Fintech and Beyond

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has ushered in a transformative chapter in corporate reporting and assurance with the release of International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA™) 5000 – General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements. This landmark standard, approved in 2024, is designed to provide a comprehensive and globally applicable framework for the assurance of all sustainability-related information. The Rise of Sustainability Assurance As environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues dominate stakeholder expectations and regulatory landscapes, the demand for credible, consistent, and comparable sustainability reporting has soared. However, this growing demand has highlighted a fragmented assurance environment, with varying standards, scopes, and levels of assurance being applied across jurisdictions and industries. Recognizing the need for clarity and global consistency, the IAASB developed ISSA 5000 as a foundational...

  In early May 2025, PwC confirmed the layoff of approximately 1,500 U.S. employees, representing about 2% of its domestic workforce. While the Big Four firm stressed that this was a difficult but necessary decision, the move has sparked wider concerns within the accounting and professional services industry. For young professionals and aspiring accountants, this moment is more than a headline—it's a warning signal. This article explores the rationale behind the layoffs, the core causes driving the trend, the demographics of those impacted, and why Deloitte, KPMG, and EY are likely to follow suit before the year ends. Most importantly, it provides practical advice to those pursuing careers within the Big Four in this rapidly evolving landscape. Understanding the Rationale PwC attributed the decision to historically low levels of attrition and strategic workforce realignment. In essence, not enough people were leaving on their own, leading to staffing levels that outpaced actual ...

In 2025, the nature of financial fraud is no longer just about falsified invoices or fabricated financial statements. It has evolved—morphing into something far more intelligent, scalable, and sinister. Today, deepfake technology and blockchain-based laundering tactics have created a new class of cyber-enabled fraud that forensic accountants, regulators, and finance leaders are only beginning to understand. Welcome to the next battlefield in financial crime—where synthetic identities and invisible digital trails collide. The Rise of Deepfake-Driven Fraud Deepfakes—AI-generated synthetic media—were once considered novelties of entertainment. Now, they are among the most dangerous tools in financial cybercrime. Imagine this: A finance manager receives a video call from someone who looks and sounds exactly like their CFO. The person urgently requests a fund transfer to a supplier due to an emergency. The voice is familiar, the gestures are perfect, and the facial movements match. But the ...

  As the urgency to address climate change escalates, the financial landscape is undergoing a significant transformation. Climate-related risks are no longer peripheral concerns; they have become central to business strategy, operational continuity, and investor decision-making. In response to this shift, auditors are emerging as key players in ensuring that climate-related disclosures are not only accurate and reliable but also capable of supporting informed decision-making. A recent publication by the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ), The Role of the Auditor in Climate-Related Information (April 2025), offers timely insights into how public company auditors can contribute to transparent, trustworthy climate reporting. For professionals working in finance, auditing, and ESG, this evolution marks a critical juncture. Climate disclosures are now integral to understanding a company’s long-term value. Investors, regulators, customers, employees, and lenders are increasingly relying on ...

  As digital transactions surge globally, the fintech sector is undergoing a silent transformation—one that places security at the center without disrupting the user experience. At the heart of this evolution lies the emergence of invisible fintech infrastructure and the growing adoption of behavioral biometrics in fraud prevention. Together, they are redefining how financial systems defend against fraud—quietly, intelligently, and in real time. What Is Invisible Fintech Infrastructure? Invisible fintech infrastructure refers to backend technologies that operate seamlessly in the background to facilitate secure, real-time financial interactions. Unlike traditional systems that demand multiple verification steps or visible user inputs, these technologies remain hidden while ensuring safety, compliance, and speed. This invisible layer comprises APIs, machine learning engines, cloud-native architecture, advanced fraud detection systems, and payment orchestration platforms. Although us...

  In the age of artificial intelligence, building a startup no longer requires months of development, a team of engineers, or heavy upfront capital. Thanks to an evolving ecosystem of AI tools, it's now possible to launch a functional, branded startup in a single day—with the right mindset, tools, and execution. The One-Day Startup Blueprint The concept of a one-day startup is not about creating a billion-dollar unicorn overnight. It’s about proving a concept, launching a minimum viable product (MVP), and getting real feedback from users as quickly as possible. The difference in 2025? AI drastically reduces the time, cost, and skill barriers that once made this idea unthinkable. Ideation and Market Research: AI as Your Brainstorming Partner Start your day with AI-powered ideation tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity. These platforms can help you generate startup ideas based on trending markets, conduct market validation and competitor research, and draft problem statements and user per...

Global trade is in a period of turbulence. The escalation of tariff wars between major economies like the U.S. and China has created seismic shifts in supply chains worldwide. Africa, heavily reliant on global markets for both commodity exports and essential imports, is especially exposed to these changes. Yet, within this disruption lies an opportunity for transformation. The continent stands at a strategic crossroads, with a chance to redefine its economic role, foster resilience, and emerge as a key player in the next generation of global supply chains. The Shock of Global Tariffs When economic superpowers clash, the aftershocks are felt worldwide. For Africa, these global tariff wars have disrupted critical trade flows. Exporters of raw materials like cocoa, oil, copper, and aluminum are seeing reduced demand and volatile prices, which translate into shrinking revenues for national economies. On the import side, the price of machinery, processed goods, and other essentials has spik...