Fintech Funding in US and UK Sees Sharp Decline in 2023
Inflation, increased interest rates, geopolitical instability, and other macroeconomic challenges brought US and UK fintechs 36% and 63% less money last year, respectively.
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McAfee Presents AI-Powered Deepfake Audio Detection
At CES 2024, McAfee presented a technology for detecting audio deepfakes based on artificial intelligence called Project Mockingbird.
African Fintech Cleva Raises $1.5 Million
Nigerian fintech company Cleva, which specializes in creating a banking platform that allows African businesses and local individuals to access international payments by opening dollar accounts, raised $1.5 million as seed funding.
Bitcoin-Accepting Merchants Grew 174% in 2023
The number of merchants accepting Bitcoin payments increased almost threefold last year, with a notable concentration in Europe and Latin America.
Jefferies Analysts Warn About Significant iPhone Sales Fall in China
Analysts at Jefferies Independent Investment Bank, led by Edison Lee, believe that the decline in sales of iPhone smartphones in the Chinese market will show a strengthening trend in the foreseeable future.
Coinbase to Offer Crypto Derivatives in Europe
Coinbase intends to acquire a Cypriot company that will offer cryptocurrency-linked derivatives in the European Union.
Ant Group Reportedly Plans to Purchase MultiSafepay
The media reports that the Chinese Ant Group is currently preparing to implement its intention to acquire the Dutch payment company MultiSafepay.
Foxconn Expects Decline in Sales
Foxconn warned of a fourth consecutive decline in quarterly sales.
BOJ Watchers Shift Hike Forecasts
The number of watchers of the Bank of Japan is increasing, who are changing their forecasts regarding the termination of the policy of negative interest rates.
India’s Digital Currency Transactions Top One Million Daily
In India, in December, local financial institutions paid some benefits to their employees in digital rupees.
Jeff Bezos Invests in Startup Perplexity
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, became one of the sponsors of the company, which is not yet two years old.
Chinese Shadow Bank Zhongzhi Files for Bankruptcy
The Chinese shadow banking giant Zhongzhi Enterprise Group Co. has filed for bankruptcy.
Adyen and Straumur to Enhance Payment Processing in Iceland
Adyen, a global financial platform based in the Netherlands, announced the beginning of cooperation with the Icelandic firm Straumur, which is a subsidiary of Kvika.
OpenAI Reportedly to Launch Online Store Next Week
The media reports that OpenAI, which has developed the world’s most popular chatbot based on artificial intelligence called ChatGPT, will launch its online store next week.
Global Startup Funding Decreases 38% in 2023
Global startup funding declined to the lows last seen in 2018, illustrating a 38% drop year-on-year.
Central Bank of Nigeria Launches Naira-Pegged Stablecoin Pilot
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) approves the Africa Stablecoin Consortium (ASC) to pilot cNGN (a stablecoin pegged to the value of Nigerian Naira) in its innovative Regulatory Sandbox.
