NCFA Canada | July 6, 2019

Subscribe and tune in each Friday to check out the latest movers and shakers in fintech.

Listen to more podcasts here: Season 1 | Season 2

Transcription of Interview

Intro: Welcome fintech Friday's a weekly podcast brought to you by the National Crowdfunding and Fintech Association of Canada and partners.Covering all things fintech block chain be AI and alternative finance.

Manseeb Khan: Brendan thanks so much for sitting down today.

Brendan Dunn: Thank you for having me. Appreciate it and excited to talk.

Manseeb Khan: Yeah for sure. So, Brendan for I guess the five or six people that may not know what the Holt accelerator is. Could you tell us a little bit more about what it is and a little bit more of your background?

Brendan Dunn: Sure. Maybe the easiest way to start is my background and kind of segway into how we started the Holt accelerator. So originally, we are a fifth-generation family office. That's our core business called The Holden family office where that came from is from my great great grandfather Sir Herbert Holt came over from Ireland to Canada was extremely successful control over 300 businesses around the world for non-Canadians most notably longest serving president chairman of the Royal Bank of Canada for around thirty five years C.P. rail and Montreal light heat power which is one of the largest energy producers in North and South America that was nationalized and still exists today as Quebec hydro. Since then we're a single family office for four generations and now we're multifamily office which means we manage our family's assets alongside those of our friends and other friends high net worth individuals other families or charitable institutions or foundations we don't manage any institutional money but our background has always been in finance. And then as we got more clients in the multifamily office we were investing as our family always had in venture capital private equity. We had to take into consideration we had other clients to look after and when we started to do more V.C. specifically we realized that anything outside of finance related investments were better off being a CO investor not being really a lead acting and more of a passive approach and relying on our partners who are experts in the field be it real estate or wherever to source better deals and bring us on. But on the finance side that's where we believe we really have an expertise. We have a knowledge base and our network is all around finance giving our banking history. So, we felt that we wanted to be more active in the fintech space when we're doing our investments. And we felt that given that the best way to do that is have our own accelerator. So that's where  Holt fintech accelerator came from obviously named at Holt in honor and my great great grandfather and only focused on fintech investments. So, we're super laser focused on what we're doing. We're not diverging into real estate or anything else and we can't pretend to be experts. So it's fintech only and it's there for us and for all of our partners or our clients and our investors and our network to source the best top 10 roughly quality fintech ideas every year from around the world to bring them to Montreal to encircle them in our in our ecosystem and embrace them in our network and help them grow.

Manseeb Khan: How important are accelerators such as yourself in the fintech space right. Because you know startups are really hot right now. I mean there's just tons of accelerators there's tons of incubators and there's tons of other programs for financial tech companies or just any startup company to really get into. So, I guess my question to you is why are accelerators such as yourself important for fintech companies?

Brendan Dunn: Yeah well, I am thinking a first has be on quality the accelerator itself. Obviously, you know if it's a sub performing company or partner, you're working within the quality of you're going to get out of it isn't that great. But let's put aside and say any good accelerator in any industry is very beneficial for startups so that's a general approach now if we talk about fintech specifically or for or Holt fintech. I think it's very important in the sense that all these startups want. They want what they need. They need access to a network be it investors or strategic partners or financial institutions to work with. They need capital and they need guidance on how to structure an operating professional manner and get their due diligence in everything or their corporate governance in order. That's what an accelerator does if it's doing its job. We have over 200 advisors from a you know 30 to 50 of the top 50  VC funds around the world. Most of the most about all the banks in Canada some from the states and we're growing our banking partnerships globally and access to capital and then we have legal teams, financing teams and accounting teams and that also down and helped them structure themselves and that's what we do we accelerate their growth so they come and work with us in a three month very intense program. At the beginning we figure out what their top three needs are during that program. So, each company might have a different need and we tailor the program for them. So, some might need their first institutional client they've got their product ready they've got the marketing anything else is great they just need network we'll focus on making the proper introductions to C-level executives at banks or financial institutions or  VC funds to them. Others might need help structuring or getting the product finalized so we'll tailor the program to them. But we're building is a customized program where the goal is at the end of program, they're ready for the race. They've got our restructured they've got their valuations are financials everything prepared where they can be successful. And we've opened them up to our network to allow them to access where they need to get, they’re either the first client or to grow revenue.

