Chris Skinner's blog

Shaping the future of finance

Reading

Things worth reading: 5th February 2026

Things we’re reading today include … Bitcoin is having a bad year as price tumbles to fresh lows today: Why does crypto keep falling in 2026? Prediction Traders Are Betting Bitcoin Will Fall Below $65,000 A whiff of familiarity in Mandelson’s 2009 collusion with the banks BBVA joins bank-backed euro stablecoin joint venture Santander agrees…

Things worth reading: 4th February 2026

Things we’re reading today include … Mandelson lobbied for weaker US banking rules on behalf of Epstein Rising Cryptocurrency Activity in Iran Prompts Increased U.S. Oversight FCA unveils first Fintech cohort for UK government’s scale-up initiative Fintech founder charged with fraud How Banking-Grade Crypto Is Replacing Bitcoin’s Cowboy Finance Why Customers Still Love Their Old…

Things worth reading: 3rd February 2026

Things we’re reading today include … Why has the price of bitcoin plummeted? Experts explain Paypal Study Highlights Growth of Cryptocurrency Payments in the US Production Is the Real Test of Tokenization The 11 most valuable fintechs in Europe Frenemies at the gates − speech by Rebecca Jackson, Bank of England Allianz Risk Barometer 2026:…

Things worth reading: 2nd February 2026

Things we’re reading today include … United Nations Chief Guterres warns it is about to go bust Trump’s boycott leaves UN ‘on brink of bankruptcy’, says secretary-general Billionaire Revolut founder switches residence from Dubai back to UK Starling targets US expansion by selling software to other banks UK FCA backs FinTech growth without diluting compliance…

The Finanser’s Week: 26th January –  1st February 2026

This week’s main discussions include … Why bank branches still matter Many have argued for years that branches are dead. Many in the fintech world believe that people don’t need branches. Wrong. A bit like cash, the pandemic forced a change of behaviour. Human needs for human service (why branches matter, part two) I’ve recently…

Things worth reading: 30th January 2026

Things we’re reading today include … Payments and FinTech Regulation 2026: What’s on the Horizon in the UK and EU? Revolut Partners With ElevenLabs To Bolster Customer Service Sweden’s Ikano Bank claims to put people at the center of automation Eurosystem: DLT-based assets to be accepted as central bank collateral Santander to close further 44…

Things worth reading: 29th January 2026

Things we’re reading today include … Tether says it bought 27 tons of gold in fourth quarter White House to host meeting between bank and crypto next week to discuss digital asset legislation Deutsche Bank offices raided in money laundering probe Pay by Bank Emerges as an Alternative to Cards for Online Payments Metro Bank…

Things worth reading: 28th January 2026

Things we’re reading today include … Cryptocurrency money laundering reached $82 billion in 2025, Chainalysis says Revolut launches fully licensed digital bank in Mexico Tether will become ‘gold central bank’ in post-dollar world, CEO Ardoino says Can Wells Fargo make it in investment banking? Deutsche Bank sees gold reaching $6 000 per ounce in 2026…

Things worth reading: 27th January 2026

Things we’re reading today include … Why women will shape the next era of finance Major UK bank fined for breaching Russian sanctions Why Muslims worldwide are being ‘debanked’ Europe risks falling further behind, banking group warns Fintech in 2026: Why responsible AI, regulatory clarity and scale matter more than ever Ripple Secures Strategic Saudi…

Things worth reading: 26th January 2026

Things we’re reading today include … Bank of England admits inflation bungle European life insurers’ systemic risk ‘non-trivial’ European banks take a fresh crack at Wall Street Fintech Adviser Titan Hit With Second SEC Penalty Over “Misleading” 2,700% Crypto Return Claims Lloyds to train all 67,000 staff in AI as banks go digital Fintechs should…