Welcome to The Finanser by Chris Skinner. The Finanser discusses all things fintech, finance, banking, technology and, most importantly, the future. Chris Skinner has been voted the most influential technologist in Britain and received a lifetime achievement award for his visionary approach to the future of money from the Payments Association. He has advised the…
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I just had my American Express Business Card suspended without warning or explanation. It turns out that they need to re-onboard me due to Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulations. Strange. I’ve been a customer for 25 years and they need to re-establish if I really am me. So much for trust. More than this, they…
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I said to a friend this week that I’m working on a fictional new book about a Ponzi scheme. She turned to me and said “you know that he wasn’t the person who created the Ponzi scheme?” Intrigued, I made the mistake of asking “what?” and suddenly you go down a rabbit hole. Who created…
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I had a lovely deep-dive conversation with Martin Hargreaves, Chief Product Officer at Quant, during our webinar about how programmable money and liquidity are transforming corporate treasury and financial infrastructure. Martin gave me a great definition: “Programmable money is money that responds to external events and conditions while preserving its fundamental nature. The money itself…
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I wonder what my kids will feel in a financial future of 2050 and beyond. We will probably regale them with stories about using cheques and cash and paper to exchange value. They will probably be amazed that such systems worked, but it’s a bit like me being amazed about how tally sticks worked a…
Read More
I had a lovely deep-dive conversation with Martin Hargreaves, Chief Product Officer at Quant, during our webinar about how programmable money and liquidity are transforming corporate treasury and financial infrastructure. Martin gave me a great definition: “Programmable money is money that responds to external events and conditions while preserving its fundamental nature. The money itself…
Read MoreThere’s been a lot of talk this week about JPMorgan spending $20 billion on technology in 2026. It sounds huge, and it is, and it’s slightly more than their peer group spend but, bear in mind, this is a bank worth over $800 billion and with revenues of $185 billion, so you need to…
Read MoreTwo headlines really struck me this morning. The first is that Stripe is now valued at over $150 billion – I’ve been following Stripe’s valuations for over a decade (it was just over $9 billion in 2016) … … and the second is that they are thinking about buying PayPal, which would be immense imho….
Read MoreReturning to the branch discussions, I picked up on Jim Marous’s recent podcast with Bank of America (BoA) which is headlined: BofA is Building 150 New Financial Centres at $5 Million Each. Here’s Why The podcast focuses on the fact that BoA is opening new branches focused upon advisory services having almost halved its branch…
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When the Genius Act was signed off last year by President Trump, I said that it was positioned to keep the dollar as the reserve currency of the world. Now, a new debate arises after Jamie Dimon (Chair of JPMorgan) and Brian Armstrong (CEO, Coinbase) had a spat at Davos. Did you hear about it? Probably…
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I liked this article by Sergiy Fitsak on Finextra: We Asked 300 Finance Leaders What’s Next in Fintech. Here’s What They Said. His company, Softjourn, asked 300 fintech experts, CEOs and more on what’s hot in the fintech space these days. You can read the whole thing, but I’ll pick up some key headlines. AI…
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Someone said to me this week: what do we need to do to be an intelligent bank? It seems like a simple question, but the answer is incredibly complex. After all, the first step is to be a bank with digital at its core. This is something I’ve written about for decades, but the big…
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I often talk about quantum computing and how it could break the encryption keys of our current financial system, including bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. In fact, the first time was seven years ago, when I referred to The Quantum Resistant Ledger. Even way back then, there was a company working on ideas to avoid encryption…
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I just had a great visit to Kuala Lumpur, a place I go to often as I have many friends there. This time I also witnessed the launch of EPOS360, an AI-driven growth platform of Ant International targeted at small businesses. What is EPOS360? Well, you can read the press release, but here is my…
Read MoreI just had my American Express Business Card suspended without warning or explanation. It turns out that they need to re-onboard me due to Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulations. Strange. I’ve been a customer for 25 years and they need to re-establish if I really am me. So much for trust. More than this, they…
Read MoreI had a lovely deep-dive conversation with Martin Hargreaves, Chief Product Officer at Quant, during our webinar about how programmable money and liquidity are transforming corporate treasury and financial infrastructure. Martin gave me a great definition: “Programmable money is money that responds to external events and conditions while preserving its fundamental nature. The money itself…
Read MoreThere’s been a lot of talk this week about JPMorgan spending $20 billion on technology in 2026. It sounds huge, and it is, and it’s slightly more than their peer group spend but, bear in mind, this is a bank worth over $800 billion and with revenues of $185 billion, so you need to…
Read MoreTwo headlines really struck me this morning. The first is that Stripe is now valued at over $150 billion – I’ve been following Stripe’s valuations for over a decade (it was just over $9 billion in 2016) … … and the second is that they are thinking about buying PayPal, which would be immense imho….
