Forbes | Billy Bambrough | Oct 29, 2018

Bitcoin prices, along with the wider cryptocurrency market, have held steady following the sudden shut down of a relatively minor cryptocurrency exchange in Canada yesterday.

MapleChange revealed via Twitter that a software "bug" had allowed all of the 913 bitcoin (worth some $6 million at current exchange rates) it was holding to be stolen.

MapleChange attempted to reassure users that it would be conducting a “thorough investigation” but warned it would be unable to make refunds before deleting its social media accounts and taking its website offline. Users now attempting to access maplechange.com are met with a timeout error.

The bitcoin price was little moved on news of the loss, with the market trading sideways over the last 24 hours, according to CoinDesk data.

See:  Cryptocurrency exchange Coinsquare announced it is set to expand into Europe in Q4 2018

The price of bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies have remarkably stable over recent months, as investors and traders await decisions by regulators, signs of growing user adoption, and interest from some of the world's biggest banks.

Bitcoin exchange hacks remain common around the world despite attempts to better regulate the industry and protect users and investors.

In the UK, where the cryptocurrency sector has been branded a "wild west", the government has promised to improve protections for users by moving bitcoin companies and exchanges under the remit of the Financial Conduct Authority, which looks after the country's extensive banking industry.

While bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange hacks are never good news, MapleChange's small size will mean the damage is somewhat contained. The MapleChange Twitter account had fewer than 2,000 followers, compared to Binance's 880,000.

Prominent bitcoin and cryptocurrency experts and industry leaders were quick to weigh in on the supposed hack, warning users to avoid smaller or unknown exchanges.

Changpeng Zhao, the chief executive of the world's largest crypto exchange by volume Binance, advised consumers to not use exchanges if they do offer cold wallets.

It was also suggested that MapleChange may have pulled off a so-called exit scam, building up reserves of bitcoin before claiming its funds have been lost or stolen.

See:  FINTECH FRIDAY$ (EP.15-Oct 26): Gearing up Hyperion Exchange, Hybrid Models and Security Tokens with Michael Zavet, CEO and Founder, Hyperion Technologies

Many others repeated the mantra: "If you don't control the private keys, it's not your bitcoin," a phrase used to warn people that keeping their cryptocurrencies with businesses often means they have little proof of ownership.

Continue to the full article --> here

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House Finance Committee Urges Canadian Government to Regulate Cryptocurrencies

November 20, 2018

Crowdfund Insider | Cali Haan | Nov 19, 2018 After holding a series of 18 meetings to review Canada’s Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA), the House Finance Committee has recommended that the Government of Canada regulate cryptocurrency businesses to prevent criminal use, iPolitics reports. The committee has been conducting meetings to review PCMLTFA laws since February, something required of at least one parliamentary committee every five years. See:  OSC introduces new cryptoasset educational tools The committee has heard from over 70 expert witnesses since it started the review last February, including representatives from the financial advisory firm IJW & Co. and the law firm Durand Morisseau LLP, both of which submitted 65-page reports. In its report to the government, the committee said that both firms warned: “(I)n the absence of some degree of regulatory oversight, cryptocurrency transactions may be used by parties to swiftly move large amounts of wealth across borders.” The committee said that its three recommendations to parliament accorded with those suggested by the firms: Cryptocurrency exchanges handling crypto-to-fiat conversions must be legally classed as money services businesses (MSBs), which are required to follow strict financial-reporting guidelines, “…in compliance with the PCMLTFA.” Cryptocurrency exchanges should be licensed ...
Read More

FINTECH FRIDAY$ (EP.18-Nov 16): Bridging the AML/ATF Gap with Financial Institutions and the New Economy with Charlene Cieslik, Chief AML Officer, Coinsquare

