In a recent conversation on crypto and NFTs, the inevitable question came up: what's this stuff worth? It's a link on a blockchain, after all. Yet NFTs are shaking up the art world, raising questions of artistic aesthetics and investment values. Artists can benefit both economically and legally. I covered the economic and legal aspects of NFTs in How Misuse of a Technical … [Read more...] about NFTs (Part2): Is It Art and What’s It Worth?
NFTs (Part 1): How Misuse of a Technical Term Obscures an Economic and Legal Function
The record-setting price of bitcoin this week, driven by the launch of the first U.S. bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) – the most successful ETF launch in history – may support one of the year's other major FinTech stories: the rise of NFTs. The bitcoin EFT makes it possible for investors to buy exposure to the future price of bitcoin without purchasing either the futures … [Read more...] about NFTs (Part 1): How Misuse of a Technical Term Obscures an Economic and Legal Function
Could FinTechs Bridge the Inclusion Gap?
The problem of inequity for minority communities in America has many faces, with access to financial services still lagging concerningly behind. Black and Latinx households make up more than 60% of the nation’s unbanked, and nearly half of underbanked households, according to FDIC surveys. Efforts to foster greater inclusivity provided a focal point to the recent Washington … [Read more...] about Could FinTechs Bridge the Inclusion Gap?
FinTech and Crypto: 7 Years On
This post marks the seventh anniversary of FinTech Rising. I wrote the first posts while attending the 2014 Sibos* conference in Boston. The biggest thing I learned at that conference was the emergence of bitcoin into the mainstream financial system. As I wrote in that first FinTech Rising post, "Throughout the conference, the line on Bitcoin went something like this: It may … [Read more...] about FinTech and Crypto: 7 Years On
Stablecoin: A Faster Future?
Could stablecoin be an idea whose time has arrived? The industry remains niche in terms of overall value, but as more competitors test the ground to enter the field - including large central banks in some countries like Sweden - the conversation has rapidly developed into what could be suggested to be an inevitability. Stablecoins - in this case, cryptocurrency tied directly … [Read more...] about Stablecoin: A Faster Future?
September FinTech in Review: ESG and the Evolving Shape of Crypto
Our Week in FinTech columns for September covered themes of trends here to stay: ESG investing and the constantly-evolving face of cryptocurrency. Sustainable investing continues to be a major theme in the markets, and looks more and more like a model that all advisors need to learn inside and out to continue to play a significant role going forward. People want to know … [Read more...] about September FinTech in Review: ESG and the Evolving Shape of Crypto