Quote To Start The Day: “My fantasy is to break up the big banks. I wish we would end 'too big to fail' in our banking system.”

Source: Kenneth C. Griffin

One Big Thing In Fintech: Per a CB Insights compilation of Q1 2021 fintech venture capital data from around the world, the first three months of the year were the most valuable period for fintech investing, ever.

Source: TechCrunch

Other Key Fintech Developments:

• LendingHome is surpassing records.
• Oasis added major mainnet upgrade.
• CME eyes adoption with micro BTC.
• Euronext finished Borsa acquisition.
• Goldman is optimizing with Quantile.
• Fidelity unveils digital asset analytics.
• Notional Finance raises $10M round.
• Paxos has raised a $300M Series D.
• Lender Upgrade tops growth ranking.
• EIB issues digital bond on blockchain.
• ICE sells Coinbase stake for $1.2B.
• Cboe Europe Derivatives to launch.
• Regulators call Tencent, ByteDance.
• Vivid Money raises $73M for fintech.
• Fintech Rho added $100M financing.
• Capchase announces funding effort.
• Mastercard talking CBDC application.
• Deutsche Borse is investing in fintech.
• Voyager Digital, Blockdaemon teams.
• Fiserv innovates in employee payroll.
• AllianceBlock, CBG have teamed up.
• Survey: FinTech Sandbox empowers.
• Nasdaq: A deep dive into dark trades.

Watch Out For This: President Joe Biden’s proposed income tax increases for the wealthy would hit individuals earning more than $452,700 in 2022 and married couples making at least $509,300, according to a White House official.

Source: Bloomberg

Interesting Reads:

• Instagram Live taking on Clubhouse.
• Sawmills selling faster than they cut.
• Ray Dalio on understanding money.
• The knock-on effect of pricey copper.
• GM making EVs in Mexico from 2023.
• New York mayor envisions reopening.
• Parking is devouring American cities.

Market Moving Headline: Ford Motor Co. and EBay Inc. disappointed, while Facebook Inc.’s results took it to a record. Apple Inc. wiped out earlier earnings-driven gains on concerns about chip shortages. Amazon.com Inc. climbed after hours on a better-than-estimated revenue forecast, while Twitter Inc. sank amid a lackluster outlook.

Source: Bloomberg