Prepare for disintegration: How new technology and the euro-crisis legacy could break the EU apart May 5, 2016 Somewhat lost in the current debate over the UK and the EU is the fate of the European Union itself. Are we arguing over the membership of a club which might not exist 10 or 20 years from now? The pre-eminent American historian of the EU, John Gillingham, has written: “The EU is unfit for [...]
How blockchain will save us from the perils of central bank price fixing February 12, 2016 Many countries have experimented with price fixing and central planning over the last century. Right now, Venezuela’s government is fixing the prices of many products. This has resulted in widespread shortages of goods which we, as the lucky inhabitants of semi-free economies, take for granted. Price fixing has failed in every area of the economy [...]
Blockchain is the single biggest fintech innovation of the decade November 12, 2015 Despite the enormous attention being lavished on digital currencies such as bitcoin, the reality of the situation is we won’t see one hit the mainstream for many years. Before central banks commit to issuing a digital pound or dollar they will need to be assured about several factors, including proof that there are no vulnerabilities [...]
Apple Pay, one year later: Why mobile payments have failed to catch on as we’re still looking for something better December 17, 2015 Mobile payments became a hot topic just about the time when first iPhone was introduced by Steve Jobs in 2007. Back then experts in payment, retail, telecommunication, and banking industries started thinking about a smartphone as a viable alternative to physical wallets suggesting many different technologies, but no one knew how exactly the winner was [...]
We’ve not even scratched the surface of fintech’s true potential – and banks will struggle to keep up May 26, 2016 Fintech innovation has seen rapid growth over the past few years and is producing businesses with scalable products. In turn, senior executives at banks are responding to the challenge these businesses present and have begun to set up their own incubators to capture this rapid innovation. Driving much of this has been the rise of [...]
Adarsh Radia and new business partner Ignacio Macias are matchmaking startups and corporates July 11, 2016 If you've already been a fund manager and serial entrepreneur, how do you seek a fresh perspective on work – and life? For Adarsh Radia, who’s ex-Merrill Lynch and co-founder of popular Indian restaurant Dishoom (you may have queued to get in), the answer was to enrol himself at the Singularity University, a Silicon Valley think [...]
PwC acquires Edinburgh-based consultancy Praxism UK to strengthen its cyber security offering January 25, 2016 Professional services firm PwC has today announced that it is acquiring consultancy Praxism UK to strengthen its cyber security offering. The Edinburgh-based consultancy company was founded in 2008 and specialises in identity and access management. Praxism's 13 employees, along with the company's founder and director Derek Gordon, will mostly be joining PwC's Edinburgh office, although one specialist will [...]
Blythe Masters’ Digital Asset Holdings just bought blockchain start-up Blockstack.io October 29, 2015 Blythe Masters’ Digital Asset Holdings just bought a blockchain start-up. The company announced it would be buying Blockstack.io, a cloud-based blockchain system that offers "blockchain-as-a-service" for financial players. Masters, the former JPMorgan Chase executive, confirmed the takeover today: Blockstack’s solutions will enhance the existing Digital Asset technology stack and Miron, a renowned pioneer in the [...]
Microsoft launches blockchain cloud-based platform with startup ConsensYs to make blockchain experimenting easy November 12, 2015 Looks like Microsoft is getting serious about blockchain. The tech giant is teaming up with startup ConsensYs to launch a cloud-based blockchain platform that will enable financial institutions to experiment with the lauded technology that underlies cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. “Working with our customers that wanted to start playing around with blockchain technology, the major pain [...]
The war on cash is raging – should we welcome or fear the death of hard money? June 7, 2016 Cash is no longer king. Although the Bank of England unveiled a new, polymer-coated £5 note last week, the seemingly unstoppable march towards paper-free transactions continues. Electronic payments overtook notes and coins last year in the UK, according to the Payments Council, an industry body representing the banks and card machine industry. They now account for [...]