~chris-skinner-s-blo | Bookmarks (174)

Things we’re reading today include … Poorest countries in worst financial shape since 2006, World Bank says | Al Jazeera Westpac outage causes app, online banking to stop working for Australians | Daily Mail Bank of England and FCA joint approach to the Digital Securities Sandbox | Bank of England Farther raises $72m Series C... The post Things worth reading: 14th October 2024 appeared...

This week’s main blog discussions include … Why are fintechs worth more than banks? I just got the latest Finch Capital report on The State of Fintech 2024. Many of us think that fintech valuations and investments have gone through the floor, and this reports make clear that it depends where you are. The UK... The post The Finanser’s Week: 7th October – 13th...

My family has just been through a hard time. Mother, mum, is old and losing her faculties. My brother is her full-time carer and recently organised the sale of her house. Funds were finally transferred into her bank account, and that’s where the trouble started. My brother isn’t young and, in the spirit of trying... The post Why we still need bank branches appeared...

Things we’re reading today include … The FBI made a cryptocurrency to catch crypto scammers (qz.com) TD Bank fined $3bn in historic money laundering settlement – BBC News TSB Bank handed huge fine for failing customers in arrears (cityam.com) Monzo staff to sell shares as valuation soars again to £4.5bn | Sky News Labour’s cosy... The post Things worth reading: 11th October 2024 appeared...

I noted the other day that 60% of UK bank branches have been shuttered since 2015. A lot of people aren’t happy about this and so we see new bank hubs opening where, for each day of the week, the hub represents a different bank. But why do we need branches? I posed this question... The post Let’s get rid of bank branches appeared...

Things we’re reading today include … I am not Bitcoin inventor, says man named in HBO film – BBC News Sectors that are Warming up to Cryptocurrency Payments (cryptotimes.io) The big league: The most funded European fintech companies of 2024 so far – Tech.eu Regulators targeting challenger banks as new fraud rules are introduced –... The post Things worth reading: 10th October 2024 appeared...

I just got the latest Finch Capital report on The State of Fintech 2024. Many of us think that fintech valuations and investments have gone through the floor, and this reports make clear that it depends where you are. The UK is doing well, as is the Netherlands, whilst Ireland has seen a 90% drop... The post Why are fintechs worth more than banks?...

Things we’re reading today include … Investor turns $800 into $7.5 million as hippo-inspired cryptocurrency skyrockets | The Independent 11 Crypto Platforms Under Review as Hong Kong Faces Criticism on Strict Regulations (financemagnates.com) Cryptocurrency Adoption ‘Fastest-Growing Tech in Years’, Says BlackRock Executive (techopedia.com) Millennials bank on parental handouts (yourmoney.com) Top US banks brace for lowest... The post Things worth reading: 9th October 2024 appeared...

Someone asked me the other day whether banking mergers in Europe would be a big trend or just wishful thinking. I guess this is because of the imminent acquisition of Commerzbank by Unicredit. Their real point was that the major European banks will need to merge to survive. After all, if American banks can spend... The post Where is Europe’s megabank? appeared first on...

Things we’re reading today include … LEGO’s website hacked to push cryptocurrency scam (bleepingcomputer.com) Fintech Revolut Prevented $13.5 Million Loss Due to Crypto Fraud – Bitcoinsensus FTX: Customers of failed crypto firm set for refunds – BBC News US FinTech funding halved in Q2 as investors grow risk averse – FinTech Global Bank of Russia... The post Things worth reading: 8th October 2024 appeared...

For over half a century, post the second World War, Europe has been integrating. From a few nations in the 1950s, led by France and Germany, the Eurozone grew to 28 countries. Then, with Brexit, 27. Now, after Brexit, there are rumours the alliance could shrink further as many countries have issues with the ECB’s... The post Europe – over-regulated and under-invested appeared first...

Things we’re reading today include … Elon Musk’s X paid its Brazil fines to the wrong bank, court says | Mashable FCA fines Starling Bank £29m for sanctions screening failures – FinTech Futures: Fintech news UK strengthens role in European fintech sector, report says – ThePaypers Banks and tech companies at odds over online fraud... The post Things worth reading: 7th October 2024 appeared...