November 16, 2018

NCFA Canada | Nov 16, 2018 JOIN US ON A STORYTELLING JOURNEY EVERY FRIDAY. Ep18-Nov 16:  Bridging the AML/ATF Gap with Financial Institutions and the New Economy About this episode:   On this episode, NCFA Fintech Fridays host Manseeb Khan sits down with Charlene Cieslik the Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer at Coinsquare. They talk about not everyone using crypto is a terrorist, regulatory uncertainty, cape shopping and guidance in the crypto space. Enjoy! Host: Manseeb Khan, NCFA, Fintech Fridays show host Guest:  CHARLENE CIESLIK, Chief AML Officer, Coinsquare (view Linkedin) Bio:  Charlene Cieslik is the Chief Anti Money Laundering Officer of Coinsquare, Canada's most secure digital asset exchange for buying bitcoin, ethereum, and other digital currencies.  During her 20-year career, Charlene has held roles as the Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer, Chief Anti-Bribery Officer, and Chief Privacy Officer at several Canadian and Foreign scheduled banks, where she was responsible for the development, remediation, and execution of AML/ATF, anti-bribery, regulatory, and privacy programs.  Charlene has worked with several “Big 4” accounting firms and a Canadian fintech company, where she has assisted global financial institutions with AML/ATF program development, particularly with post-regulatory exam remediation and AML/ATF investigations. Charlene holds a Master’s degree ...
Read More

VanFUNDING Brings Leading Blockchain, FinTech, RegTech, and Capital Innovation Experts to Vancouver #VF2018

November 16, 2018

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 15, 2018 / VanFUNDING 2018: CONVERGE, an annual innovation, technology and capital event organized by the National Crowdfunding and FinTech Association (NCFA), will take place in Vancouver on November 29-30 at Parq Vancouver. The event showcases leading technologies and experts in blockchain, fintech, artificial intelligence and alternative finance that are making an impact on Canada, the capital markets and the world. The event will feature over 50 speakers including Monique Morden, CEO of Judi.ai; Brady Fletcher, Managing Director, TSX Venture Exchange at TMX Group; Toufi Saliba, CEO of Toda.Network; Mark Wang, Director of Capital Market Regulation, BC Securities Commission; Paul Schulte, Managing Editor, Schulte Research; Rojin Nair, General Manager Fintech Solutions for Celero and more. The event will also feature its annual pitching program that will award three "Front of the Line"Dragon's Den Golden Tickets and other prizes to the winning startups. Startups selected to pitch include Flux Network, Capiche Capital Technologies, Very Good Butcher, Squamish Canyon, Drive Hockey, Veme, Moca Estimator, Symend and HeyBryan. As NCFA Canada CEO, Craig Asano states, ''We are witnessing unprecedented change that is already affecting our daily lives - how we interact with financial services, generate digital wealth, ...
Read More

Using Blockchain In Advertising

November 15, 2018

Gowling Article Mondaq | Nov 13, 2018 As technology continues to evolve and develop it brings the opportunity for businesses to build on current and future processes to benefit both them and their customers. Developments such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and blockchain are powering change within the organisations they are implemented in. In advertising, blockchain technology is beginning to be harnessed to drive personalisation in the messages that are being communicated and the experiences being offered. What is blockchain? Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology (DLT) that allows for lists of transactions to be recorded in a transparent and decentralised way. The digital information is then distributed rather than copied ensuring that there are no copies that can be altered and differ from one another. The power of blockchain is that it allows for a verifiable and auditable history of all information to be stored on each dataset. Any changes to a data record would require the alteration of any subsequent records and the entire network's agreement, ensuring that transactions are more consistent, transparent and accurate in comparison to paper-based processes. Blockchain and advertising In our report, 'The Ultimate Disruptor: How Blockchain is Transforming Financial Services' we ...
Read More

While Canada debates, others are commercializing our most valuable asset: data

November 15, 2018

The Globe and Mail OpEd | Bilal Khan | Nov 15, 2018 Bilal Khan is the new managing partner and head of Deloitte Data At every moment of every day, data courses through our lives. It is the lifeblood of the new economy. The world is rapidly transforming. Cities are becoming smarter with sensor technologies, industry is becoming more productive with artificial intelligence (AI), we’re developing medical breakthroughs in cancer therapies and medical genetics, and our world is more connected than ever. But what many of us may not realize is that if we don’t find a way to enable our institutions to harness the enormous power of our collective and rapidly growing data assets, Canada risks being left behind in the world. The recent uproar regarding Statistics Canada’s request for anonymized banking data shows that many of us are uncomfortable with and unaware of just how much of our data is already out there – and who has access to it. While the rights and protections of Canadian consumers are of paramount importance, in many ways we are having the wrong debate. Responsible and ethical use of data is vital for our future. The subject of debate should not ...
Read More

