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Viewpoint: The end of money
On November 8, 2016, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the biggest financial experiment in the nation’s history. In a televised announcement, Modi gave his citizens just four hours’ notice of his controversial ruling: that virtually all the nation’s cash would be immediately taken out of circulation. All 500 and 1,000 rupee notes were instantaneously declared worthless, and the Indian population were given just 50 days to deposit their newly voided notes in their bank accounts.
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- Technology
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- fintech
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M-Pesa’s Quiet Mobile Revolution 10 Years In
In the developed world, particularly in the United States, mobile payments have entered the scene with a lot of fanfare and great expectations — but haven’t delivered all that much in the way of impressive results. As of the last PYMNTS/InfoScout report on in-store mobile wallet usage, and particularly for the longest running general purpose mobile wallet in the market, Apple Pay, 19 out of 20 users who could use a mobile wallet don’t. It seems when it comes time to pay the piper in the store, consumers in the U.S. and Western Europe still kind of like their cards.
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- Technology
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- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Tanzania: Dar Economy ‘Stable’ As Financial Inclusion Hits 60 Percent
Mobile phone money services have heightened financial inclusion during the past decade from just 11 per cent to over 60 per cent of the population as of now, a new report by the World Bank has revealed.
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- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Financial Inclusion Remains a Work in Progress in South Africa
On the surface, South Africa appears to be financially inclusive compared with other emerging markets: 70% of adults, for example, have a transaction account. However, it’s not nearly as inclusive as most mature markets, and serious and stubborn gaps remain, according to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group.
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- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Bitcoin Startups BitPesa and Bitbond Deliver P2P Loans for African Businesses
Bitcoin startups BitPesa and Bitbond, based in Africa and Germany respectively, have announced a new initiative to bring financing options to businesses in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.
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- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Xiaomi Launches Mobile Micro-Loan Service In China
Xiaomi is launching a new mobile service in China today called Xiaomi Mi Loan. As its name suggests, Xiaomi Mi Loan is an application designed to allow customers in China to apply for micro-credit directly from their smart devices. The application was announced earlier today via Xiaomi’s official MIUI page on China’s social media website Weibo. It is currently available for download on Android smartphones in China, but there’s currently no information on whether the app will also make its way to other platforms, though it’s unlikely to ever be launched outside of Xiaomi’s home country.
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- Technology
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- South Asia
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Digital Payments Made Through UPI See Massive Jump in India
Digital payments through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the mobile-based national payment system, continue to surge even after the end of demonetisation-induced cash shortage, latest data from Reserve Bank of India shows.
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- Technology
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- South Asia
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Indonesia regulator expects fintech firms to double to 250 by year-end
Indonesia – the largest economy in the south east Asian region – is betting on the great big fintech opportunity riding on its demographics and unbanked population. Indonesia, which has already seen the emergence of 130 fintech companies, is expecting this number to double in a year with $3.6 billion worth of transactions on this model over the next one year, deputy director of OJK, the financial services regulator, Pak Tuahta Aloysius Saraguh, said in an interaction. Pak Aloysius has been instrumental in encouraging the Fintech industry in Indonesia.
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- Technology
- Region
- South Asia