients with the widest range of services in the market, underpinned by the highest levels of regulatory compliance. By automating process management for regulatory checks and related operations, we are continually improving our efficiencies and service offerings to our clients, as we grow and expand our range of solutions.”

Bert Boerman, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Governance.com, says: “We are excited to work with this global leader in financial services. Working together with EDB and Alpha FMC experts to quickly deliver our low-code process management platform and solutions means Apex entity, EDB, can perform its regulated duties while serving clients in a more efficient way. We look forward to supporting the Apex Group to digitalise operations and services, one process at a time so that these are more cost-effective, efficient and secure.”

Holger Barth, Managing Director, European Depositary Bank, adds: “EDB is delighted to be collaborating with Governance.com to implement a market leading solution based on fundamental business experience and modern technology. This partnership will support our fast-growing business and enable us to serve our global client base more efficiently across borders and multiple regulatory jurisdictions while exercising regulatory rigour.”

H1: How to create a Forex broker startup and overtake competitors

The Forex market is precious for new players. Its total volume has already exceeded $2.5 quadrillion. Therefore, FX attracts more and more new players. According to FINRA data, over 3,500 liquidity providers are operating in the Forex market, which is not the final number yet. This growth causes problems for newcomers who find it challenging to choose a Forex broker startup for cooperation. 

Forex prime brokers have no room for error. They are expected to provide innovative solutions which can help traders to succeed. Let's look at the top-3 tips to help you secure and strengthen your Forex market position. 

H2: Remember that time is money

The success of traders is up to them. Therefore, you must not only meet their expectations but also exceed them. Offer your clients convenient cryptocurrency exchange software that saves time. The reason is simple: no one likes to waste time. 

Implement the most efficient and practical solutions. According to statistics, 54% of traders use MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms for Forex trading. They have a user-friendly interface and accept bitcoin payments, which is vital for both major and minor traders.

H2: Throw your clients a lifeline

At first sight, the Forex market seems easy to understand. But right under the surface, a lot of complex nuances emerge. Therefore, beginners ask market game changers who know about all the potholes. Such cooperation has some vital benefits. 

First, beginners get access to the best White Label FX instruments. Not every trader has enough money to buy a license. Further, cooperation with a broker guarantees 24/7 top-notch support for your business. B2Broker sets one of the leading positions in the market and offers favorable terms for using trading platforms. Also, the company is constantly looking for new White Label crypto exchange solutions. Therefore, B2Broker will help you succeed in the Forex market. 

H2: Top-notch customer service is above all

Many successful brokers understand the value of first-class customer support. The number of traders is soaring. Therefore, newcomers will always need the help of experts.

There are three core principles of top-notch customer support:

1. Clients should get help in many languages.

2. Support should be available 24/7 as customers expect a quick response.

3. Support operators must be experts in trading. Otherwise, clients will start looking for another liquidity aggregator. 

In addition to convenient customer support, traders should have free access to detailed information about your company. The best way to do this is through FAQ or knowledge base on your website. There should be information about trading modes, main functions, fees, and other essential best Forex White Label solutions.

Remember: the success of a Forex broker depends on the satisfaction of the traders. Get practical solutions from B2Broker. Offer your clients the best way to start a cryptocurrency exchange career.

Bitcoin could hit fresh all-time highs this week, which will bring upside to other cryptocurrencies, particularly those directly involved in fintech development.

This is the bullish prediction from Nigel Green, the CEO and founder of deVere Group, one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory, asset management and fintech organizations.

The ultra-bullish prediction comes as prices are on an upward trajectory and as Australia’s regulator, the ASIC, has become the latest watchdog to approve spot ETFs in the world’s two largest cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Mr Green comments: “It’s taken a week or so longer than the Bitcoin bulls would’ve liked, but overnight on Sunday the world’s largest crypto took off again. 

“It reclaimed its previous high of $64,900 from April and is closing in on its all-time high spot price of $66,000 from 19 October.

“Bitcoin will maintain its strength and is likely to shoot further this week, possibly hitting fresh all-time highs, as this current ‘take off’ generates further interest and momentum, attracting even more retail investors.”

