Chris Skinner's blog

Shaping the future of finance

Who are you? eIDAS2!

I recently stumbled across an update of eIDAS. Have you heard of it, eIDAS2? It’s all about our digital identities in the European Union. The first eIDAS – short for electronic Identification, Authentication, and trust Services – tried to sort out all the ways to recognise who you are online. That first version was implemented…

Is digital banking done?

As Revolut reports exceeding 40 million customers across Europe and Monzo raises $430 million at a $5 billion valuation, many people are thinking that the challengers are no longer challengers. They are banks. Putting it in context, in the UK, NatWest have 14 million retail customers; Monzo has over 9 million. The challenger has matured. Yet, when…

What’s NOT hot in Fintech?

In discussion with other investors, we were talking about what’s hot and what’s not in fintech. What’s hot I discussed the other day. What’s not is today’s discussion. Our conclusion was that digital banking, neobanks and challengers, BaaS, payments, lending and other well trodden fintech fields are no longer hot. Been there, done that. These are the areas…

The Finanser’s Week: 3rd June – 9th June 2024

This week’s main blog discussions include … What’s hot and what’s not in fintech? In a long strategy session yesterday, we were trying to list the things that are hot and what’s not in fintech. So, what’s hot? Obviously crypto and AI. However, those are the headline buckets, what’s the detail? The detail is the…

What’s hot and what’s not in fintech?

In a long strategy session yesterday, we were trying to list the things that are hot and what’s not in fintech. So, what’s hot? Obviously crypto and AI. However, those are the headline buckets, what’s the detail? The detail is the use cases of crypto and AI. This is something I say often, as you…

How can we be data-driven when we’re data-dumb?

I’ve written a lot about how banks are dumb with data because they’re spread over so many systems with massive technical debt, and yet every bank is now saying to me that they are “data driven” with “digital at the core”. Really? Most of those banks, when I look under the hood, are bankensteins. These…

How can we create an innovation culture in a zero-risk company?

Presenting to a group of banking people the other day, the constant question was about risk, return, regulation and compliance. It actually became quite irritating until one person said: “how can we create an innovation transformation culture in a zero-risk company?” It then hit me: these guys cannot do this. It’s too hard. I’ve had…

If AI wrote your aggregation script, here’s what it would say

A friend of mine was inspired by my aggregation discussions last week* to ask ChatGPT what they would do about it. The discussion was so good that I feel I have to share it so, here it goes: Anonymous I am researching Financial product and fintech product solutions that provide do good, positive financial wellness…

Payments and FinTech in South Africa: two reports

Just had a wonderful time in South Africa, a country I love to visit. Going between Johannesburg and Cape Town, there were many great meetings and networking opportunities, and it made me realise how vibrant the African fintech scene is after my recent visit to Cairo. Cape Town is particularly noteworthy as one of the…

The Finanser’s Week: 27th May – 2nd June 2024

The main blog discussions this week include … One account to rule them all? I was having a chat with some friends about the good old days, where everything was domestic and local. We had passbooks, cheques, cash and branches. Ah, those were the days. Life was simple, money was all in one place and…