NetworkNewsWire Announces Collaboration with VanFUNDING 2018 as Official Social Media Sponsor

November 15, 2018

Newswire Release | Nov 15, 2018 NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NetworkWire -- NetworkNewsWire (“NNW”), a multifaceted financial news and publishing company, today announces its participation in the upcoming VanFUNDING 2018: CONVERGE (#VF2018) conference, taking place Nov. 29-30, 2018, at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver in Vancouver, B.C. NetworkNewsWire is the official social media sponsor of this leading fintech and capital conference, which will explore the explosive growth currently happening relative to blockchain, AI, fintech and funding innovations, global market developments and alternative investing opportunities. “Our team is proud to be chosen as the official social media sponsor of VanFUNDING 2018,” said Jonathan Keim, communications director for NetworkNewsWire. “We look forward to lending our expertise in promoting the conference to our 1.6+ million followers via dozens of investor-focused brands, helping greatly expand the reach of VanFUNDING 2018 and its sponsors and exhibitors.” As part of its sponsorship, NNW is featuring VanFUNDING 2018 on its website and the website of its sister brand CryptoCurrencyWire. NNW is also providing a summary profile for each conference partner and disseminating these profiles through its many social channels and robust editorial syndication network with 5000+ outlets to help expand the reach ...
Read More

IMF: Nations Need to Consider a Central Bank Backed Cryptocurrency

November 15, 2018

Fintech News Singapore | Nov 14, 2018 During her speech at Singapore Fintech Festival 2018, Christine Largarde, IMF’s Managing Director expressed the need for states to consider the possibility to issue digital currency, adding that there may be a role for the state to supply money to the digital economy. Ms Lagarde is of the opinion that a central bank backed cryptocurrency could achieve the following goals financial inclusion, security and consumer protection; and to provide what the private sector cannot — privacy in payments. How a central bank backed cryptocurrency could aid financial inclusion She shared during her speech that cryptocurrencies offer great promise through its through its ability to reach people and businesses in remote and marginalized regions where banks are not exactly rushing to serve poor and rural populations. Ms Largarde further added that it is critical because cash might no longer be an option, if the majority of people adopt digital forms of money, the infrastructure for cash would degrade, leaving those in the periphery behind. See:  The Bali Fintech Agenda: A Blueprint for Successfully Harnessing Fintech’s Opportunities She emphasized of course, cryptocurrency is not necessarily the only answer. There may be scope for governments to encourage ...
Read More

Designing a data transformation that delivers value right from the start

November 12, 2018

McKinsey&Company | By Chiara Brocchi, Davide Grande, Kayvaun Rowshankish, Tamim Saleh, and Allen Weinberg | Oct 2018 While most companies understand the importance of analytics, fewer than 20 percent have maximized the potential and implemented AA at scale. The CEOs of most financial institutions have had data on their agenda for at least a decade. However, the explosion in data availability over the past few years—coupled with the dramatic fall in storage and processing costs and an increasing regulatory focus on data quality, policy, governance, models, aggregation, metrics, reporting, and monitoring—has prompted a change in focus. Most financial institutions are now engaged in transformation programs designed to reshape their business models by harnessing the immense potential of data. Stay current on your favorite topics Subscribe Leading financial institutions that once used descriptive analytics to inform decisionmaking are now embedding analytics in products, processes, services, and multiple front-line activities. And where they once built relational data warehouses to store structured data from specific sources, they are now operating data lakes with large-scale distributed file systems that capture, store, and instantly update structured and unstructured data from a vast range of sources to support faster and easier data access. At the same ...
Read More