Manseeb Khan: That's incredible yeah. You mentioned something really important customized programs right. I mean having accelerator having a incubate or having a program to help start companies grow is very important to be as flexible as you possibly can because in the startup world everything changes on a day to day to day basis if not an hourly basis right. Things change things get moved around so like creating more flexible program creating a program that is right for every single company that does come in. I think it's very crucial, so we have had Commercial Passport on the show in the past. Yes, actually a part of the Holt accelerator. So I guess could you just let us know what do you guys look for in a company before you take them on and what your bar of entry is right because you talked about you guys you have an intensive program, customized program. Could you just give us I guess a walkthrough of how to get into Holt and take it from there?

Brendan Dunn: One hundred percent Bryce is a Rockstar he's one of our we have a lot of great teams I think all of them are great in the first call so we're quite lucky. I think that also comes down to our screening process. And you know Bryce is a testament to that. He's doing very well, and congratulations is his success to date as it relates in general to how you get in the accelerator. Obviously everyone first goes to our Web site and they fill out an application during the application window which is now closed for this year and our first year if a referencing Bryce for example I think we had four hundred and five applications during a two month application window from around the world. I forget all the stats, but I think from over 50 companies’ sorry companies 50 countries from there it whittles down between who's actually fully completed the entire application. So, I say out of the 400 I assume 250 to 300 those are fully complete the ones that weren't completed. Obviously, we don't throw out, but we say they can't move the next step. Then we let them base on you know we know, or we are in constant communication with our VC funds and our financial tensions and they give us lists of the challenges the problems are looking to solve. So we take that list because those are our partners and those are the ones most likely if it's a V.C. fund to be writing a check at the end of the program or a financial institution to be there partnering or doing a PMC with them or entering some type of relationship with them. So, it's important for us to see what challenges or what the market is looking for in terms of fintech’s for that year. So we take that and we take the top three hundred and we'll narrow that down to 100 not saying the other 200 aren't good it just means you're not a fit currently for what our partners are looking for or what the demand is in the marketplace currently of that top 100. That's when we go into what we call it. It's the face to face conversations. Obviously not everyone's looking in Montreal or Toronto. So we do that all through video chats on those video just 30 minutes and it's always someone from Holt myself or Jan Arp or our team and an adviser mostly V.C. funds at that point because they're very good at getting the due diligence and asking the correct questions about vetting a startup. But there's always an adviser on the call which shows the commitment that our advisors are bringing in providing support. So, we use their feedback. We have 30-minute calls with those top hundred teams. We take the feedback from whoever's on the call. There's two or three people on the call. And we add up the scores and then obviously we have a ranking of the top hundred people the top hundred companies and then we'll top 30 roughly 30 to 40 times or whatever are invited to a formal what we call selection day event in Montreal where they have to hopefully attend in person on our first year we unfortunately had a couple of people that due to visa requirements had to participate remotely. But the goal is to have all the top 30 and 40 teams in-person in Montreal for it to do that. What happens there is a speed dating. So they will have a booth they can set it up and obviously get everything ready and every 15 minutes there's meeting a team of three to five advisors we group the advisers together maybe it's like four people from one bank or four people from different funds we also to make sure it's a good team of people they don't all have to be related but it's speed dating for about five or six hours each day. And in the first day will be 15 teams in the second they will be the next 15 teams. So that's very powerful just for the startups alone and get access to I think last year we had 300 attendees at that event. So very powerful, very valuable for the startups just to attend that event. And then from there once again all the advisors and all the participants and attendees of those speed dating speed dating event in Montreal they score every team based on a system that we prepared. And then we ranked the top 30 teams and get feedback and if we know it Hey every single bank is rated this company in the top five that obviously we're going to pick those. So, we take the ratings and the feedback from all of our participants and advisors which are the V.C. funds and the banks and financial institutions and or angel investors and we use that and we put it all together and hopefully we have a consensus of the top 10. And then the goal is from there to pick the top 10 and invite them formally to invite them to participate in that year's cohort that was last year. This year we had over five hundred and thirty applications even more fully completed. So, it's showing that our brand and our reputation is growing globally and shocking we've actually I think we have extremely strong forward this year which is hard to compete to beat last year's cohort which I think was amazing for our first year. So, we're getting we're constantly getting strong teams around the world. Obviously since we haven't picked the top teams, I can't give a breakdown of where they're going to be based but it's definitely a global reach. So, it's very exciting and I think a very valuable process for startups to go through and hopefully they can be in the top 10.

