1.Faster payments will find their niche

The Lyft Inc. logo and application (app) is displayed on an Apple Inc. iPhone 5s and MacBook Air for an arranged photograph in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, July 9, 2014. Lyft Inc. is taking its ride-sharing service into New York this week and is abandoning its trademark pink mustaches in the process, taking on rival Uber Technologies Inc. in one of the biggest U.S. markets.

Written by Suleman Din - Originally published at this link

2.In-car payments get up to speed

The interior of a General Motors Co. Buick Avista concept vehicle is displayed after being unveiled during an event ahead of the 2016 North American Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016. General Motors Co. is making its latest play to bring Buick back in the U.S. by showing off the Avista sporty coupe concept and the Chinese-built Envision sport utility vehicle today in advance of the Detroit auto show.

3.Gas stations invest in payments and security

Most (but not all) credit card companies offer their cardholders more protection against identity theft than is available to debit cardholders. This alone is a strong vote in favor of using your credit card at the gas pump. Additionally, identity theft protection isn’t the only benefit. Some credit cards offer rewards in the form of airline miles, hotel points, or cash back incentives.

Important: No matter what the reward, the key is that you're gaining something in exchange for using a credit card.

4.Artificial intelligence and data analytics

Data analytics is the process of transforming a raw dataset into useful knowledge. By drawing on new advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, the projects is also aiming to develop systems that will help to automate the data analytics process.

5.App experimentation

Today’s consumers have come to expect a seamless, high-quality app experience. A poor experience can result in a loss of users and also damage the reputation of your brand. Therefore, a comprehensive mobile app testing strategy is critical to the development process. Today's mobile app landscape is evolving at rapid speed creating many challenges for mobile app developers, including:

• New Technologies: Today’s mobile apps need to work flawlessly with smart-connected cars and homes, voice interfaces, kiosks, and more.
• Geo-Awareness and Localization: Your app experience must be relevant to global audiences.
• Rapid Release Schedules: In today’s world of continuous integration and continuous development, it is difficult to perform comprehensive testing that doesn’t hold up your release schedule.
• Personalization: Customers expect personalized communications when using your app.
• Device Fragmentation: Not only do developers have to keep up with the latest devices, they need to ensure apps work on the newest OS version, plus several older versions that are likely still in use, as users are not always quick to update.
• Unexpected Customer User Cases: Every user is unique and the experiences they have with your apps will be different, too.

6.Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. These cyberattacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information; extorting money from users; or interrupting normal business processes.

Implementing effective cybersecurity measures is particularly challenging today because there are more devices than people, and attackers are becoming more innovative.

7.The evolution of chatbots

Chatbots are usually considered to be an emerging technology that doesn't date back that long. Surprisingly, they’ve been around since the time of computers.

8.Commercial banking innovation

The term “INNOVATION” means to make something new. Banks now no longer restricted to traditional banking activities but explored newer avenues to increase business and capture new market.

9.A threat from Silicon Valley?

The silhouette of Jeff Bezos, chief executive officer of Amazon.com Inc., is seen as he unveils the Fire Phone during an event at Fremont Studios in Seattle, Washington, U.S., on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 Amazon.com Inc. jumped into the crowded smartphone market with its own handset called Fire Phone, ramping up competition with Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

10.Data sharing

The ability to share the same data resource with multiple applications or users. It implies that the data are stored in one or more servers in the network and that there is some software locking mechanism that prevents the same set of data from being changed by two people at the same time. Data sharing is a primary feature of a database management system (DBMS). See data conferencing and groupware.

11.Fintech investment

The FinTech investment team focuses on technology-driven innovation in financial infrastructure, products, services, and their distribution. By mid-2017, we had invested over $320 million in equity and debt in early- and growth-stage FinTech companies around the globe.

12.The mainstreaming of cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrencies are finally going mainstream – the battle is on to bring them under global control.

From artificial intelligence applications to runaway bitcoin pricing, it's easy to get lost in the stream of banking technology and fintech developments during the past year.One of the biggest news stories of the year was the massive breach at Equifax, in which the personal data of roughly 145 million people was compromised. The aftershocks of the breach are still being felt, as lawmakers weigh changes to the credit reporting industry and the banking industry as a whole struggles with how to make systems less vulnerable to attack.The rise and fall and rise again of bitcoin has also dominated headlines this year, with bankers like JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon staying skeptical while Goldman Sachs is planning to open a trading desk for cryptocurrency. If the price of bitcoin continues to rise, will bankers reconsider it?More banks, meanwhile, are experimenting with mobile-only applications designed to help them reach areas where they lack a physical presence. And institutions are also increasingly trying to seize on AI or voice-enabled gadgets as a way to expand consumer banking.

The question remains over how robust those platforms will prove to be, or whether Silicon Valley competitors might gain an edge in that arena.Also unclear is whether some of those tech giants may join the banking sector. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency continues to consider giving a charter to fintech firms, while the existing industrial loan company charter could also allow nonfinancial firms into the system.With so much uncertainty, the only thing that's clear is how different the sector may look a year from now. Following are predictions for how the leading trends in technology will impact banking in 2018.