Corporate Cash Holdings Soar, Says New Carfang Group Study Corporations in the U.S. added $1.1 trillion or 38.5% to their cash holdings in the first half of 2020 according to recent data Federal Reserve data analyzed by The Carfang Group. For the second quarter, cash is up $424B or 12% and now stands at $3.9T. According to Anthony J. Carfang, Managing Director at The … [Read more...] about Chicago FinTech News – Corporate Cash Surges
Regulation
Emerging Cannabis Market Presents Opportunities for Payments Trailblazers
In January 2020, Illinois joined 10 other states in the country (along with the District of Colombia) by legalizing recreational marijuana. While this has presented an immediate business opportunity that many have taken advantage of, the continued federal ban on the drug has led to unique challenges for both business owners seeking ways to process payments, as well as for … [Read more...] about Emerging Cannabis Market Presents Opportunities for Payments Trailblazers
New Bitcoin Offerings and Volatility Reflect Challenges and Promise For Cryptocurrency
The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) launched its physically-settled bitcoin futures trading platform, Bakkt, on September 23. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) has been doing futures trading in bitcoin for even longer -- since 2017 -- and is now making plans to expand that platform by early next year with a bitcoin options contract. It's a market with promise, but one … [Read more...] about New Bitcoin Offerings and Volatility Reflect Challenges and Promise For Cryptocurrency
New SEC Framework Charts a Narrow Way Forward for Token Developers
Are Initial Coin offerings (ICOs) legal? It's hard to know, with a number of vague hints - and enforcement actions - suggesting that the SEC largely views the answer to be no. And while the market is still well ahead of formal regulatory policy, some hints have finally been offered in a recently-issued "Framework for 'Investment Contract' Analysis of Digital Assets." What … [Read more...] about New SEC Framework Charts a Narrow Way Forward for Token Developers
The State and Cryptocurrency
Expect state government agencies and legislators to move most quickly on providing regulatory clarity on FinTech regulation in the United States. U.S. federal regulatory agencies have initiated enforcement actions against some of the most egregious cryptocurrency investment practices and are watching the industry closely. By and large, regulators strike a positive tone for … [Read more...] about The State and Cryptocurrency
Regulation Creates FinTech Opportunities
Regulators worldwide, but especially in the United Kingdom and Singapore, are starting to see themselves as FinTech change agents: they are working to define new regulatory regimes to fit today’s rapidly evolving financial products. FinTech startups and investors must pay close attention, according to speakers at the Morningstar FinTech Forum, held on May 24 in New York. New … [Read more...] about Regulation Creates FinTech Opportunities