Manseeb Khan: Yeah. That's incredible. I mean I guess from the start of the show people may have had the I guess idea in their head like oh you know Holt accelerator  is a very small accelerator they're just you know they're on their way to growing you know they're on the route to be something big but like the fact that you guys are growing from 300 to 500 already going globally and under what five years that's in and of itself is a pretty incredible. So, you guys do have if people actually check out the Holt accelerator website you guys have a pretty great breakdown of all the companies that did get accepted in your cohort which happens to be a very diverse group of people. How do you how you see yourself expanding into maybe other aspects of I guess technology and I guess hopefully you can answer as well the programs do you see roll out in the future. I mean do you guys see yourself maybe even having a very AI focused kind of an accelerator or maybe something else. How do you guys kind of see have hold accelerator growing in the next I guess 5 to 10 years.

Brendan Dunn: That's a great question. And we actually have a full shareholding After selection days which are next week in Montreal to discuss that. I think first off on the growth we're still going to always remain laser focused. It's only going to be fintech. We're not going to pretend to become real estate experts and create a real estate accelerator that's on our vision here. We don't want generalists. We don't want to dilute our brand or get greedy and try to do something stupid and pretend to be something we're not. So, anything we do in the future it's always going to be fintech related. That's our expertise that's our background that's our network and that's our reputation. So, it's always going to fintech as it relates to maybe something specific. AI in fintech you can argue that any fintech company needs some type of AI. So, whether they've incorporated or not the most of them could or will benefit from AI. So, you know  we're able to partner with one of the top companies in Canada Stradigiai as well as universities and schools in Montreal as well the nonprofits which as we all know is one of those very Montreal is one the  world leader in AI. So, if we see a fintech company that needs or guidance or help in their A.I. we have the network and the partners be able to assist them in that. But to have an A.I. focused fintech not really possible something fintech most in techs already will need AI if we could have a A.I. focused company accelerator wouldn't really be fintech focused so I think we'd stay away from that. Because again we won't be laser focused on fintech as relates to our growth. What we have seen is not everyone can make the trip or the journey to Canada for the accelerator. So how do you grow and still work with these great startups from around the world. I think our vision is to create hubs in different jurisdictions around the world the same strategy the same vision. It's just having more specific local partners. So obviously in Canada we have strong relationships with the Canadian banks. Does your key demographic. If you're going to be doing business in Canada. So, if we were looking to do something in Australia we would then partner with the Australian banks and they get a network of Australian venture capital funds or  Australian angel investors or Asia Apex Pacific Partners. Same thing for Europe and Latin America. So, I think our growth is to create hubs of the whole fintech accelerator. Different jurisdictions so that we can basically let's say Latin America we can get all the Latin American teams to go to the Latin American fintech accelerator and have relationships with the financial institutions the V.C. funds and the angel investors that are very well-connected and do business in Latin America. Which can be different partners and in Canada. Because if you're a Latin American company which that made it in the Canadian fintech accelerator. Hopefully we can definitely if we bring you we know we can add value but it might not be in the Canadian banks might not be the partners that you're looking for really you want to be strong in your local market which would be back in Latin America. Same for Europe or Australia or other areas around the world. So, I think our growth model is to create specific hubs and different jurisdictions to allow more localized partners in those areas to work with the local fintech’s really create localized ecosystems. So, these companies can then you know basically grow and dominate their local market and then work with our other hubs around the world to expand throughout our network. So basically, creating a global ecosystem with local hubs and then piggybacking from that into other jurisdictions with trusted friends and partners through the accelerator.

Manseeb Khan: Yeah, no doubt mixed that that seems to make a lot of sense. I mean Fintech is globally it's a very it's becoming a very powerful industry. You're having like some of the places you've mentioned like Latin America specifically there's a lot of really amazing fintech companies coming out of Latin America do some really incredible work which is going to help with tons and tons of people. So, what is the most exciting aspect of fintech for you and what are you most excited about when it comes to fintech. I mean you guys have a lot of amazing companies you might be biased on some maybe not but yeah to what are you most excited about when it comes to fintech because of your very deep-rooted family history.

