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We heard the stories that set the context of the debate about identities and one specific comment stood out for me: Human traffickers first action is to destroy their victims identification papers = let’s get rid of paper identities #ID2020 @UN — Chris Skinner (@Chris_Skinner) 20 May 2016 Human traffickers’ first action is to get…

We had an all-day meeting on Friday about Digital Identity at the United Nations. There are almost two billion people born with no identity.  There is no record of their birth.  There is no proof of their existence.  As a result, these people can disappear without a trace. There is no evidence of their disappearance…

Our main stories of this week includes … Social KYC: far easier than passports and utility bills I just received a white paper about Social KYC from Fintech startup Veridu.  The idea is to use our social media profiles to authenticate and onboard as a new 21st century KYC process.  It’s an interesting idea I thought…

I just received a white paper about Social KYC from Fintech startup Veridu.  The idea is to use our social media profiles to authenticate and onboard as a new 21st century KYC process.  It’s an interesting idea I thought I’d share here but, before I do, I posted a note on the blog in 2009 that…

I’m often asked whether banks should be afraid of the threat of Fintech.  My answer is that most Fintech is enhancing what banks do, rather than threatening their core business.  I sum this up as wrappers, replacers and reformers, and that the only Fintech firms we should really fear are those that replace core bank…

I was talking to a City chap this week about the Brexit vote and he felt it was clear we would leave.  I said I couldn’t see that because there was not a single logical economic reason for leaving.  He said that I was stupid to think of this as logical.  It’s emotional.  The Leave…

There is a lot of talk about blockchain.  A lot.  Loads.  But when you get past all the talk, what is actually happening with blockchain?  Answer: not enough. I say this because there are some stand out firms out there – like R3, Digital Asset Holdings, Ripple – who have gained traction with the banks,…

I promise to shut up about African developments after this post, for a while anyway, but there’s a definite feeling that Africa may set the standards for a cheaper, easier financial system in the future, as blogged last week.  In fact, when I was asked about Africa as a continent in Kenya, I said that…

Our main stories of this week includes … The African Mobile Revolution, Part One Last week I chaired the inaugural Dot Finance Live conference in Nairobi, Kenya.  It is Africa’s premier FinTech event, drawing people from all over the countries of sub-Sahara Africa.  What struck me as I listened to lots of keynotes about mobile innovation and…

In a final post about African transformation through technology, I’ve covered the key themes: mobile financial inclusion, smartphone innovation through apps, digital currencies and blockchain identities.  One thing missed is a mention of the Water ATM. I hadn’t heard of automated machines for water being deployed before, although it started in India in 2013 and…