Karsten Wenzlaff, Advisor
August 26th, 2025
Karsten Wenzlaff is a Crowdfunding and Fintech Expert from Germany. He is Secretary-General of Digit[...]
Category Archives: FinTech and Alternative Finance
Canadians Cut Holiday Spend but Still Pay More for Canadian
October 6, 2026 | Consumer Finance, Artificial Intelligence And Data, Payments Infrastructure And Money Movement, Embedded Finance, SME Finance And Business Banking, Competition And Market Structure
We know it feels a little early to be talking holiday shopping, a bit like Costco putting out snowsuits in September, but this is really about Canadian spending sentiment, what people still value when budgets tighten and how AI is entering that choice.
How AI, Rewards and Canadian Origin Affect What Canadians Buy
On October 6, 2026, PwC Canada released its 2026 Canadian holiday outlook, finding that consumers plan to spend an average of C$1,487 this holiday season, down 11% from last year. Three quarters are taking steps to stretch their budgets and 69% plan to buy cheaper alternatives. Yet 54% say they would choose a more expensive Canadian made product over a similar imported one, up from 49% last year.
Canadians are looking harder at price, but they aren't treating every product attribute the same. For many shoppers, Canadian origin still carries enough value to justify paying more.
The same survey shows AI advancing further into the buying process. 28% expect to use AI somewhere in their holiday shopping journey, up from 17% last year. Consumers plan to use it to research products, compare options and find gift ideas. Some also expect AI to help complete purchases. For fintech, that means getting involved before the customer reaches checkout.
The Buy Canadian Premium Has a Price Limit
Nearly seven in ten respondents plan to seek cheaper alternatives, while more than half are willing to pay more for a comparable Canadian made product.
Among baby boomers, willingness to pay more rises to 66%, even though the same generation plans to cut holiday spending by 18%.
Canadian origin clearly has value, but price can still override it. In separate PwC consumer research, 75% of Canadians said they would pay a premium for locally produced food. When asked to choose directly between a cheaper imported product and a more expensive domestic equivalent, 62% chose the cheaper import.
For merchants, the practical question is how much more consumers will pay, for which products and under what circumstances. A Canadian label can help a product make the shortlist. Price, quality, convenience, delivery and trust still influence whether it gets bought.
See: Snaplii Puts AI Agent Spending in a Separate Wallet
PwC also found that 72% are actively looking for alternatives to U.S. made goods. That preference is unfolding against a wider Buy Canadian response to higher U.S. tariffs, while only 13% expect to shop across the border this holiday season. The survey was conducted online among more than 1,000 Canadians in late July and early August. PwC says the fieldwork took place before the latest escalation in Canada U.S. trade tensions and may under represent current Buy Canadian sentiment.
The results measure stated intentions rather than completed transactions, so they shouldn't be read as a precise forecast of holiday sales. The generational numbers deserve the same caution. Gen Z respondents plan to spend 8% more this year after PwC reported a roughly 35% planned decline in 2025. PwC describes this year's increase as closer to stabilization than a new spending surge.
AI Can Change Which Products Make the Shortlist
AI shopping tools can bring price, product origin, rewards, availability and delivery into the same decision. A request such as “find me a Canadian made gift under C$100” already contains both a budget and a preference. The agent has to decide which products qualify and whether paying more for one of them still fits what the shopper wants.
A Canadian product that costs slightly more may become competitive after cashback, loyalty points or a merchant offer. A wallet or payment provider that knows those offers can influence the choice before the customer reaches the payment screen.
A merchant can make the product a shopper wants and still lose the sale if an AI service can't identify where it was made, whether it is in stock, what it costs or how quickly it can arrive. Better product data, clearer origin information and easier digital checkout can all affect whether a Canadian product appears in the shortlist.
See: Mastercard, Flybits Complete AI Purchase With Rogers Bank
This also changes where fintech companies can add value. Payment providers don't have to wait until the customer chooses a card. Loyalty platforms can narrow a price gap with targeted rewards. Wallets can surface merchant offers. AI services can compare the final cost alongside the attributes a shopper cares about.