Brendan Dunn: It's a very good question and try and figure out how to answer that. I think fintech in general excites me simply because it's constantly evolving how the world does business. Everyone touches financial institutions as a client as a partner etc. right. So fintech and you know any of our fintech’s that we were honored to work with last year and the ones that we will be working with this year and the future cohorts every one of them is solving a problem to make these a business better whether it's from the KYC AML problem like Bryce was from credit's credit scoring like Curu other ways or just all fintech do is they have these they see these problems in their personal lives or however they come up with their ideas. That they've had in the financial industry and they create a  solution through their startup. So, I'm just excited about fintech in general simply because they're they are trying to make everyone's lives around the world better and easier. You know all this touch finance. Sometimes we have we have headaches, we have problems, we don't wait like waiting in line to the banks et cetera et cetera wires get loss, clearance takes too long to get approved. Invest in the fund takes a month nowadays. So, everyone we're looking at is taking a problem in the financial industry and solving that. So, in general everyone should be supportive of fintech startups because they make people's lives around the world easier.

Manseeb Khan: Yeah. No. I couldn't agree more. FinTech’s really make a lot of lives easier. I mean that's kind of the reason why since I kind of started in the first place Could you let the audience know what the not sure if you can share this what the FinTech show is, I tried googling this. I tried; I didn't find anything on this. What is the FinTech show. Could you let us know?

Brendan Dunn: I just going back to last question is thing you know exciting is the fact that all these giant banks they are amazing they're very good at what they do, and we need them right. But any business that that's big it can't move quickly right. So, the point of fintech or any startup in any industry bespoke some Fintech is to is to solve the problems that the banks can't right. They are small they are nimble they can move quickly they can come up with ideas and they can test them out. And if it works then they have the partners will can adopt it and take it to a global scale to their client base. So definitely very excited about fintech because they can work with their partner. They can solve the current problems that people have in the world and then we can bring them to the partners basically take that out to the masses. As it relates to the with the show itself. That is Jan Arp the managing partners baby. So, whatever you mostly every accelerator does around the world at the end of the three-month program is that they have what's called maybe Demo Day. That's when all the teams have finished the three-month program and you put on a basically a pitch, a pitch show, a pitch contest in the sense where you invite as many people as you can. All your advisors, V.C. funds, potential investors and all the teams you'll get on stage and a present. Who they are? So, it's their final chance at the end to present their companies. You know we've been polishing them and their pitch for the last three months and they open up the round. So, I'm Brendan Dunn I started this company this right do you know it's about a five- or 10-minute presentation and raising this amount of money at this valuation. This one uses the money. That's the standard right. But what we've done is what Jan has done give him full credit is make it more fun. Most those things are dry just blah blah blah, and everyone falls asleep Jan has taken it to the next level. We've gotten great feedback from last year and he's even going to up the ante this year. He's turned it into a show a full actual entertaining enjoyable show just like not going to a movie but it's like going to a live play. The teams still have the chance to put across and pitch what they're doing but the audience is engaged in their interactive and they're not falling asleep so they you know from last year which their first year. Nothing but amazing feedback and chopping on what we've accomplished in that show. And hats off to Jan the end of the day. It's as simple as it is a demo day where the teams are pitching but it's more entertaining enjoyable atmosphere with a little bit of entertainment around there potentially maybe some cirque du soleil people there this year so it's just making it more audience friendly and allowing people to enjoy the moment and focus more and have some cocktails some food. It's a great it's a great evening where people are actually excited to go you know other normally people go. I have to go to a demo day because I'm an adviser this can be quite boring. People have said when is your Fintech Show?  I'm excited to go. Last year was amazing let's do this again. Hats off to what you've done. So that's what it is and congratulations Jan to coming up with that vision. And you know he kind of keeps it closely guarded so I'm excited to see what he does this year to.

Manseeb Khan: I'm excited with the Cirque du Soleil people you sold me on that I'm like that's all I expect and I'm like I'm expecting like a magician maybe some standup. I don't know some like crazy really.

Brendan Dunn: We tried it we tried to make it fun and it did it but at the end of the day the teams this is important part each team still has their time to present themselves. It's just that the audience is more awake and having fun and therefore able to focus on what people are saying.

Manseeb Khan:  Now think of somebody pitching their company or juggling knives. OK. So, Brendan Could you lastly but not leastly could you let us know the best way for the audience to either reach out to you personally. And or Holt accelerator.