FINTECH FRIDAY$ (EP.17-Nov 9): How Artificial Intelligence is Optimizing Sales and the Future of Business AI with Asad Naeem, Co-founder and President, Fortuna.ai

November 9, 2018

NCFA Canada | Nov 9, 2018 JOIN US ON A STORYTELLING JOURNEY EVERY FRIDAY. Ep17-Nov 9:   How Artificial Intelligence is Optimizing Sales and the Future of Business AI About this episode: On this episode NCFA Fintech Friday's our host Manseeb Khan sits down with the co-founder and president of Fortuna Asad Naeem. They chat about how AI can supplement salespeople, the excitement behind computer vision and the future of business AI. Enjoy!(see Transcript) Host: Manseeb Khan, NCFA, Fintech Fridays show host Guest:  ASAD NAEEM, Co-founder and President, Fortuna.ai (view Linkedin) Bio: Asad is the Co-Founder of Fortuna.ai, a top of the funnel sales automation company. Prior to co-founding Fortuna, Asad spent time with a big 3 bank in Canada, first on the sales team covering the largest financial territory in Canada, and after, with the Data Analysis and Strategic Initiatives Team, providing insight and consulting on sales campaigns. A life long entrepreneur, Asad has consistently been feeding his entrepreneurial spirit ever since starting his first business in Grade 9 and starting and running a couple of start-ups throughout his university days. Having spent over 10 years in and around sales, he is intimately familiar with the problems being faced by sales ...
Read More

Innovative tech is shaping the future of financial services

November 9, 2018

BNN Bloomberg | November 9, 2018 #VF2018 promises to be a comprehensive overview of emerging technologies and alternative financing options The #VF2018 Conference features blockchain, AI, fintech, funding innovations, and alternative finance options for investors and businesses This year’s theme, CONVERGE, engages participants and builds bridges across the most disruptive emerging technologies Immersive educational content, over 50 speakers, and a multitude of networking and partnership opportunities The 2018 VanFUNDING Conference comes at a perfect time for investors and enthusiasts alike to dive into the vast world of fintech, blockchain, artificial intelligence, digital banking, and much more. Held at Parq Vancouver from November 29-30, this event promises to be the epitome of innovation and knowledge. Emerging, Disruptive Technologies Our world is undergoing a period of unprecedented change, especially when it comes to emerging technologies in the financial realm. For instance, we have seen how AI has been adopted into various industries where it powers chatbots and self-driven vehicles. We have also seen how digital commerce has been at the forefront of eliminating the need for paper. Most importantly, we have come to the clear realization that blockchain’s momentum is not slowing down anytime soon and that its capabilities for revolutionizing the ...
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Coindesk | Wolfie Zhao | June 20, 2018

On Wednesday, roughly 35 billion Korean won (around $31 million) in cryptocurrency was stolen by hackers from the South Korea-based exchange Bithumb.

Although the breach may not be as severe as the $530 million hack of the Coincheck exchange earlier this year, the fact that Bithumb now ranks as the sixth biggest trading venue in the world still marks it as a notable, and worrying, incident.

While more details about the heist have surfaced in the hours following the event's confirmation, providing a glimpse into Bithumb's internal operations, some important questions about the hack still remain unanswered.

Here's what we know about the hack so far, and some details we still don't.

What we know

XRP compromised

While Bithumb has not yet disclosed full details of the stolen coins, news emerged following the hack that XRP, the native token of the XRP ledger and the world's third-largest cryptocurrency, has been targeted, according to a report from CoinDesk Korea.

Based on data from CoinMarketCap, Bithumb accounted for 10 percent of the global trading volume of XRP over the last 24 hours, with a total of $32 million-worth changing hands.

Bithumb has so far not responded to CoinDesk's request for comment.

IT improvement failed

While Bithumb officially confirmed the breach early Wednesday morning local time, it appears that security issues were already drawing attention from the exchange at least several days ago.

According to a follow-up report from CoinDesk Korea, Bithumb conducted a security enhancement checkup on June 16, just days before the confirmed hack.

