Today’s article is inspired by my conversation with a taxi driver about money and Putin. I came to Salzburg for the Opera Festival and a taxi driver asked me (mixing Russian and German with some heavy Slavic accent) if I Read more…
For those who don’t know, DeFi is a set of technical solutions that do not have an identifiable person or body behind the service. Today’s episode was triggered by an announcement made by Shapeshift about their intention to completely decentralize Read more…
So many FinTech start-ups struggle with compliance, and I have had many people ask me how they can get their compliance in order. I have dedicated today’s episode to answering that question so listen in as I explain the three Read more…
Today, I wanted to debunk a widely-held industry myth that everyone who has customers from Germany needs to arrange for a custodial solution in Germany and register with BaFin. THIS IS JUST NOT TRUE. I get why you may have Read more…
Through my years of experience working with FinTech start-ups, I have noticed that many CEOs have a strange relationship with compliance. Often, CEOs don’t know when to act or when not to act when it comes to compliance issues. I Read more…
The well-established nature and high price points of large consulting firms have led to the common assumption that they are the best choice for FinTech companies looking for support with their license applications. Big Four firms do have a role Read more…
Most founders would rather be seen as an inspirational, positive figure in their organization, and not as the person who has to constantly push back against their compliance team. If you are one of those founders who feel as if Read more…
I know, it sounds counter-intuitive and confusing, but it’s the reality: what you do as a FinTech startup in order to open your bank accounts is almost entirely opposite to what you do to secure a license application. Here is Read more…
Five of my FinTech clients lost some of their banking relationships this year, despite the fact that they had been partnering for 3 years prior to that. There were 2 main reasons for account terminations: FinTech startups commenced new activities with new Read more…
In the last months, a few of my FinTech clients have asked me to review their application forms for bank account opening. Here are examples of SUPER IMPORTANT questions (that look very innocent and almost boring) where I felt the Read more…