Daily Fintech Crunch: 22/02/2022

Get your Daily FinTech Crunch. A curated set of news bites about the latest updates on payments, FinTech, DeFi, Crypto and the world beyond…

?? FinTech:

• SuperApp Crunch: Jambo raised $7.5 million in a seed round after three months of being active. The super app wants to introduce young Africans to financial ecosystems through DeFi services and play-to-earn games. rb.gy/xj3t7v ?

• Podcast: Where does AI stand in the world of DeFi? Jesus Rodriguez, CEO of analytics platform IntoTheBlock, looks into a future where AI comes together with DeFi to create a better world where DeFi is more automated and better regulated. AI could be used to predict major market moves, and prevent undesirable usage of contracts. rb.gy/qwwtjb ?

• If you’re looking for sustainable investing methods, then you’re in luck. Stratiphy app is here to help people make safe investment choices by themselves without insane professional fees. rb.gy/xzwxvn ?

• UAE is launching Wio, a new digital banking platform which will provide UAE customers a fully digital banking choice. The platform is launching a beta version for SMEs in a move to offer an engaging, secure, and transparent customer-centric experience. rb.gy/gqquba

• The tech revolution is alive and well in the UAE with more than 90% of the population using digital banking. That means millions of people across the nation are using smartphones and mobile banking apps to open new accounts and make their banking transactions in minutes, shop through e-commerce channels, and make and receive payments. rb.gy/9b6plg

• Dubai’s fintech scene is very well and alive, which is why this year the city is hosting a variety of fintech conferences and events – including the DIFC AI Festival, iFX Expo Dubai, Step Conference Dubai, and more. rb.gy/uxpv5h ?

?? Crypto & DeFi:

• Explore the top 100 list of crypto and blockchain pioneers (and their very own pixel portrait) in this list curated by Cointelegraph. rb.gy/ajgc1p

• A group of crypto enthusiasts are trying to buy the Denver Broncos NFT by collecting $4 billion via a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). The group consists of attorneys, accountants and pro athletes. rb.gy/vbls2p

• The Ukraine-Russia crisis is taking its toll on bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, according to analysts, with Tuesday being the lowest it’s been in over two weeks at $36,370. rb.gy/2saeut

?? Metaverse & NFTs:

• Vesta Equity has launched its real estate NFT platform and marketplace on Algorand. Now, homeowners can easily access the value of their property by tokenizing and selling portions of their real estate NFTs to investors. Investors can also browse the marketplace and make offers to property owners. rb.gy/yazafb

• Over 32 million trees need to be planted in order to sway CO2 emissions caused by minting NFTs. This research conducted by NFT Club shows that Axie Infinity needs to plant 25.4 million trees, Cryptoitties 3.99 million trees, Sorare 580,337 trees, and Snoop Dogg 5,050 trees. rb.gy/gv67su

• Owner of Bored Ape NFT collection Timothy McKimmy is filing a $1 million lawsuit against OpenSea for “stealing” his Ape #3475 NFT. The NFT was mistakenly sold on the platform for 0.01 ETH (~$26) due to a bug on OpenSea that caused hackers to buy NFTs cheaper than they ought to be. rb.gy/cvy6k8

• Solana's leading NFT marketplace Magic Eden announced the relaunch of Launchpad after a two-year hiatus that was caused by a scam that cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars. After implementing new safety procedures, Launchpad is back to help NFT creators directly drop their collections on some of Solana's most popular marketplaces. rb.gy/d1kwmm

• Looks like retro 16-bit games are here to stay. While most games on the metaverse adopt 3D visuals, Worldwide Webb decided to stick to its gaming roots by introducing a game full of worlds and characters in 2D pixel. rb.gy/s1yteg

?? Report of the Day:

• Egypt has a key role to play in how the wider Fintech sector evolves in the MENA region. The country has a large, young, demanding and growing base of consumers and customers. Read more in this report from the Central Bank of Egypt about how the fintech sector is evolving in the North African country. rb.gy/5ggrlo

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