News

International
Report: Middlemen Handle 50% of Russia’s Payments to China
April 28, 2024

Sanctions on payments between China and Russia have reportedly created a thriving market for middlemen. In fact, half of all payments by Russian companies for Chinese products are now handled by intermediaries, Reuters reported Friday (April 26), citing four sources. As the report noted, the...

Banking
Banks Pay Savers More to Stay Amid Steep Interest Rates
April 28, 2024

For America’s biggest banks, deposit costs are exceeding interest income. That’s the first time that’s happened since the Federal Reserve began increasing rates two years ago, the Financial Times noted in a report Sunday (April 28) on the phenomenon. Among the lenders in question is Wells Fargo,...

Banking
Republic First Sold to Fulton in Latest Regional Bank Failure
April 28, 2024

Philadelphia-based lender Republic First Bancorp has been sold after being seized by regulators. Fulton Bank, another Pennsylvania financial institution, has agreed to acquire the lender — which does business as Republic Bank — and its assets, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) announced late Friday (April 26)....

Retail
NRF Takes Gloves Off in Swipe Fee Settlement Objection Filing
April 28, 2024

The National Retail Federation (NRF) on Friday (April 26) asked a federal judge to reject the proposed settlement of a class-action antitrust lawsuit over swipe fees charged to merchants to process Visa and Mastercard credit card transactions. “This ‘settlement’ is a backroom deal struck without...

Social Commerce
TikTok General Counsel Steps Down to Fight Ban
April 28, 2024

TikTok’s general counsel is stepping down to focus on fighting a pending U.S. ban. Erich Andersen, who is also general counsel for TikTok parent ByteDance, will leave that role in June and become special counsel to the company, according to an announcement Friday (April 26), two days after a...

Investments
General Catalyst Reportedly Raises Nearly $6 Billion for Tech Firms
April 28, 2024

Venture capital (VC) operation General Catalyst has reportedly raised almost $6 billion for technology startups. The company, which has invested in Stripe, Snap and Mistral, could close its newest fund as soon as May, the Financial Times reported Sunday (April 28), citing sources familiar with the matter who say the funds...

Social Commerce
Ex-Barclays CEO Bob Diamond Chairs TikTok Challenger Triller
April 28, 2024

The former CEO of Barclays is now chairing TikTok challenger Triller. As the Financial Times (FT) reported Saturday (April 27), Bob Diamond has been chairing Triller owner AGBA since September and will serve in that capacity at the video-and-music-focused social media startup as well.  According to the report, Triller claims to...

Social Commerce
Influencer Brands Are Getting Ready for a TikTok-Less Future
April 27, 2024

G.R.W.M. (that’s “get ready with me”) for a major change in the social commerce landscape, because the pending TikTok ban in the United States could be make-or-break for all the brands that have built their following on the platform. TikTok has become a powerful force for brands trying...

Banking
Earnings Put Spotlight on Banks’ Full-Scale Digital Transformation
April 26, 2024

The shift toward digital channels in financial services shows no signs of slowing down, as evidenced by the latest earnings results from incumbent banks and financial services providers.  During the first quarter, Bank of America logged a staggering 3.4 billion digital logins, with digital sales accounting for half...