The exchange explained at the time:

"Recently, the number of unauthorized access attempts has increased. As such, an urgent server checkup was conducted to strengthen the security of all system."

At the same time, Bithumb also started moving users' assets to a cold wallet to store cryptocurrencies in a more secure offline environment.

The CoinDesk Korea report indicated that the hack comes at a time when Bithumb is spending 10 billion won, or around $9 million dollars annually on security measures. Another report from Yonhap further suggests that Bithumb beefed up its security measures by implementing so-called "5.5.7 regulations" last month.

Under this requirement, at least 5 percent of a financial institution's staff should be IT specialists. Among those, 5 percent should focus on information security, while at least 7 percent of the firm's total budget should be on information security.

See:  The growing cost of cybersecurity

The report from Yonhap stated that 21 percent of Bithumb's employees are technology specialists as of May, and 10 percent of those are responsible for information security. Further, about eight percent of the annual spending budget is used for data protection activities.

Although Bithumb appears to have fulfilled the 5.5.7 requirements, the report said the fact that it has 300 employees means it may not be able to cope with the increasing amount of trading volume and user numbers on its platform.

Government weighs in

An hour before Bithumb confirmed the hack on its website and official Twitter account, the exchange reported the case to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), a government organization that supervises internet and cybersecurity issues in the country.

An official from KISA said a dedicated analysis team is currently in the process of investigation the hack. As of press time, the agency has not yet disclosed any details from its investigation so far.

Bithumb to refund users

Immediately after announcing the hack, Bithumb confirmed it will pay back victims using its own reserves.

Industry experts later weighed in, including bitcoin pioneer Charlie Shrem, who praised the move despite the unwelcome incident.

"Bithumb hacked for $30 million but covering all losses. Out industry is getting better and stronger," he tweeted.

In addition, litecoin creator Charlie Lee also commented that he believes the smart move is to "keep on exchange coins that you are actively trading. It's best to withdraw right after trading."

This is not the first time that Bithumb was reportedly hacked. As previously reported by CoinDesk, the platform was compromised last year with as many as 30,000 users impacted.

At that time, Bithumb later announced that it would repay each victim with 100,000 Korean won each, an amount worth about $85.

Bitcoin price dips by $200 

According to data from CoinDesk, the price of bitcoin dropped by nearly $200 to a daily low so far of $6,561 an hour after Bithumb initially published the statement. As of press time, the price had bounced back to $6,640.

In addition, as Bithumb has so far only suspended asset deposits and withdrawals, trading activity on the exchange actually appears to be increasing since the news broke. Based on data from CoinMarketCap, 24-hour trading volume was initially seen at around $350 million at the time of the news and later climbed to $380 million around noon local time on Wednesday.

Check out:  Prices Aside, Crypto’s Tech Stack Is Steadily Improving

As of press time, Bithumb still remains the sixth largest platform globally.

What we don't know

Extent of the breach

It appears that XRP is one of the assets stolen in the hack, yet it's still unclear at the moment if other assets have been taken and in what quantities. In addition, it's also not clear the number of users on Bithumb that have been impacted.

In its announcement, Bithumb refrained disclosing these details, adding that it may disclose the hacked tokens today. It has not made any statement on that at press time.

Further, it's not publicly known at this time which wallet addresses the hacked cryptocurrencies have been sent to, or whether any have been liquidated or not.

Currently, there are over 37 cryptocurrency assets on Bithumb that are available for trading against the Korean won. Among them, EOS and TRON together account for over half of the total trading volume on Bithumb, at 31 and 22 percent, respectively.

