Contextual Solutions Blog
This page is dedicated to our original and curated content about FinTech, digital banking, LegalTech, and innovation.
EU Inc: Von der Leyen's 2026 Plan to Boost European Tech Innovation and Startups
Ursula von der Leyen's announcement of EU Inc at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos represents a pivotal shift for European business and technology. This "28th regime" aims to create a unified pan-European company structure, allowing startups to incorporate online in 48 hours and operate seamlessly across 27 member states. By reducing regulatory fragmentation, EU Inc could enhance tech innovation in AI, defense, and deep tech sectors, fostering European champions amid global competition. However, challenges like implementation details and balancing worker protections remain. This essay delves into the announcement's implications, benefits, and potential hurdles for Europe's tech ecosystem.
Prediction: The 28th Regime Arrives in 2026, As a Wallet
For twenty years, Europe chased the dream of a unified "EU Company" structure. It never happened. Now, a silent revolution is replacing politics with technology. The new European Business Wallet allows founders to bypass local notaries and incorporate anywhere instantly—making the location of your company as fluid as your software. Here is why the "28th Regime" is arriving in 2026 not as a statute, but as an app.
The End of the Wild West: CCD2 and the Maturation of European Fintech
The transposition of the Second Consumer Credit Directive (CCD2) signals the end of the "light-touch" regulatory era for European fintech. As "functional symmetry" closes the loopholes that fueled the BNPL boom, founders and executives face a critical pivot. This essay explores the restructuring of unit economics, the friction of mandatory credit checks, and why the industry's future belongs to those who can master the "double lock" of CCD2 and the AI Act.
Navigating DORA: Could This Be the Turning Point for Digital Resilience in Financial Services and IT in Europe?
Is your financial institution ready for DORA? Understand the requirements, implications, and how to achieve digital resilience in the EU.
The EU’s AI Act: A Leap Into the Future or a Step Back for Innovation?
With its latest draft unfurled on January 21, 2024, the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act steps into the spotlight as the globe's inaugural attempt at crafting a comprehensive regulatory framework for AI. But as this legislative titan begins to take form, a growing chorus of skeptics casts a shadow over its aspirations, cautioning that its efforts to govern could inadvertently throttle the very innovation it aims to nurture.
Exploring the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) – How Financial Risk and ICT Risk Have Become One
The EU's Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) doesn't just blur the line between financial sector firms and their ICT providers; it erases that line entirely. This change has significant implications for everyone in FinTech and banking.
Banks Have Been Caught Red-Handed Committing ESG Fraud – or Have They?
Banks Have Been Caught Red-Handed Committing ESG Fraud – or Have They?
Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) greenwashing has soared by 70%, with many of the ‘guilty’ firms based in the EU. Yet all may not be as it seems.
PSD3 Overview: The Draft Has Pitfalls Lurking Amongst the Good Intentions
PSD3: A much anticipated payment regulation
How will the third incarnation of the EU Payment Services Directive affect PSPs and other fintech firms? Significantly so, if it passes in its current form.
Coordinating Regulatory Frameworks for Crypto-Assets
“Pathways to the Regulation of Crypto-Assets: A Global Approach” by the World Economic Forum was released in May 2023. Read our take from the Report below.
Digital Markets Act Has Big Implications for Online “Gatekeepers” in the EU
The EU's Digital Markets Act regulation is coming into force. Will it have the intended effect of levelling the online playing field and allowing smaller firms to compete with large platforms? Or will it just make life more complicated for everyone?
MiCA: The EU Gets Serious About Crypto Regulation
New regulation is designed to protect consumers, enforce compliance, and track all significant transactions between crypto exchanges and private wallets. It's been broadly well-received by exchanges, in contrast to perceived dithering by the SEC in the US.
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