Bookmarks (193)

I know that my blog is meant to focus upon business, finance and technology, but every now and again you start asking existential questions like: What is time? Why do we have borders? What is money? Do we live in the matrix? So, I thought I would address these questions. What is time? Time is... The post Are we living in the Matrix? appeared...

Things we’re reading today include … Bitcoin Headed To $100,000 As Cryptocurrency Eyes Next Milestone Starling Bank Faces Leadership Backlash & Regulatory Challenges Bank pledges €500m for nature-based solutions. Can greening your money help fight climate change? | Euronews Atom Bank Acquires 25-Acre Woodland in Northumberland to Tackle Climate Change US leaves no major Russian... The post Things worth reading: 22nd November 2024 appeared...

I thought I had just found a new podcast called Money by David Walliams, the famous British comedian and children’s author. Then I found out it is by David McWilliams, the less famous Irish economist and author of Money: A Story of Humanity. BBC Radio4 selected this as its book of the week recently, and began... The post Tally-ho! No, it’s not exciting fox hounds...

Things we’re reading today include … Donald Trump could create first cryptocurrency role at White House Russia’s new crypto-mining laws challenge Western sanctions Bluesky Proves You Can Do Crypto Without Cryptocurrency – Splinter Triodos Bank Pledges $527M For Nature-Based Solutions By 2030 Santander launches digital bank in Mexico | bobsguide 2025’s Biggest Fintech & Payments’... The post Things worth reading: 21st November 2024 appeared...

Why do we count to ten? Because we have ten fingers*. That’s one of the things I learned recently which, when someone said it, made absolute sense. That’s why we have ten times table, and everything is broken down this way today … apart from binary 1’s and 0’s, which is probably because technologists only... The post The Power of Zero appeared first on...

Things we’re reading today include … Logan Paul accused of misleading fans over cryptocurrency investments – BBC News Starling Bank staff resign after new chief executive calls for more time in-office | The Guardian Fintech unicorns watch Klarna IPO for signs of when window will reopen JPMorgan’s Chase UK bank launches first credit card Revolutionary... The post Things worth reading: 20th November 2024 appeared...

With the launch of Gladiator II this week (one of my fave films of all time was the first one), did the Roman Empire end because of the failure of the economy and, specifically, the monetary supply? Some would say yes. In fact, some would say the fall of the Roman Empire was due to... The post Gladiator III: I won’t fight if you...

Things we’re reading today include … Donald Trump’s social media group in talks to buy crypto trading venue HSBC Makes Managers Vie for Jobs Amid CEO Streamlining FinTech Connect Report: Majority of FinTechs Seeking Investment, But Face Hurdles in Securing Funding Barclays Bank in talks over giving away 80% stake in merchant acquiring business Christian... The post Things worth reading: 19th November 2024 appeared...

Fifteen years ago, I did a major survey into the use of cloud computing in financial services. Bear in mind this was really early days, and the results were quite nebulous. The main headline was that cloud computing needs better definition to succeed: The research report, which encompasses the views of over 230 financial professionals... The post Hey! You! Get onto my cloud …...

Things we’re reading today include … Cryptocurrency trader turns $1.1k into $1.62 million in 20 days Couple accused of money laundering €21m using money mules and cryptocurrency Fintech at heart of UK’s financial services growth strategy – Chancellor AI doubts at Asia’s largest fintech festival — Capital Brief ECB split over report showing big EU... The post Things worth reading: 18th November 2024 appeared...

This week’s main blog discussions include … Will the new America be based upon a digital dollar that is stable? It’s fascinating how things change. Donald Trump is President-Elect and bitcoin’s price soars to over $80,000. Quite predictable as he will be the crypto-President, as mentioned in July,  but maybe a forecast of a bitcoin... The post The Finanser’s Week: 11th November – 17th...

Last month I asked where is the national payments vision? After last night’s Mansion House meeting in London with the UK Chancellor, it has finally been released. So, what’s in the plan? First, there are two regulators involved in payments: the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR). The consultation discovered that the... The post Finally, UKGov issues their National Payments Vision...

It seems like most of the news this week has been about bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Between Donald Trump, a crypto convert, and Elon Musk, a crypto enthusiast, everyone is now getting in on the game. By way of example, here’s a few headlines in the past week: There’s another big winner of the US election:... The post Cryptocurrencies boom for the next four years...