Continue to the full article --> here

House Finance Committee Urges Canadian Government to Regulate Cryptocurrencies

November 20, 2018

Crowdfund Insider | Cali Haan | Nov 19, 2018 After holding a series of 18 meetings to review Canada’s Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA), the House Finance Committee has recommended that the Government of Canada regulate cryptocurrency businesses to prevent criminal use, iPolitics reports. The committee has been conducting meetings to review PCMLTFA laws since February, something required of at least one parliamentary committee every five years. See:  OSC introduces new cryptoasset educational tools The committee has heard from over 70 expert witnesses since it started the review last February, including representatives from the financial advisory firm IJW & Co. and the law firm Durand Morisseau LLP, both of which submitted 65-page reports. In its report to the government, the committee said that both firms warned: “(I)n the absence of some degree of regulatory oversight, cryptocurrency transactions may be used by parties to swiftly move large amounts of wealth across borders.” The committee said that its three recommendations to parliament accorded with those suggested by the firms: Cryptocurrency exchanges handling crypto-to-fiat conversions must be legally classed as money services businesses (MSBs), which are required to follow strict financial-reporting guidelines, “…in compliance with the PCMLTFA.” Cryptocurrency exchanges should be licensed ...
Read More

FINTECH FRIDAY$ (EP.18-Nov 16): Bridging the AML/ATF Gap with Financial Institutions and the New Economy with Charlene Cieslik, Chief AML Officer, Coinsquare

November 16, 2018

NCFA Canada | Nov 16, 2018 JOIN US ON A STORYTELLING JOURNEY EVERY FRIDAY. Ep18-Nov 16:  Bridging the AML/ATF Gap with Financial Institutions and the New Economy About this episode:   On this episode, NCFA Fintech Fridays host Manseeb Khan sits down with Charlene Cieslik the Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer at Coinsquare. They talk about not everyone using crypto is a terrorist, regulatory uncertainty, cape shopping and guidance in the crypto space. Enjoy! Host: Manseeb Khan, NCFA, Fintech Fridays show host Guest:  CHARLENE CIESLIK, Chief AML Officer, Coinsquare (view Linkedin) Bio:  Charlene Cieslik is the Chief Anti Money Laundering Officer of Coinsquare, Canada's most secure digital asset exchange for buying bitcoin, ethereum, and other digital currencies.  During her 20-year career, Charlene has held roles as the Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer, Chief Anti-Bribery Officer, and Chief Privacy Officer at several Canadian and Foreign scheduled banks, where she was responsible for the development, remediation, and execution of AML/ATF, anti-bribery, regulatory, and privacy programs.  Charlene has worked with several “Big 4” accounting firms and a Canadian fintech company, where she has assisted global financial institutions with AML/ATF program development, particularly with post-regulatory exam remediation and AML/ATF investigations. Charlene holds a Master’s degree ...
Read More

VanFUNDING Brings Leading Blockchain, FinTech, RegTech, and Capital Innovation Experts to Vancouver #VF2018

November 16, 2018

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 15, 2018 / VanFUNDING 2018: CONVERGE, an annual innovation, technology and capital event organized by the National Crowdfunding and FinTech Association (NCFA), will take place in Vancouver on November 29-30 at Parq Vancouver. The event showcases leading technologies and experts in blockchain, fintech, artificial intelligence and alternative finance that are making an impact on Canada, the capital markets and the world. The event will feature over 50 speakers including Monique Morden, CEO of Judi.ai; Brady Fletcher, Managing Director, TSX Venture Exchange at TMX Group; Toufi Saliba, CEO of Toda.Network; Mark Wang, Director of Capital Market Regulation, BC Securities Commission; Paul Schulte, Managing Editor, Schulte Research; Rojin Nair, General Manager Fintech Solutions for Celero and more. The event will also feature its annual pitching program that will award three "Front of the Line"Dragon's Den Golden Tickets and other prizes to the winning startups. Startups selected to pitch include Flux Network, Capiche Capital Technologies, Very Good Butcher, Squamish Canyon, Drive Hockey, Veme, Moca Estimator, Symend and HeyBryan. As NCFA Canada CEO, Craig Asano states, ''We are witnessing unprecedented change that is already affecting our daily lives - how we interact with financial services, generate digital wealth, ...
Read More

