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Uber rival Go-Jek drives payments push with acquisition of three fintech start-ups
Go-Jek said the acquisition move would bolster its activity in both online and offline payments, as well as increase engagement in the financial services in Indonesia. Go-Jek's mobile payments service Go-Pay is one of the most popular payment platforms in Indonesia.
- Categories
- Finance
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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Are ‘Convenience Fees’ Halting the Adoption of Digital Finance?
Policymakers, financial firms and tech companies are pushing India full-steam toward a "less-cash" society. But digital finance could be hamstrung by a low-tech anachronism: transaction fees. IFMR LEAD recently teamed up with J.P. Morgan on a pilot program involving lower-income urban and rural households in Pune, Maharashtra. The research explored just how willing customers are to pay for digital transactions, such as withdrawals and money transfers, when presented with a menu of fee options.
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- Finance
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Beyond the Bubble: What’s Cool, Potentially Cool, And Clearly Not Cool About Bitcoin in Financial Inclusion?
Bitcoin owners are laughing all the way to the (virtual) bank: The cryptocurrency’s value has gone up over 2,000 percent in the past year. But along with concerns about a likely "market correction," this has raised some pressing questions about its value as a tool for financial inclusion. Ignacio Mas explores Bitcoin's potential on that front, offering four points to consider.
- Categories
- Finance, Investing, Technology
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Fintech Listed as Emerging Risk to Financial Stability in Report
“Fintech risk, which was included in this survey for the first time, was acknowledged as a significant source of risk by 15 percent of respondents,” the authors wrote. “Generally recognized as holding great promise, these results demonstrate a growing awareness of potential emerging risks, highlighting the need to evaluate both risks and rewards associated with fintech initiatives.”
- Categories
- Finance
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Four Ways to Tackle Weak Competition in Digital Financial Services in Emerging Markets
Everyone loves a digital finance success story - but what happens when a firm's dominance gets out of hand? That's the issue in many emerging economies, where powerful players and extreme consolidation have raised the risk of abuses of market power. Simone di Castri and Ariadne Plaitakis of BFA suggest four ways policymakers and regulators can level the playing field.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Bitcoin: Indonesia bars use by fintech firms
Indonesia’s central bank has issued a regulation banning use of cryptocurrencies by financial technology companies involved in payment systems, and said it is examining whether there’s a need to regulate trading on virtual currency exchanges.
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- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Apple Pay takes on China’s internet kings in mobile payments
In an early boost, China’s biggest lender, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC), was among the banks that said earlier this week that customers would be able to use Apple Pay from Thursday.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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The Clear Blue Water on the Other Side of the Digital Divide
Digital financial exclusion represents both a development challenge for poor customers, and a missed opportunity for providers, says MicroSave founder Graham Wright. While providers fight for a share of the most profitable and easiest-to-reach markets, they often overlook the vast commercial potential of lower-income communities – in territory that is largely not competed. Wright explores how to tap into this "fiercely loyal" market.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology