Letter from the Editor

Letter from the Editor:

by Andries Van Der Westhuizen

In this edition, guest writer Richard Turin delivers key considerations on the broad, and potentially far-reaching effects of China’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) - Will the Dollar keep its hegemony?

With China and the USA entering another phase of disputes and sanctions, the vision of a decoupled and re-aligned globalized market is showing signs of impending disruption. Following on from the CBDC discussion, there is undoubtedly the need for entities specializing in these fields to further the uplifting potential of our widening industry verticals. Here the Global Impact FinTech foundation (GIFT) enters the fray, an NPO striving for inclusion and socio-economic upliftment through the power of technology, specifically through fintech globally.

In the news, the European Fintech Association (EFA) is off the ground and headed by Marc Roberts, the head of compliance at Raisin. The EFA will give a representative voice for European fintech within the EU for an open dialogue between the industry and regulatory bodies, something which is sorely needed.

NordicAPI and their research showcase PSD2’s standardizing effect concerning open-banking openness, and the positive impacts thereof in the Nordic regions, find the full report here.

In the world of startup’s, Trilo is breaking free of app-exhaustion and high merchant fees with a browser-based payment method and 1% flat fee. Such an offering during a time where cutting costs is on the minds of many, Trilo is undoubtedly addressing a pressing concern. Nexway’s expert interview on restructuring and service refinement during these troubling times can be a comforting account for many. Furthermore, Nexway is taking this a step further by putting their ear to the ground for their customer’s sake with this survey on Covid’s effect on E-commerce to even further streamline their solutions. Events are making a return with M2020 EU in Amsterdam being PCN’s first outing this year, if you’re attending keep an eye out for our print edition and please say hi!

In closing, I’d like to address a vital movement and topic, #BlackLivesMatter (BLM), and the awareness of systemic discrimination and racism has surfaced across the globe. It’s our responsibility to cut this out of our society like the malignant tumour it is and to educate, listen, and be reflective of our actions. Let’s all be the person who speaks out and challenges these sometimes subtle occurrences we may come across in our daily lives. Be the person to educate and challenge preconceptions and assumptions surrounding racial inequality. Racism has become ingrained into our everyday existence and actively manifests and moves against those of colour in many ways - through finance, culture, employment, housing, justice, healthcare, and education. With the above covering every sector of our existence within society, how can we, as those not impacted, and living in privilege, leave this unchecked? Stand up and challenge, be a voice for change!