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Kik’s Kin Foundation announces plans to build its own blockchain (BETAKIT)
Eventually, the plan is for Kin tokens running on Ethereum or Stellar to create a unified token over both networks.
Goldman Sachs, Apple team up on new credit card (WSJ)
The planned card would carry the Apple Pay brand and could launch early next year, people familiar with the matter said.
Free stock trading app Robinhood rockets to a $5.6B valuation with new funding round (TECHCRUNCH)
Robinhood started off as a simple stock trading application with no transaction fees — but as it starts to dive into cryptocurrency, investors are getting pretty excited and are pouring a ton of new funding into it.
Trussle raises £13.6m in Series B financing (FINSMES)
Trussle, which leverages proprietary automation and mortgage monitoring software to compare and track thousands of mortgage products, raised the funding from Goldman Sachs and BBVA-backed Propel Venture Partners.
Smooth Commerce powering Basil Box mobile order ahead and loyalty app (BETAKIT)
Smooth Commerce builds mobile apps for retailers that include payments, loyalty rewards, and discount programs.
Is Facebook about to launch its own cryptocurrency? (INDEPENDENT)
The biggest management reshuffle in Facebook’s history has revealed the social network’s intentions to develop blockchain technology, though it is not yet clear for what purpose.
HSBC launches Connected Money app (FINEXTRA)
The app will enable customers to see account information from all their providers in one place.
Visa, PayPal bring mobile payment partnership to Canada(BETAKIT)
The two companies have already collaborated in the US, Asia, and Europe.
Google Pay’s app adds boarding passes, tickets, p2p payments and more (TECHCRUNCH)
Google said users can send and request money, manage payment info linked to their Google accounts, and see their transaction history on the web with the Google Pay iOS app.
Athena raises $15 million to disrupt Australian mortgage market
(FINEXTRA)
Athena, which provides online approvals for loans, raised the funding from Macquarie Bank and Square peg Capital.
iZettle, the ‘Square of Europe’, plans IPO to raise around $227M, valuing it at $1.1B (TECHCRUNCH)
iZettle’s plan is to use the proceeds to “execute on our ambitious growth strategy” both by continuing to serve small and medium businesses but also by turning its focus to larger merchants and other companies in Europe and Latin America.