This week's list of top stories in fintech:
Coinbase is launching its own NFT platform to take on OpenSea
- NFT platform will launch by the end of year
- Will make “minting, purchasing, showcasing, and discovering NFTs easier than ever.”
- Will support ETH blockchain, no layer-2 integrations
- Becoming competitive marketplace
NerdWallet IPO Filing Shows 21M Unique Visitors Per Month
- Dropped S-1 last Friday
- 2020 revenues of $245m
- Seeking valuation of $5b
- Showing strong revenue growth in 2021
Crypto Lender Celsius Network Raises $400M in Bid to Reassure Regulators
- The investment gives the company a $3 billion valuation.
- Last year they raised $30m at $120m
- This is about credibility.
- Regulatory trouble with KY, AL, NJ and TX
Tala grabs $145M to offer more financial services in emerging markets
- Series E funding led by Upstart
- Valuation north of $400m
- Have served 6 million people with microcredit
- Wants to become a full financial account
- Plans to develop the first mass market crypto product for emerging markets
Crypto could cause 2008-level meltdown, Bank of England official warns
- Deputy governor of BofE says crypto could cause a global financial crisis
- Regulators should not overreact, now risks are limited
- Questions whether major price corrections can be absorbed
Oportun pulls bank charter application, says it plans to refile
- 22 consumer advocacy groups wrote for OCC head to wait until CFPB probe is completed
- Has a large number of debt collection lawsuits
- Partners with MetaBank to operate in 33 states
- They remain committed to pursuing a bank charter
Bank Dora: The First Neo-Credit Union in the U.S.
- Started by four east coast credit unions
- Neobank strategy for credit unions
- Launched last month
- They are saying Bank is a verb
- Will have full bilingual integration
New custom fintech stock market ticker launches
- New ticker of 21 public fintech companies
- Show rolling stock price on home page
- Started in 1998 or later (year PayPal began)
- Publicly traded in the US.
Jamie Dimon says bitcoin is ‘worthless’
- Continues his negative view of bitcoin
- But he will serve his clients who want to own bitcoin
- He thinks “regulators are going to regulate the hell out of it.”