-
ANALYSIS: Bitcoin vs. M-Pesa: Digital payments innovators battle in Kenya
On 14 December, a high court in Kenya will come to a preliminary decision in a battle between Bitcoin remittance and payments company BitPesa, which is suing Safaricom, the telecom company which operates M-Pesa. Also suing is Lipisha, the payment company that gateways BitPesa and M-Pesa. There's plenty of irony to go round here. Bitcoin and M-Pesa should not be pitted against one another - both are elements of a payments revolution that is happening right now and which will be remembered as one of the great technology success stories of the 21st century.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
‘SEC Ruling on Crowdfunding Both Opportunity and Stumbling Block for Startups’, Expert Says
There has been a lot of talk about SEC’s approval of Title III of the JOBS Act, which allows, for the first time, also non-accredited investors to join equity crowdfunding campaigns.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- crowdfunding, regulations
-
Final Rules for Title III, Retail Crowdfunding, to be Announced by SEC this Friday
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will reveal the final rules regarding Title III of the JOBS Act this Friday, October 30th. The long-awaited regulations will mark the completion of the bi-partisan bill that was signed into law over three years ago.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- crowdfunding, regulations
-
Bankers Call for Mobile Money Regulation in Zimbabwe
For all its successes in the mobile money sector, Zimbabwe does not have regulatory frameworks for restitution of users should any of the mobile money platforms collapse, the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ) said Tuesday.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- public policy, regulations
-
Mobile Money Gets Boost as Central Bank of Nigeria Loosens Restriction on Telcos
With the review of the mobile money guidelines, which allows for the participation of the telecommunication companies, the adoption of this form of banking is expected to get a significant boost.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
WHO to study use of sanctions as part of global epidemic response
The World Health Organization said Tuesday it will study the idea of using sanctions to punish countries that do not comply with global health regulations, following widespread failures in the response to the Ebola outbreak.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Tags
- regulations
-
10 Challenges That Could Make or Break India’s Payments Banks: Their revolutionary potential is no guarantee
Last week, the Reserve Bank of India announced that it will issue 11 Payments Bank (PB) licenses, permitting a variety of institutions to provide a limited slate of financial services to underserved populations. The RBI hopes PBs will “revolutionize banking” in India, but their impact is not guaranteed. Here are 10 challenges PBs will face – and how they can live up to the government’s ambitious goals.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Will West Africa be the New East Africa in Mobile Money?: Shifting regulations and a growing ecosystem make the region an area to watch
Though the member countries in the West African Economic and Monetary Union share one currency and one central bank, their mobile money ecosystems differ greatly. However, interoperability will likely be integrated across most of these countries in the not too distant future. Could its new regulatory regimes and developing ecosystems help the region take its place alongside the mobile money sprinters of East Africa?
- Categories
- Technology