Recent developments in the fintech industry manifest its dynamic and ever-changing landscape. This includes the closures of Tally and Score, as well as the entry of Klarna into banking. The volatility of the industry is fairly visible with startups and established firms vying for dominance and regulators trying to maintain order.
Notable advancements in AI and blockchain technologies are transforming service delivery methods and transaction handling. This shift could potentially revolutionize the industry, laying groundwork for future innovations. Amidst these changes, the consistent customer demand for convenient, and secure financial services remains.
In recent news, Tally, known for assisting users in clearing credit card debts, ceased operations despite securing $172 million from investors. The reasons behind this closure remain under wraps.
Similarly, Score, the novel dating app for individuals with high credit scores, shut down in early August.
Shifts and trends within fintech industry
This pattern of closures has raised concerns about the sustainability of fintech startups and foreshadows potential turbulence in the sector’s future.
On the contrary, Swedish fintech firm, Klarna, announced its plan to break into the banking sector. Beyond its ‘buy now, pay later’ services, it intends to offer a ‘balance’ account with cashback on transactions through its app. Despite facing competition from traditional banks and other fintech firms, Klarna remains optimistic about the expansion.
The financial landscape continues to digitally transform, and in the face of this, Klarna aims to provide convenient, responsive, secure and feature-rich services. However, the feature of Klarna that allows users to earn interest of up to 3.58% on deposited funds is currently only available to European users.
Lastly, despite the fluctuating nature of the sector, fintech is experiencing a hiring surge indicating healthy growth. Other tech giants like Apple and Google are making significant moves toward NFC chip development and extending machine learning capabilities respectively. This shows promising signs of development for the technology sector.