Brendan Dunn: Yeah. Generally, the holds accelerator. The info it holds accelerator.ai my personal e-mail is Brendan@holtaccelerator.ai. I am happy to talk to anybody. If people want to apply. I think it's on the website holtaccelerator.ai/apply. The applications close closed for this year but people can already start submitting for next year. You know it's always somewhat open for people to apply and then we close it a couple months before we start selection days for next year. But we have a database of thousands of startups around the world now we're tracking them or monitoring them and we're going to be creating an ecosystem where everyone even if you don't make the accelerator can still participate in our network. So very excited for the future and looking forward to meeting this year's cohort.

Manseeb Khan: Hey you and me both. Brendan Thank you so much for sitting down with me today and I am super excited to have you back on.

Brendan Dunn: It's a pleasure. Thank you so much and always available.

Manseeb Khan: Awesome.

Brendan Dunn: Take care

Outro : you've been listening to fintech Fridays brought to you by NCFA and partners. Tune in weekly for the latest fintech Friday podcast by subscribing to this channel. The National crowdfunding and FinTech Association of Canada is a non-profit actively engaged with social and investment fintech sectors around the globe and provide education research industry stewardship services and networking opportunities to thousands of members and subscribers. For more information please visit and see if a Canada dot org. Oh yea.

End of Podcast

Subscribe and Listen to more Fintech Fridays podcasts here

Join NCFA's weekly Podcast series 'FINTECH FRIDAYS' where we sit down with the incredible people in the Fintech community and talk about leading fintech products innovations developments and challenges!

Interested in getting involved as a partner or participant? info@ncfacanada.org

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, 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

Support NCFA by Following us on Twitter! Follow @NCFACanada

Copilot’s Copyright Promise by Microsoft

October 2, 2023

AI | Oct 2, 2023 Microsoft has recently made waves in the tech industry with its announcement of the Copilot Copyright Commitment. Microsoft's Copilot Commitment Shields AI Users from Copyright Concerns. Problem: While Microsoft's AI-powered Copilots have been transformative, enhancing efficiency and unlocking new levels of creativity they've raised questions about the risk of IP infringement claims when using the output produced by generative AI. Solution: To address these concerns, Microsoft has introduced its new Copilot Copyright Commitment. This commitment ensures that customers can use Microsoft’s Copilot services and their generated output without fearing copyright claims. If a customer faces a copyright challenge, Microsoft will assume responsibility for the potential legal risks involved. This commitment extends Microsoft's existing intellectual property indemnity support to commercial Copilot services. If a third party sues a commercial customer for copyright infringement for using Microsoft’s Copilots or the output they generate, Microsoft will defend the customer and cover any adverse judgments or settlements, provided the customer used the guardrails and content filters integrated into Microsoft’s products. See:  How do intellectual property rights apply to AI? This move by Microsoft comes after a recent federal court ruling that stated artwork created by AI cannot be copyrighted ...

Read More

Will Canada’s New Voluntary AI Code Hinder Innovation?

October 2, 2023

AI | Oct 2, 2023 Federal Minister François-Philippe Champagne launches voluntary code of conduct for advanced generative AI systems but some are wondering if this a step forward will hinder innovation? On September 27, Minister Champagne announced Canada's Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems, effective immediately.  The new code of conduct revolves around several key principles around transparency, bias, oversight and detectability. AI systems must be clear about where and how the information they collect is used. There should be methods in place to tackle potential biases within the system. Human monitoring of AI systems is essential. Developers creating generative AI for public use must ensure that any content produced by their system can be identified. Minister Champagne emphasized the urgency of implementing measures to foster trust in AI products. I think that if you ask people in the street, they want us to take action now to make sure that we have specific measures that companies can take now to build trust in their AI products. Mixed Reactions While there's been significant support from major players in the business sector, concerns have also been raised. Some fear that the code, ...

Read More

Bitcoin Investment 101: Your $100 and the Cryptocurrency Revolution

October 2, 2023

Oct 2, 2023 In the era of digital gold, where cryptocurrencies reign supreme, the allure of Bitcoin has captivated both seasoned investors and newcomers alike. Suppose you're looking to grow your money. In that case, dipping your toes into the cryptocurrency world is exciting and potentially rewarding. This article will demystify the art of Bitcoin investment and show you how to start investing 100 dollars. The Bitcoin Phenomenon: A Brief Overview Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of Bitcoin investment, let's take a moment to understand why Bitcoin has become the poster child of the cryptocurrency revolution. Bitcoin, often called "digital gold," was created in 2009 by an anonymous individual or group of individuals using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. It's a decentralized digital currency that operates on blockchain, which ensures transparency, security, and immutability of transactions. The appeal of Bitcoin lies in its scarcity; only 21 million coins will ever be mined, making it a deflationary asset. As a result, Bitcoin has garnered immense attention and investment interest over the years, skyrocketing from mere cents to thousands of dollars per coin. Why Should You Invest in Bitcoin? Diversification: Diversifying your investment portfolio is a fundamental strategy to mitigate risks. As ...

