El Salvador Plans World’s First ‘Bitcoin City’ Funded by US$1 Billion ‘Bitcoin Bond’
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced plans to build a world’s first “Bitcoin City” situated near a volcano that will be funded by the cryptocurrency according to Reuters. Bukele seems to be doubling down on his crypto push as El
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Plug and Play Tech Center Sets up New Office in Basel
The Plug and Play Tech Center, an innovation platform connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies, announced the launch of a new office in Basel, Switzerland. The move was made possible through a partnership with its founding
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Crypto Exchange Gemini Raises US$400 Million Valuing It at US$7.1 Billion
Gemini, a cryptocurrency platform, announced a US$400 million growth equity round which is its first-ever outside financing, pushing the company’s valuation to US$7.1 billion. The fundraise was led by Morgan Creek Digital with participation from 10T, ParaFi, Newflow Partners, Marcy
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European Banks Move Towards Open Finance
Across Europe, banks are moving beyond open banking and PSD2 requirements, steadily transitioning towards open finance, a new report by open banking startup Salt Edge says. The paper, titled State of open banking payments in Europe in 2021, draws on
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Peru Fintech Industry Grew 16% This Year; COVID-19 Accelerates Digital Adoption
Peru’s fintech industry has been growing consistently these past years, surging to 171 fintech companies operating locally, as of September 2021. The figure represents a 16% from 2020, and an annual average growth rate of 20% over the last seven
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ZKB Fonds für Startups in Skalierungsphase
Ohne genügend finanzielle Ressourcen kann auch die beste Geschäftsidee nicht zünden. Und genau das ist das Problem: «Der Schweiz fehlt es an finanzstarken Kapitalgebern, die auch nach einem erfolgreichen Markteintritt während der Skalierung ausreichend unterstützen und vielversprechende Start-ups weiter mit
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Investition in Startups: Neue Anlagekategorie für Schweizer Pensionskassen
Die Pensionskassen können künftig einfacher in innovative und zukunftsgerichtete Technologien in der Schweiz investieren. Der Bundesrat hat an seiner Sitzung vom 17. November 2021 die Schaffung einer neuen Anlagekategorie für nichtkotierte Anlagen beschlossen. Die entsprechenden Änderungen von zwei Verordnungen im
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Mastercard Finalises Acquisition of Danish Open Banking Firm Aiia
Mastercard announced it has completed its acquisition of Aiia, a Danish open banking technology provider that offers single and secure API access to banks and fintech companies, and enables users to easily perform account-to-account payments. Details of the deal which
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SIX Digital Exchange Issues First Digital Bond
The Switzerland Stock Exchange (SIX) announced that the SIX Digital Exchange will issue its first senior unsecured digital CHF bond. According to SIX, the bond was issued for a total volume of CHF 150 million and with its maturity for
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Payroll Automation Startup Earny Launches Public Beta with Seed Funding
Earny, a Swiss-based startup that simplifies and automates payroll for small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs), announced the launch of its Software as a service (SaaS) as a public beta in November 2021. By granting access of its solution to a
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