Things we’re reading today include … Senator Lummis Bullish For A US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Deutsche Bank Highlights Crypto’s Growing Role in BRICS Cross-Border Payments World Cloud Report 2025 – Unlock Financial Growth with Cloud Donald Trump Says Jamie Dimon Won’t Be Part of New Administration – Bloomberg Bank of England governor says Brexit has... The post Things worth reading: 15th November 2024 appeared...

I was interested in this speech given the other day by Patrick T. Harker, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank, because its title was: Fintech, AI, and the Changing Financial Landscape The speech is broad, and focuses upon the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to the financial... The post One Fed’s view of how AI will...

Things we’re reading today include: Musk supports radical change in who controls America’s supply of money Dogecoin Price News: Trump Confirms Musk to Lead D.O.G.E as Traders Target $1 Bitcoin’s record-breaking price rally continues amid ‘Trump bump’ crypto frenzy Top bitcoin analyst says Trump’s win is ‘not the main story’ behind recent bitcoin price surge,... The post Things worth reading: 14th November 2024 appeared...

I stumbled across this clip the other day of Jeff Bezos on The Tonight Show twenty-five years ago. Jay Leno asks him how the company can be worth billions when it consistently makes losses. Jeff Bezos laughs along but then says: “we are a famously unprofitable company, but we are investing in the future”. We... The post Forget Return on Investment … focus on...

Things we’re reading today include … NatWest blocks staff from using WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger – BBC News Metro Bank fined nearly £17m for failure to monitor potential money laundering | The Guardian After fining Metro Bank and Starling, which challenger bank will the FCA target next? Monzo Bank app comes top in user satisfaction... The post Things worth reading: 13th November 2024 appeared...

It’s fascinating how things change. Donald Trump is President-Elect and bitcoin’s price soars to over $80,000. Quite predictable as he will be the crypto-President, as mentioned in July,  but maybe a forecast of a bitcoin price of $100,000+ by year-end is not so outrageous after all. Then, what intrigued me, is two stories. The first... The post Will the new America be based upon...

Things we’re reading today include … There’s another big winner of the US election: cryptocurrency | The Independent The cryptocurrency market has surpassed the total value of the FTSE 100 – Share Talk End of Treasury’s stake in NatWest is nigh, and no flashy sell-off required | Nils Pratley | The Guardian Argentinian fintech Ualá... The post Things worth reading: 12th November 2024 appeared...

Last week, McKinsey released their latest podcast and the title caught my eye: Transforming to an AI-powered finance function It’s a really interesting chat between OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar and McKinsey senior partner Lareina Yee on the podcast At the Edge. Listening to it (and there’s also a transcript), here are a few highlights of Sarah’s thoughts,... The post How AI can transform the finance function...

Things we’re reading today include … Bitcoin tops record $80,000 as Trump nears sweep of US Congress – BBC News Crypto firms including Robinhood, Kraken launch global stablecoin network | Reuters Treasury weighs sanctions on cryptocurrency tied to Howard Lutnick – The Washington Post Central Bank Digital Currency: Progress And Further Considerations Banking chaos as... The post Things worth reading: 11th November 2024 appeared...

This week’s blog discussions include: What does Trump’s victory mean for banks, tech, fintech and the future? Unsurprisingly, after a major election that will influence the Western world, the election of Donald Trump resulted in a flood of PR releases and contacts to tell me how this will influence the economy, Europe and the world.... The post The Finanser’s Week: 4th November – 10th...

Unsurprisingly, after a major election that will influence the Western world, the election of Donald Trump resulted in a flood of PR releases and contacts to tell me how this will influence the economy, Europe and the world. Some even got more specific, talking about how it will change fintech and cryptocurrencies. Let’s take a... The post What does Trump’s victory mean for banks,...

Things we’re reading today include … Detroit to Accept Cryptocurrency for Taxes and Fees by 2025 Transforming to an AI-powered finance function | McKinsey Allica Bank Retains Spot at Top of the Deloitte UK Tech Fast 50 Ranking COP29 should create clear policy roadmap to spur bank lending for renewable energy | IEEFA Visa Backs... The post Things worth reading: 8th November 2024 appeared...