Using Blockchain In Advertising

November 15, 2018

Gowling Article Mondaq | Nov 13, 2018 As technology continues to evolve and develop it brings the opportunity for businesses to build on current and future processes to benefit both them and their customers. Developments such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and blockchain are powering change within the organisations they are implemented in. In advertising, blockchain technology is beginning to be harnessed to drive personalisation in the messages that are being communicated and the experiences being offered. What is blockchain? Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology (DLT) that allows for lists of transactions to be recorded in a transparent and decentralised way. The digital information is then distributed rather than copied ensuring that there are no copies that can be altered and differ from one another. The power of blockchain is that it allows for a verifiable and auditable history of all information to be stored on each dataset. Any changes to a data record would require the alteration of any subsequent records and the entire network's agreement, ensuring that transactions are more consistent, transparent and accurate in comparison to paper-based processes. Blockchain and advertising In our report, 'The Ultimate Disruptor: How Blockchain is Transforming Financial Services' we ...
Read More

While Canada debates, others are commercializing our most valuable asset: data

November 15, 2018

The Globe and Mail OpEd | Bilal Khan | Nov 15, 2018 Bilal Khan is the new managing partner and head of Deloitte Data At every moment of every day, data courses through our lives. It is the lifeblood of the new economy. The world is rapidly transforming. Cities are becoming smarter with sensor technologies, industry is becoming more productive with artificial intelligence (AI), we’re developing medical breakthroughs in cancer therapies and medical genetics, and our world is more connected than ever. But what many of us may not realize is that if we don’t find a way to enable our institutions to harness the enormous power of our collective and rapidly growing data assets, Canada risks being left behind in the world. The recent uproar regarding Statistics Canada’s request for anonymized banking data shows that many of us are uncomfortable with and unaware of just how much of our data is already out there – and who has access to it. While the rights and protections of Canadian consumers are of paramount importance, in many ways we are having the wrong debate. Responsible and ethical use of data is vital for our future. The subject of debate should not ...
Read More

NetworkNewsWire Announces Collaboration with VanFUNDING 2018 as Official Social Media Sponsor

November 15, 2018

Newswire Release | Nov 15, 2018 NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NetworkWire -- NetworkNewsWire (“NNW”), a multifaceted financial news and publishing company, today announces its participation in the upcoming VanFUNDING 2018: CONVERGE (#VF2018) conference, taking place Nov. 29-30, 2018, at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver in Vancouver, B.C. NetworkNewsWire is the official social media sponsor of this leading fintech and capital conference, which will explore the explosive growth currently happening relative to blockchain, AI, fintech and funding innovations, global market developments and alternative investing opportunities. “Our team is proud to be chosen as the official social media sponsor of VanFUNDING 2018,” said Jonathan Keim, communications director for NetworkNewsWire. “We look forward to lending our expertise in promoting the conference to our 1.6+ million followers via dozens of investor-focused brands, helping greatly expand the reach of VanFUNDING 2018 and its sponsors and exhibitors.” As part of its sponsorship, NNW is featuring VanFUNDING 2018 on its website and the website of its sister brand CryptoCurrencyWire. NNW is also providing a summary profile for each conference partner and disseminating these profiles through its many social channels and robust editorial syndication network with 5000+ outlets to help expand the reach ...
Read More

IMF: Nations Need to Consider a Central Bank Backed Cryptocurrency

November 15, 2018

Fintech News Singapore | Nov 14, 2018 During her speech at Singapore Fintech Festival 2018, Christine Largarde, IMF’s Managing Director expressed the need for states to consider the possibility to issue digital currency, adding that there may be a role for the state to supply money to the digital economy. Ms Lagarde is of the opinion that a central bank backed cryptocurrency could achieve the following goals financial inclusion, security and consumer protection; and to provide what the private sector cannot — privacy in payments. How a central bank backed cryptocurrency could aid financial inclusion She shared during her speech that cryptocurrencies offer great promise through its through its ability to reach people and businesses in remote and marginalized regions where banks are not exactly rushing to serve poor and rural populations. Ms Largarde further added that it is critical because cash might no longer be an option, if the majority of people adopt digital forms of money, the infrastructure for cash would degrade, leaving those in the periphery behind. See:  The Bali Fintech Agenda: A Blueprint for Successfully Harnessing Fintech’s Opportunities She emphasized of course, cryptocurrency is not necessarily the only answer. There may be scope for governments to encourage ...
Read More

