Bookmarks (182)

The year is 2100. Earth is still here, but the Elon Musk vision is now delivered. What is that vision? Read on … Earth in 2100 is a place of automation. Everything is connected. Robots are everywhere. Self-driving aeroplanes and cars move goods and services. More than this, the world is run on a network.... The post Elon Musk’s dream of life in 2100...

Things we’re reading today include … Federal Reserve issues rare statement asserting independence amid Trump pressure Reform backs cryptocurrency tax cut as party receives first Bitcoin donations Tech adaptability helps Zopa unwrap current account and test generative AI No Suits, No Branches, No Problem: Inside The Rise Of Fintech Government sells final shares in NatWest... The post Things worth reading: 2nd June 2025 appeared...

This week’s main blog discussions include … The rise and rise of ransomware There’s a very interesting analysis of the cyber attacks on Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods on the BBC this week. If you have access to their iPlayer, then it’s well worth a watch. If you don’t, then here’s the summary as... The post The Finanser’s Week: 26th May – 1st...

I don’t have a trading background and am not a mathematician, but just went down a rabbit hole. Somehow, someway, someone sent me a Fibonacci T-shirt and I went WTF? Thanks to the t-shirt I stumbled across the Fibonacci principles, and my world changed. What’s that all about? Well, let’s start with asking: Who was... The post I just learned how to trade thanks...

Things we’re reading today include: ‘The ultimate liberty’: how Nigel Farage became a cryptocurrency convert Cryptocurrency Seems Futuristic. The Crimes Around It Are Not. Citigroup’s EU hub becomes largest bank in Ireland HSBC moves to attract rich customers with ‘VIP experience’ Starling Bank: The rise and fall of a fintech darling What is happening with... The post Things worth reading: 30th May 2025 appeared...

Some years ago an elderly gentleman entered the lobby of one of Britain’s biggest banks demanding to talk to someone about the £5 million he had been given by David Cameron. A senior manager at the bank took the gentleman to a consultation room, and it turned out that the man had been notified of... The post Don’t trust until you see the whites...

Things we’re reading today include: The $1tn shadow bank lending boom If stablecoins are banks, what’s a bank? Worldpay Teams Up With BVNK to Offer USDC Stablecoin Payouts Starling Bank profits hit by regulator fine, despite rising customer numbers Tink and Adyen Partner to Bring Pay by Bank to Vodafone Customers in Germany US FinTech... The post Things worth reading: 29th May 2025 appeared...

I hate criticising other people’s work, but I do read some complete claptrap about the future. For example, I just got a report about the future of payments in 2040, that starts with a term Order-to-Cash cycle and then paints a scenario of someone buying an automated car. That was the first few paragraphs and,... The post No-one cares about payments in 2040 except...

Things we’re reading today include … EBAday 2025: Building the banking ecosystems of the future UK fintech Starling’s profit tumbles as regulatory failings linger How Fintech’s Recruitment Crisis Is Breaking Candidates UK Fintech Giant Revolut Surges Amid Regulatory Challenges More than a dozen arrests over French cryptocurrency kidnapping plots How Trump will make the US... The post Things worth reading: 28th May 2025 appeared...

I just ran across an item from 1994 written by Carmen Hermosillo talking about cyberspace, the internet and the future. It is quite something but TL:DR, so here are a few highlights: Introducing Humdog: Pandora’s Vox Redux (1994) “When I went into cyberspace I went into it thinking that it was a place like any... The post Some people knew the internet would NOT...

Things we’re reading today include … Open Banking Transactions Dwarfed by Card Payments in UK Why Britain’s fintech dream is faltering NatWest Eyes Acquisitions, Wealth Management Growth As UK Bank Enters New Era The fundamental flaw at the heart of the Bank of England Global central banks talk harsh new economic realities in Tokyo China... The post Things worth reading: 27th May 2025 appeared...

There’s a very interesting analysis of the cyber attacks on Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods on the BBC this week. If you have access to their iPlayer, then it’s well worth a watch: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002d2lh/inside-the-high-street-cyberattacks If you don’t, then here’s the summary as it illustrates our fragile digital world today. In April, Marks &... The post The rise and rise of ransomware appeared...

