Business

Musicians, YouTubers, Digital Creators Head to Fantagious, the Future of Digital Growth

Published

5 years ago

October 17, 2020

It is true when people say that the ‘internet’ is the greatest innovation of all times. Bridging the gap between communities, eliminating the issues of long distances, helping people build a connection with the world, it is the internet that has turned the world into a global village. It has brought to the world conveniences that no one ever thought would be possible, yet everyone benefits from this invention. The world has the technology to thank for an invention that has paved the way for the fourth industrial revolution.

The innovation in the ways people use the internet has pushed the world into a digital transformation. From retailers to business owners, every individual is working on completing their transition into the virtual world. Be it businesses or music artists, the shift-over into the digital world has made achieving success a bit easy and stress-free. On the one hand, where it is helping many people turn their dreams into reality, on the other hand, it is leading industries towards the point of saturation. While digitalization is beneficial for success, the competition here is tough, with everyone fighting for the top spot, in case of musicians, YouTubers, and social media creators, competing for creating a wide fanbase.

The vastness of the fanbase is one of the most dominant factors that determine the success of musicians, social media creators, and YouTubers. The saturation in the industry makes attracting an audience through digital means a challenge. Addressing this issue is “Fantagious,” the first-ever fan-sharing app.

Established with a mission to “inspire and empower all creative people,” is answering the call for help. It is an effective solution to acquiring exposure and digital growth without getting strangled by the industry’s saturation. Fanatgious is the brainchild of Ramell ‘Rem’ Carter, a 29-year-old tech-savvy entrepreneur, and artist.

The Origin…

Just like all other inventions, even Fantagious has a story of how it came into the picture. It can be said that the creation of this app is the perfect example of ‘necessity is the mother of invention.’ Rem was always fond of music; despite this, he was pushed into choosing other academic subjects. Studying was not his forte due to which he dropped out of college twice.

After giving up on his education, he landed on a job at Tiger Tiger, a well-known Croydon nightclub. He used to work nightshifts, but as he was about to be a father, he had to think of another plan. It led him to the position of Senior Sales Executive in a bar in London, under the umbrella of the same company. A year later, he shifted his career to become a commercial insurance broker.

While working on these jobs, a realization hit him, which caused him to resign immediately. He wished his daughter to pursue her dreams, but the fact that all his life he had compromised on his convinced him that this was not the job for him.

It was at this exact moment that he decided to step into the music industry. He began by helping his friend release his EP. The biggest hurdle was the growth of the fanbase. Rem took this as a challenge, and he started exploring the industry. When he could not find anything, it led him to create the Fantagious app, the first of its kind!

The Ultimate Digital Growth Tool…

The invention of Fantagious was the need of the hour. The people whose success depends on how big a fanbase is, needed an app that could help them establish themselves as prominent entities in their respective industries.

Fantagious is a growth tool for digital creators and musicians, and its web application is all set to hit the market soon. Thousands of artists and digital creators have contacted the company after the announcement. Those who will help the company in its testing phase by registering will have a chance to get free premium access to the app. It means access to masterclasses and a chance to be discovered by talent seekers.

Built with an aim to ‘help musicians and digital creators acquire maximum exposure in minimal cost,’ this app helps acquire a relevant fan following with ease and simplicity. The app, designed by Rem Carter, allows users to link their socials through which it can analyze the kind of fan following a user has. It serves as a platform where artists and digital creators can connect and help each other grow. The fan rating is a way through which a user can search and pair with another user to maximize their exposure. Other features that assist these individuals in working on their digital presence are search through filters and much more.

It lets users grow and increase their reach in three simple steps; search, connect and grow. The iOS and Android versions of this app are expected to be released later this year after the beta testing of its app is complete. As of today, Rem serves as its CEO, Carl Eaton-York, as the COO, Jamahl Rowl Alcide as the CMO, and Cristian Vasquez as the company’s CFO. These four individuals are the founding members of the company and wish to make digital success easily acquirable for those with potential!

Business

Inside the $4.3B Quarter: What’s Fueling Black Banx’s Record Revenues

Published

23 hours ago

January 16, 2026

Matthew Wiles

Every quarter brings fresh headlines in fintech, but few make the kind of impact achieved by Black Banx in Q2 2025. The Toronto-based global digital banking group, founded by Michael Gastauer, reported an extraordinary USD 4.3 billion in revenue and a record USD 1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, while improving its cost-to-income ratio to 63%.

These results not only highlight the company’s operational efficiency but also mark a pivotal moment in its journey from challenger to global leader. The big question is: what’s fueling such impressive financial performance?

Customer Growth as the Core Driver

One of the clearest engines of revenue growth is Black Banx’s expanding customer base. By Q2 2025, the platform had reached 84 million clients worldwide, up from 69 million at the end of 2024. This 15 million net gain in six months demonstrates both the attractiveness of its services and the scalability of its model.

