DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Difficulties of rate environment have not yet reached banking clients, BaFin president says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailDifficulties of rate environment have not yet reached banking clients, BaFin president saysMark Branson, president of German financial regulatory authority BaFin, gives his take on the current rate environment and how German firms, lenders, and consumers should navigate 2024.

Persons: Mark Branson

Here's the state of play globally for crypto regulation and enforcement in 2023 — and a look at what to expect in 2024. "However, much of their work has involved providing guidance to the industry through enforcement actions," continued Levin. Crypto market participants nevertheless hope that the spate of legal challenges brought to crypto companies in 2023 will bring clarity in the form of new regulations. The U.S.'s dominant role in global finance and its focus on consumer protection plays a crucial role in its leading position in crypto regulation enforcement. The region has been increasingly warming to crypto assets, despite a broader anti-crypto push from China, which banned bitcoin trading and mining in 2021.

Persons: Al Drago, Binance, Sam Bankman, Renato Mariotti, Mariotti, Richard Levin, Nelson Mullins Riley, Levin, ada, Changpeng Zhao, Damian Williams, Brian Armstrong, Armstrong, Alyse Killeen, Scarborough's Levin, FinCEN, Killeen, Diem, USDC, Braden Perry, it's, Kennyhertz Perry, Perry, Bafin Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Bloomberg, Getty, Regulators, Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S, Alameda Research, U.S . Justice Department's Securities, Commodities, CNBC, Capitol, SEC, Futures Trading Commission, Department of Justice, Scarborough, CFTC, Protocol Labs, Southern, of, Stillmark, Meta, Visa, Mastercard, U.S ., European, IRS, European Union, EU, France's Financial Markets Authority, AMF, Treasury, Monetary Authority of, Three Arrows, Terra Labs, Terra, Hong Kong Securities, Futures Commission, SFC, OSL Locations: Washington, Europe, Asia, U.S, Alameda, of New York, European, Crypto, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong, Monetary Authority of Singapore, China, East, Africa

☆ Russian court rules in favour of VTB Bank's $122 mln claim from former European subsidiary
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SummaryCompanies This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A Russian court has ruled that state-owned lender VTB's (VTBR.MM) claim for 112.6 million euros ($122.1 million) from its former European subsidiary should be paid, court filings showed on Friday. VTB in September filed a lawsuit seeking to recover debt from the former subsidiary, now called OWH SE, and applied for interim measures that were granted in full, leading the Russian court to freeze securities owned by OWH. Frankfurt-based VTB Bank (Europe) SE, already ring-fenced by regulators due to sanctions and in liquidation since last year, has been renamed OWH SE, its Chief Executive Officer Frank Hellwig said last month. German regulator BaFin said the measures had resulted in a complete ring-fencing of the subsidiary from its parent. ($1 = 0.9222 euros)Reporting by Elena Fabrichnaya; Writing by Alexander Marrow; editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: VTB, Frank Hellwig, OWH, BaFin, Elena Fabrichnaya, Alexander Marrow, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: VTB's, OWH ., VTB Bank, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, OWH . Frankfurt, Europe, Ukraine, VTB

☆ Bitcoin Group: taking steps against money-laundering, terrorist financing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Bitcoin coins are seen at a stand during the Bitcoin Conference 2023, in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S., May 19, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Bello/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Germany's Bitcoin Group (ADE.DE) said on Wednesday it was taking measures to improve its internal control system, after the financial regulator BaFin ordered its subsidiary futurum bank to remedy shortcomings on money-laundering and terrorist financing. "The Bitcoin Group expressly points out that there are currently no indications of violations of money laundering and terrorist financing laws within the Group," the company said in a statement. On Tuesday, BaFin identified "severe deficits" at futurum bank involving its internal security measures, its fulfillment of due diligence obligations and its system for reporting suspicious activity. "We are actively working with BaFin to quickly address the criticized weaknesses in our internal processes, which have not kept pace with the company's growth in recent years," Bitcoin Group Chief Executive Marco Bodewein said in the statement.

