There’s no doubt that 2020 will be another big year for the financial technology industry. Here are 20 fintech companies to watch in the new year, according to industry experts.
1. Affirm â Affirm is a financial technology company that offers installment loans to consumers at the point of sale.
2. Betterment â Betterment is an online financial advisor that offers automated investing and retirement planning services.
3. Coinbase â Coinbase is a digital currency exchange that allows users to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies.
4. Credit Karma â Credit Karma is a free credit monitoring and management service.
5. Dave â Dave is a financial technology company that offers overdraft protection and cash advance services to its users.
6. Digit â Digit is a financial technology company that offers automated savings and investment services.
7. Robinhood â Robinhood is a commission-free online brokerage that allows users to buy and sell stocks, ETFs, and options.
8. Stash â Stash is an app-based investment platform that offers a variety of investment options, including stocks, bonds, and ETFs.
9. Acorns â Acorns is an app-based investment platform that offers a variety of investment options, including stocks, bonds, and ETFs.
Financial Technology (FinTech)
inancial technology, also known as FinTech, is a rapidly growing industry that uses technology to improve financial services.
FinTech companies are using technology to create new products and services that are more efficient, convenient, and affordable than traditional financial products and services.
Some of the most popular FinTech products and services include mobile payments, online banking, peer-to-peer lending, and online investing.
FinTech is disrupting the financial services industry by making it easier and cheaper for consumers to access financial products and services.
Startups
startup is a company or organization in its early stages, typically characterized by high uncertainty and risk. A startup’s success depends on its ability to solve a problem that people care about.
The key to a successful startup is finding a problem that people care about and then building a solution that solves that problem. The best way to do this is to start by talking to potential customers and understanding their needs. Once you have a good understanding of the problem, you can begin building a solution.
If you’re able to successfully solve a problem that people care about, you’ll be well on your way to starting a successful startup.
Disruptive Technology
disruptive technology is a new technological innovation, product, or service that eventually overturns the existing dominant technology in the market.
Mobile Payments
nWhat are mobile payments?
Mobile payments refer to money transactions that are carried out using a mobile device. In most cases, the mobile phone is used to pay for goods and services. The phone is linked to the customer’s bank account, credit card or e-wallet. When the customer makes a purchase, the funds are transferred immediately from their account to the merchant’s account.
There are many advantages of using mobile payments. For customers, it is a very convenient way to pay for goods and services. They do not have to carry cash or credit cards with them. All they need is their mobile phone. For merchants, mobile payments are a fast and efficient way to receive payments. They do not have to wait for the customer to go to an ATM or bank to withdraw cash. Mobile payments are also very secure because they use encryption technology to protect the customer’s financial information.
Mobile payments are becoming increasingly popular all over the world. In some countries, such as Kenya, they are already the preferred way of paying for goods and services. In other countries, such as the United States, mobile payments are still not widely used but they are slowly gaining popularity.
Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency
itcoin is a cryptocurrency, a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange that uses cryptography to control its creation and management, rather than relying on central authorities. The presumed pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto integrated many existing ideas from the cypherpunk community when creating bitcoin. Over the course of bitcoin’s history, it has undergone rapid growth to become a significant currency both on and offline â from the mid 2010s onward, some businesses began accepting bitcoin in addition to traditional currencies.
Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual tokens that use cryptography for security. A key feature of cryptocurrencies is that they are decentralized, meaning they are not subject to government or financial institution control. Bitcoin, the first and most well-known cryptocurrency, was created in 2009. Cryptocurrencies are often traded on decentralized exchanges and can also be used to purchase goods or services.
Blockchain
blockchain is a digital ledger of all cryptocurrency transactions. It is constantly growing as “completed” blocks are added to it with a new set of recordings. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data. Bitcoin nodes use the block chain to differentiate legitimate Bitcoin transactions from attempts to re-spend coins that have already been spent elsewhere.
The blockchain is an immutable, tamper-proof public ledger of all cryptocurrency transactions. Every transaction that has ever taken place on the blockchain is publicly available for anyone to view and verify. This makes it virtually impossible for anyone to fraudulently manipulate the ledger or commit any other type of fraud.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning
nArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a process of programming a computer to make decisions for itself. This can be done through a number of methods, including but not limited to: rule-based systems, decision trees, genetic algorithms, artificial neural networks, and fuzzy logic systems.
Machine learning is a method of teaching computers to learn from data, without being explicitly programmed. This is done by feeding the computer large amounts of data and letting it find patterns and trends. The more data the computer has, the better it can learn.
Big Data
nBig data is a term used to describe the large volume of data â both structured and unstructured â that inundates a business on a day-to-day basis. But itâs not just the amount of data thatâs important. Itâs what organizations do with the data that matters. Big data can be analyzed for insights that lead to better decisions and strategic business moves.
A big data solution typically involves one or more of the following characteristics:
Volume: Organizations collect data from a variety of sources, including social media, sensors, transactional applications, and web logs. The volume of data continues to grow exponentially, making it difficult for traditional systems to handle.
Variety: Data comes in many different formats â from structured, numerical data in databases to unstructured text documents, email messages, video, and audio. Big data solutions must be able to handle all types of data.
Velocity: Data is generated at high speeds from sources such as social media, sensors, transactional applications, and web logs. Big data solutions must be able to process this stream of data in real time.
Cybersecurity
ybersecurity, also known as information security, is the practice of protecting electronic information by mitigating information risks and vulnerabilities. Information risks can include unauthorized access, use, disclosure, interception, or destruction of data. Data can include, but is not limited to, the confidential information of business or individual users.
There are a number of ways to improve cybersecurity. One way is to keep data secure is through the use of encryption. Encryption is a process of transforming readable data into an unreadable format. This makes it difficult for unauthorized individuals to access or use the data.
Another way to improve cybersecurity is through the use of access control measures. Access control measures restrict who can access data and what they can do with it. For example, some systems may allow only certain individuals to view specific types of data. Others may allow only certain individuals to make changes to data.
In addition to encryption and access control measures, another way to improve cybersecurity is through the use of firewalls. Firewalls are devices that block unauthorized traffic from entering a network. By blocking unwanted traffic, firewalls help protect networks from attacks.
RegTech
intech companies to watch in 2020
1. Acorns
2. Betterment
3. Charles Schwab
4. Goldman Sachs
5. JPMorgan Chase
6. Morgan Stanley
7. Robinhood
8. SoFi
9. Square
10. Wealthfront