He continues: “In addition, Australia’s securities watchdog has followed other global regulators, by giving the green light to the highly anticipated spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in a move that has provided a framework for other countries to follow suit.

“This move - especially when other regulators do the same, which they will – will mean that not only more retail investors will pile in but, crucially, more institutional investors such as family offices, hedge funds and real money asset managers will further increase their exposure into digital assets. 

“They will bring with them unprecedented levels of capital and stability to the famously volatile crypto market. This will further drive prices skywards.”

The deVere boss goes on to add that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would be the “tipping point” in regard to ETFs.

“I believe that the Wall Street’s top regulator will eventually approve a spot Bitcoin ETF. 

“A U.S.-based spot Bitcoin ETF would give the sector an unseen level of legitimacy and act as the ultimate tipping point for the market as it will allow corporates to buy and sell quickly and have direct exposure to the crypto itself, unlike with a futures-based ETF.”

As Bitcoin moves towards fresh all-time highs, other cryptos can also be expected to move to the upside, says Nigel Green.  His observation follows Solana and Ether both hitting record highs last week.

“Bitcoin’s gravitational pull on other digital assets will show itself again this week, pulling up other major cryptocurrencies as it maintains its own strength.

“We can expect those cryptos involved with fintech development, such as Ether, Solana and Cardano, to do particularly well.

“Bitcoin is just the start of the fintech revolution which is redefining and reshaping the way that all financial services are delivered.”

He concludes: “This is going to be another good week for crypto investors as interest and demand, as well as regulatory recognition, take flight again.”

Connector cuts time, cost and risk by automating ERP data export for Emburse Certify

Emburse, a global leader in spend management, announces the launch of a new connector for the Sage Intacct cloud financial management system, which will provide seamless data connectivity with its Emburse Certify expense solution.

The API-based integration, which is now available to joint Emburse Certify and Sage Intacct customers, enables employee expense data to automatically export into Sage Intacct. This will reduce the need for manual data exporting, which can both slow down the accounting process and lead to human errors in the data flow. 

Once an expense is created in Emburse Certify, it will appear in Sage Intacct as a purchase invoice or general ledger transaction. Customers will be able to set their own configuration between both systems to determine field mapping, giving them deep visibility from Sage Intacct into individual expenses. 

“Emburse Certify and Sage Intacct already share a considerable number of customers, so this connector will make life significantly easier for them, as well as eliminate potential mistakes and reduce risk,” said Kenny Eon, SVP and General Manager, Northern Europe, at Emburse. “Emburse’s mission is to humanise work for both expense submitters and finance teams, by eliminating the need for manual, low-value repetitive tasks such as data export. With this new connector, finance team members will be able to focus on more strategic initiatives that can help their organisations optimise spend.”

“Emburse Certify and Sage Intacct have very similar customer demographics - rapidly-growing businesses that want best-in-class, highly automated, cloud financial solutions,” said Melody Williams, Sage’s Head of Business Development for Sage Intacct. “The launch of this connector helps our joint customers further automate and speed up the expense reconciliation process for their accounting teams. As Emburse Certify continues to grow its market share across the UK, we’re very excited to have this integration available for our customers.”

Nuvei Corporation the global payment technology partner of thriving brands, announced that it has enhanced its global payment capabilities by enabling smart routing of payments across the UK and Europe with Faster Payments in the UK and Instant and Regular SEPA in Europe.

With these recent integrations and Instant SEPA increasing adoption, Nuvei’s instant payment offering is getting ever more global. This unique proposition enables the smart routing of instant and regular payments to achieve best acceptance rates and lowest fraud exposure. The key features of UK and European Open Banking in particular, allow users and merchants to pay and get paid instantly, within seconds, in multiple currencies and countries across the region.

The feature also empowers consumers with greater choice by offering card-free solutions that allow people to receive money faster through payouts such as refunds or insurance claim settlements.

The solution is getting great traction with merchants, especially those with higher Average Transaction Values (ATVs) as it gives access to higher limits than with card transactions. Its embedded KYC solution also unlocks significantly higher transaction limits for ID- and source of funds-verified users.

