Opinion

Back in January, I made 10 predictions for 2017. Let’s see how near or off the mark they were: The FinTech buzz continues, but not in the USA (look East) WRONG. According to KPMG’s Pulse of FinTech report, Q3 2017, I’m wrong. Asia was doing ok but nowhere near as strong as 2016, whilst America…

I was moderating a panel discussion about Open Banking and the panel’s opening was some research presented by Steve Ogborn and Benedict Ireland of the Unlimited Group. The guys said that only 9% of consumers had heard of Open Banking. That means 91% had no idea what it was. Even when it was explained to…

I often talk about faster horses and how banks think digital is doing banking cheaper and faster. It’s all about efficiency and effectiveness. So, I was asked the other day: where is the car? After all, it’s easy to call out banks for doing banking as usual but, if I cannot show them a car,…

Taking of moving from the concept of a Universal Basic Income to money without government to tokens to credits, I’ve been reading a fascinating book recently on Star Trek’s economics called Trekonomics. Released in 2016, I thought it would be some frivolous Trekkie’s drooling over the wonder of the Federation’s Galaxies but, instead, it is…

I seem to grapple daily with the same or similar questions: how to regulate things that don’t recognise boundaries; how to structure a world that is unstructured; the role of authorities in a democratised planet; is there such a thing as money without government? I haven’t answered these questions but because I am corporate and…

Despite there being many capable women in banking, finance and technology, it is surprising how few are at the top of the companies I talk about. Most FinTech start-ups I refer to are run by young men, whilst most banks are run by old men. Where are all the women? Funnily enough, this is a…

I sometimes feel like a really, sad person. I wake up every day wondering what’s new with tech, FinTech, the world. I go to conferences and, instead of delivering my keynote speech and disappearing, normally hang around to hear the other presentations, as I might learn something. Equally, I sometimes get invited to speak at…

I was at a presentation where Robin Speculand, Singapore-based author and speaker, asked: Is it better to have a great strategy implemented badly or a bad strategy implemented well? Most people – about 4 out of 5 – raised their hand for the latter option. I raised mine for the former. We had a bit…

For many years we have had discussions about bank branches and a branchless future. I personally don’t believe in a branchless future, but many do. And yes, there are many branches disappearing, much to the annoyance of those who lose that physical store. For example, America still has a large number of branches (32 per…

The world feels fairly surreal sometimes. I watch the relentless rise in price of bitcoin, ether, litecoin and brethren, and feel it’s just a truly weird moment we’re living in. I’ve never seen assets rising 1000% of, in ether’s case, 5000% in a year. It’s crazy. Alongside this, I see exchanges being hacked on a…