Read More

ZayZoon raises $34.5M in Series B, Championing EWA for SMBs

September 29, 2023

Funding | Sep 29, 2023 ZayZoon, a prominent Earned Wage Access scale-up for small and mid-sized businesses, and founded in Calgary, recently announced that they raised $34.5 million in debt and equity during its Series B financing round. Investors include Framework Venture Partners who led this round, with notable co-investment from Export Development Canada (EDC) and participation from ATB Financial and existing shareholders. ZayZoon is a financial empowerment platform specifically designed for small and mid-sized businesses. The company's primary mission is to provide employees with the ability to access their earned wages before the traditional payday, a service known as Earned Wage Access (EWA). This innovative approach aims to alleviate financial stress and break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle that many individuals face. Catering to the varied needs of its users, ZayZoon offers multiple payout options, including bank deposits, debit cards, and fee-free alternatives like Instant Gift Cards and Gas Cards See:  Redefining Payday: Earned Wage Access (EWA) Insights from Harvard Study ZayZoon emphasizes seamless integration with existing payroll and HR infrastructures. In 2023, the company was notably recognized as an ADP and PrismHR Marketplace Partner of the Year. Their trajectory is nothing short of remarkable, boasting a 400% increase in payouts ...

Read More

Navigating BC’s Innovation Landscape with Capital Compass BC

September 29, 2023

Capital | Sep 29, 2023 This week hails the launch of Capital Compass BC, a dynamic and collaborative platform by Innovate BC, InBC Investment Corp., PacifiCan, and New Ventures BC, designed to bolster and connect BC's thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. British Columbia (B.C.) is a hub of innovation, with entrepreneurs and companies propelling it as a leading innovation center in North America. Capital Compass BC is not just a boon for businesses but also for investors, innovators, and ecosystem enablers. It's publicly accessible, free-to-use, and allows individuals to submit relevant information, making it searchable within the platform. Key Features of Capital Compass BC: Comprehensive Database: The platform provides detailed insights into startups, scaleups, investors, entrepreneurial resources, and the flow of investment capital within BC.  There are currently 538 fintech startups and scale-ups based in BC listed on the platform. Advanced Filtering: Users can explore the vast database using filters like sector, company stage, funding round, and other pivotal characteristics. This facilitates the identification of trends, opportunities, and gaps in the regional innovation ecosystem. Support for Companies: Beyond just being a data repository, Capital Compass BC aids companies in navigating funding sources and amplifying their visibility in the market. Investor's Paradise: Investors ...

Read More

Safe And Fast: Check Gambling Deposits Via OSKO PayID

September 29, 2023

Sep 29, 2023 Funding Transfers Via PayID From Australia Gambling for real money is not complete without a reliable payment system. This is a guarantee that fraudsters won’t get your cash. And it will not magically disappear. Therefore, the transfer method choice is on par with the search for a casino. Security comes first, so let's take a look at how the system creators provide it. First of all, we'd like to point out that only your bank can see the personal data required to receive the code. The online casino does not see them. In addition, PayID uses SSL protection. Advantages And Disadvantages We highlight such pros: Speed. Online casino transfers are instant, so you can start betting right away. Withdrawals depend on the gambling platform due to additional checks. Security. Everything is as safe as transferring directly to a bank account, just more anonymous. You only need a code. Simplicity. Remembering a combination or just a login is easier than looking for a piece of paper with your account number every time. You can connect to the system in just a few clicks. Communication. PayID transfers allow short descriptions of up to 280 characters. You can specify the ...

