Latest opinions that Ivan Aleksandrov has shared on Finextra

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Ivan Aleksandrov

CSO | Fintech Licensing, Core banking & BaaS

Advapay

Member since

27 Jan 2022

Location

Warsaw

View Ivan Aleksandrov's full profile

Ivan's opinions

How to build a successful fintech MVP (and where to go from there)

The MVP, or minimum viable product, is a critical milestone for any ambitious fintech startup. But if you ask 10 founders to define what an MVP is and what it should include, we just about guarantee you'll get 10, wildly different answers — some more accurate than others. At Advapay, we often find that these misconceptions are a key reason MVPs un...

28 August 2025 /payments /startups Fintech

Starting an EU payment or crypto firm? Here's why you should consider setting up in Malta

While Malta might not be as well-known as a fintech hub as, say, Amsterdam or Berlin, it punches well above its weight. HQ to big names like eToro and Foris DAX, which operates crypto.com, and a slew of exciting homegrown firms, the country has a thriving fintech community. Throw in a mature regulatory environment, advantageous tax treatment, and ...

19 June 2025 /payments /crypto Fintech

EU Payment and E-Money Licenses: 2024 Data and Three-Year Trends

This article offers insights into the number of e-money and payment institution licenses issued in the EU in 2024, along with a three-year comparison. If you're evaluating the best jurisdiction for your business, this comprehensive analysis will help you make an informed decision. Licensing Data Used in the Analysis This analysis presents combined...

18 February 2025 /regulation /startups Fintech

Fintech Startup Success: Key Considerations

Success with a fintech startup requires more than the usual business savvy and basic organisation. It takes strategic planning and data-driven decision-making to reach profit and sustainable growth. Advapay’s expertise in the fintech sector allows us to share these meaningful recommendations with you. The roadmap and the business structure you cho...

10 December 2024 /payments /startups Fintech

Choosing Your BaaS Provider: A Comprehensive Checklist to Get Started

The rise of banking-as-a-service (BaaS) and agent schemes is expected to persist due to continuous regulatory tightening on e-money and payment institution licenses. Acquiring one’s own e-money or payment institution license is extremely challenging without a sizable, experienced team, a large client base, and budgets of at least 1 million euros. ...

13 November 2023 /payments /startups Fintech

Application for a Payment or E-Money Institution licence: the main parameters regulators consider

Before applying for a Payment Institution (PI) or Electronic Money Instituion (EMI) licence, you should earnestly assess your chances by taking a look at your company through the eyes of the regulator. If you think you might not yet be ready to apply, take care to fix the flaws, instead of waiting for the regulator to point them out to you. In ad...

21 July 2022 /regulation /startups Fintech

Features of Obtaining a Payment (PI) or E-money Institution (EMI) Licence in the Netherlands

The Dutch regulator (De Nederlandsche Bank, DNB) is one of the most active in the EEA in terms of the number of Payment Institution (PI) and E-money Institution (EMI) licences that is issues. In 2021, the regulator issued 14 PI and EMI licences, more than any other EEA country including Lithuania. In total, now (as of 22 June, 2022) 74 Payment Ins...

22 June 2022 /payments /regulation Fintech

Payment and E-Money Institution License Costs: What You Need to Know

Do you have a plan to launch a digital bank or payment business anytime soon? Getting ready to apply for a Payment or Electronic Money Institution license? You may not know many things. Therefore, before you start your Payment or E-Money Institution, we recommend you reading this article to find out what kind of costs you will face in the future. ...

14 April 2022 /payments /startups Fintech

Industry Outlook 2020-2021: EEA and UK registered E-money and Payment Institutions

We can see the recovery of the fintech industry is back on the agenda. It has been gradually getting back on its feet after the pandemic and gaining the momentum to take businesses forward. According to the Report State of Fintech (CB Insights, 2021), global fintech funding reached a record $132B in 2021, which means twice as much as in 2020, and a...

29 March 2022 /payments /startups Fintech