Persons: Marco Bello, BaFin, Marco Bodewein, Rachel More, Madeline Chambers, Miranda Murray Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Miami Beach , Florida, U.S, futurum

☆ Signa founder Benko hands reins of property empire to Geiwitz
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view of the sign of Signa Holding on their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, November 6, 2023. Benko, an Austrian entrepreneur and a key figure in Europe's property market for two decades, is known for high-profile purchases including New York's iconic Chrysler Building and Britain's Selfridges. Some current and former investors - themselves titans of industry - have in recent days publicly lashed out at Benko, raising questions about his future role at Signa. What is important now is to restore trust, and I want to play my part in that," Benko said in the statement. Geiwitz is best known for his role in the insolvency proceedings of Germany's Galeria Kaufhof-Karstadt department stores and drug store chain Schlecker.

Persons: Leonhard Foeger, Rene Benko, Arndt Geiwitz, Fitch, Benko, Signa, Geiwitz, Germany's Galeria, Alexandra Schwarz, Tom Sims, Matthias Williams, Kirsti Knolle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Signa, REUTERS, Rights, Chrysler, titans, Germany's, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Austria, FRANKFURT, Germany, Austrian, Benko

The logo of Deutsche Bank is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Deutsche Bank AG FollowFRANKFURT, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Customers of two Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) units have lodged a surge in complaints with Germany's consumer protection agency, the advocacy group said on Monday, as the banking giant scrambles to make good with aggravated clients. The VZBZ consumer group said it had registered about 1,700 complaints by customers of Deutsche's Postbank arm and its mortgage division in the year through September. The consumer group had already reported complaints of Postbank customers not having access to their funds for weeks and direct debits getting rejected, jeopardising their credit scores. BaFin got nearly 10,000 complaints about Postbank by early September, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Persons: Yves Herman, VZBZ, Ramona Pop, BaFin, Sewing, Tom Sims, Rod Nickel Organizations: Deutsche Bank, REUTERS, Companies Deutsche Bank, FRANKFURT, Deutsche, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Germany's, Postbank

☆ German regulator to send special monitor to Deutsche Bank, Handelsblatt reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority BaFin (Bundesanstalt fuer Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht) is pictured outside of an office building of the BaFin in Bonn, Germany, April 15, 2019. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Oct 1 (Reuters) - German financial regulator BaFin will send a special monitor to Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) following problems at its Postbank unit, German daily Handelsblatt reported on Sunday citing sources close to the matter. Both BaFin and Deutsche Bank declined to comment. The issues at Postbank included disruptions in online offerings, difficulty in reaching customer service and long processing times, BaFin has said. BaFin said two weeks ago it would "take relevant supervisory measures if appropriate".

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, BaFin, Maria Martinez, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Federal Financial, Authority, REUTERS, Rights, Deutsche Bank, Thomson Locations: Bonn, Germany

☆ Factbox: Scrutiny of iris-scanning crypto project Worldcoin grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Worldcoin has drawn criticism from privacy campaigners over its data collection. It has said the biometric data is either deleted or stored in encrypted form, and that it is "committed" to working with regulators. CNIL had previously said it was aware of the Worldcoin project and that the legality of its biometric data collection "seems questionable". GERMANYA German data watchdog has been investigating Worldcoin since late last year due to concerns over its large-scale processing of sensitive biometric data, it said. PORTUGALPortugal's data regulator, the CNPD, has inspected Worldcoin's local data collection operation and been in contact with the Bavarian data protection authority in Germany, a spokesperson said.

