Money is a social construct and that’s why you should run a #bitcoin full-node
October 28, 2017. Bitcoin is a system with many strict rules but without any rulers. This is made possible because the rules are enforced by each and every user of the system. Changing the existing rules is nearly impossible, but new rules can be added...
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Ten years in, nobody has come up with a use for blockchain
December 23, 2017. (Sequel here: Blockchain is not only crappy technology but a bad vision for the future.) Everyone says the blockchain, the technology underpinning cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, is going to change EVERYTHING. And yet, after years of tireless effort and billions of dollars...
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New credit-risk models for the unbanked
April 2013. Lenders can use big data to create meaningful value for their enterprise, better outcomes for borrowers, and significant social impact. Lending to lower-income households and small and informal enterprises is challenging. Many (though not all) of these customers have limited familiarity with formal...
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Coping with the Challenge of Open Banking
February 07, 2018. Major UK banks enter 2018 facing new regulations that make it easier for smaller rivals to lure away customers. Here’s how the big banks can fight back. The UK banking industry is once again producing healthy margins, with the Big 5...
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Evolving the Customer Experience in Banking
November 20, 2017. Should banks worry about Amazon's quiet moves into financial products, including Amazon Cash? Explore Bain’s latest Customer Loyalty in Banking insights. Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods is an audacious plunge into grocery in the US. More quietly, the company has...
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New Bank Strategies Require New Operating Models
May 15, 2017. It’s high time to shake up creaky structures and ways of working Disruptions in banking are pushing banks to take more explicit strategy decisions. Many banks have recognized that they need a truly differentiated strategy as the industry’s economics have...
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Remaking the bank for an ecosystem world
October 2017. Global banking-industry performance has been lackluster. Now comes the hard part: the rise of nonbanking platform companies targeting the most profitable parts of the banking value chain. The global banking industry shows many signs of renewed health. The recovery from the financial crisis...
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