Building on my blog the other day about BLIK (the Polish digital wallet), I just got two really insightful pieces of analysis on European payments – talking of a payments vision – from PWC in a report on Europe’s open banking vision and Jeremy Light, a good friend formerly of Accenture, on EU wallets. Here’s the... The post The European Payments Vision: United by Wallets...

Things we’re reading today include … What Trump Means For Fintech There’s another big winner of the US election: cryptocurrency | The Independent The environmental impact of cryptocurrency – The Mancunion Assessing the Bank of England’s climate risk collateral reforms for their greening potential Single mum left ‘mortified’ after DWP scrutinises her bank account Banks... The post Things worth reading: 7th November 2024 appeared...

Two weeks ago, I asked where the UK Payments Vision is. It should have been delivered this year, and yet there is still no sign of it. Having said that, the Bank of England did start to build a view. In late July 2024, the Bank of England launched a Discussion Paper on Innovation in money... The post The National Payments Vision: Run Britain with...

Things we’re reading today include … Why doesn’t the Bank of England tell the truth? Bank Resolution (Recapitalisation) Bill undergoes further scrutiny in Lords – UK Parliament Brazil’s Central Bank Previews Contactless Pix Payments Ant Digital Technologies Unveils “Dual Chains and One Bridge” Solution UK Banks Deploy Mobile Network Data to Combat Payment Fraud Government-backed... The post Things worth reading: 6th November 2024 appeared...

I have been amazed by the transformative power of technology in finance over the past two decades. From mPESA in Kenya to Alipay in China to NuBank in Brazil to PayTM in India, we have seen a massive shift in the world of finance. The fact is that today, wherever you are, whoever you are,... The post The transformative power of fintech appeared first...

Things we’re reading today include … UK Finance response to Bank of England discussion paper on Innovation in money & payments CFPB Releases Final Open Banking Rules: Key Takeaways for Fintech Companies US regulators must take reins on fintech oversight – bank associations Why Leading US BNPL Fintech Affirm has Staked UK Claim | FinTech... The post Things worth reading: 5th November 2024 appeared...

Things we’re reading today include … Are challenger banks too ‘fun and friendly’ to really win our trust? | The Drum British fintech founder who moved to U.S.: U.K. tech’s problem isn’t taxes—it’s ambition | Fortune Europe From Code To Conscience: Humanities’ Role In Fintech’s Evolution 1 in 3 Brits Report Mental Health Struggles Due... The post Things worth reading: 4th November 2024 appeared...

You may be wondering about the headline of this blog, but it’s all about the rapidly changing would of money. It used to be simple. Government would control monetary supply in the economy and wholesale and retail banks would distribute such money to businesses and citizens. It’s still the same, just that it’s all moving... The post G2CB2WB2RB2B2C2CBDC … WTH? appeared first on Chris...

This week’s blog discussions include … Banks make millions from the most vulnerable As mentioned, I’m dealing with my mother’s financial affairs as she reaches end of life, and I’m finding it incredibly frustrating. The process is that there first needs to be a Power of Attorney in place. Luckily, she saw that coming and... The post The Finanser’s Week: 28th October – 3rd...

In a rather parochial perspective, I asked my friends to give a reaction to Rachel Reeve’s budget, and got a nice summary back. Here’s the low-down: Autumn Budget Brings Relief for Pensioners but Sparks Debate on Inheritance Tax Changes The UK’s autumn budget is setting the stage for significant changes aimed at helping pensioners maintain... The post What does the UK budget mean? appeared...

During lockdown in the pandemic, I went a bit off script and started singing karaoke songs, with the words changed to focus on banking and payments. It was just a bit of fun to keep me busy at that time. Nevertheless, there are still many moments where I hear a song and think oh, that... The post A Cashless Whisper appeared first on Chris...

Things we’re reading today include … Banks’ use of AI could be included in stress tests, says Bank of England deputy governor World’s Safest Banks 2024: World’s Biggest Banks | Global Finance Magazine Lloyds shareholders could take £1bn hit over car finance crisis | Lloyds Banking Group | The Guardian BIAN launches latest version of... The post Things worth reading: 1st November 2024 appeared...