Persons: Annegret, Sam Altman, Altman, Worldcoin, CNIL, Elizabeth Howcroft, Tom Wilson, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS, Agencia, Informacion Publica, Commissioner's, Communications Authority of, Data, Thomson Locations: cryptocurrency, Berlin, Germany, ARGENTINA, Argentina, Informacion, BRITAIN, FRANCE, Worldcoin's, GERMANY, Handelsblatt, KENYA, Kenya, Communications Authority of Kenya, PORTUGAL

☆ German regulator probes Worldcoin crypto currency - Handelsblatt
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Stickers handed out to people who signed up for WorldCoin are seen at a sign-up site in Shoreditch, East London, Britain July 24, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Howcroft/File PhotoBERLIN, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Germany's financial regulator Bafin is investigating the digital currency Worldcoin, German business daily Handelsblatt reported on Tuesday. "If a company turns to the German market without the necessary permission, for example with a website or app in German, we investigate it," a spokesperson was cited as saying. Worldcoin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Writing by Friederike Heine, Editing by Rachel MoreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elizabeth Howcroft, Worldcoin, Friederike Heine, Rachel More Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Shoreditch, East London, Britain

☆ Binance withdraws application for crypto license in Germany
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 26 (Reuters) - Binance has withdrawn its application for a crypto license in Germany, suggesting the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange is rethinking its immediate expansion plans amid a tough regulatory stance towards the industry. German regulators had told Binance they would not grant it a crypto custody license, Reuters reported last month. "Binance confirms it has proactively withdrawn its BaFin (Germany's financial regulator) application. The situation, both in the global market and regulation, has changed significantly," a spokesperson for the company said on Wednesday. "Binance still intends to apply for appropriate licensing in Germany, but it is essential that our submission accurately reflects these changes," the spokesperson added.

Persons: Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Niket, Elizabeth Howcroft, KRishna Chandra Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Securities, Exchange, CoinDesk, Thomson Locations: Germany, Netherlands, France, Bengaluru, London

Higher interest rates helped UniCredit (CRDI.MI) strongly beat earnings expectations in the second quarter. Germany's financial regulator BaFin has been calling on banks to raise the amount of money they set aside for bad loans. Deutsche Bank on Wednesday said provisions for bad loans nearly doubled in the second quarter from a year earlier to 401 million euros. Santander's financial chief said bad loans in Brazil may have already peaked. This sent the bank's shares up around 2% on Wednesday, with Jefferies saying that it sees upside potential to net interest income.

Persons: Ralph Orlowski, Lloyd's, Andrea Orcel, BaFin, James von Moltke, UniCredit, Jefferies, Tom Sims, Jane Merriman Organizations: Germany's Deutsche Bank, REUTERS, Deutsche Bank, Lloyds Banking Group, Lloyds, JPMorgan, Monetary Fund, European Central Bank, Union, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, MILAN, MADRID, Europe, Spain, Santander, Brazil

☆ Fed fines Deutsche Bank $186 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Deutsche Bank has been trying to leave its troubled past behind for years. The Fed found that Deutsche Bank (DB) has made insufficient progress since 2018 to tighten its anti-money laundering controls, improve customer due diligence and ensure compliance with sanctions, among other failures. The Fed had already fined the bank a total of $99 million in 2015 and 2017 over the same issues. Deutsche Bank exited the relationship in 2015. In November, Germany’s financial watchdog BaFin threatened Deutsche Bank with a fine if it failed to take action on money laundering and terrorist financing controls.

Persons: ”, “, BaFin Organizations: London CNN — Deutsche Bank, US Federal Reserve, Deutsche Bank, DB, Fed, Danske Bank, Deutsche, Danske Locations: Danske Bank Estonia, Danske Estonia

"I am worried because we are in a deep real estate crisis. And the real estate crisis needs clear, structured and downright radical steps to fix it," Mattner said. For years, Germany's property market has been seen as a safe haven, becoming a major draw for foreign investors. Recent data shows the stress the property sector is facing as the European Central Bank hikes interest rates, with little respite in sight. The fall is "catastrophic," said Andreas Beulich, head of the Federal Association of Independent Real Estate and Housing Companies.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Andreas Mattner, Mattner, Tim, Oliver Mueller, Mueller, Scholz, Danyal, Andreas Beulich, Mathias Duesterdick, ”, Andreas Naujoks, Simone Zapke, Emma, Victoria Farr, Matthias Inverardi, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, German Property Federation, German Construction Industry Federation, Reuters Graphics, European Central Bank, Federal Association of Independent, Housing Companies, Centrum Group, ECB, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Germany's, Europe's, Kai Pfaffenbach FRANKFURT, Baden, United States, Sweden

