The FinTech Revolution

Gregory La Blanc, Lecturer

We are currently undergoing what many people refer to as the fourth industrial revolution. As with previous industrial revolutions, this one is accompanied by a financial revolution. The exponential increase in the availability of data as well as the rapid growth in computing power is leading to a dramatic digital transformation of banking, investment management, payments, insurance, credit, and even money itself. This talk will offer a brief tour of how financial markets and institutions are changing with particular attention paid to blockchain technology and decentralized ledgers. While much attention has been given to bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, blockchain may have an even greater impact on the size and scope of firms, the nature of contracts, and the financing of industry supply chains. These changes may dramatically affect the process of financial intermediation and the provision of credit in the economy.