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The Front Page of Fintech

The the largest fintech community in the world. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest in news opinions, and all things financial technology.

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Banco BPM rejects €11B takeover bid from Unicredit (TWIF 12/1)

Banco BPM rejects €11B takeover bid from Unicredit (TWIF 12/1)
Autumn Oaks, George Inness

Hello Fintech Friends,

No time to read this week's newsletter? Catch up on all the week's news with our weekly headline podcast:

Please find another week of fintech exits and deep reads below.

(👍👎 Have feedback for us? Let us know! Find me at @nikmilanovic, @twifintech, and @ndm)


📺
Sponsored Content

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📖 Reads of the Week
Cross-border payments in ~1,000 words
A gentle introduction to correspondent banking, money transmission, payment aggregation, and stablecoins, as well as cross-border payment business models and product strategies.
Some small banks see consumer-facing tech as a new imperative - Marketplace
Community banks, known for personal ties with borrowers and savers, seek upgrades to provide more services and improve customer experience.
Decentralizing AI—Big Dreams, Bigger Hype?
The latest crypto narrative positions it as the future backbone of AI. But how much of the hype holds up to scrutiny?

☯️ Exits
💻 IPOs & SPACs
  • Fintech SPAC FACT II Acquisition Corp announced the pricing of a $175 million IPO.

🤝 M&A - Fintech
  • StarCompliance expanded its cryptocurrency compliance capabilities through the acquisition of AER Compliance, bolstering its regulatory tech solutions.
  • SolomonEdwards acquired Dominion Advisory Group, enhancing its expertise in finance, risk management, and compliance consulting.
  • Regnology acquired the regtech division of Vermeg, strengthening its regulatory technology offerings and expanding its market reach in compliance solutions.
Christopher Grilhault des Fontaines on LinkedIn: So, stablecoins... Over the past two months, as wallet service experts… | 57 comments
So, stablecoins... Over the past two months, as wallet service experts, we’ve been working with traditional PSPs to see how blockchains can replace Swift… | 57 comments on LinkedIn
Bam Azizi on LinkedIn: #crypto #stablecoins #paypal #stripe #shift4 #cryptopayment #psp… | 22 comments
The "Layered Cake 🍰" of Crypto Payment: Stablecoins are the killer app for #crypto, and payment is the killer app for #stablecoins. But how will they be… | 22 comments on LinkedIn

🏦 M&A - Bank and FinServ
  • Moody's acquired Numerated Growth Technologies, a loan origination platform for financial institutions, to enhance its lending technology offerings.
  • UniCredit launched an €11 billion all-share bid to take over Banco BPM, aiming to consolidate its position in the Italian banking sector, which Banco BPM rejected, citing insufficient valuation and strategic misalignment.
  • Evelyn Partners sold Smith & Williamson, the professional services division of the one of Britain’s largest wealth managers, to private equity firm Apax Partners for £700 million, streamlining its wealth management portfolio.
  • Ally Financial is weighing the potential sale of its credit card business to focus on core operations, considering market interest and strategic alignment.
  • Mubadala Investment Company plans to take Canada’s CI Financial private, leveraging a significant acquisition to strengthen its global investment portfolio.
  • Edelweiss Group hired Nomura to explore the sale of a stake in its mutual fund unit, seeking to attract strategic investors and drive growth.
  • D.E. Shaw is seeeking buyers for $400 million worth of Spanish real estate assets as part of its investment repositioning strategy.

📺
Sponsored Content

Software pricing models are moving from seats to usage with the proliferation of AI – don't get left behind. Metronome is a usage-based billing platform built to help companies launch and iterate pricing faster, give customers better control over spending, and drive strategic decisions with real-time insights. Learn about OpenAI's pricing playbook, or watch our on-demand webinar to see our product action.

Want to sponsor a newsletter? See our sponsorship information here.


🌎 Fintech Around the World

How Shanghai’s ambition to be the ‘future of finance’ fell apart

Latin America fintech will be a market to watch in 2025

New UK crypto regulations will include stablecoins and staking services

📚 Deeper Reads & Features

Why a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Could Backfire

Howard Lutnick’s Other Top Client: Crypto Giant Tether

The Crypto Plot Against America’s Gold Reserves

Rep. French Hill’s Banking Principles – “Make Community Banking Great Again” (h/t Jason Mikula)

When Siri Becomes a Deposit Broker

Defining Households That Are Underserved in Digital Payment Services

Why Do Banks Fail? Three Facts About Failing Banks

How Morgan Stanley Courted Dodgy Customers to Build a Wealth-Management Empire

Three cheers for normal bank failure

JPMorgan’s AI Rollout Is Augmenting Jobs, Not Replacing Them

Accountants View AI as an Ally, not a Competitor

AI Deepfakes On The Rise Causing Billions In Fraud Losses

Trendsetting orcas bringing ‘80s fashion back to the Puget Sound: salmon hats


Have a news item for us? Reach out to news@thisweekinfintech.com