Things we’re reading today include … How crypto is going to cause the next great financial crisis ‘Roadmap for corruption’: Trump dive into cryptocurrency raises ethics alarm Keep some cash under your mattress, says Dutch central bank Taxpayers set for £10bn loss on NatWest as disgraced ex-boss takes £600k-a-year pension London vs New York: Who... The post Things worth reading: 26th May 2025 appeared...

This week’s main blog discussions include … What economy would machines create? We talk a lot about AI these days or, as some call it, A1 or Al (yes, Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al) and we have now moved on to other terms including Generative AI, Agentic AI and AGI... The post The Finanser’s Week: 19th May – 25th...

After lots of discussions about how AI is transforming financial services as a new, foundational technology that has massive granularity of use cases, it doesn’t always work. In a very major public about face, Klarna says it doesn’t work. This is the company that saved millions by getting rid of two of five staff. Now,... The post #Klarna discovers that AI is not working...

Things we’re reading today include … Babies to be given $1k ‘Trump bank accounts’ Will Jamie Dimon build the first trillion-dollar bank? Fintech group launches industry-first ‘programmable money’ Big Banks Explore Venturing Into Crypto World Together With Joint Stablecoin NYC Mayor Goes Full Crypto With Council Launch and Tax Plan HSBC UK to slash bonuses... The post Things worth reading: 23rd May 2025 appeared...

Just continuing the AI theme, it’s really interesting to see what Stripe – latest valuation over $90 billion – is doing with the technology. Effectively, it’s tried to create a GPT for payments. The reason they are pushing the envelope is after seeing great results in earlier developments using traditional machine learning models. These resulted... The post Moving from ML to LLM GPT in...

Things we’re reading today include … Bitcoin tops $110,000 for first time as US optimism lifts cryptocurrencies HMRC crackdown on anyone who buys or sells cryptocurrency – YorkshireLive Santander’s US Digital Banking Platform Gains 100,000 Customers Could your new bank branch be a community banking hub? ‘Death by a thousand cuts’: Major bank sounds alarm... The post Things worth reading: 22nd May 2025 appeared...

I’ve followed Clara Durodié’s Decoding AI for some time. Decoding AI is a digital publication dedicated to AI in financial services and, in her most recent update, she delves deep into Trust, Ethics and the Rise of AI in Financial Services, which is my specialist subject of the moment. I won’t repost the whole article... The post Ethics, trust and the rise of AI...

Things we’re reading today include … ‘Worse than Greece’: The debt crisis threatening to blow up the global economy The cryptocurrency that buys access to Trump Cyber attack threat keeps me awake at night, bank boss says Online criminals attacking HSBC ‘all the time’, says head of UK arm nCino’s Research Institute Analyse 10 Million... The post Things worth reading: 21st May 2025 appeared...

We talk a lot about AI these days or, as some call it, A1 or Al (yes, Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al) and we have now moved on to other terms including Generative AI, Agentic AI and AGI which stands for Artificial General Intelligence. The thing is that these terms... The post What economy would machines create? appeared first...

Things we’re reading today include … Revolut dumps Britain for France US Senate set to debate crypto bill as bitcoin nears all-time high How the Bank of England’s £900bn money-printing spree went horribly wrong Government to clamp down on ‘buy now pay later’ services Consumers to get more protection from ‘wild west’ of buy now,... The post Things worth reading: 20th May 2025 appeared...

Like the United States, Europe is trying to create a united region of cross-border trade that works. In America, this is 50 member states who work in a federated structure. My impression after the recent meeting on CRD VI (Capital Requirements Directive) is that Europe’s long-term aim is to achieve the same and, today, there... The post The United States of Europe? appeared first...

Things we’re reading today include … Donald Trump’s US turmoil could make City great again Crypto-Related Abductions Are on the Rise Globally Cryptocurrency platform Coinbase warns of up to $400m hit from cyber attack Binance and Kraken Reportedly Fend Off Social Engineering Hack More than 13m customers still rely on bank branches US reportedly plans... The post Things worth reading: 19th May 2025 appeared...

This week’s main blog discussions include … The regulation versus innovation debate continues I just attended two events – one fintech and one regulatory. The contrast could not have been more different. The fintech event was buzzing with activity and youth; the regulatory event was very serious and full of suits. It reminded me of... The post The Finanser’s Week: 12th May – 18th...

