Future

Having written a book about how fintech can make finance good for the world, the biggest issue is those banks investing in fossil fuel firms. It’s not investing in fossil fuel firms that is the issue, but it’s investing in NEW fossil fuel firm projects. Now, who would do that when we know the planet is…

I find it hard to believe that two years ago I was writing about a fintech bloodbath and, two years later, it continues. The drying up of funding, the post-pandemic recession, the way in which the markets were moving from funding to divesting. It seemed a bit unreal. So, has it got better? No. In…

For those who are fans of Black Mirror, I just got news of the forthcoming Netflix Series 7. As usual, it is a dark anti-tech futuristic vision, but I was particularly intrigued by the script of Episode 3: the Trust Token*. The theme is that, in the near future, as Earth globalises and integrates, we ditch…

After years of travelling the world, I find it interesting how countries differ. For example, having moved to Poland a few years ago, Polish people are not good at being arrogant. They are pretty humble, tbh. This means they are not good at marketing and selling in general. Sure, there are exceptions, but I find…

I just spotted a new innovation in India from Paytm, who I consider friends of mine after interviewing their founder, Vijay Shekhar Sharma for Digital Human a few years ago. What’s the innovation? Talking payments. The Paytm soundbox – which works both online and offline with QR codes – allows merchants and customers to hear their transactions…

There’s been a meme going around for a while now that America is great at invention and innovation; Asia is great at industrialising and maximising America’s inventions; and Europe is fantastic at blocking all of it through regulations. The Eurocrat regime rules. What’s the reality? Well, it certainly is true that America led the way with…

Being debanked is pretty awful … just ask Nigel Farage or Chris Skinner … but what about if you’re a woman? As money controls life, do women get a good deal? Not really. Everywhere around the world, women have less access and use of banking, and yet women are the global influencers of finance. What’s…

Thinking about banking conferences over the years, there are three main messages that are presented by people on stage: Banks won’t exist in ten years Banks will exist, but it’s all going to be very different Banks will exist, and it’s going to be a lot like today Let’s take #1: Banks won’t exist in…

I recently wrote a white paper for XBP Europe, which you can download (see later). It’s all about how to be fit for the future and digital transformation, my usual subjects. Just to give a taste of the paper, here’s a small extract: The obvious answer is to digitise the corporation. The harder question is:…

Thirty years ago, I presented at a conference with the theme being the end of cash. Thirty years later we are all gradually going cashless. Twenty-five years ago, I presented at a conference, with the view that bank branches weren’t needed. Twenty-five years later, most bank branches are going, going, gone. Twenty years ago, I…