The Buy Canadian premium makes the opportunity easier to see. Consumers may be cutting spending overall while still protecting certain preferences. Fintech products that understand those tradeoffs can help merchants compete on more than the sticker price.
Talking Point
Canadians are cutting holiday budgets, but they aren't valuing everything equally. More than half say a Canadian made product can justify a higher price even while most are looking for cheaper alternatives. As AI becomes part of product discovery and purchasing, it can influence what consumers see, which products make the shortlist and whether that Canadian premium still feels worth paying. If AI increasingly helps consumers decide what is worth paying more for, who gets to influence that decision?
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Ondo Launches Tokenized Pre IPO Private Markets
October 6, 2026 | Digital Assets, Capital Markets, Investing, Fintech and Innovation
Private Company Exposure Trades Without Share Ownership
On October 5, 2026, U.S. tokenized securities and real world asset platform Ondo Finance launched Ondo Private Markets, offering eligible non U.S. investors in permitted jurisdictions tokenized exposure to private companies before they go public.
The first asset will reference an unnamed leading AI company and is expected to begin secondary market trading this week. Investors aren't buying the company's shares. They are buying notes tied to the value those shares may realize at a future liquidity event.
Ondo plans to add private companies across robotics, cybersecurity, biotech, infrastructure and other sectors. The tokens can be held in a digital wallet and traded 24/7 on secondary markets. That could make private company exposure easier to enter and exit, but it doesn't turn a private company into a public one or give token holders shareholder rights.
Ondo Tokens Track Value, Not Company Ownership
Each token is a note whose payout is linked to the per share value realized on the reference company's common shares at a qualifying liquidity event. The notes are obligations of their issuer, PM Issuer Co (BVI) Limited. They are not shares in the referenced company and don't give holders voting, ownership or other shareholder rights.
The structure separates access from ownership:
- An investor can gain economic exposure to a sought after private company without joining its shareholder register
- The token can also move between eligible holders before the company reaches an IPO, acquisition or another qualifying liquidity event
Access isn't global without restrictions. Ondo says Private Markets is available to eligible non U.S. investors in permitted jurisdictions. U.S. persons cannot subscribe for, acquire or redeem the tokens, and orders cannot be placed from within the United States. The launch announcement does not provide a simple country by country eligibility list, so local securities rules and Ondo's onboarding requirements still determine who can participate.
The notes haven't been registered under the U.S. Securities Act or securities laws in other jurisdictions. Ondo says eligible clients receive the offering documents, token terms and risk factors before subscribing, so the legal wrapper is as important as the token itself.
Citi took a different route in June when it launched digital depositary receipts on private shares. Citi acts as issuer and custodian for tokenized receipts representing private company equity. Ondo instead gives investors a contractual claim tied to the economic performance of a reference company. Two products can both offer tokenized private market exposure while giving investors very different rights to the company underneath.
Ondo already operates at decent scale. Its tokenized stock platform has more than 450 stocks and ETFs and over US$1 billion in total value locked. The company says its stock and Treasury infrastructure together represent about US$3.7 billion in total value locked and more than 1 million cumulative holders. See Ondo Gains US Approval For Tokenized Shares And Funds.
24/7 Tokens Still Need a Private Market Price
Ondo can make its notes transferable around the clock, even though the private company underneath still doesn't have a continuously quoted public share price.
The timing gap is important when the token trades more often than the asset used to value it. Private company transactions can be infrequent, different share classes may carry different rights, and new financing rounds can reset valuations. A token market may therefore offer more opportunities to trade without automatically providing better information about what the reference company is worth.
Nasdaq Private Market launched Daq in July to address part of the information gap. It brings together pricing, share class, transaction and company data covering more than US$5 trillion in private company valuations. Longer trading hours can make a token easier to trade, but they don't necessarily make the private company underneath easier to value.
