Finextra Research: Latest fintech news, analysis, interviews, features and opinion by industry experts

Citi invests in blockchain-based trade finance network Contour

Citi has become the latest banking giant to take a stake in Contour, the blockchain-based trade finance platform which made its commercial launch last month.

18 February 2020

News/wholesale

DBS carries out first transaction on Singapore's new digital trade platform

DBS has completed the first fully digital trade financing settlement on Singapore's new Network Trade Platform (NTP).

07 February 2020

News/Trade finance

Envoy scores $13m to scale up blockchain trade finance platform

Blockchain-based supply chain and trade finance startup Envoy Group is looking to expand beyond Latin America after securing a $13 million investment from Alcedo Digital Ventures.

05 February 2020

News/Trade finance

Bank-backed blockchain trade finance platform Contour launches

Contour, the blockchain-based trade finance platform backed by a host of big name banks, has made its commercial launch.

28 January 2020

News/Trade finance

Nordic challenger Lunar targets entry-level investors

Lunar has set its stock trading feature live, after having joined forces with investment specialist Saxo Bank.

11 December 2019

News/sustainable

Deutsche Bank: China’s BRI is fundamental for sustainable finance

In a report released today, Deutsche Bank responds to client demand for a guide to the Silk Road, otherwise known as China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the opportunities it presents to incorporate sustainable development and low-carbon practices.

11 December 2019

News/sustainable

The impact of climate risk on investment decisions and disclosure law

Climate change is predicted to cost 200 of the world’s largest companies $1 trillion over the next five years, according to a survey conducted by the charity CDP. But should the financial services industry be concerned? The answer is yes and for two fundamental reasons: the impact on investment and disclosure laws.

21 November 2019

News/sustainable

Banks must adopt decarbonisation strategy ahead of imminent climate crisis

The influx of green banking initiatives and risk management tools has done little to remedy the expansion of fossil fuel financing and commercial attitudes remain unchanged as we move forward towards what is now a climate crisis, according to Boston Common Asset Management’s 2019 report.

11 November 2019

News/Trade finance

DBS and Trafigura partner on blockchain trade platform

Singapore's DB Bank is teaming up with commodities trading house Trafigura to develop an open-sourced blockchain trade platform.

06 November 2019

News/Trade finance

IoT and blockchain to the fore in CIMB trade finance transaction

The Singapore branch of CIMB Bank Berhad has completed a trade financing transaction for the import of dairy products into China using IoT cargo sensors and a distributed ledger platform from blockchain firm iTrust.

18 October 2019

News/wholesale

Banks join forces on digital platform to help firms trade globally

A group of 14 banks - including Santander, RBC and MUFG - has launched a digital platform designed to tackle international trade barriers.

01 October 2019

News/Trade finance

HSBC launches trade finance API

HSBC has launched a trade finance API that lets partner financial institutions and their clients see the status of their bank guarantees in real time from their own platforms.

27 September 2019

News/Trade finance

Sibos 2019: Should banks trust in the UK despite Brexit uncertainty?

Welcoming business leaders and industry experts to the Excel Centre in London for Sibos 2019, Swift innovation manager Innes Macleod takes to the stage to divulge Innotribe’s mission and reflect on the technological and societal changes that are challenging the financial services sector, with input from renowned experimental physicist and celebrity figure Professor Brian Cox.

23 September 2019

News/Trade finance

Incumbents vs neobanks: Leverage new technology or risk crumbling

Financial institutions are focusing heavily on digital transformation driving innovation, better customer experience and cost reduction as they shift gears from simply meeting regulatory and compliance needs to remain relevant in a digital world.

20 September 2019

News/ai

Deutsche Bank: Prioritising climate change results in share outperformance

Deutsche Bank debunks the myth that profits fall when addressing climate change in its first report for a new research product suite for corporate clients, highlighting that companies that experience positive sustainability press saw share outperformance of 26%.

19 September 2019

News/Trade finance

Swift publishes new API standard

Banking cooperative Swift has published a new API standard for the pre-authorisation of funds in its latest bid to bring more efficiency to open banking in Europe.

05 September 2019

News/Trade finance

HSBC leads cross-border RMB-denominated blockchain letter of credit

HSBC has completed the world's first cross-border Renminbi-denominated blockchain-based letter of credit (LC) transaction.

03 September 2019

News/Trade finance

Standard Chartered completes LoC blockchain transaction on Voltron

Standard Chartered has completes its first cross-border Letter of Credit blockchain transaction in the oil industry with PTT Group.

07 August 2019

News/wholesale

Standard Chartered rolls out Trade AI Engine

Standard Chartered has teamed up with IBM to launch an "augmented intelligence' engine for trade document processing.

23 May 2019

News/Trade finance

SoftBank Vision fund invests $800m in UK fintech

SoftBank's Vision Fund, the largest fintech venture capital fund in the world is reported to be investing $800m in a UK-based supplier of alternative supply chain finance, thereby doubling its valuation to $3.5bn.

13 May 2019