Unlike traditional banks, which rely heavily on branch expansion, Black Banx leverages digital-first onboarding that allows customers to open accounts within minutes using just a smartphone. This approach is especially effective in regions underserved by legacy institutions, where access to affordable financial tools is in high demand.

More customers don’t just mean higher transaction volumes—they generate a compounding effect where network size, brand trust, and service adoption reinforce one another.

Real-Time Payments and Cross-Border Solutions

A major contributor to Q2 revenues is the platform’s real-time payments infrastructure. Black Banx enables instant cross-border transfers across its 28 supported fiat currencies and multiple cryptocurrencies, helping both individuals and businesses bypass the traditional bottlenecks of international banking.

For freelancers, SMEs, and multinational clients, this means faster liquidity, reduced foreign exchange costs, and simplified global operations. The demand for real-time financial services is growing rapidly—Juniper Research projects global real-time payments turnover to hit USD 58 trillion by 2028—and Black Banx is strategically positioned to capture a significant share of this market.

Crypto Integration as a Revenue Stream

Another key revenue driver is crypto integration. While many traditional institutions remain hesitant, Black Banx embraced digital assets early and has built infrastructure to support Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the Lightning Network. In Q2 2025, 20% of all transactions on the platform were crypto-based, reflecting strong customer appetite for hybrid banking services that bridge fiat and digital assets.

Revenue comes not only from transaction fees but also from value-added services like crypto-to-fiat conversion, staking yields (4–12% APY), and blockchain-enabled payments. For customers in markets with unstable currencies, these services act as a financial lifeline, further expanding the platform’s relevance.

AI-Powered Efficiency and Risk Management

Record revenues would be less impressive if costs ballooned at the same rate. But Black Banx has proven adept at balancing growth with efficiency. Its cost-to-income ratio improved to 63% in Q2, down from 69% a year earlier, thanks to heavy reliance on AI-powered automation.

AI now drives fraud detection, compliance, and customer onboarding—areas where traditional banks often struggle with cost inefficiencies. By automating these processes, Black Banx can process millions of transactions securely while maintaining profitability at scale. This level of efficiency is rare in fintech, where high growth often comes at the expense of margins.

Regional Expansion and Untapped Markets

Geography also plays a role in fueling revenues. Much of the Q2 growth came from Africa, South Asia, and Latin America—regions where demand for mobile-first banking continues to soar. In 2024 alone, Black Banx reported a 32% increase in SME clients from the Middle East and Africa, signaling the strength of its positioning in underserved markets.

By extending services to populations previously excluded from formal banking—migrant workers, rural communities, and small businesses—Black Banx taps into vast pools of latent demand. The strategy proves that financial inclusion and profitability are not mutually exclusive but mutually reinforcing.

Diversified Revenue Streams

Another factor behind Q2’s record revenues is Black Banx’s diversified business model. Income is not tied to a single service but spread across multiple streams, including:

Transaction fees from cross-border transfers and payments.
Crypto trading and exchange services.
Premium account features for high-net-worth clients.
Corporate services for SMEs and international businesses.

This diversification insulates the company against volatility in any single segment, creating stable revenue growth even in shifting market conditions.

Michael Gastauer’s Strategic Blueprint

Behind these results is Michael Gastauer’s long-term strategy: scale aggressively but with efficiency, innovation, and inclusion at the core. His vision has always been to create a borderless financial ecosystem, and Q2 2025’s performance is evidence that this vision is not only achievable but sustainable.

By balancing mass-market accessibility with premium features, and by blending fiat with digital assets, Gastauer has positioned Black Banx as a category-defining player in global finance.

The Road Ahead: Toward 100 Million Clients

Looking forward, the company’s goal of reaching 100 million customers by the end of 2025 will likely be the next catalyst for revenue growth. More customers mean more transactions, more data insights, and more opportunities to refine and expand its service offering.

If current momentum holds, the USD 4.3 billion quarterly revenue milestone could be just the beginning of an even larger growth story. The challenge will be ensuring systems scale securely while maintaining trust in an environment where privacy and compliance are paramount.

A Record That Signals More to Come

Black Banx’s Q2 2025 performance—USD 4.3 billion in revenue, USD 1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, 84 million clients worldwide, and a lean 63% cost-to-income ratio—is more than a financial milestone. It is a signal of how the future of banking is being rewritten by platforms that are borderless, crypto-inclusive, and data-driven.

What fueled this record-breaking quarter is not one innovation but a combination of strategies—scalable onboarding, real-time payments, crypto integration, AI efficiency, and expansion into underserved regions. Together, they form a model that doesn’t just challenge traditional banking but actively builds the foundation for global dominance.

For Black Banx, the road ahead is clear: the $4.3 billion quarter is not an endpoint but a launchpad for even greater scale and profitability.