Much of my knowledge of payments comes from my daily experience. Like many consumers, I want things that work without me thinking about them. This year, I'm very much down with the increasing prevalence of contactless cards and anything that integrates digital wallets (cards on my phone) with POS and web payments. My list includes payment systems that reduced friction in the … [Read more...] about Five Things We Liked About Payments in 2023
Toward Connected Finance
This post grew out of watching demos at Finovate Fall 2023, in New York. Given that 2023 is the year of AI, it was no surprise that AI played some role in most of the demos and many of the panels. The main essence I noticed in the demos was their focus on applications that connect to banks to supplement their clients' financial needs. Many of the FinTech firms seek to … [Read more...] about Toward Connected Finance
Cryptocurrency and Its Potential Impact on Cross-Border Payments
Last week at Finovate Fall 2023, MoneyGram CEO Alex Holmes was interviewed by a Forbes reporter, Leo Schwartz, about cryptocurrency and its potential impact on cross-border payments and remittances. The discussion shed light on the complexities and challenges surrounding the adoption of cryptocurrencies in the payments industry. Holmes began by acknowledging the allure of … [Read more...] about Cryptocurrency and Its Potential Impact on Cross-Border Payments
SupraFin’s Approach to Cryptocurrency Ratings
At Finovate Fall 2023 in New York, Liliana Reasor, SupraFin's founder, discussed the company's approach to cryptocurrency ratings. With 20 years of experience at institutions like JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank, and Moody’s Analytics, Reasor has a significant background in crypto, risk management, and investment banking. She highlighted the growing importance of comprehensive risk … [Read more...] about SupraFin’s Approach to Cryptocurrency Ratings
Constructing the Future of Money
The articles in this issue of FinTech Rising showcase two paths to instant payments and their progress: the traditional bank-centric approach and the emerging decentralized digital-cash approach. Our articles come from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Payments Symposium, held virtually on Sept. 22-23. They are not incompatible, and they will co-exist, certainly … [Read more...] about Constructing the Future of Money
From Hype to Investment: The Changing Face of Blockchain
Blockchain was quite the buzzword just a couple of years ago; tracking alongside bitcoin, it generated quite a bit of hype and more than a few headlines before, for many financial professionals, seemingly fading back into the background. While those days of big headlines and market-redefining hypothetical use cases may be over, now, blockchain hasn’t gone anywhere. Investors … [Read more...] about From Hype to Investment: The Changing Face of Blockchain