Read More

Bank of Canada Seeks Your Input on Transaction Reports

September 28, 2023

BoC | Sep 28, 2023 The Bank of Canada has extended an invitation to members of the Retail Payment Advisory Committee (RPAC) and the broader payment service provider (PSP) community to share feedback on its supervisory approach to transaction reporting. The Bank is keen on understanding the current practices of payment service providers (PSPs) and aims to develop an effective strategy for transaction reporting. This initiative is not limited to RPAC members alone; the Bank is actively seeking diverse opinions from the entire PSP industry. See:  Citi’s Top 10 Insights on Cross-Border Payments 2023 By sharing your feedback, you will help the Bank gain insights into the current practices of PSPs and also contribute to the development of a robust transaction reporting approach. Survey The Bank has launched a survey to better understand the information needs of PSPs. This will aid PSPs in understanding the Bank's expectations and preparing for upcoming retail payment supervision. The results of this survey will shape the Bank's communication strategy, ensuring PSPs are well-informed and ready to comply with forthcoming legislation.  The survey is entirely voluntary, and the Bank guarantees that no personally identifiable information will be collected or shared. You can complete the survey ...

Read More

EU Report: Crypto Outside EU & Impacts on the Union

September 28, 2023

Crypto Regulation | Sep 28, 2023 EU's MiCA framework sets a new standard in crypto regulation, as the UK and US navigate their unique challenges and the global community calls for coordinated oversight. The European Union, with its groundbreaking MiCA framework has set a precedent. Meanwhile, the UK and the US are carving their unique paths. Drawing insights from a recent EU report, this article provides an update of the regulatory landscape across these jurisdictions, highlighting the challenges, opportunities, and global implications of their respective approaches to crypto-assets and stablecoins. EU's Regulatory Approach to Crypto-Assets In 2023, the European Union introduced the innovative Markets in Crypto-assets (MiCA) framework, a comprehensive regulatory measure designed to oversee the burgeoning crypto-asset markets. The primary focus of MiCA is on stablecoins, ensuring that their value remains consistent with official currencies. This framework combines stringent transparency and governance measures with prudential rules similar to those applied to traditional financial institutions. The overarching aim of MiCA is to ensure better protection for citizens, maintain financial stability, and foster both innovation and financial inclusion in the crypto space. UK and US The United Kingdom has charted its own path in the crypto realm. With comprehensive crypto legislation ...

Read More

Fintech SEO Can Generate Leads and Sales Success: An Unrivaled Strategy

September 28, 2023

Sep 28, 2023 Fintech is an ever-evolving world where every click counts and every lead may be game-changing; therefore mastering SEO has become essential. Welcome to Fintech SEO where competing for top search engine results pages (SERPs) rankings doesn't simply translate to visibility but rather leads to sales conversion. In this article, we'll uncover its immense power, discuss why high SERP rankings lead to conversions and traverse organic traffic that fuels fintech success. SERP Rankings in Fintech Imagine this: you need financial advice or are searching for investment options, where would you go? Chances are you would consult your search engine; the websites appearing at the top of those search results have built trust among both their users and search engines alike. ➡️ High Rankings Are an Indication of Trustworthiness Achieving high rankings on SERPs for your fintech website is like earning a gold star of trustworthiness from users; they know Google or Bing have already approved and reviewed your services - often leading to them opting for them over those offered by your competitors. When you enlist the expertise of a fintech SEO agency such as Sure Oak, you're essentially enlisting professionals who specialize in elevating your trustworthiness on ...

Read More

Ransomware Grew 45% H1 2023 Targeting Smaller Organizations

September 27, 2023

Cyber Security | Sep 27, 2023 The cyber landscape in 2023 has witnessed a significant surge in ransomware attacks, with small businesses becoming the primary targets. According to a report from Infosecurity Magazine, ransomware attackers are increasingly targeting smaller, less defended organizations. There was a 47% increase in new victims in the latter half of 2022, with many of these being small businesses with less mature cyber postures. Specifically, 57% of the victims of the LockBit gang, known for high-profile attacks on the Royal Mail and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), were small businesses. Many of these groups are moving away from traditional encryption-based attacks. Instead, they threaten to expose and publicize sensitive information, shifting from ransomware to pure extortion tactics. See:  Small Businesses Incur Greatest Loss of Cyber Attacks | 67% Suffer Repeat Attacks Within 12 Months Ransomware by the Numbers In the first half of 2023, there was a 45.27% global increase in ransomware victim organizations, totaling 2,001. During the same period, the sectors most targeted by ransomware were banking, retail, and transportation. LockBit, a dominant ransomware since 2022, primarily targeted IT, finance, and professional services. Nearly 50% of all ransomware victims were US-based organizations, a significant increase ...

Read More