Raising $4.5M for a digital bank in Belarus: lessons learned

Cross-border payments remain a major bottleneck for African businesses, often slow, expensive, and limited by traditional banking systems. Nigerian fintech Fincra has teamed up with Hong Kong’s Reap to change this. Fincra, which builds APIs and infrastructure for businesses to send and receive payments globally, is already active across more than 15 African markets. Now, with Reap’s blockchain-powered, stablecoin-enabled solutions, the partnership will deliver faster, cheaper, and programmable cross-border payment tools. Nigeria is the launch market, but expansion is on the horizon. This collaboration highlights how fintech innovation can reshape global trade corridors, empowering African SMEs to connect with Asia more seamlessly. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eEjdwncd

South Korea's fintech unicorn, Toss, preps to launch app in Australia and other markets, with sights also on issuing a Korean won-based stablecoin once regulations allow "Toss has attracted more than 30 million users in South Korea since its founding in 2015, Lee said. Its first major overseas push will be in Australia, where a fragmented banking system and open-banking rules allow room for a one-stop platform, he said." https://lnkd.in/egvtTRym #korea #australia #fintechnews #fintechAus #startupaus #technews

350M Africans are still underbanked. Yet the biggest opportunity in fintech isn’t another consumer app — it’s the infrastructure powering them all. At Ingressive Capital, we believe LPs who bet on the rails, not just the riders, will back the real game-changers in Africa’s fintech future. Read our latest insights on why the next wave of unicorns will be built on infrastructure, not just interfaces. Read full article here -> https://lnkd.in/dSxU4MhG Comment your thoughts below.

I was honored to open the Fintech Forum 2025 organized by Latvijas Banka. Some key takeaways: 1️⃣ We are building the launchpad, so that fintech innovation can take off from Riga and expand to the whole of Europe 2️⃣ Last year Latvijas Banka opened the possibility for fintechs to connect directly to our payment system. 7 companies have already used this opportunity, and more than 10 are in the pipeline 3️⃣ At the beginning of this year, we introduced a pre-licensing process for crypto companies. Today, 15 firms are currently under review 4️⃣ We have designed changes in the regulation to allow fintechs to obtain the so-called small bank license and the necessary changes in the law are now moving through parliament 5️⃣ Latvia’s regulator is highly recognized across Europe for its accessibility and strong risk management by many international market participants 6️⃣ So, what comes next? Latvia offers a set of clear advantages for fintechs. Fintech community, think big to seize the opportunities to grow your business and improve efficiency of financial markets and welfare of our societies!

🌍 “Fintech’s global gap isn’t just about missing infrastructure — it’s about missing stories.” In my conversation with Wiza Jalakasi for Pitch Perfect: The Power of Storytelling in African Startups, we unpacked the reality behind Africa’s payment landscape, the same one he described in his recent post at the EBANX Global Payments Summit about juggling 14 cards, 6 wallets, and 3 mobile money apps just to transact across the continent. This clip captures a piece of that conversation — a reminder that while Africa’s financial systems may seem fragmented, they’ve also produced some of the most creative, resilient, and globally significant innovations in fintech. This is my first behind-the-scenes share from the interviews, and it’s exactly the kind of raw insight that shaped the book. ✨ Here’s Wiza, in his own words:

📢 Alert: 2 Cohorts for Fintech Regulatory Sandbox by BOT has openned. The Bank of Tanzania has opened applications for the 2nd Cohort of the FinTech Regulatory Sandbox. This is a unique opportunity for FinTech innovators and financial service providers to test and scale solutions under a controlled regulatory environment. You can read our article on the BOT fintech Regulatory Sandbox here https://lnkd.in/e3JmHKW6 If you have any questions or require guidance, please don't hesitate to contact us. #FinTech #RegTech #Tanzania #Innovation #VictoryAttorneys

Fintech Regulatory Sandbox application opens up for a second round. You can read more about the sandbox here: https://lnkd.in/ecnUY8dM

South Korean fintech unicorn Toss plans to launch its "all-in-one" finance app in Australia this year and expand to other markets, and aims to issue a won-based stablecoin once regulations allow, said founder and CEO Lee Seung-gun. https://lnkd.in/egvtTRym

Regulatory Sandboxes are Evolving: The End of "Sandbox-Lite" From the UK to Singapore, regulators are moving from blanket exemption models to more structured, rigorous, and demanding sandbox programs. Startups can still launch under controlled, relaxed supervision, but the path requires greater compliance-readiness and faster transition to full authorization. Why it matters: • Compliance costs will rise sooner. • Investors must fund regulation readiness, not just MVPs. • Market entry barriers are climbing — fewer, but stronger, compliance-native players will thrive. The fintech honeymoon with regulators is over, giving way to a more mature partnership. The next wave will be compliance-native fintechs. #Regulation #Fintech #Banking #DigitalTransformation #Compliance Repost or follow Abdul Abdullah for more insights. Disclaimer: Views are personal and not financial advice. Image:Courtesy of Gemini Nano 🍌

https://gietem-pay.com The fintech regulatory landscape is increasingly focused on consumer protection, anti-money laundering (AML), and financial stability. For African innovators, navigating this complex web is a significant hurdle, often stifling growth. This is where the "gifted-payee" solution emerges as a game-changer. This model, where a regulated entity manages all licensed financial activities on behalf of a non-licensed fintech, fundamentally alters the ecosystem. It allows agile startups to bypass the lengthy and capital-intensive process of securing their own licenses. By partnering with a licensed partner, they can legally deploy innovative payment, savings, and credit solutions at speed. This dramatically lowers the barrier to entry, unleashing a wave of financial inclusion. It empowers local entrepreneurs to focus on solving unique African challenges—like cross-border remittances and agricultural finance—while ensuring full regulatory compliance and building a more robust, inclusive digital economy.