Category: Uncategorized

Uncategorized

SIBOS: What is Banks’ role in identity

Colin Henderson

SIBOS is an interesting meeting each year where the lemmings look for the cliff to race off to. I don’t say that with animosity but with reality where we have several thousand largely paid employees who are tired of the daily payment grind, and looking for clarity on whats next. So when the senior folks at banks start talking about identity as a service one has to yawn. I recall discussions and analysis about this potential service in 1998 in Chicago while I was at mbanx. The obvious analogy between the bank vault containing cash and a vault containing your … Continue reading SIBOS: What is Banks’ role in identity

Uncategorized

Rackspace shift to managed services supporting Amazon

Colin Henderson

This is an big development in the cloud space that portends the obvious; Amazon have the cloud space well cornered. Microsoft (Azure/ Live/ OneDrive/ latest nom de jour – I have seriously lost track on their latest name) are giving it a shot but the retail/ B2B/ new corporate cloud space is owned by Amazon – full stop. Here is the newsletter in full from Robert Scoble, Rackspace and internet evangelist. Rackspace Ends the “Cloud Push” With AWS Support (Robert Scoble email) Official release here. The following is in Robert Scobles own words from todays email. Feel free to subscribe … Continue reading Rackspace shift to managed services supporting Amazon

Uncategorized

Why do we need cash?

Colin Henderson

Just in case you thought the world financial system was rational, then in fact you are correct. Rational thought for protection of the world financial system during the next crisis is to eliminate the problem caused by cash. Now this might seem an extreme view of the world, but lets not forget Andy Haldane of the Bank of England proposed elimination of cash just last month. How and Why Banks Will Seize Deposits During the Next Crisis The financial system is predominantly comprised of digital money. Actual physical Dollars bills and coins only amount to $1.36 trillion. This is only … Continue reading Why do we need cash?

Uncategorized

Digital Finance Toronto 2015 – some notes @dfi2015

Colin Henderson

Digital Finance conference in Toronto. Two panels today with very different perspectives and fascinating to observe: first panel was very focussed on the regulatory environment, and was very focussed on the problems that fintech has with regulators. There was a thread of unbanked and underserved. In general this panel struck me as close to lobbyists Sarah Gordon CFSI Carol Caruso Accion (funded by Gates Foundation) Grant Fondo – Goodwin Proctor (security / cybercrime) Jo Lang (ny) R3CV – crytocurrency, org with 9 global banks Sarah Martin, Moneythink – economic health of US people one at a time the next panel … Continue reading Digital Finance Toronto 2015 – some notes @dfi2015

Uncategorized

Tomorrows Transactions – final thoughts – #TTTU2015

Colin Henderson

@dgwbirch @debgamble1 Some personal and final payments takeaways from todays unconference in Toronto: Canada is Canadian – conservative and sees the status quo as a barrier to change Common agreement that what is needed is real time and cheap payments (P2P, P2B, B2B) How and why this should happen gets fuzzy for most Canada has the potential to be world leading edge in payments given: shared national infrastructure (CPA, Interac, national P2P system) the postive has the corollary of a shared infrastructure owned by those with least to gain from change (big 5 banks) postitive regulatory environment looking for a … Continue reading Tomorrows Transactions – final thoughts – #TTTU2015

Uncategorized

Glass Bank and the evolution of transparency – 1931

Colin Henderson

#TTTU2015 Dave comes up with the darndest examples to make his point and these are frequently brilliant. This from Modern Mechanics, August 1931 was a new concept – a glass bank. Apparently in the 1930’s bank robberies were a serious problem. Architect Keally developed the concept of a glass bank. The idea was that if everyone could see inside the bank, no-one would rob it. Keally was in fact referring to the concept of transparency hence we flowed nicely into a Blockchain discussion. Continue reading Glass Bank and the evolution of transparency – 1931

Uncategorized

Tomorrows Transactions – blockchain #TTTU2015

Colin Henderson

Dave discussed potential uses of blockchain. There are 5 examples, and only 4 have potential. I will leave you to debate/ figure out 🙂 It was equally fascinating to listen to Dave and also to be dumbfounded with the initial lack of audience interest. Once we got into discussion that changed. It turns out there is interest but lack of knoweldge about the potential in separation of blockchain from bitcoin. Bitcoin is crowding out the discussion apparently. Anyhow enjoy. Continue reading Tomorrows Transactions – blockchain #TTTU2015