Chris Skinner's blog Shaping the future of finance

I’ve been talking quite a bit about CBDCs lately. CBDCs? Central Bank Digital Currencies. Central banks worldwide are looking at digital currencies as a great new future. Instead of letting citizens move to bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, have ours. Well, that’s the idea anyway. China …

Things we’re reading today include … Google Cloud is creating a new type of digital banking platform with this lender How Bank of America Helped Fuel California’s Unemployment Meltdown Bank of America Says Access to Merrill Accounts Has Been Restored Indigenous man and granddaughter, 12, …

The lockdown pandemic has been interesting from a financial markets’ perspective. First, people withdrew as much cash as they could, worrying that things would be bad, and cash was king. It wasn’t. They didn’t need the cash. They didn’t spend it. In fact, I was …

Things we’re reading today include … ING & Bank of America: Banks won’t “spring back” to normal after vaccine No-deal Brexit to cost more than Covid, Bank of England governor says Kremlin critic says UK bank account shut because of Russian ‘black PR’ Scotland’s national …

Like most markets worldwide, the Middle East – or is that Western Asia? – has been sorely impacted by the pandemic crisis. Luckily not as much as Europe and the Americas, thanks to strict lockdowns and border closures, but this still creates a new paradigm shift …

It’s 2020 and, since I was born in 19-whenever it was, I cannot think of a more challenging year. We are being forced to isolate, stay indoors, go nowhere and stay well. As I’ve blogged a few times, that’s good news for digital but bad …

Things we’re reading today include … Starling becomes first challenger to make a profit Bank of England needs more powers to decarbonise economy, say experts My investment banking mentor was a sociopath Boss of Lloyds Banking Group on track to receive shares windfall just as …

The main blog discussions this week include … Brace yourself for the Great Unlock Way back in March 2020 – what month is it now? – I said that lockdown would be a challenge for all. Obviously. Now, so many months later – what year …

I still haven’t managed to get rid of the elephant in the room. In fact, it’s worse now, as he’s moved into the bedroom in the evenings. It makes it really hard to sleep. Yes, I need to sleep on the bed too, but find …

I’m doing a bit of research work with various companies, one of whom is Salesforce. It’s interesting, as so many people talk today about embedded finance but Salesforce talk about autonomous finance. What is autonomous finance? Namer Aljazrawi, global head of Strategy & Operations for Financial …

Things we’re reading today include … IMF: Economy ‘losing momentum’ amid virus second wave The ‘market’ won’t save us from climate disaster. We must rethink our system | Robert S Devine Pension trustees set to block suspect transfers Banking and slavery: Switzerland examines its colonial …

I’ve never thought about it much but the saying: “Necessity is the mother of invention” … came back to me today. This came back to me because I was reading an interesting description of what happened in 1815. Do you remember that year? Of course …

Things we’re reading today include … Google redesigns Pay app, opens waitlist for bank accounts with Citi Google moves into Venmo and bank territory with checking accounts and updated payment app Chime CEO says the pandemic is driving torrid growth as traditional banking becomes a …

As I ponder the world and everything, this article by Jemima Kelly in The Financial Times keeps coming back to me: The virus has crushed the challenger bank dream In it she says things like: There comes a time in your life that you realise …

Things we’re reading today include … NAB closes all bank branches due to ‘physical security threat’ Bank of England: Banks have to adjust to digital currencies Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin hits three-year high as investors jump in Covid crisis changing the structure of UK economy, Bank of …

Way back in March 2020 – what month is it now? – I said that lockdown would be a challenge for all. Obviously. Now, so many months later – what year is it now? – it is clear that has challenged all. Personally, I see …

Things we’re reading today include … Cheap loans from Bank of England ‘rig the market’, small lenders claim Spanish bank BBVA in merger talks with smaller rival Sabadell Making banking better for billions with next-gen technology Britain decouples from EU with delay to bank and …

Is Deutsche Bank a scrambled egg of banking? I’ve talked about Deutsche Bank for some years. Originally with respect but, increasingly, with disdain. Most recently, I’ve used them as an illustration of a struggling bank, worth far less than an innovative start-up like Stripe. The …

Things we’re reading today include … Did Deutsche Bank Fund Auschwitz, Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and ISIS? Banks in Europe Face Potential $1.7 Trillion Covid-19 Cliff The Bank of England will not protect banks from digital currencies, says deputy governor Banking giant Goldman Sachs lets in …

The main blog discussions this week include … Why banks don’t die Have you noticed how people talk about disruption more and more, and note the collapse of companies like Blockbuster, Kodak, Nokia and Thomas Cook? In fact, there are more companies entering and leaving …

I don’t usually cover press releases as they bore me, but this one caught my attention: Customer Online Conversations Reveal ‘All to Play for’ in Battle between Challengers and Incumbent Banks, Finds Economist Intelligence Unit Report   Groundbreaking report by The Economist Intelligence Unit uses …

Things we’re reading today include … JPMorgan drops from top of FSB’s list of systemically important banks World’s Safest Banks 2020 New report shows perceptions of challenger and traditional banks Wall Street ‘old boys club’ lets in more women City regulator warns on three Brexit …

When Digital Human was released in 2018, the opening chapter is all about the history of humankind. I don’t claim to be an expert on history, but I do know a lot of history, having visited museums in over 100 countries around the world. So, …

Things we’re reading today include … European banks are desperate to pay dividends AI Can Make Bank Loans More Fair An early stablecoin? The Bank of Amsterdam and the governance of money Banks around world in joint pledge on ‘green recovery’ after Covid Covid means …

Stumbling over an interesting article about bank consolidation in Europe, reminded me of Francisco Gonzalez’s (former Chair of BBVA) prediction that there’s only enough room for a maximum of fifty banks globally. I don’t believe either. As written about yesterday, banks don’t disappear. They don’t …

Things we’re reading today include … Deutsche Bank to sell retail banking IT unit to TCS for €1 Reimagining retail banking: Tech, innovation and collaboration key to survival UK banks prep IT systems for negative rates Watchdog warns banks on dangers of outsourcing technology Ant …

Have you noticed how people talk about disruption more and more, and note the collapse of companies like Blockbuster, Kodak, Nokia and Thomas Cook? In fact, there are more companies entering and leaving the stock market lists than ever before, with the average tenancy now …

Things we’re reading today include … Will the Bank of England’s reliance on quantitative easing work for the UK economy? Sunak sets out ‘green’ post-Brexit financial services regime Global markets rally as Biden heads for White House Brexit: EU and UK negotiators resume trade talks …