Chris Skinner's blog

Shaping the future of finance

Crypto

Some bankers do have their head in the sand (luckily most don’t)

So I just chaired a panel discussion at Eurofinance 2014.  There were six statements made during the panel which I wanted to discuss on stage but, being the moderator, I couldn’t really say: “what you just said is complete balderdash my friend” (I could, but it wouldn't have been appropriate).  So luckily I blog and therefore I…

The importance of cryptocurrencies and the blockchain to banks (and everyone)

We had a revival of the Innotribe from SIBOS on Monday, by gathering the great and the good to discuss cryptocurrencies at the Escalator, an incubator for new fintech start-ups in East London run by Barclays Bank (if you want a primer on this, see Learn Cryptography). The session was led by Richard Brown, Executive…

Simon

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin [#SIBOS #SIBOS2014 #Innotribe]

I finish the first day of SIBOS by returning to the innotribe tent to watch the world premiere of the film The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin. It was surprisingly well attended with a packed room of popcorn munchers and beer drinkers (no puns intended). The film is 90 minutes long and traces the origins of…

Innotribe

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin [#SIBOS #SIBOS2014 #Innotribe]

I finish the first day of SIBOS by returning to the innotribe tent to watch the world premiere of the film The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin. It was surprisingly well attended with a packed room of popcorn munchers and beer drinkers (no puns intended). The film is 90 minutes long and traces the origins of…

Innotribe

Why Bitcoin needs a Foundation

Since the Mt.Gox implosion, confidence in bitcoin has somewhat dampened, as demonstrated by its flat-lining priceline… You would think that when Dell, Baltic Air, Wikipedia, the German newspaper Taz and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) all announce that they will be taking bitcoin payments – as they all did in July – the price would jump. …

Bitcion price

Why Bitcoin needs a Foundation

Since the Mt.Gox implosion, confidence in bitcoin has somewhat dampened, as demonstrated by its flat-lining priceline… You would think that when Dell, Baltic Air, Wikipedia, the German newspaper Taz and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) all announce that they will be taking bitcoin payments – as they all did in July – the price would jump. …

Bitcion price

Bitcoin is a Wild West … when the dust settles, will it still be around?

Bitcoin has gone from the leading light for the future to a flaky, shaky infrastructure.  This is the result of the Mt.Gox meltdown, along with other exchanges since.  In other words, the essence of bitcoin – the blockchain and the algorithms – are all perfectly fine and make eminent sense.  The issue is that the…

Bitcoin is a Wild West … when the dust settles, will it still be around?

Bitcoin has gone from the leading light for the future to a flaky, shaky infrastructure.  This is the result of the Mt.Gox meltdown, along with other exchanges since.  In other words, the essence of bitcoin – the blockchain and the algorithms – are all perfectly fine and make eminent sense.  The issue is that the…