The federal reserve speaks up on blockchain, reports Business Insider. "It's pretty astounding," said Token CEO Steve Kirsch in his presentation at NACHA's Payments 2016. "This stuff is very real, and it is coming." Token is building a secure digital payments system. In an April 14 speech (PDF) Lael Brainard, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, surveyed … [Read more...] about THE BLOCKCHAIN WATCH 04/22/16
Cryptofinance
THE BLOCKCHAIN WATCH 04/13/16
Now is the time to get past the blockchain hype and into the nitty-gritty of how to use it to improve banking, writes Chuck Mackie in "Blockchain on the Brink: Report from the DTCC Blockchain Conference." It may well be five years before blockchain has a major impact on existing processes and institutions, and much of the focus on financial incumbents is problematic. As Mackie … [Read more...] about THE BLOCKCHAIN WATCH 04/13/16
THE BLOCKCHAIN WATCH 04/01/16
The large consulting and technology firms continue to put out their perspectives on the blockchain. PwC published "What is blockchain?" earlier in the year, while EY spoke with bobsguide on "Is blockchain good or bad tech?" The cryptocurrency used in the Ethereum made The New York Times, as its value soars. The article covers the development of Ethereum, which runs on a public … [Read more...] about THE BLOCKCHAIN WATCH 04/01/16
THE BLOCKCHAIN WATCH 03/25/16
More background and "explainers" on the blockchain. Banking innovator and author Chris Skinner presents the blockchain as FinTech's "real game changer" in American Banker. Watch for his book, The Value Web. FinExtra reminds us of its white paper with IBM "Charting the Progress of Distributed Ledger Technology In Financial Services." Meanwhile, a panel at a cash management … [Read more...] about THE BLOCKCHAIN WATCH 03/25/16
THE BLOCKCHAIN WATCH 03/17/16
"While FinTech disrupts banks, the blockchain disrupts FinTech," reports NASDAQ in writing about a PwC report on the blockchain. About 83% of financial services companies thinkspecific aspects of their businesses are at risk to various FinTech companies, a PwC survey shows. Among its other findings are: financial institutions underestimate blockchain and consumer banking and … [Read more...] about THE BLOCKCHAIN WATCH 03/17/16
THE BLOCKCHAIN WATCH 03/10/16
"The frenzy around blockchain and distributed ledgers is unprecedented," writes Institutional Investor in "How to Move Distributed Ledger Foward". Business Insider UK provides a guide on understanding the emerging technology, Chris Skinner notes that banks continue in their attempts to understand how blockchain can improve their processes, the Breaking Banks podcast asks, "Is … [Read more...] about THE BLOCKCHAIN WATCH 03/10/16