Having been back in the regulatory space again recently, it reminded me of a comment made by one European Commissioner when discussing MiFID back in the day. Over drinks, we were debating the wording and detail and he said: “the point is not to get all member states to comply … the point is to... The post Equivalence + Proportionality + Subsidiarity = ?...

Things we’re reading today include … US reportedly plans to slash bank rules imposed to prevent 2008-style crash Largest US crypto exchange says cost of recent cyber-attack could reach $400m | US crime Cross-border cryptocurrency and stablecoin flows dissected in BIS paper Crypto Regulation Accelerates Worldwide, with Europe at the Forefront Bank of London Investigated... The post Things worth reading: 16th May 2025 appeared...

It is notable that a few challenger neobanks are expanding footprint into telecoms, namely Revolut and N26. N26 joins Revolut in disrupting the telecommunications market The interesting thing here is that there have been many telco’s trying to move into banking – think Orange – and vice versa, but it rarely works. Orange checks out... The post As #Revolut and #N26 move into mobile,...

Things we’re reading today include: ‘Significant doubt’ revealed over Bank of London’s ability to keep operating The Future Of Cryptocurrency: A 10-Year Forecast | ABC Money How Donald Trump’s Crypto Dealings Push the Bounds of Corruption | The New Yorker Trump’s cryptocurrency endeavor caps a political career filled with conflicts of interest London’s Fintech FOMO:... The post Things worth reading: 15th May 2025 appeared...

I just attended two events – one fintech and one regulatory. The contrast could not have been more different. The fintech event was buzzing with activity and youth; the regulatory event was very serious and full of suits. It reminded me of my old days dodging between Money2020 and Sibos. The thing about the regulatory... The post The regulation versus innovation debate continues appeared...

Things we’re reading today include … Cryptocurrency boss’s daughter escapes kidnap gang in Paris Investor Kidnapped, Driven to Remote Desert and Robbed of $4,000,000 in Cryptocurrency by Teenagers The bank ‘vanity project’ loved by Reeves but causing chaos for customers CMA warns of ‘underlying weakness’ at Starling Bank Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ proposes a MAGA... The post Things worth reading: May 14th 2025 appeared...

As with all stages of constant change, there comes a moment of crisis. Many say that crisis means threat and opportunity based upon a Chinese legend. That legend is that crisis in China is a proverb which states that “crisis is an opportunity riding a dangerous wind”. It’s very true. Riding the dangerous wind (骑着危险的狂风)... The post The AI crisis: a big threat and...

Things we’re reading today include … How close are we to seeing crypto payments in day-to-day life? Dice rolled over plan to make old Daventry bank a casino Data Security Critical Regardless of Open Banking Rule’s Fate McKinsey: MENA fintech’s ascent Zilch: UK’s fastest-growing fintech unicorn balloons customer base BoE launches ‘AI Consortium’ as new... The post Things worth reading: 13th May 2025 appeared...

For no particular reason, I was reflecting on being a boomer the other day. Probably it was to do with the speed of change. After all, when I was a lad, there was no tech at home. I played with Batman and James Bond Corgi toys – which I still do – and that was... The post OK Boomer! appeared first on Chris Skinner's...

Things we’re reading today include: Monzo lines up bankers to spearhead blockbuster £6bn float Santander rejects NatWest’s nearly $15 billion bid for UK retail unit, FT reports Germany shutters major crypto exchange, seizes €34 million in assets Co-founder of Celsius sentenced to 12 years in prison for ‘orchestrating one of the biggest frauds in the... The post Things worth reading: 12th May 2025 appeared...

This week’s main blog discussions include … How China’s banks and fintechs are using AI to leapfrog the world For quite a while, I have been amazed by China’s innovations in fintech from Ant to WeBank. My first visit to a Chinese bank in the 1990s, they were using Abacuses to calculate transactions; now they... The post The Finanser’s Week: 5th May – 11th...

Having blogged yesterday about China leapfrogging the world of finance through AI, there are alternative views, particularly in the Big Tech world. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says AI generates ‘fantastic’ Python code, and that it now creates ‘maybe 20 – 30% of the code … in some of our projects’ In a fireside chat with... The post Who needs coders when we have AI?...