Liquidity has a similar limit. Being able to trade 24/7 gives eligible investors more opportunities to find a buyer or seller. It doesn't guarantee a deep market, tight spreads or enough buyers when someone wants to exit. Limitations that will become more important as tokenized private markets expand beyond a small group of highly sought after companies.
On September 30, the U.S. SEC proposed expanding responsible retail access to private markets. The proposals would widen access through regulated fund structures while maintaining investor protections. The SEC is also considering additional ways for individuals to qualify as accredited investors, including an exam and certain professional credentials.
Digital distribution can move faster than the rules that historically defined private market access. It can also move faster than disclosure, price discovery and investor understanding. For another example of how digital markets are reaching earlier stages of the investment cycle, see Bybit Opens Tokenized IPO Access To Retail Investors. More investors want access to companies before they go public, while regulators and financial firms are testing different ways to provide it.
Talking Point
Ondo is making private company exposure easier to hold, move and potentially trade without turning the token into company stock. That could open private markets to more investors, but easier access doesn't change the legal rights investors receive. As private markets move onchain, investors still need to ask the simplest question: what do I actually own?
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Snaplii Puts AI Agent Spending in a Separate Wallet
October 5, 2026 | Last Updated October 5, 2026 | Artificial Intelligence And Data, Payments Infrastructure And Money Movement, Cybersecurity Fraud And Financial Crime, Fintech And Innovation
How Snaplii, Visa, Stripe and OpenAI Limit AI Agent Spending
On October 5, 2026, Toronto based fintech Snaplii presented Snaplii Cash as a separate wallet for AI agent spending, letting users fund a limited balance instead of giving software access to a bank account or stored card. The payment system itself isn't new today. Snaplii launched its Agent to Merchant payment skill on April 29 and published detailed Muse payment controls on October 1. Today's announcement makes the consumer proposition clearer and adds cashback to the pitch.
Snaplii is making a specific payment choice. The agent gets enough money to complete a purchase without gaining access to the account that funded it. Visa, Stripe and OpenAI are tackling the same problem differently, using restricted credentials or permission tied to a particular transaction.
Snaplii Caps What Muse Can Spend
The current Muse payment setup starts with a Snaplii Cash balance. Canadian users can add money by Interac e Transfer, while U.S. users can use Apple Pay. The user then creates an API key and gives it to Muse. Snaplii says there is no bank login, account link or stored card for the agent to reach.
The user chooses a daily limit of $100, $200, $500 or $1,000. Snaplii enforces that limit outside the agent and says Muse cannot read or raise it. Users can create separate keys for different agents and revoke each one independently. The wallet balance provides another limit because spending stops when the available money runs out.
Spencer Xu, Founder and CEO, Snaplii:
“You wouldn't hand a new assistant your credit card on day one. You'd give them a budget.”
Once access is set up, Muse can shop within the permission the user has already granted. In Snaplii's documented flow, the agent finds the item, prices the order, buys a gift card sized for the purchase and applies it at checkout. The merchant receives an ordinary gift card value, so it doesn't need a separate Snaplii integration for that transaction.
Snaplii reports more than 350,000 users, more than US$100 million in annual app transaction volume and more than 500 partner brands. Its October 5 announcement also cites cashback of 10% at DoorDash, 3% at Uber Eats and up to 15% at selected brands.
The extra separation comes with a bit of friction. Snaplii Cash cannot be withdrawn to a bank account and is used for future gift card purchases. Users therefore have to move money into another balance before an agent can spend it. That limits what the agent can reach, but it also gives the customer another pool of money to manage.
Visa, Stripe and OpenAI Draw the Limit Elsewhere
Other payment companies are giving agents controlled spending access without requiring a separate funded wallet. Other payment companies are giving agents controlled spending access without requiring a separate funded wallet. A Canadian card based example is the AI purchase involving Mastercard, Flybits and Rogers Bank. The approaches below put similar limits in different places.
