Total fintech investment tops US$210 bn, as interest in crypto and blockchain surges | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Total fintech investment tops US$210 bn, as interest in crypto and blockchain surges | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

According to the Pulse of Fintech H2’21 – a bi-annual report published by KPMG highlighting global fintech investment trends – total global fintech funding across M&A, PE and VC reached US$210 billion across a record 5,684 deals in 2021. Fintech funding in H2’21 accounted for US$101 bn of this total – down slightly next to H1’21’s US$109 bn. “2021 has been an incredibly strong year for the fintech market globally, with the number of deals soaring to record highs across the board,” said Anton Ruddenklau, Global Fintech Leader, KPMG International. “We’re seeing an incredible amount of interest in all manner of fintech companies, with record funding in areas like blockchain and crypto, cybersecurity, and wealth tech. While payments remain a significant driver of fintech activity, the sector is broadening every day.” Payments continued to attract the most funding among fintech subsectors, accounting for US$51.7 bn in investment globally in 2021 – up from $29.1 bn in 2020. A continued surge in interest in areas like ‘buy now, pay later, embedded banking and open banking aligned solutions have helped keep the payments space very robust. Blockchain and crypto was also a very hot sector, attracting a record US$30.2 bn in investment