Things we’re reading today include … Revolut, Monzo and Wise: The UK fintechs slapped with the most complaints One in five Brits approached by money launderers – how to protect yourself US Federal Reserve warns of the growing threat of stagflation as trade war bites Bill Gates speeds up plans to give away his fortune... The post Things worth reading: 9th May 2025 appeared...

For quite a while, I have been amazed by China’s innovations in fintech from Ant to WeBank. My first visit to a Chinese bank in the 1990s, they were using Abacuses to calculate transactions; now they use rocket science in the form of AI. A lot of this was covered in depth in the deep... The post How China’s banks and fintechs are using...

Things we’re reading today include … US central bank: Trump tariffs causing ‘great deal of uncertainty’ Why are the Democrats greenlighting Trump’s crypto plans? Bitcoin Hits Record High Amidst Rising Cryptocurrency Market Activity Revolut and Lightspark Join Forces to Speed Bitcoin Payments Bristol-headquartered bank wins Royal seal of approval for sustainability eToro seeks to raise... The post Things worth reading: 8th May 2025 appeared...

I was struck by a post on LinkedIn by Eleanor Hill, who focuses on treasury systems, reflecting on what has changed in the past decade. She mentions five things, as that was what was asked, namely: AI for everyone APIs and real-time treasury The return of active risk management The ESG rollercoaster DEI for better decision-making... The post You do know that money isn’t real,...

Things we’re reading today include … IT guy let lover into Deutsche Bank datacenter Complaints about banks soared 76% in past year European tech funding falls 42% in April as fintech leads investment volume Santander to make huge change to bank accounts in DAYS impacting 14million customers AI regulation needs global cooperation, not isolated moves... The post Things worth reading: 7th May 2025 appeared...

In a regular theme, there is a big question in my mind: what is the future of main street? Sure, Brits call it the High Street, but the more we digitalise, the less we need physical structures. Whether it be stores and shops or offices and companies, we all need to recognise that the world... The post People have been predicting the end of...

Things we’re reading today include … French police investigate spate of cryptocurrency millionaire kidnappings 1 Top Cryptocurrency to Buy Before It Soars 13,616% Mentions of ‘cryptocurrency’ and ‘stablecoins’ in SEC filings hit record high in April Fintech Tide seeks more than $1bn valuation in share sale Ant Group in Talks for International Unit IPO in... The post Things worth reading: 6th May 2025 appeared...

Dealing with financial abuse It only came to my attention recently in talking about these things with those trying to solve the issues is that financial abuse is as prominent as domestic abuse. If you beat up your partner, you can see the physical bruises; but what about if you coercively control your partner or... The post Can fintech protect the vulnerable? appeared first...

Things we’re reading today include … Rachel Reeves has promised UK fintech the world – now she must deliver ‘Act of war’: Warren Buffett is rocking financial world with a new Trump warning Warren Buffett shocks investors by announcing retirement from Berkshire Hathaway at the end of the year New fintech trends reshape digital finance... The post Things worth reading: 5th May 2025 appeared...

This week’s main blog discussions include … What would you do if you lost a billion dollars? Whilst walking the dog, I’ve been entertained by a fascinating series of podcasts on BBC Sounds called Fool’s Gold. It tells the story of two detectorists – folks who search everywhere using metal detectors – who found gold... The post The Finanser’s Week: 28th April – 4th...

Whilst walking the dog, I’ve been entertained by a fascinating series of podcasts on BBC Sounds called Fool’s Gold. It tells the story of two detectorists – folks who search everywhere using metal detectors – who found gold dating back to the 8th century. Very rare gold. 300 or more coins plus some jewellery. It’s... The post What would you do if you lost...

Things we’re reading today include … UK banks put £75bn into firms building climate-wrecking ‘carbon bombs’, study finds HSBC shareholders urge bank to reaffirm net zero commitment 110-Hour Workweeks Drove Young Bankers to the Brink – WSJ Barclays boss breaks with Lloyds, Natwest and HSBC on major UK banking regulation Revolut and N26 want to... The post Things worth reading: 2nd May 2025 appeared...

Surfing as usual, I stumbled across a new report by Citi talking about Digital Dollars, and how banks and public sector would drive blockchain adoption. So, what does the digital dollar mean? Citi’s view is that “2025 has the potential to be blockchain’s ‘ChatGPT moment’ for adoption in the financial and public sectors. A supportive... The post Citi predict 2025 is when stablecoins explode!...