How AI Agents Get Permission to Spend
Four approaches put the spending control in different places. Select each model to compare.
| Approach | How Spending Is Limited | Main Advantage | Main Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snaplii | Separate funded balance plus a user set daily limit | The documented Muse flow keeps the agent away from the user's bank and stored card credentials | The user has to fund and manage another balance |
| Visa Intelligent Commerce | An agent specific token is linked to an existing Visa card and checked against user instructions | The user keeps the existing card relationship while the agent receives a restricted credential | The card remains the funding source, so token and network rules carry more of the control |
| Stripe Link with Muse | The user approves each purchase and Link can issue a single use virtual card when needed | The agent does not receive the underlying payment details and permission stays close to the purchase | The user still approves the transaction total |
| OpenAI delegated payments | A one time payment request sets a maximum amount and expiry | The amount and duration of the payment permission are both limited | The merchant and its payment provider still complete the payment |
Snaplii limits the pool of money the agent can reach. Visa limits the credential it can use. Stripe keeps permission close to the individual purchase. OpenAI limits the payment request by amount and time.
Visa says its system can check payment credential requests against the customer's authenticated instructions and confirm that the merchant authorization matches the request. Stripe's Muse integration is already live for U.S. consumers. At more than one million businesses that accept Link, Muse can use a saved payment method after the consumer approves the transaction. Elsewhere, Link can issue a single use virtual card for the approved purchase.
Spending Limits Cannot Judge the Purchase
These controls can restrict how much money an agent reaches. They cannot tell whether it chose the right product, ordered the right quantity or understood the request correctly. An agent can also stay inside its spending limit while reacting badly to misleading content or choosing a merchant the customer would not have picked.
Important limits are stronger when the payment or financial system enforces them outside the AI model. The agent can still make a bad decision inside the permission it has been given. For more on this issue, see financial AI agent control failures.
Snaplii offers 120 day purchase protection for problems including inactive gift cards, incorrect balances and delivery of the wrong brand. Its policy excludes buyer's remorse, several redemption problems, lost cards and merchant insolvency. That isn't the same protection model as a conventional credit card dispute.
Talking Point
AI agents don't need access to all of a customer's money to become useful shoppers. Snaplii puts the spending limit around a separate wallet. Visa, Stripe and OpenAI put more of the control around credentials and individual transactions. The stronger model may be the one that gives agents enough room to act without adding more payment work than the automation removes.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Building a Legal Bench: How Fintech and Crowdfunding Companies Can Hire the Right Legal Talent
Oct 5, 2026 | Legal, Regulation, FinTech, Crowdfunding, Human Capital
In the early days of a fintech or crowdfunding platform, legal work often falls to a founder, an outside firm on retainer or a part time advisor. That works for a while. Then the company grows, regulators take notice, partners ask harder questions during due diligence, and it becomes clear that legal expertise is no longer a supporting function. It is part of the product.
Hiring the right legal talent at the right time can be the difference between scaling smoothly and stalling under compliance pressure. Here is what Canadian fintech leaders should know.
Why Legal Talent Is a Growth Issue
Fintech companies operate in one of the most heavily regulated corners of the economy. Every new product, market or partnership can trigger obligations around money laundering, privacy, securities or payments.
Investors understand this. Strong legal and compliance leadership signals that a company can grow without costly surprises. Banks and payment partners often expect it before they will sign an agreement. And when something does go wrong, experienced counsel can limit the damage.
The Regulations Driving Demand
The Canadian regulatory landscape explains why legal hiring has become so competitive.
Anti-Money Laundering
Many fintechs, including money services businesses and some crypto platforms, have reporting and compliance obligations to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. These obligations typically include appointing a compliance officer, maintaining a written compliance program and reporting certain transactions. Getting this wrong can lead to significant penalties.
Privacy and Data Protection
Fintechs handle highly sensitive personal and financial information. In most provinces, private sector privacy is governed by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada explains how organizations must collect, use and protect that information. Some provinces also have their own private sector privacy laws.