Designing a data transformation that delivers value right from the start

November 12, 2018

McKinsey&Company | By Chiara Brocchi, Davide Grande, Kayvaun Rowshankish, Tamim Saleh, and Allen Weinberg | Oct 2018 While most companies understand the importance of analytics, fewer than 20 percent have maximized the potential and implemented AA at scale. The CEOs of most financial institutions have had data on their agenda for at least a decade. However, the explosion in data availability over the past few years—coupled with the dramatic fall in storage and processing costs and an increasing regulatory focus on data quality, policy, governance, models, aggregation, metrics, reporting, and monitoring—has prompted a change in focus. Most financial institutions are now engaged in transformation programs designed to reshape their business models by harnessing the immense potential of data. Stay current on your favorite topics Subscribe Leading financial institutions that once used descriptive analytics to inform decisionmaking are now embedding analytics in products, processes, services, and multiple front-line activities. And where they once built relational data warehouses to store structured data from specific sources, they are now operating data lakes with large-scale distributed file systems that capture, store, and instantly update structured and unstructured data from a vast range of sources to support faster and easier data access. At the same ...
Read More

FINTECH FRIDAY$ (EP.17-Nov 9): How Artificial Intelligence is Optimizing Sales and the Future of Business AI with Asad Naeem, Co-founder and President, Fortuna.ai

November 9, 2018

NCFA Canada | Nov 9, 2018 JOIN US ON A STORYTELLING JOURNEY EVERY FRIDAY. Ep17-Nov 9:   How Artificial Intelligence is Optimizing Sales and the Future of Business AI About this episode: On this episode NCFA Fintech Friday's our host Manseeb Khan sits down with the co-founder and president of Fortuna Asad Naeem. They chat about how AI can supplement salespeople, the excitement behind computer vision and the future of business AI. Enjoy!(see Transcript) Host: Manseeb Khan, NCFA, Fintech Fridays show host Guest:  ASAD NAEEM, Co-founder and President, Fortuna.ai (view Linkedin) Bio: Asad is the Co-Founder of Fortuna.ai, a top of the funnel sales automation company. Prior to co-founding Fortuna, Asad spent time with a big 3 bank in Canada, first on the sales team covering the largest financial territory in Canada, and after, with the Data Analysis and Strategic Initiatives Team, providing insight and consulting on sales campaigns. A life long entrepreneur, Asad has consistently been feeding his entrepreneurial spirit ever since starting his first business in Grade 9 and starting and running a couple of start-ups throughout his university days. Having spent over 10 years in and around sales, he is intimately familiar with the problems being faced by sales ...
Read More

Innovative tech is shaping the future of financial services

November 9, 2018

BNN Bloomberg | November 9, 2018 #VF2018 promises to be a comprehensive overview of emerging technologies and alternative financing options The #VF2018 Conference features blockchain, AI, fintech, funding innovations, and alternative finance options for investors and businesses This year’s theme, CONVERGE, engages participants and builds bridges across the most disruptive emerging technologies Immersive educational content, over 50 speakers, and a multitude of networking and partnership opportunities The 2018 VanFUNDING Conference comes at a perfect time for investors and enthusiasts alike to dive into the vast world of fintech, blockchain, artificial intelligence, digital banking, and much more. Held at Parq Vancouver from November 29-30, this event promises to be the epitome of innovation and knowledge. Emerging, Disruptive Technologies Our world is undergoing a period of unprecedented change, especially when it comes to emerging technologies in the financial realm. For instance, we have seen how AI has been adopted into various industries where it powers chatbots and self-driven vehicles. We have also seen how digital commerce has been at the forefront of eliminating the need for paper. Most importantly, we have come to the clear realization that blockchain’s momentum is not slowing down anytime soon and that its capabilities for revolutionizing the ...
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The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with cryptocurrency, blockchain, crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, and online investing stakeholders globally. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, services, and networking opportunities to thousands of members and subscribers and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding and fintech industry. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org