Read MoreReturning to the branch discussions, I picked up on Jim Marous’s recent podcast with Bank of America (BoA) which is headlined: BofA is Building 150 New Financial Centres at $5 Million Each. Here’s Why The podcast focuses on the fact that BoA is opening new branches focused upon advisory services having almost halved its branch…
Read More
Reading an interesting research report by Deutsche Bank about AI, where they are saying that we are entering the trough of disillusionment. The hype is over and reality is hitting hard. They enjoy playing with the idea of AI though, and call it: Disillusionment: beauty is in the AI of the beholder Dislocation: AI of…
Read MoreWhen the Genius Act was signed off last year by President Trump, I said that it was positioned to keep the dollar as the reserve currency of the world. Now, a new debate arises after Jamie Dimon (Chair of JPMorgan) and Brian Armstrong (CEO, Coinbase) had a spat at Davos. Did you hear about it? Probably…
Read MoreSomeone said to me this week: what do we need to do to be an intelligent bank? It seems like a simple question, but the answer is incredibly complex. After all, the first step is to be a bank with digital at its core. This is something I’ve written about for decades, but the big…
Read MoreI just noticed that Lloyds Banking Group are enforcing AI training for all staff: Lloyds Banking Group is putting all 67,000 staff through compulsory AI training The move is part of a multi-million-pound push to modernise how the bank operates Every role, from branch staff to senior executives, will be expected to take part Lloyds…
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Most people think of crypto as solely part of the finance world. Buy a Bitcoin, see the price either rise or fall, and sell when it is high. Beneath it all, though, the crypto world has been compelled to solve some truly difficult technical challenges – and solutions are beginning to emerge in areas that…
Read MoreI had a lovely deep-dive conversation with Martin Hargreaves, Chief Product Officer at Quant, during our webinar about how programmable money and liquidity are transforming corporate treasury and financial infrastructure. Martin gave me a great definition: “Programmable money is money that responds to external events and conditions while preserving its fundamental nature. The money itself…
Read MoreWhen the Genius Act was signed off last year by President Trump, I said that it was positioned to keep the dollar as the reserve currency of the world. Now, a new debate arises after Jamie Dimon (Chair of JPMorgan) and Brian Armstrong (CEO, Coinbase) had a spat at Davos. Did you hear about it? Probably…
Read More
This is not a headline I am happy to share but, after being scammed, it is time to share it. After all, you would think that, working in finance, I would be savvy to all criminal scams. I’m not. Sure, the SMS that says a parcel couldn’t be delivered or the email saying that I’m…
Read MoreThings we’re reading today include … Bank of England admits inflation bungle European life insurers’ systemic risk ‘non-trivial’ European banks take a fresh crack at Wall Street Fintech Adviser Titan Hit With Second SEC Penalty Over “Misleading” 2,700% Crypto Return Claims Lloyds to train all 67,000 staff in AI as banks go digital Fintechs should…
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My friend Lory Kehoe spotted a white paper by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) that was released in December discussing Project Leap, a deep technical experiment showing that core payment systems can migrate to post-quantum cryptography without breaking how money moves today. It’s a fascinating paper and an important one for us fintech nerds,…
Read MoreI just got a summary of my new book from the publishers. It comes out in the summer but, for those interested, here are the key messages: Core Thesis The book argues that banking is entering its third great technological revolution: Mainframe era → automation and scale Digital era → connectivity, mobile, fintech, experience Intelligence…
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How could I write a series of 2026 predictions without a specific focus on fintech and cryptocurrencies? The headlines are that: Systems Become Proactive: Technology shifts from reacting to events to anticipating needs AI Becomes Invisible Infrastructure: Intelligence moves from tools to embedded decision-making Digital Layers Disappear into Daily Life: Identity, security, payments, and compliance…
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Everyone and their weird cousin is invested today. In crypto, of course. Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, even Dogecoin, or its low-rank pup Floki. Cryptocurrencies are constantly on the news, social media is buzzing, and one in about a gazillion investors wins big. We’re not even debating here if the notion of digital assets has merit as…