Securities and Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding portals and investment platforms must navigate provincial securities rules, including the national start-up crowdfunding exemptions. Offering documents, investor limits and marketing all require careful legal review.
Payments
The Retail Payment Activities Act requires many payment service providers to register with the Bank of Canada and meet operational and fund safeguarding requirements, adding a new layer of compliance work for payments companies.
The Legal Roles Fintechs Hire For
Not every company needs a full legal department on day one. As companies grow, these roles tend to appear in roughly this order.
General Counsel
A first general counsel usually handles everything from contracts and financing to regulatory strategy. The best early hires are generalists who are comfortable working at startup speed and know when to bring in outside specialists.
Compliance Leadership
A dedicated compliance officer, often with anti-money laundering expertise, becomes essential once regulatory obligations grow. This person builds policies, trains staff and manages relationships with regulators.
Privacy and Technology Counsel
As products become more data driven, specialized counsel can manage privacy programs, vendor agreements and cybersecurity requirements.
Commercial and Partnership Counsel
Growing fintechs sign agreements with banks, processors, software vendors and distribution partners. Counsel who can negotiate these efficiently keeps deals moving.
Why Fintech Legal Hiring Is So Difficult
Lawyers with real fintech experience are in short supply. Fintechs compete with major banks, large law firms and global technology companies for the same people, often with smaller budgets. Candidates also need a rare combination of skills: regulatory knowledge, commercial judgment and comfort with ambiguity.
Startups can compete by offering meaningful equity, broad responsibility and the chance to shape a legal function from the ground up. But they need to find the right candidates first.
Practical Tips for Hiring Legal Talent
A few steps can make the process more effective:
- Define the regulatory scope of the role before writing the job description.
- Decide which work stays with outside counsel and which moves in house.
- Look for candidates who can explain complex rules in plain language.
- Test for commercial judgment, not just legal knowledge.
- Plan the reporting line, since legal and compliance leaders need direct access to senior leadership.
Many companies also find it worthwhile to work with specialists. Experienced legal recruiters like The Heller Group understand the Canadian legal market and can identify candidates with the right regulatory background, including those not actively searching. That can save months on a critical hire.
Legal Strength as a Competitive Advantage
In fintech and crowdfunding, legal expertise is not overhead. It is infrastructure. The companies that thrive are the ones that treat compliance as part of their product, build legal capacity ahead of regulatory pressure and hire people who can help them grow responsibly. Investing in the right legal bench early is one of the smartest moves a growing platform can make.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Tangerine Business Launches on Starling Banking Core
October 5, 2026 | Last Updated October 5, 2026 | SME Finance And Business Banking, Digital Banking And BaaS, Fintech And Innovation
SME Banking Competition Meets Core Modernization
On October 5, 2026, Tangerine launched Tangerine Business in Canada for a select group of entrepreneurs, making it the first offering running on the bank's new core powered by Engine by Starling, the banking technology arm of UK digital bank Starling Bank. The Scotiabank-owned digital bank is entering business banking with no monthly account fee, interest on operating balances and optional overdraft protection, while broader access is planned over time.
Digital banks and fintechs are already competing for small business deposits and payments. Tangerine's first business banking products run on technology developed from Starling Bank's own platform, less than a year after Tangerine signed a 10-year agreement to modernize its broader banking system.
Tangerine Starts With the Operating Account
The Business Spending Account pays 1.25% interest with no monthly fee or minimum balance. It includes unlimited free Interac e-Transfers, Spaces for separating money, digital onboarding and optional FlexiDraft. Eligible applicants include Canadian sole proprietors, partnerships and corporations with Canadian-resident owners and privately owned, for-profit businesses.
A separate Business Savings Account currently pays 3.00%, also with no monthly fee or minimum balance. Both rates are variable. Tangerine describes the launch as a multi-phase rollout, and its public business pages continue to direct prospective clients to a waitlist.
