I’ve been amazed at the rise of superapps in China. Alibaba and WeChat allow you to socialise, ship and buy anywhere, anytime. It came home to me when I was shopping in a Chinese store and my Chinese friend said: let me just check the price of this on Taobao. …
Read More »Things we’re reading today include … Big banks’ trillion-dollar finance for fossil fuels ‘shocking’ Bitcoin is a safer option than using a traditional bank Crypto is a ‘speculative vehicle’ and should be regulated, says boss of central bank group BIS JPMorgan to Buy $410 Million Stake in Chinese Bank’s Wealth …
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I’m watching the news. We’re all locked down. Britain just introduced £5,000 fines for unnecessary travel whilst the TV correspondents interview their counterparts in Dubai who say that they get massive fines for not wearing face masks. What is going on? It’s a really weird world where you are punished …
Read More »Things we’re reading today include … What would Google do to reboot banking? Norway is the world’s most cashless country – but its central bank isn’t keen on bitcoin Wall Street banks diverge in views on bitcoin boom Bank lending to fossil fuel industry down 9% in COVID-hit year Citigroup …
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I joined a Clubhouse discussion the other day – Clubhouse? What? – and discussed Chinese FinTech and its impact on the rest of the world. I really enjoyed the conversation and it was nice that my friend Sophie Guibaud summarised it afterwards. I asked her if she would let me …
Read More »Things we’re reading today include: Revolut applies for a US bank charter Zopa raises £20m to expand digital bank Bank branches to disappear by 2034 China’s central bank to prioritise green finance JP Morgan upgrades Lloyds Banking Group Digital Banking Trends Evolve In 2021, But Customer Needs Stay The Same …
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The two perennial debates we have in banking are a future that is cashless and branchless. Cash is going down, but is not eradicated; branches are closing fast, but still here. Are they necessary? I raise this as I got two reports from strong and trusted sources in the past …
Read More »Things we’re reading today include … Bitcoin’s days are numbered as technology develops, warns Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey Why MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor Bet Company Cash on Bitcoin UK economy on course for a rapid recovery as restrictions ease, Bank of England’s chief economist predicts Millions of UK …
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The main blog headlines this week include … If you think the future is purely digital, are you nuts? Arriving at the venue, I spot a good friend. We shake hands and hug. Then I see another friend I’ve missed. We hug and kiss. 1999? 2019? 2022? The conference network …
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Building on this discussion, I got into an online argument with someone who accused my views of being generational, e.g. old people want face-to-face, young people don’t care. They argued that sex will be better in virtual worlds and no one needs to go out anymore. They believe we can …
Read More »Things we’re reading today include … Bank of America Sees DeFi ‘Potentially More Disruptive Than Bitcoin’ HSBC in Talks to Sell French Retail Bank to Cerberus Singapore bank turns on face verification at ATMs Deutsche Bank investment bank revenues to swell by 20% in first quarter Bank of England keeps …
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Arriving at the venue, I spot a good friend. We shake hands and hug. Then I see another friend I’ve missed. We hug and kiss. 1999? 2019? 2022? The conference network disappeared in 2020, and it’s now trying to come back. How I miss those networked days. Some say we …
Read More »Things we’re reading today include: Morgan Stanley becomes first major U.S. bank to offer clients access to bitcoin funds Bank of America slams ‘volatile’ and ‘impractical’ bitcoin Investors warm to Lending Club, the fintech that became a bank Commonwealth Bank launches buy-now-pay-later product in a bid to capture more Millennial …
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I got a couple of reports in my inbox at the same time about the same thing: cybercrime. Putting this in context personally, I got an email from British Airways saying that SITA had been hacked. Dear Customer, We take the protection of your data very seriously (really?). We have …
Read More »Things we’re reading today include: What would Google do to reboot banking? JPMorgan Staff Said A $1.1 Billion Deal Might Be Corrupt. The Bank Sent The Money Anyway. Goldman, Citi Lead U.S. Banks Plowing Billions Into China Britain’s NatWest bank faces money laundering charges Bank governor under fire for role …
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Chris Skinner's blog Shaping the future of finance
