Changing Money

posted by Collin Canright on January 30, 2017 - 10:23am

Thought leaders continue to point to trends that banks and FinTech insiders need to pay attention to, ranging from the use of big data to FinTech firms like Stash and Betterment, which are reshaping wealth management. Faster payments, mobile payments, and blockchain systems will accelerate their development this year.

Fed issues report on faster payments initiative

The Federal Reserve released a progress report on its Payments Improvement initiative. The effort began in 2015 with a study report, followed by formation of task forces for faster and secure payments. The Faster Payments task force is evaluating proposals against criteria designed last year to result in the "end-to-end improvement of the speed, efficiency and security of the U.S. payments system." The 62-page report is part one of a final report that will be issued in June, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The biggest tech trend in 2017: data

Intercontinental Exchange CTO Mayur Kapani discusses key trends such as the relationship between technology and data, tech trends in today’s market and the role participants are playing in developing what lies ahead for trading technology.

3 New FinTech startups changing the face of finance

According to Tech.co, Stash, Daweda and Betterment are the tech firms reshaping the finance sector. Zachary Weiner explains how these three firms are altering the way average consumers invest.

The 11 FinTech and banking trends you need to follow

Artificial intelligence and machine learning will make a critical difference to help banks improve common customer services interactions. Blockchain will move into the real world. And China and other emerging markets will become a greater focus of FinTech efforts. 11FS breaks down these and more FinTech trends you’ll need to watch in 2017.

2016: The year of the mobile banking app

The TSYS UK m-payment and P2P payment study found that more than 56 percent of customers used their mobile phone to access banking services more than once a month, which disproves the myth that only millennials use technology more than branches for their banking needs, according to Payments Cards & Mobile.

THE BLOCKCHAIN WATCH

HK FinTech company Credit China FinTech invests $30 million in blockchain provider BitFury Group
Credit China FinTech will invest $30 million in BitFury shares and the setting up of the joint venture as part of the deal, according to CNBC. “We have a working prototype payment system using blockchain technologies in our research laboratory,” Phang Yew Kiat told CNBC.

Blockchain believers hold fast to a utopian vision
BitFury co-founder Valery Vavilov, along with other chief executives, are working to use blockchain to create more open, transparent systems from voting to banking. “There needs to be deep and collaborative thinking on what kind of infrastructure you need to support global financial transactions in the cloud,” R3’s David Rutter tells The Financial Times.

Trends in financial technology to watch
Christa Steele, former CEO of Mechanics Bank talked with FinXtech about the trends she’s watching in FinTech, the challenges that bank leaders face while navigating digital disruption, and why blockchain still matters to banks.