This week’s main blog discussions include … US banks invest three times more in tech than European banks I got an interesting question in my recent banking presentation: US banks have spent far more on technology than banks in Europe – will European banks ever be able to catch-up? It is true that American banks... The post The Finanser’s Week: 30th September – 6th...

I got an interesting question in my recent banking presentation: US banks have spent far more on technology than banks in Europe – will European banks ever be able to catch-up? It is true that American banks have spent far more on tech. To illustrate the point: JPMorgan spent over $15 billion last year, and is... The post US banks invest three times more in...

Things we’re reading today include … Mystery creator of Bitcoin identified, new HBO documentary claims – POLITICO Carlos Torres Vila (BBVA): “The reinvention of a bank doesn’t end” Mediobanca CEO says conditions not right for cross-border bank M&A in Europe | Reuters Can Andrea Orcel, Europe’s star banker, create a super-bank? (economist.com) UK strengthens role... The post Things worth reading: 4th October 2024 appeared...

I just spotted a blog by Alan Stapelberg, who is Group Product Manager for Google Wallet. Here’s his opening para: “Imagine starting a vacation like this: You arrive at the airport and breeze through security by tapping your phone to a reader, scanning your boarding pass and ID. While waiting to board, you grab a... The post Identity? Forget mobile … think eyeballs! appeared...

Things we’re reading today include … Bank of America is down: Users report their accounts showing empty balance during widespread outage | The Independent Russian court freezes funds of US banks JP Morgan and Mellon | Reuters Starling Bank fined £29m for ‘shockingly lax’ financial crime controls | The Guardian Starling Bank is simply not... The post Things worth reading: 3rd October 2024 appeared...

I recently did a workshop with a major bank and asked them to send questions beforehand. This is a great way for me to develop a Q&A stream as they asked me lots of questions. The first big question was: What do banks need to do to be successful in the future? Well, if I... The post What do banks need to do to...

Things we’re reading today include … DWP asks Universal Credit claimants to supply bank statements for benefit checks – Birmingham Live Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland banking apps are back online following a two-hour outage | Daily Mail EU cross-border bank mergers pose real risks, Nagel warns – POLITICO The end of LIBOR |... The post Things worth reading: 2nd October 2024 appeared...

For the past decade, I’ve written a lot about platforms, ecosystems, digital transformation and connected structures so, when someone asked me the other day what’s hot today, my answer narrowed down to AI, APIs, no-code and Quantum. Why? Because these areas are the most exciting today. But what’s hot tomorrow? I wrote a blog the... The post A world of change: what’s next? appeared...

Things we’re reading today include … Markets stop panicking when central bank start panicking | Forexlive Metro Bank completes sale of residential mortgage portfolio to NatWest (mortgagesolutions.co.uk) Clearbank eyes flurry of new products amid ‘huge demand’ for fintech (cityam.com) Open Banking Fintech TrueLayer Reports Growth In Revenue And Increase In Losses | Crowdfund Insider After... The post Things worth reading: 1st October 2024 appeared...

For years, we have talked about digital identities and how to make them work. The fact is that most countries are lagging behind whilst a few are leading, such as India with Aadhaar. Where it is working, it is totally transformative. For example, India moved from only 35% of the population able to access bank... The post Who do you think they are? appeared...

Things we’re reading today include … Fintech has outgrown sandboxes. Now it needs airports | World Economic Forum PayPal’s CEO Marks a Year on the Job. The Race for Change at the Fintech Is a ‘Marathon.’ – Barron’s Has the ECB cracked the code for digital euro CBDC adoption? – Ledger Insights JP Morgan’s JPM... The post Things worth reading: 30th September 2024 appeared...

The main blog discussions this week include … Everything you don’t understand about money combined with everything you don’t understand about computers There’s a quote I often use from John Oliver that cryptocurrency is “everything you don’t understand about money combined with everything you don’t understand about computers”. That was 2018. It’s now 2024, and... The post The Finanser’s Week: 23rd September – 29th...