A lawyer for Woehrmann said DWS' internal investigations "did not reveal any evidence of misconduct on the part of my client". A spokesperson for prosecutors in Frankfurt, where DWS is headquartered, would only say an individual was targeted but would not name the person. DWS declined to comment on Woehrmann, but has said that it stands by its financial disclosures and fund prospectuses and is cooperating with investigators. At present, we cannot estimate when and how the proceeding of the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor’s Office will be concluded," DWS said. Woehrmann resigned as CEO of DWS last year after German prosecutors raided the offices of DWS and Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt over the allegations.

Persons: DWS's, Asoka Woehrmann, Patrizia, Woehrmann, DWS, BaFin, Matthias Inverardi, Miranda Murray, Sabine Wollrab, Susan Fenton, Louise Heavens Organizations: Deutsche Bank, Frankfurt Public, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Frankfurt

☆ Germany to reject Binance's bid for a cryptocurrency licence - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission this month sued Binance and its CEO Changpeng Zhao over what the regulator called a "web of deception" to evade U.S. laws. The German regulator, BaFin, issued a statement declining to comment on individual companies due to confidentiality. Last week, Belgium's FSMA regulator ordered Binance to stop offering any virtual currency services in the country. BaFin in 2021 warned Binance it risked being fined for offering certain digital tokens to clients in Germany without necessary information. Reporting by Tom Sims and Tom Wilson; Editing by Sabine Wollrab and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Tom Sims, Tom Wilson, Sabine Wollrab, Mark Potter Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Finance Forward, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, France

☆ US banking regulator seeks bids for Silicon Valley Bank's German assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. banking regulator is seeking bids for the sale of collapsed Silicon Valley Bank's German assets, according to a Thursday notice posted on its website. The regulator said it will open the German branch's data room to eligible bidders on June 20, adding that participants must hold lending authorization in Germany. This comes in the wake of reports last week from local German media, which said that SVB's German branch was in search of a potential buyer. In March, Silicon Valley Bridge Bank was granted permission by German financial regulator BaFin to conduct its lending business through its SVB Germany branch. HSBC (HSBA.L), which acquired the UK arm of SVB, has been floated as a potential buyer, according to media reports.

Persons: BaFin, Niket Nishant, Akriti Sharma, Krishna Chandra Eluri Organizations: U.S, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Bank, HSBC, Financial, Thomson Locations: U.S, Frankfurt, Berlin, Germany, Silicon, Bengaluru

☆ BaFin president: 'We don't have a global banking crisis at the moment'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBaFin president: 'We don't have a global banking crisis at the moment'Mark Branson, president of the German regulator BaFin (Federal Financial Supervisory Authority), told CNBC's Annette Weisbach that Germany has seen the same impacts from higher rates as many other nations around the world.

☆ German regulator warns of a 'nervous time' for banks, predicts stress in the property market
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Photo: Arne Dedert/dpa (Photo by Arne Dedert/picture alliance via Getty Images)Germany's financial regulator on Tuesday warned that the country's banking system is undergoing a real-life stress test amid the current volatility, also predicting significant weakness for the commercial property sector. Pressures facing the sector have intensified as many central banks push up their benchmark rates, leading to specific market dislocations. Mark Branson, president of the German regulator BaFin (Federal Financial Supervisory Authority), told CNBC that Germany has seen the same impacts from higher rates as many other nations around the world. He said that the German banking system "has taken some pain," but highlighted that there is "no systemic danger" and the financial system has managed to absorb the impacts of higher rates well. However, problems can arise when banks take on additional risk and fail to keep up with a continued and sharp increase in rates.

