Dan is a deputy executive editor and anchor for Business Insider Today, Business Insider's flagship daily newsletter. Dan, who is based in New York, was previously an editor and reporter at BI, covering financial technology and market structure.
Some of Dan's previous stories include everything from inside Robinhood's failed "Checking and Savings" product that eventually led to Congress getting involved to the internal arguments over JPMorgan's failed attempt to launch a finance app for millennials to how big banks are trying to hold on to a corporate bond market that is quickly slipping through their fingers with the electronification of the space.
Before joining Business Insider, Dan wrote about risk management in derivatives markets for Risk.net and fintech for WatersTechnology. He initially covered local sports for The Journal News, a daily newspaper serving the lower Hudson Valley.
Got a tip? Contact this editor via email at ddefrancesco@businessinsider.com, or direct message on Twitter @dandefrancesco.
A selection of some of Dan's stories:
The inside story of how $3 billion Brex went from raising $150 million to slashing staff in just 10 days. Here are the execs who are out, and what's next for the fintech.
She's a US senator. He's one of the most powerful men in finance. Meet the $500 million power couple getting slammed for stock trades placed as the coronavirus tanked markets.
The inside story of how Robinhood, a $6 billion investing app for millennials, blew a huge launch so badly that Congress got involved
PE shop Vista Equity Partners paid $100 million for 7Park to get in on the alt-data craze. Insiders describe the management turnover, amped up sales pressure, and change in strategy that followed.
JPMorgan's finance app for millennials was plagued with issues from the start. Here's the inside story of how Finn fell apart.
Coinbase wants to go public. Its CEO needs to change his leadership style first, insiders say.
As credit liquidity evaporated, some investors pounced on a bond fire-sale with the help of electronic trading platforms. Insiders explain how a wild 2 weeks unfolded.
Two Sigma, Goldman, and Citi invested $41 million in data startup Crux Informatics. But the past 12 months has seen the startup churn through execs as it looks to solve Wall Street's data woes.
Robinhood, Fidelity, and Charles Schwab are racing to give customers the chance to buy $1 slices of stocks. We talked to a dozen insiders about who wins, who loses, and what it says about trading today.
Tech 2025-12-10T12:37:56.296Z Five months after Meta's $14 billion investment into Scale AI, the once-buzzy startup is facing turmoil.
Media 2025-12-09T12:42:44.782Z Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros. hit a major roadblock in the form of Paramount Skydance. Here's how the offers from both companies compare.
Bank strategists are weighing in on where they see the S&P 500 landing by the end of 2026.
Tech 2025-12-05T15:10:12.772Z Meta's plan to cut back on metaverse spending is a sign that projects not helping tech companies' AI goals are falling out of favor.
Tech 2025-12-04T14:35:26.747Z Spotify Wrapped is back, but few companies can replicate its success.
Tech 2025-12-03T14:42:20.731Z OpenAI may have sparked the AI wars more than three years ago with the launch of ChatGPT, but it's still a long way from finishing them.
Business Insider surveyed readers about how prices have changed. Their answers could mean the next interest-rate cut catches a snag.
Are you fed up at work? Sick of it all? Ready to throw in the towel? You're likely not alone.
Travel 2025-11-26T11:27:23.903Z What to do if your flight gets delayed or canceled.
The no-hiring-no-firing environment, dubbed the Great Freeze, is driving job seekers up a wall. We've got the numbers to prove it.
Travel 2025-11-21T14:17:07.321Z Breakups can feel sudden. But oftentimes the signs were always there.
Tech 2025-11-20T14:24:42.641Z From Sam Altman's other startup to Microsoft's big "rethink," big and small tech companies are readjusting themselves in the age of AI.
The stock market needs a hero. Can Nvidia fit the bill?
Ackman's dating advice led to some funny memes, but it also touches on a bigger issue: the loneliness epidemic. Some doctors think they have a fix.
The labor market's lack of movement is reminiscent of job availability following the 2008 financial crisis. But it's not all bad news.
Media 2025-11-14T14:24:08.704Z The consensus among most experts was that the Disney-YouTube TV fight wouldn't last long. Now, execs are warning there isn't an end in sight.
The government reopening won't make the problems Americans have been dealing with due to the shutdown magically disappear.
AI 2025-11-12T13:03:06.884Z The AI debate has been the biggest discussion topic in the business world this year. However, the conversation further elevated this week.
Trump's proposals for a 50-year mortgage and a $2,000 tariff dividend represent short-term fixes to long-term problems.
Health 2025-11-10T13:31:33.997Z More young people are being diagnosed with cancer, and it's proving to be an incredible financial burden.