Fintech / Digital Currencies

Although the first blockchain bond raised millions of dollars, there are still reasons to be leary of the hype around digital currencies.

New mechanisms are needed to establish trust in digital platforms that are using blockchain technology.

American workers need a financial tool that knows their story. Most apps fall short. The reality is that working families across the country face a variety of pain points when trying to improve their financial lives. Many experience volatile incomes, for instance, that make it hard to build savings. Others may find themselves shut out […]

Fintech has exploded onto the scene of nearly every investor, venture capitalist, traditional finance firm, and smartphone user. Moreover, it has seen a meteoric rise in terms of funding, firm-starts, and general interest worldwide. One illustration of this can be seen by simply looking at the Google search volume for the term Fintech over time […]

This article originally appeared in the Harvard Business Review. We’ve included an excerpt here.  Blockchain technology has the potential to do amazing things. It can provide an immutable, digital audit trail of transactions, and can be used to cheaply verify the integrity of data. It can help businesses and individuals agree, on a global scale, […]

Over the course of the past decade, the world has witnessed the rise and many falls of Bitcoin. The promise of cryptocurrency and the initial wave of Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) led many to tout the underlying blockchain technology as “revolutionary”—the next major disruptor of the global financial system. Following declining values in most cryptocurrencies, […]

Financial Technology, or FinTech, has gained significant traction in recent years, especially as digital transformation becomes a core priority for effective business development within financial institutions. According to Accenture, the global FinTech sector has attracted more than $50 billion in investment since 2010. Indeed, many developed countries around the world are emerging as start-up hubs, […]

View the full report, “Inclusive Digital Transformation in India: Improving Digital Financial Services for the Poor Through Human-centered Design.” Gandhali, a farmer living in rural Bihar, India, doesn’t own a mobile phone; she borrows her son’s to talk with her brother in the next village. She has a bank account, but resents the half-day trip […]

Just getting started learning about blockchain? This primer from DI professor, Karim Lakhani is the place to start. In this HBR Whiteboard Session, Professor Lakhani explains how the blockchain works and why we should care. Finally, Lakhani provides a brief roadmap for leaders looking to implement the promising technology within their own organizations.

With a finance empire spanning mobile/online payments, wealth management, digital-first banking, credit scoring, and yes, cryptocurrencies, Ant Financial is one of the most influential fintech companies in the world. This case from DI professor Feng Zhu on how Ant Financial has managed its growth strategy is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the current state of fintech innovation today.