☆ Generali agrees sale of German specialised pension unit to Fosun-backed company
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, May 4 (Reuters) - Italy's top insurer Generali (GASI.MI) said on Thursday it had agreed to sell its German specialised pension unit to Fosun-backed Frankfurter Leben as it seeks to improve profitability in the life business and free up capital. By selling Generali Deutschland Pensionskasse (GDPK), the Italian insurer will add one percentage point to its Solvency position and around 10 percentage points to that of its German holding company, it said in a statement. In 2019 Generali sold a majority stake in life insurer Generali Leben, to private equity-backed Viridium, as it sought to cut risks on savings business amid record low interest rates. Generali said that the deal to sell GDPK was expected to be completed by the end of 2023, subject to the approval of the German financial regulator BaFin and some local anti-trust authorities. Frankfurter Leben Group is majority-owned by Fosun International (0656.HK) and specialises in buying life insurance portfolios from other insurers and continuing to manage them.

☆ Allianz picks acceptable time to quit N26
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Allianz (ALVG.DE) is striking a blow for forlorn investors of privately held startups. While that would be a 68% discount to N26’s $9 billion valuation as of October 2021, Allianz’s exit route looks agreeably straightforward. N26 has enough cash to finance its operations until the end of 2024, when it is expected to reach profitability. The fight between banks for consumer deposits will force N26 to offer better interest rates for its customers, limiting its profit margin going foward. More to the point, Allianz doesn’t have to inform N26 of an intention to sell.

"It cannot be that financial institutions are doing well because they treat their customers badly," Chan-Jae Yoo, a BaFin official, said in an interview. Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft, an umbrella organisation that lobbies for German finance, said German banks are "extremely stable and robust" and confidence remains "high" and "unaffected" by recent turmoil stemming from the collapse of lenders in the United States and Switzerland. "The mere fact that consumers are increasingly asking us and seeking our advice is proof enough that they do not fully trust financial institutions," he said. Protections and rights for customers of financial institutions have come under increased scrutiny from regulators and the German courts. "We want services to establish themselves in the marketplace that meet consumer needs, not feed the financial industry," he said.

☆ German regulator allows SVB to conduct lending business through local branch
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, March 20 (Reuters) - Silicon Valley Bridge Bank (SVB) (SIVBV.UL) has been granted permission to conduct its lending business through its SVB Germany branch, German financial regulator BaFin said on Monday. BaFin had imposed a moratorium on the German branch of SVB in the wake of the U.S. lender's demise and noted the branch had "no systemic relevance". SVB Germany worked with German companies such as HelloFresh (HFGG.DE) and Lilium (5KD.F). Its total assets stood at 789.2 million euros ($846.26 million) at the end of 2022, according to BaFin. SVB Financial filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, about a week after Silicon Valley Bank was shut down in the largest U.S. bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis.

March 15 (Reuters) - Swiss regulators said Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) can access liquidity from the central bank if needed, racing to assuage fears around the lender after it led a rout in European bank shares on Wednesday. The U.S. Treasury is monitoring the situation around Credit Suisse and is in touch with global counterparts about it, a Treasury spokesperson said. They slid again as a crisis of confidence gripped Credit Suisse on Wednesday after its largest investor said it could not provide Credit Suisse with more financial assistance because of regulatory constraints. The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen in front of an office building in Zurich, Switzerland October 26, 2022. Ralph Hamers, CEO of Credit Suisse rival UBS (UBSG.S) said market turmoil has steered more money its way.

Two supervisory sources told Reuters that the European Central Bank (ECB) had contacted banks on its watch to quiz them about their exposures to Credit Suisse. The Swiss National Bank declined to comment on Switzerland's second-largest bank, after its largest investor said it could not provide Credit Suisse with more financial assistance because of regulatory constraints. Credit Suisse had appealed to the Swiss National Bank and Swiss financial watchdog FINMA for a public show of support, the Financial Times reported. The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen in front of an office building in Zurich, Switzerland October 26, 2022. Ralph Hamers, CEO of Credit Suisse rival UBS (UBSG.S) said market turmoil has steered more money its way.

Search resuls for: "Bafin"

25 mentions found