Hi there, 

A couple weeks ago, we highlighted how fintech is overtaking banks & payment firms. 

The unbundling of legacy financial services is a big theme in our recently released State Of Fintech Q3’20. Beyond startups, the report uses our customer & partnership data as well as patent data to highlight the insurgent threat coming from FAMGA, which is making many moves in financial services.

The report also looks at SPACs, Ant Group’s IPO, M&A activity in fintech, and much more.  

Download the State Of Fintech Q3’20 for free here.

Hang in there

In case you’d not heard, there is an election today in the US. 

How is technology protecting against election vulnerabilities? We dig in here.

The Ant in question

Ant Group’s IPO on the Shanghai Stock Exchange was suspended after some questions by regulators to Jack Ma and other execs.

That gives you some extra time to dig into our teardown of Ant Group (formerly known as Ant Financial or Alipay).

Don’t be trashy

Waste has become a serious problem: roughly a third of global food production is wasted every year, and over 8M tons of plastic wind up in oceans annually, according to the UN. 

From sustainable packaging to refill services, here are 3 ways CPG companies are combating the global waste crisis.

New kids on the block

We're looking for the most innovative cos applying or analyzing blockchain tech to feature in our first-ever Blockchain 50, produced in collab with Blockdata. 

Think your company can make the cut? Apply here before November 25. 

Cashing out
 

In its latest earnings call, PayPal outlined its plans to redesign its digital wallet and further embrace crypto.

Digital currencies and wallets are gaining traction. Read more about how PayPal's Venmo and Square's Cash App are vying to be the top payments choice in the US in this client-only brief.

TechCrunch. Alex Wilhelm (@alex) reports on fintech funding trends using the CB Insights State Of Fintech Q3’20 report.  

Reuters. Krystal Hu (@readkrystalhu) and Anirban Sen (@ASenjourno) cover edtech startup Udemy’s funding talks and reference CB Insights data. 

Digital Insurance. Nathan Golia (@NathanGolia) uses the CB Insights State Of Fintech Q3’20 report to look at insurtech investment.

P.S. We're still adding new speakers for the Future of Fintech. New on the lineup is Betsy Cohen, founder of The Bancorp. Register here and save $300 with code TheBancorp.

The Blurb
 

Close shave. A robot camera using AI-tracking tech to film a soccer game kept mistaking a ref’s bald head for the ball.

Futurism 

Star struck. Humans have been living in space for 20 years straight on the International Space Station.  

National Geographic

Hot take. The creators of South Park have launched a satire show that uses deepfakes, the first recurring production of its kind. 

MIT Technology Review

Quadcopters. AI-powered drones are helping soldiers search structures more safely in combat. 

WIRED

Climb every mountain. Tech workers leaving the Bay Area and heading to the Rockies are bringing new business — and rising real estate prices. 

WSJ