The Spending Account supports debit transactions, bill payments, direct deposits, preauthorized debits and cheque deposits, along with access through Tangerine's ABM arrangements. Public materials don't currently describe accounting software integrations, a customer-facing business API, detailed employee permissions or a dedicated payroll service.
FlexiDraft is overdraft protection tied to the Spending Account. Approval requires a credit check, Tangerine sets the approved limit, and its published fee schedule lists no monthly FlexiDraft fee. Interest applies when the account is overdrawn. It provides short-term liquidity rather than the term loans, equipment finance or growth capital covered by Canada's broader SME loan competition debate.
EQ Bank is one of the closest digital comparisons. Its Business Account currently charges no monthly fee, pays 2.25% interest and includes free bill payments and electronic funds transfers, 50 free outgoing Interac e-Transfers and multiple accounts. EQ's expansion into SME operating accounts already pushed digital business banking beyond savings alone.
Tangerine pays less on its Spending Account but pairs it with a separate 3.00% savings rate, unlimited free Interac e-Transfers and optional overdraft protection. It also enters with more than two million existing Tangerine clients, although the bank hasn't disclosed how many own businesses or how many entrepreneurs are participating in the initial rollout.
Tangerine Builds on Engine by Starling
In November 2025, Tangerine signed a 10-year agreement with Engine by Starling to upgrade the core digital banking system serving more than two million clients. Tangerine became Engine's first North American client. The planned platform covers digital onboarding, chequing, savings, overdrafts, debit cards and money management features.
A core banking system keeps the central record of accounts, balances and transactions and applies the rules behind those products. Engine's banking platform combines the ledger with configurable products, payments, card processing, customer data, internal workflows and APIs.
Terri-Lee Weeks, President and CEO, Tangerine:
“Innovate quickly and continuously, reducing the time-to-market for new products and features.”
Weeks made that point when Tangerine announced the Engine agreement in 2025. Tangerine Business is now the first product running on the new core. About 11 months separate the public agreement from the October 5 launch, although neither company has disclosed when implementation work began.
Engine grew out of technology built for UK challenger bank Starling. It now sells that platform to other financial institutions. Salt Bank in Romania launched a digital bank on Engine in under 12 months, while AMP Bank GO in Australia used the platform to build new personal and business banking products inside an established financial institution.
OSFI still holds the regulated bank accountable for how that technology is used. Its third-party risk guidance covers cloud services, cyber security, resilience, subcontractors and concentration risk. Tangerine can buy the banking platform, but responsibility for running the bank remains with Tangerine.
Will Businesses Move Their Banking to Tangerine?
Canada had about 1.10 million employer businesses at the end of 2024, according to ISED's 2025 small business statistics. Small businesses represented 98.2% of them and employed about 5.8 million people, or 46.6% of Canada's private-sector workforce.
The banking market remains concentrated. NCFA's SME financing competition review examines market concentration, switching and barriers facing alternative providers, drawing on the Competition Bureau's study of SME financing and its particular focus on term loans.
Tangerine enters with a national digital banking brand, more than two million existing clients and Scotiabank ownership. Can Tangerine win a meaningful share of daily business banking? Any move into larger credit products would widen the competitive field, but Tangerine hasn't announced that today.
Talking Point
Starling built its technology while competing with incumbent banks. Tangerine is now using Engine by Starling from inside the Scotiabank group. If it helps Tangerine bring stronger business banking products to market faster, fintech infrastructure may create more competition from inside Canada's largest banking groups, not only from outside them.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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🔥 TOKEN2049 Singapore — Tech EZ KOL Club
October 5, 2026 | Event, Digital Assets, Blockchain, Web3, Networking, Singapore
One of NCFA's media partners Block Tides is co-hosting a Web3 and digital assets ecosystem networking and industry event, Tech EZ KOL Club by DigiMaaya this October 6 at Gardens by the Bay — bringing together KOLs, creators, founders, exchanges, investors, traders, and ecosystem leaders in one curated room.
