The price of bitcoin was trading at $10,026 on the South Korean exchange CEX while at the same time trading at $9,748 on US exchange Kraken as of early yesterday; the 3 percent spread was not the first time this happened and leaves open the potential for some to take advantage but also shows the immature nature of the market; this has been part of the reason why institutional investors have not fully bought in, though some have and the recent news from the CME could help to ease more concerns. Source.
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CreditEase CEO Ning Tang is looking to offer an investment alternative to real estate investors by launching a fund of funds focused on real estate projects; currently investors in China need to directly buy property and hope the assets appreciate in value; the fund of funds strategy that CreditEase is looking to employ will allow investors to have access to leading real estate funds managed by Blackstone and KKR. Source.
Historically online lenders have relied on a wide range of alternative ways of evaluating borrowers; the state-backed National Internet Finance Association of China which is aligned with China’s central bank has provided some details on developing a credit rating system; some industry participants question whether they will be able to overcome issues that have prevented similar plans in the past. Source
UK based Lendable raised $400mn to continue lending to UK consumers amid concerns over growing household debt; the capital infusion comes from Castle Trust who is backed by the US private equity shop JC Flowers; this is the second big deal for Lendable in 2017 as they were able to secure over $130mn from Waterfall Asset management in March. Source.
The online lender has started a new marketing push to highlight new product offering to millennials; the company placed ads over the Thanksgiving holiday on TV and in newspapers with a unique twist on Black Friday. Source
USAA, Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank have started to look within the veteran community for skilled workers in the field of cybersecurity; hiring veterans has always been a source of pride for the banks but their specific military experience is seen as a big plus when it comes to cybersecurity; veterans are experienced and highly motivated, being able to find someone with cybersecurity know how can help to transform a banks defenses; the banks have also partnered with educational institutions which have programs geared at helping veterans transition to the workplace. Source.
LexinFintech Holdings operates Fenqile, a leading online lender in China, and is now rethinking their IPO plans; LexinFintech is attempting to raise $500mn through their IPO but concerns about regulators in China have made the company have second thoughts; the company is planning to come to a decision soon on whether or not to plan their roadshow ahead of the IPO. Source.
Bitcoin looks to be headed towards $10,000 and the overall market cap for digital coins has surpassed $300bn; Ethereum, bitcoin gold and bitcoin cash have all reached all time highs as the appetite for these currencies continues to rise unabated; while concerns of a bubble persist the prices continue showing more strength by the day. Source.
Balderton Capital is best known for their fintech investments in Nutmeg, Revolut, Crowdcuve and Prodigy Finance; the firm has now launched their sixth fund totaling $375 million from investors in Europe, Asia and the US; they have made 10 investments across five countries since March. Source