"We’ve seen our customers demanding repeatedly, smart and easy-to-integrate solutions to enable bank transfers and instant payments, especially in high ATV verticals," said Philip Fayer, Nuvei’s Chair and CEO. "Consumers are also asking for more choice beyond cards to receive money quicker. We are delighted that, with these recent additions in Europe, we’re supporting our merchants’ growth across the globe."

 MineHub Technologies Inc. (TSXV: MHUB) (OTC Pink: MHUBF) ("MineHub" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the launch of its Trade Finance network application, available to all platform users. The Trade Finance application is the first in a series of network applications MineHub will be launching in the coming months.

MineHub Trade Finance is a network application, bringing visibility, security and efficiency to financiers of commodity transactions, whilst digitising administration and communication between lenders and financiers. Integrated with the core MineHub platform, this service is an additional offering that further increases the value of the MineHub platform to its users.

Arnoud Star Busmann, CEO at MineHub and formerly of ING Bank, the world's largest commodity bank, said, "Having had multiple years of experience with the complexity and key risk drivers of commodity trade finance made this application the highest priority solution on our roadmap. The value proposition is very clear. Blockchain technology, and solutions like MineHub Trade Finance are likely to forever change the ways of working in the commodity trade finance industry with a key goal to unlock access to essential working capital critical for the world economy."

MineHub is an open, enterprise-grade platform for digital trade, bringing transparency, resilience and responsibility to mining and metals supply chains. The platform connects the many parties involved in physical commodity transactions in a digitally integrated workflow by operating on the basis of shared information, secured by a global enterprise blockchain network. This provides greater efficiency, security and transparency relative to the current paper-based and manual processes.

Banks have been decreasing their exposure to commodity trade finance and the Asian Development Banks estimate that the global trade finance gap is already at $1.7 trillion. Some of the supply chain disruptions the world is witnessing are a direct consequence of a lack of trade finance liquidity. At the same time, institutional investors and alternative lenders have a surplus in capital looking for yield, and are looking for channels to get exposure to commodity trade finance as an attractive asset class. Now MineHub is opening up that channel.

The MineHub trade Finance application connects borrowers to their financiers via a secure communication channel to request finance, receive and share relevant documents and information authenticated by third parties like service and logistics providers. The service results in significant cost and time savings for both the lender and the borrower, whilst removing many of the currently present opportunities for fraud and errors.

The application enables financiers to be given access to the real-time transaction data set of each transaction, giving them a direct line of sight to relevant events, developments, collateral and assets they are financing. The origin and provenance of data and documents are recorded in an immutable audit trail secured by blockchain technology. Users can verify the authenticity of key documents like inspection reports, invoices and warehouse receipts, and improve control over key risk events like collateral releases and assignments. In addition, users can immediately verify compliance of transactions such as ESG lending criteria.

Key benefits include:

• Save on administration costs and time: reduce need for sending and reconciling documents across multiple channels; maintain all finance administration and communication in one easy to access location, organised per transaction; information is available in real-time.
• Reduce opportunities for fraud and errors: by providing financiers with digital eyes - for example, with direct and real-time visibility of transactions and collateral, the incentive and opportunity for fraud is dramatically reduced; ability to instantly verify authenticity of documents is transformational.
• First to act: events and developments that increase risk or affect the position of the financier are immediately visible, enabling immediate action to mitigate the risk.
• Improve access to capital: by automating risk controls and reducing complexity of administration, more financiers and insurers will be able to get exposure to this profitable financial service which is also essential for all supply chains to keep working.

MineHub is also integrating with partners to further increase the breadth and depth of trade finance services that users can access via the MineHub platform. For example, the recently announced partnership with Contour will provide MineHub users with access to electronic Letters of Credit.

Enterprai sees strong demand for its workstation and data products from major global macro hedge funds and financial institutions, as it embarks on $10M funding round

Enterprai - the AI-powered SaaS workstation for global macro professionals, pioneering predictive analytics for FX and fixed income markets - today launched a set of products offering global macro portfolio managers, traders, and analysts a new way to stay on top of financial markets. Off the back of strong demand for its product the Company is now embarking on its next funding round, seeking to raise a further $10M of growth capital to invest in tech and talent to further fuel client expansion.

