The main blog headlines are …
9 out of 10 blockchain trials go nowhere
I just read an interesting new report from Deloitte about blockchain. They tracked the history of 86,034 blockchain projects hosted on GitHub since 2009 to pull out “key lessons” on where the blockchain industry is going and its long-term prospects. Here are some of the …
Don’t look to America for innovation
I recently wrote this piece for Raconteur’s Sunday Times supplement, and thought it might interest The Finanser’s readers: ‘When we in the West look to America for innovation, we are looking the wrong way’ I often talk about the world of change we are going through and …
Apple Pray: why has Apple Pay failed?
I was talking the other day to a colleague about the phenomenon in Asia, India, Africa and South America taking place with mobile payments and the lack of take-up in the USA. Why is this, I wondered? Then got my answer, although it isn’t a …
The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has slammed the rise of cryptocurrencies insisting the costs to mine bitcoin is ‘enormous‘ and that the energy consumption is worrying, declaring current costs of electricity consumption used to mine the coins are “double the electricity …
Unleashing $3.7 trillion of productivity through a mobile phone
I just hosted a conference in Africa and you cannot attend a conference in Africa without financial inclusion, mobile wallets and microfinance coming up. It’s always on the agenda and top of mind, because most Africans have been excluded from financial services to date. In …
A unified model of banking the unbanked
As mentioned yesterday, I always get a new take on life when I come to Africa, and this visit is no exception. I’m chairing conferences where a range of start-ups, telco’s and banks are talking about their experiences and views. Halfway through the dialogue, a …
The latest news headlines …
Why money is meaningless and what the bank of the future must do about it - MoneyWeb
Over the past decade British author and commentator Chris Skinner has become one of the most influential voices in the world on the future of financial services. He has advised the White House, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum, and he was in South Africa this week to talk to fintech entrepreneurs at an event in Cape Town hosted by AlphaCode.
Lenders gorge on cheap Bank of England funds before cut-off date - The Telegraph
Why The U.S. Treasury Killed A Latvian Bank - Forbes
On February 24th, 2018, the European Central Bank announced that ABLV was “failing or likely to fail in accordance with the Single Resolution Mechanism Regulation.” It will be wound up under Latvian law, and its subsidiary ABLV Bank Luxembourg will be wound up under Luxembourg law.
Lloyds pursued HBOS takeover at 'colossal risk' to shareholders, High Court hears - The Telegraph
Klarna’s profits driven by growth in Nordics and Germany - Financial Times
Swedish online payment group makes slow progress in UK and US despite big push
The Rothschild banking dynasty is about to be passed to the 7th generation - Business Insider
Rothschild, perhaps the most storied banking dynasty in Europe, is set to appoint a new boss after it was reported that current chairman David de Rothschild is set to step aside, and appoint his son in his place. The elder de Rothschild, 75, will hand over chairmanship to his son Alexandre, 37, in the summer.
India gives its fraud-hit banks a 15-day ultimatum - Quartz
In the last two weeks, several state-owned lenders have alerted shareholders of massive frauds. This includes Punjab National Bank (from which nearly $2 billion has been siphoned off), Bank of Baroda (Rs3,700 crore), and the Oriental Bank of Commerce (Rs109.08 crore).
Standard Chartered back in the black as it restarts dividend - The Telegraph
Bank of America to open 500 new branches in 4 years - CNBC
Bank of America on Monday said it plans to open more than 500 new branches across the United States over the next four years, as the bank continues to invest in physical and digital enhancements.
Goldman Sachs considering sale and leaseback of new London headquarters - The Telegraph
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Chris M Skinner
Chris Skinner is best known as an independent commentator on the financial markets through his blog, TheFinanser.com, as author of the bestselling book Digital Bank, and Chair of the European networking forum the Financial Services Club. He has been voted one of the most influential people in banking by The Financial Brand (as well as one of the best blogs), a FinTech Titan (Next Bank), one of the Fintech Leaders you need to follow (City AM, Deluxe and Jax Finance), as well as one of the Top 40 most influential people in financial technology by the Wall Street Journal's Financial News. To learn more click here...
