Stu Most people think if you want exposure to the cryptocurrency markets or blockchain, you have to buy Bitcoin or Litecoin or Ethereum, or all 3. While I would start there, this is not the only way to get exposure to these markets. The biggest thing that marketplace lending and the cryptocurrency world have in common, … Read more
A New Bank and Fintech Partnership The Litecoin Foundation, along with crypto payment processor and Litecoin partner TokenPay, acquire 9.9% each of German Bank WEG Bank AG. Let’s look at why and why this is a big deal. By way of disclosure, I’m long Litecoin (LTC) and bullish on it for the future. Over the last … Read more
Bitgive is a long-running Bitcoin-based charity since 2013. Brian Armstrong, Coinbase CEO (link down the right side if you want to use CB to buy or sell crypto) just announced his crypto-based charity fund GiveCrypto. The Pineapple Fund distributed millions in crypto to various charities. What does this have to do with a map of Puerto Rico? … Read more
Marketplace lenders are having a tough time getting a combination of consistent volume and good loan portfolio performance from business lending. Why is small business lending so difficult to master? Is it tougher to understand than consumer lending? Most people say yes. When I was at Lend360 in Dallas last fall, I heard a presentation from … Read more
Seriously. I’m asking. Is p2plending dying? Returns have sucked the last couple of years for all investors, but especially us retail investors since the 2015 and 2016 vintages have performed so poorly. My own returns are 400-500 basis points lower than my returns on my 2013 and 2014 vintage loans were and I know some … Read more
How much should I invest in peer to peer lending? I get this question every week and like many investment related questions, the answer is it depends. Remember, everyone’s financial situation is different and I’m not a financial advisor….. While the real answer is it depends, there are some things you should look for when … Read more
Did you know that one US city handles 70% of all credit card, debit card, and loyalty rewards program card transactions for the whole country? And do you know what city it is? That city, Atlanta, GA was the host of the Fintech South conference this week in the new Mercedes Benz Stadium downtown. Atlanta is … Read more
Lendit is one of my favorite events of the year. More of my fintech writing clients come to Lendit than any other show and it’s the only show I go to every year where I don’t speak and still go anyway. It’s that good and it’s worth it. If you’re interested in my writing work, … Read more
The drop in Bitcoin and altcoin prices in 2018 has done nothing to dampen the frenzy around the cryptocurrency markets. Those already invested in cryptos of some kind may be inclined to ask the next question. How do I get more at these lower prices? To get more, would mining be a good choice for … Read more
One of my favorite posts to write each year is my late March Anniversary post. This year marks 5 years since I started this blog and I can’t believe it. Starting from nothing and now I write on finance and fintech issues on a full-time basis. It’s fantastic and thank you so much. Previous Anniversaries … Read more