fintech digest
Using Embedded Finance to Boost Innovation in Public Services, The European Recovery, and more...
Research Team
17 May 2024
Using embedded finance to boost innovation in public services
Public perception of government services is at a record low. At the end of 2023, Ipsos found that eight in ten Brits say public services have worsened over the past five years. To fight against this, a boost of innovation in public services is needed.
Europe: Turning the recovery into enduring growth
Alfred Kammer's speech at the ECB House of the Euro in Brussels emphasized Europe's economic recovery and the need to sustain growth. He highlighted the challenges posed by Europe's lower productivity compared to other regions and called for reforms to address this deficit. Kammer underscored the importance of further integration in trade, services, and regulations to unlock Europe's growth potential and ensure its long-term economic prosperity.
High-street lenders neglecting women-led enterprises
Research from independent SME funder Bibby Financial Services (BFS) finds that women business leaders are facing gender inequality in commercial lending, which is hampering the growth ambitions of many SMEs.
Data from BFS’s latest SME Confidence Tracker, which surveyed 1,000 UK SMEs, uncovered that two thirds (66%) of women business leaders believe that banks are less prepared to lend to businesses like theirs, while more than half (57%) say it's more difficult to access external finance than it was six months ago.
Financing the transition to a carbon-neutral economy
Pioneering banks will reap substantial rewards as they help companies and consumers shift the economy away from heavy carbon-emitting activities.
Will Ethereum be declared a security by the SEC next week?
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may soon assert that Ethereum is a security in its expected rejections of several spot Ethereum ETF applications, a lawyer who specializes in digital assets warned Tuesday. The regulator is due to decide on VanEck’s application for such a product on May 23, followed by a final decision deadline for ARK Invest/21Shares’ application the next day. BlackRock, Fidelity, and Grayscale also have applications on the SEC’s desk.