It intrigues me how quickly our world of money is changing from crypto to fintech to BaaS to infinity and beyond. The question that constantly sits in the back of my mind is how to regulate all this stuff to maintain trust? From Synapse to FTX to Beenz to Boo, how can the regulator keep... The post Who do we trust, how and why?...

Things we’re reading today include … Cryptocurrency payments have become a reality Reddit has sold most of its cryptocurrency portfolio – MarketWatch Cryptocurrency firm founder pleads guilty to fraud after novel FBI probe | Reuters Mandelson and Schwartz leave troubled fintech Bank of London Bank specialisation and zombie lending | CEPR UBS profits beat forecasts... The post Things worth reading: 31st October 2024 appeared...

I recently had a discussion about Genghis Khan, who I think of as some ancestral tyrant dictator who sowed his seed so far and wide that most of the modern world has his DNA. However, he also had another side called leadership. A friend of mine decided to use Khan’s leadership model to frame digital... The post What has Genghis Khan ever done for...

Things we’re reading today include … Nearly half of fintech founders mull leaving UK ahead of crunch Budget Former bank boss in Latvia jailed for ordering killing of whistleblower Cryptocurrency promoters on X amplify China-aligned disinformation ‘Pig butchering’ scammers targeting job seekers with cryptocurrency fraud – Intelligent CISO Reeves to make Bank of England put... The post Things worth reading: 30th October 2024 appeared...

As mentioned, I’m dealing with my mother’s financial affairs as she reaches end of life, and I’m finding it incredibly frustrating. The process is that there first needs to be a Power of Attorney in place. Luckily, she saw that coming and gave it to me. That’s a government portal which allows me to take... The post Banks make millions from the most vulnerable...

Things we’re reading today include: JP Morgan sues customers over viral cheque fraud – BBC News JPMorgan’s Dimon on Regulation: ‘It’s Time to Fight Back’ Bank of England presses on with retail CBDC to plug bank innovation gap HSBC profits jump as banking giant set for major shakeup – BBC News INSIGHT: Why huge flaws... The post Things worth reading: 29th October 2024 appeared...

At the end of the 1990s, a colleague of mine was sacked because he complemented a fellow female worker on how lovely her hair looked. I thought it was political correctness gone mad, but it’s even worse today. You feel you’re walking on egg shells all the time. For example, I got sacked for saying... The post Is our world too woke? appeared first...

Things we’re reading today include: Bank of England to press on with digital currency in case banks fall short, Bailey says | Reuters The future of money and payments – speech by Andrew Bailey | Bank of England US moves towards open banking as financial data rights rule finalised “Open banking” rules issued, requiring data... The post Things worth reading: 28th October 2024 appeared...

This week’s main blog discussions include … The Lloyds Bank Turd If you’re having breakfast or eating right now, please do not read this blog entry. I really didn’t want to write this blog, but it’s too irresistible to ignore. In fact, I cannot believe I haven’t seen this before as, the other day, guess... The post The Finanser’s Week: 21st October – 27th...

If you’re having breakfast or eating right now, please do not read this blog entry. I really didn’t want to write this blog, but it’s too irresistible to ignore. In fact, I cannot believe I haven’t seen this before as, the other day, guess what popped – or should I say pooped – up in... The post The Lloyds Bank Turd appeared first on...

Things we’re reading today include … Santander will have a full-service digital bank in US by end-2025, chair says | Reuters Kidnapped for crypto: 4 men flew from Florida to Portland, tied a man to a post before stealing his cryptocurrency, feds say On cryptocurrency, 63% of US adults not confident it’s safe, reliable |... The post Things worth reading: 25th October 2024 appeared...

I just did a search for papers on digital transformation and was surprised that I got a whole load of results from every single tech company out there addressing the question: “what is digital transformation?” (a question I have blogged about a lot). As someone who has been doing this his whole life, my simple... The post What is digital transformation? appeared first on...

Things we’re reading today include … Italy seeks to raise 68 mln euros from tougher web tax, cryptocurrency capital gains, ET LegalWorld AI Patents at Bank of America Increase 94% Since 2022 | FinTech Alliance Barclays profit beats forecasts as investment bank rebounds A new multilateral bank, not an American “Marshall Plan” alone, is the... The post Things worth reading: 24th October 2024 appeared...