Following 18 months of product research and development, Enterprai has built a proprietary event-driven architecture powering supervised machine learning models. From today, subscribers can scan, analyse, and monitor the latest market developments across multi asset classes including, FX, fixed income, equity derivatives. Additional features that will integrate both crypto currencies and central banks communications into Enterprai's workstation are currently in production.

Enterprai is revenue-generating and has seen fast adoption of its workstation and data products by leading market players both on the sellside and buyside. Many portfolio managers, traders and analysts across global macro hedge funds, traditional asset management firms and bulge-bracket investment banks have already highlighted the alpha generating potential of Enterprai's predictive analytics.

Highlights of the product offering include the ability for users to:

• Gain an unprecedented view into FX and Rates market behaviour, based on live transactional data
• Identify days from the past that show similar trading patterns to today's market movement
• Answer the question "what is driving asset prices today?"

Enterprai's engineering, quant and strategy team have worked for some of the world's preeminent financial and AI organisations - including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, Principal Global Investors and PolyAI - building infrastructure for machine learning data collection and constructing pre and post-trade analytics.

Enterprai's product roll-out follows a successful funding round backed by 15 global angel investors including, Silicon Valley-based chip designer at Intel, Bharat Bharkhada and Arya Setiadharma, one of Indonesia's most prominent angel investors.

Many global macro professionals - including those with experience from Rokos Capital Management, UBS and Barclays - who initially came to Enterprai as test users, subsequently invested as angels after discovering the full power and potential of the Company's workstation and data analytics. These individuals have also played an important role in working alongside Enterprai's team of quants and engineers to develop a set of products fit for the end user.

Deyan Ulevinov, Chief Product Officer, and co-founder of Enterprai commented on the product roll out:

"Collaboration with leading scientists and academics plays an important role in our product development. Enterprai is fortunate to be working with Professor Rama Cont, Chair of Mathematical Finance at the University of Oxford - who chairs our scientific advisory board - and Professor Johannes Ruf, from the mathematics department at the London School of Economics. This level and calibre of collaboration ensures our product division continues to pioneer 'best in science' value propositions for our clients."

Commenting on the size of the market opportunity for the adoption of big data by global macro professionals Wojciech Mucha, CEO, and co-founder of Enterprai added:

"Many macro players are currently missing out on hidden opportunities in new essential unstructured datasets. While the current market size for third party data providers is worth $50BN, Preqin estimates that as of August 2020 59% of fund managers are not using big data as part of their daily workflow. Working alongside our global community of senior portfolio managers and traders Enterprai is changing this and leading the way in the adoption of big data by the industry."

Leading global AI-powered credit decision platform provider, Scienaptic AI announced that Meridian Trust Federal Credit Union has selected its AI-powered platform, enabling the credit union to augment its underwriting capabilities to make faster credit decisions, increase loan approvals and support the financial goals of its members.

Founded in 1954, Meridian Trust is a full-service credit union, offering members a full suite of financial products and services. With locations in Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska, the credit union is committed to making life more convenient for its members and enhancing their experiences. By employing Scienaptic’s platform, Meridian Trust FCU is positioned to offer enhanced, automated credit decisions to help increase credit availability for its members.

“At Meridian Trust, we aim to provide our members and community with the best personal service, the highest quality financial products, and the best overall value for a lifetime,” said Michael Barnhardt Jr., Chief Lending Officer at Meridian Trust Federal Credit Union. “Scienaptic’s AI-driven credit decisioning platform will help ensure that our credit union has access to industry-leading underwriting capabilities to approve more loans for our members and further enhance their financial wellbeing.”

"We are pleased to be working with Meridian Trust to help support and strengthen the financing needs of its members” said Pankaj Jain, President, Scienaptic. “Scienaptic’s platform will help Meridian Trust to grow their client base and to support the financial goals of its members by making faster credit decisions while minimizing risk.”