Read MoreI wonder what my kids will feel in a financial future of 2050 and beyond. We will probably regale them with stories about using cheques and cash and paper to exchange value. They will probably be amazed that such systems worked, but it’s a bit like me being amazed about how tally sticks worked a…
Read More
In the last day, I’ve been blown away by two developments coming out of China. One is an AI movie sequence that’s only 15 seconds long; the second was the Spring Festival celebration to welcome the New Year of the Fire Horse. If you haven’t seen them, you need to, because both show how technology…
Read MoreI liked this article by Sergiy Fitsak on Finextra: We Asked 300 Finance Leaders What’s Next in Fintech. Here’s What They Said. His company, Softjourn, asked 300 fintech experts, CEOs and more on what’s hot in the fintech space these days. You can read the whole thing, but I’ll pick up some key headlines. AI…
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Many movies, media and headlines portray AI as frightening. It’s going to take out jobs, bring robocop to the streets and take over our lives. It’s going to be Ex Machina, The Terminator or worse. Very few give context of the positive future with AI, but a headline caught my eye today: Meet the ‘AI…
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As you do, I just stumbled upon another report that’s interesting. This one is Accenture’s view on six big trends that will change banking in 2026. You can download the whole report (81 pages) here but, if you don’t have time, here’s a brief summary: Accenture: Top Banking Trends for 2026 — Key Insights &…
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I’ve recently joined the advisory board of a startup focused upon opening financial branches called banxlocal. Why the hell would anyone open branches? Well, it’s all about human needs for human services as that creates trust. I’m a big believer in banking and finance for consumers still providing High Street access in a store or branch….
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Many have argued for years that branches are dead. Many in the fintech world believe that people don’t need branches. Some think that the pandemic proved that customers can bank fine without them and that many now prefer digital. Wrong. A bit like cash, the pandemic forced a change of behaviour. Less cash was being…
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I just got a fascinating document sent over from the White House. Bearing in mind, the White House is the American civil service and not directly communicating Donald Trump’s opinions, thank goodness, their reports are often really insightful. This one really hooked me as it is all about AI and the Great Divergence. The Great…
Read MoreMany believe the big themes of Davos last week were around Donald Trump, his ambitions to take over Greenland and Canada, and Mark Carney’s speech. Stop “living within a lie”, Mark Carney #Davos They were the headline news but, underneath those headlines, the main theme of Davos was AI. AI featured in almost every session…
Read MoreThings we’re reading today include … Bitcoin Roars Back: Here’s What Drove a 7% Surge In the World’s Largest Cryptocurrency Today Trump warns of losing American leadership in the cryptocurrency… Swiss regulator liquidates bank following enforcement action from US government Luxembourg police raid Swiss private bank EFG in money laundering probe Swedish central bank urges…
Read MoreThings we’re reading today include … Would a bank buy PayPal? Why Texas is emerging as a leading US hub for digital assets Report Describes Crypto’s $350 Billion Shadow War Pay by Bank warning Meteoric rise of AI in Asia’s banks Pulse of Fintech H2’2025 (KPMG)
Read MoreThings we’re reading today include … Is the UK still a global fintech leader? World’s money launderers are shifting to crypto, report warns Elliptic Reports 700% Surge in Cryptocurrency Outflows from Iran Following Airstrikes Are banking hubs the answer to bank branch closures? 2026: Three Regulatory Strategies for Banking in an Increasingly Fragmented World DORA’s…
Read MoreThings we’re reading today include … Major bank faces £600million hit after UK mortgage lender collapses Bank for ultra-rich warns Reeves over entrepreneur exodus Braddick to take the helm at the UK’s banking watchdog the PRA The economic effects of changes to bank capital regulation: evidence from the United Kingdom, a report from the Bank…
