Services Insights

Politicians in Europe are still concerned over potential risks the Libra Association’s cryptocurrency could bring to markets. “As regulators we have to take care that there is no regulatory arbitrage and everyone plays by the same rules,” said European Parliament member Markus Ferber, in an email. “That is why we need a... read more

This is the first of a three part series. Effectiveness, efficiency and explainability – “the three E’s” – are the interdependent foundational girders for building a sound sanctions compliance program. In the first of this three-part series, we’ll look at the role of effectiveness in sanctions compliance. ... read more

Passing the Gresham Technologies stand at the banking industry’s annual Sibos conference this week you’d be entitled to wonder why a brand new London black cab dominates the view. In fact, it’s there not just to serve as a useful ad-hoc meeting room, but as a symbolic reminder to conference attendees of the power of... read more

The Board of Banking Competition Remedies (BCR) has announced results of the Capability and Innovation Fund (CIF) Pool C grant process, which will see Modulr Finance, Atom Bank, Iwoca and The Currency Cloud Group receive £10m grants to expand and offer improved SME lending and payment services. Each organisation undertook an... read more

The announcement of the closure of FIS’s acquisition of Worldpay last week is part of a continual expansion strategy into new markets and opportunities, according to Alison Wilkes, head of banking and payments, Europe at FIS. “Where we see opportunities to grow our solution set and our reach for our customers – that’s key... read more

Starting a hedge fund these days isn’t just about raising capital and running trades. Today’s regulatory environment, alongside investor scrutiny, means hedge funds need to have reliable and independent partners that will support them in setting up and running their operations. This is especially important for institutional fundraising,... read more

Chances are, in the course of the life of your investment firm, there will come a time to take a hard look at whether your investment system still suits your needs. In many cases, if you’re already asking yourself this question, the answer will be “no” — so you’ll need to make a switch. There are some surefire ways to... read more

A recent study found that 4.4% of the UK population were gig economy workers between 2017 and 2018. This explains the emergence of so many gig economy platforms, eager to serve a consumer’s every need. But not all gig economy platforms that are launched succeed.  Although the gig economy model has successfully disrupted some markets... read more

An increasing number of fintech initiatives and sandboxes is complicating attempts by fintech startups to reach key bank contacts, according to Fabian Vandenreydt, executive chairman at B-Hive. “There is a multiplicity of initiatives, sandboxes at all levels and a lot of innovation hubs in all directions. Every country has its... read more