The latest class of the Commerce.Innovated accelerator program run by Silicon Valley Bank and First Data demonstrates a focus on changing industries in addition to streamlining how people pay.

The Dodd-Frank Act’s Volcker Rule was meant to protect the financial system, but it is also stopping community banks from investing in funds focusing on fintech.

Heather Tuason is now chief product officer of StreetShares, an online lending and investing platform.

Sam Maule is set to head up North America expansion for 11:FS.

Christine Duhaime, an anti-money-laundering attorney in Toronto, lays out the reasons banks should become early experts (and assist) in initial coin offerings. She also lays out the risks, especially in the wake of the SEC’s report suggesting some ICO tokens are really securities.

New entrants don’t pose a disruptive threat to the incumbent cohort of issuers, credit card networks and acquirers primarily because the incumbents — Visa, Mastercard and First Data — are prepared to compete in all segments of the market.

Readers react to the CFPB’s final arbitration rule, a new potential hurdle for initial coin offerings, a housing finance reform proposal and more.

Up to now, the most successful fintech firms have tried to fill gaps in underserved market, not replace banks. But a new crop of U.K. startups seeking bank charters is turning up the heat.

MPOWER Financing announced a deal Tuesday with Bank of Lake Mills in Wisconsin that will enable the Washington, D.C.-based company to lend to students in all 50 states.

Varo Money, an app designed for people who want to exclusively bank on their cell phones, announced Tuesday that it has filed formal applications for a national bank charter, adding another credit union competitor to the banking landscape.

Varo Money, an app designed for people who want to bank exclusively on their cellphones, announced Tuesday that it has filed formal applications for a national bank charter.

In recent years, the country’s largest cellphone carriers have begun to experiment with new financing options for smartphones and other devices. That forebodes a deeper interest in financial products.

A handful of underfinanced startups aren’t enough to sink the industry. Community banks will survive digital disruption so long as they concentrate on what their customers want and need.

Auto risks mounting. Mortgage market tightening. Are there any good risks these days in consumer lending? Regional bank executives insist partnerships with online lenders, unsecured personal loans and other niche efforts can work if done properly.

Plug and Play is the world’s largest tech accelerator. This episode profiles its fintech vertical.

A profile of New York's top cop for banking offers insight into her thinking on hot regulatory issues; the women behind the machine learning at Morgan Stanley and UBS see a future with better advice; plus, Jane Austen and the new Doctor Who.

The marketplace lender's application for an industrial bank charter is under fire from small banks and progressives, who say it could violate the barrier between banking and commerce and shut out middle-class and lower-income consumers.

The banking industry is evolving. Doesn’t it make more sense to focus on how to evolve with it rather than how to reduce competition?

On the discussion table: Alipay, Jack Ma, blockchain, AI, building a true digital system, payments, financial inclusion.

The app allows users, many of them first-time investors, to get started for as little as $5.