Read MoreThis week’s main discussions include … Stripe buying PayPal? Wow! Two headlines really struck me this morning. The first is that Stripe is now valued at over $150 billion – I’ve been following Stripe’s valuations for over a decade (it was just over $9 billion in 2016) … … and the second is that they…
Read MoreThings we’re reading today include … Fintech company Block lays off 4,000 of its 10,000 staff, citing gains from AI What’s Next for Klarna After US$1bn in Revenue U.K. ‘buy now pay later’ regulation signals end of ‘Wild West’ fintech loans system The crypto winter is not over, with the cryptocurrency market following the sentiment…
Read MoreThings we’re reading today include … Revolut eyes $100bn valuation with fresh share sale Trump’s draconian bank decree to expose illegal migrants sparks Wall Street panic Wall Street Should Worry More About AI Than Crypto, As Anthropic’s Latest Announcement Hammers IBM Stock Bitcoin miners pivot to AI and HPC as cryptocurrency market slumps Norway’s Verdane…
Read MoreThings we’re reading today include … Stripe valued at $159bn Stripe considering PayPal acquisition Allica Bank to become UK’s latest fintech unicorn, following $155M funding round My daughter is struggling to find work too, says Bank of England chief economist Three strategic priorities for banking CROs in 2026 HSBC annual pre-tax profit drops over 7%,…
Read MoreThis week’s main discussions include … Stripe buying PayPal? Wow! Two headlines really struck me this morning. The first is that Stripe is now valued at over $150 billion – I’ve been following Stripe’s valuations for over a decade (it was just over $9 billion in 2016) … … and the second is that they…
Read MoreThis week’s main discussions include … The future is right here, right now In the last day, I’ve been blown away by two developments coming out of China. One is an AI movie sequence that’s only 15 seconds long; the second was the Spring Festival celebration to welcome the New Year of the Fire Horse….
Read MoreThis week’s main discussions include … The Fat Finger Syndrome I was intrigued to read that a major cryptocurrency exchange in South Korea, Bithumb, had an internal error where an employee sent customers a prize that should have been 620,000 Korean won (around $423) to 695 qualifying customers, but instead credited accounts with 620,000 bitcoins…
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This week’s main discussions include … Cryptocurrencies are rife with scams and money laundering This is not a headline I am happy to share but, after being scammed, it is time to share it. After all, you would think that, working in finance, I would be savvy to all criminal scams. I’m not. Sure, the…
Read MoreThis week’s main discussions include … Why bank branches still matter Many have argued for years that branches are dead. Many in the fintech world believe that people don’t need branches. Wrong. A bit like cash, the pandemic forced a change of behaviour. Human needs for human service (why branches matter, part two) I’ve recently…
Read MoreThis week’s main discussions include … Stop “living within a lie”, Mark Carney #Davos Everyone has been hailing Mark Carney’s speech at Davos as one of the GOAT speeches of the 21st century. It forced me to take out 15 minutes to listen to it, and yes, it is a great speech. Well worth the…
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This week’s main blog discussions include … My next new book: “Intelligent Bank” I just got a summary of my new book from the publishers. It comes out in the summer but, for those interested, here are the key messages … The more wealth amongst the few, the more likely the revolution by the many…
Read MoreI just got a summary of my new book from the publishers. It comes out in the summer but, for those interested, here are the key messages: Core Thesis The book argues that banking is entering its third great technological revolution: Mainframe era → automation and scale Digital era → connectivity, mobile, fintech, experience Intelligence…
Read More
During the holidays, the main blog discussions included … What will happen in 2026? Welcome to 2026, the year of the Horse in the Chinese New Year, which arrives in February. A Year of the Horse symbolizes forward momentum, encouraging bold actions and the pursuit of dreams. That sounds pretty good, but what’s gonna happen?…
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Every year I visit the analytics engine to see which blogs got the most visits. This list is this year’s although, interestingly, the blog entry with the most clicks generally is the one I wrote about who invented WiFi. Regardless, the list this year is interesting as it is mainly about fintech firms like Klarna,…
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