📍 Flower Field Hall, Gardens by the Bay
📅 October 6, 2026
⏰ 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM SGT
Expect:
✨ High-value networking
🤝 Founder, investor & exchange introductions
📣 KOL + creator collaborations
🌐 Partnership, media & ecosystem opportunities
🏆 Leader Awards + Book Launch
🥂 Premium hospitality with a waterfront setting
🎟 Partner Pass — Free, subject to approval
💎 VIP Pass — 99 USDC
If you're in Singapore for TOKEN2049 Week, this is one of the rooms you’ll want to be inside.
👉 Register here:
https://luma.com/twvhx8s4
Hosted by DigiMaaya
Co-Hosted by AKARI × Block Tides
See you at the Bay. 🌊⚡
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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How Fintech Companies Can Document R&D Involving Machine Learning Models
Oct 5, 2026
Financial technology firms use machine learning to improve how they identify fraud, analyze risk, predict financial trends and verify identities. When researchers must conduct experiments to solve technical problems, detailed records provide evidence of the research process. Effective documentation connects the initial technical problem to the specific tests, results, decisions and resources that the developers used.
Define the Technical Objective
Project records are effective when they begin with a description of the technical goal. Managers can describe how the system is intended to function, the technical limitations that exist at the start and why current methods do not work. As an example, a firm might try to build a tool that identifies rare transaction sequences while ensuring the system does not increase the number of false alarms.
Technical problems that require investigation are a central part of the record. Stating that a firm built an artificial intelligence tool is not enough to show that experimental work happened. Documentation is more precise when it describes difficulties with the structure of a model, training data, the selection of variables, the accuracy of predictions, the ability of the system to handle more data, speed or how the tool works with existing financial platforms - these descriptions provide a record of the specific problems that developers tried to solve.
Record the Development Process
Development logs show how a machine learning system changes over time. Teams are encouraged to save information about the models they test, the datasets they use, changes to internal settings, training methods and the computing environments. Version control tools, experiment trackers, digital notebooks and coding logs are reliable evidence when employees update them frequently.
Unsuccessful experiments are important to document - When a model does not meet requirements, the record shows why developers changed their strategy and what they learned. Records are clear when they explain that a specific set of data variables caused many errors, which led developers to try a different way to organize data - this practice makes the sequence of experiments easy to follow.
Connect Experiments to Results
Scientific outcomes are clear when each experiment is linked to data and the resulting technical choices. Documentation is specific when it includes measurements like accuracy levels, recall rates, processing speed or how often errors occur. Developers choose these metrics based on the technical improvements they want to achieve.
These findings then justify the next steps - If a test produces poor results, the firm can record the specific limitation and the next method they tested - this creates a timeline that connects technical problems to experiments and progress. For firms that prepare reports for tax incentives like SRED, this narrative is helpful because it explains the context for the work.
Track Resources & Personnel
Financial technology firms are encouraged to keep records of the specific employees who performed technical tasks. Task management software, digital tickets and code contributions help confirm the involvement of software developers, data scientists and engineers.
Costs are also linked to project activities - Organizations can track expenses for employee salaries, software subscriptions, cloud computing power and testing environments. G6 Consulting is available to help firms organize these files so that technical activities and financial records are easy to compare.
Maintain Supporting Evidence
Evidence is accurate when employees collect it during the project instead of trying to remember details later. Code repositories, experiment logs, previous model versions and internal messages show what work happened and the date of the work. Storing the files in a central system ensures that future audits do not interrupt daily operations.
Standardized habits are useful for all machine learning projects. Each project is best served by a central file that lists the goals, technical problems, tests and results - this systematic approach ensures that the firm does not rely on vague summaries after the project is over.
Conclusion
Documenting research involves more than saving the final version of a model. Financial technology firms are more successful when they preserve evidence of their goals, technical challenges, tests, results and the resources they used. Consistent record keeping provides a history of experimental work and makes it easy to evaluate development activities.
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