London's wounded fintech scene finds an unlikely hero after Brexit

London

"BREXIT" may have wounded London's reputation as a leading hub for financial technology (fintech) companies, but now an unlikely hero is helping to protect its edge: the UK regulator.

Take SETL, a startup that seeks to harness blockchain technology. The London-based firm says it became the first to use the digital ledger (which is the same architecture that bitcoin uses) to process a retail transaction using fiat, government-issued currency. The company's chief executive officer says the British regulator helped it sprint ahead.