Cryptocurrency 2018: When the Law Catches Up with Game-Changing Technology
Starbucks – a trust legitimiser for blockchain?
By Cameron Abbott and Samantha Tyrrell
In a recent quarterly investor call, Starbucks’ Chairman Howard Schultz discussed the possibility of incorporating blockchain technology into Starbucks’ impressive digital repertoire.
Starbucks’ commitment to being a first mover when it comes to disruptive technology has already resulted in the hugely successful implementation of its mobile payment app, launched in 2015. The app allows users to order, pay and accrue rewards remotely and now accounts for nearly one third of Starbucks’ US transactions. According to Schultz, these figures may warrant a move towards integrating some entirely cashless stores throughout the US.
UK Islamic FinTech Panel Launched
An independent group of Islamic Finance and FinTech practitioners came together on 24 January for the inaugural meeting of the UK Islamic FinTech Panel. The panel aims to create momentum in the Islamic FinTech sector by building on London’s position as a global FinTech hub and as a recognised centre for Islamic Finance.
The panel will be chaired by Harris Irfan, MD of Cordoba Capital, an Islamic Finance and Islamic FinTech advisory boutique. Irfan was previously CEO of Deutsche Bank’s Islamic Finance subsidiary, Global Head of Islamic Finance at Barclays and Head of Investment Banking at Rasmala Group. A recent white paper on the Islamic Finance sector, published by Cordoba Capital and IslamicBanker, promoted the idea of an Islamic FinTech panel as a means to build a community to work alongside existing public sector infrastructure in order to provide support to sharia-compliant FinTech companies. If you would like a copy of the white paper, please contact Jonathan Lawrence.
Qatar and Islamic FinTech
In the Qatar Islamic Finance Report “Expanding Horizons”, Islamic FinTech regulation and support are considered. The report is a joint venture of the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), Thomson Reuters and the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI). The report notes that the FinTech industry in Qatar remains very small. As a part of its efforts to support the Qatar National Vision 2030, the QFC held a Fintech event in January 2017. The report concludes that Islamic FinTech could be supported in three ways:
Top 5 regulatory changes to watch for in 2018
By Jim Bulling and Michelle Chasser
As one year has drawn to a close it is time to look forward to 2018 and our tips for the most important 5 regulatory changes for the FinTech industry in Australia.
- Increased access to bank data.
The Government has announced its intention to introduce an open banking regime in Australia under which customers will have the ability to give third parties such as FinTechs access to the customer’s banking data. Treasury is currently conducting a review into open banking models, with the report which was due at the end 2017 yet to be released.
Also planned to come in to effect by 1 July 2018 is mandatory comprehensive credit reporting which will give lenders access to deeper and richer sets of data on consumers to base their credit decisions on. Comprehensive credit reporting is currently voluntary.
Comptroller Otting: A New Ally for a FinTech Charter?
By Dan Cohen
The FinTech charter may have an important new, if tepid, ally: U.S. Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting. Speaking at a press conference on December 20th, Comptroller Otting signaled a cautious openness to the charter, stating, according to various media outlets, that although he is “not sure what it [FinTech charter] looks like and how it’s funded…there’s a space there that a technology solution can solve.” The key question to him is “what is the requirement…to get that charter”, a topic on which he did not elaborate.
Islamic FinTech in 2018
2018 may prove to be a pivotal year for Islamic finance stakeholders and their approach to developments in FinTech.
Potential areas where FinTech is likely to have an impact on Islamic finance are remittances, insurance (or takaful), investment advisory services and online trading. The overlap between Islamic finance and ethical finance and the opening of financial services to the “unbanked” are important issues to be tackled. In the coming years, demand from consumers (mostly millennials who form a large part of the populations of Muslim-majority countries) is expected to give rise to the faster adoption of these technologies across various verticals in the banking and financial sector.
FinTech outlook for 2018: US Banks look to AI
By Cameron Abbott and Harry Crawford
With 2017 at a close, US banks have set out their 2018 FinTech new year resolutions. According to American Banker, US banks are likely to focus their FinTech investment in 4 major areas in 2018:
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Open banking
- Cybersecurity and biometrics
- Commercial banking innovation
ASIC Fintech Sandbox Here To Stay
By Jim Bulling, Michelle Chasser and Edwin Tan
The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) released a consultation paper on 12 December 2017 seeking feedback on its fintech licensing exemption, also known as the regulatory sandbox. Following comment, ASIC will review whether the exemption is operating as intended, and consider whether it should be broadened or changed in any other way.
The licensing exemption allows eligible businesses to provide certain financial products and services for up to 12 months without a valid Australian Financial Services or credit licence. Contrary to the strategy of the UK Financial Conduct Authority, ASIC does not take an active approach in selecting applicants and negotiating individual terms for each entity using the exemption.
ASIC broadens Fintech Cooperation with Canadian Regulators
By Jim Bulling, Michelle Chasser and Edwin Tan
The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) has announced a new Cooperation Agreement with the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), a year after entering into a similar agreement with the Ontario Securities Commission. The CSA is made up of the following Canadian regulators:
- Autorité des marchés financiers (Québec);
- British Columbia Securities Commission;
- Alberta Securities Commission;
- Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan;
- Manitoba Securities Commission;
- Financial and Consumer Services Commission (New Brunswick); and
- Nova Scotia Securities Commission.