The Future of Fintech

Perhaps it’s no surprise as we come off the decadence of the holiday season that we’ve got finances on the mind. No story about fintech would be complete without drawing considerable attention to the elephant in the bank (as it were) – blockchain. And indeed, we do address the promise and potential of blockchain along with considering how established giants like Ant Financial and rogue startups like Wealthfront are changing the landscape of fintech for everyone and in a myriad of ways. From ICOs to robo-advisors, here’s what’s capturing our attention in the world of finance this month.

Next Edition | January 31, 2018

Innovations in Healthcare

In This Edition

Each edition explores a facet of the digital economy and investigates the forces transforming it.

01
The Truth About Blockchain
- Digital Infrastructure
Despite its centrality to the functioning of society, the technology that governs contracts, transactions, and record keeping has not kept up with the digital transformation of the economy. Blockchain, however, has the potential to change all that – that is, if it can overcome multiple barriers to adoption. This article from professors Marco Iansiti and Karim Lakhani highlights what it would really take for blockchain to become the revolutionary technology everyone hopes it will be.
02
Do Bitcoin and Digital Currency Have a Future?
- Fintech / Digital Currencies
Cryptocurrency certainly has its appeal. The lack of middle men or local regulatory bodies make it an efficient transaction method, and many in the finance industry now see digital currencies as the natural and unavoidable future. But is the new technology worth the hype? Professor Emeritus James Haskett takes a look back at the meteoric rise of another trend in finance – hedge funds – and determines that the answer is ‘maybe’.
03
What Initial Coin Offerings Are, and Why VC Firms Care
- Fintech / Digital Currencies
In a way, 2017 was the year of the ICO. 2017 saw over 700 initial coin offerings with almost $5 billion raised according to ICO Data (compared with less than $1 billion in 2016). It is no surprise then that this fundraising phenomenon has left the finance world and VC firms in particular with a lot to talk about. This article from Harvard Business Review highlights some of the advantages and disadvantages of this disruptive new fundraising tactic.
04
Case Study: Ant Financial
- Fintech / Digital Currencies
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.
05
Why Millennials Flock to Fintech for Personal Investing
- Fintech / Digital Currencies
Thanks to the rise of big data and algorithmic solutions coupled with millennial preferences, robo-advisers are disrupting the personal investment industry. Professor Luis Viceira describes how Wealthfront has successfully utilized a tech-focused strategy to grow their assets to over $3.7 billion. Just how good are the opportunities in fintech and personal investing? Good enough that even mainstream investment firms are starting to decrease their fees and add robo-funds to their product lines to compete with startups like Wealthfront.

Events

Jan 15 2018

World Crypto Economic Forum

2 Days • 1000+ Attendees • 60+ Speakers

The World Crypto Economic Forum in the San Francisco Bay Area is the first of a series of events around the world to support the blockchain community and create a global network of entrepreneurs and developers in today’s fast-evolving blockchain economy.

More Details

Mar 6 2018

Finovate Europe

Influencers

Feng Zhu

Feng Zhu is the Piramal Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.
Luis Viceira

Luis is the George E. Bates Professor and Senior Associate Dean for International Development at the Harvard Business School.
Karim Lakhani

Karim is Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, the Principal Investigator of the Crowd Innovation Lab and NASA Tournament Lab and the faculty co-founder of the HBS Digital Initiative.
Marco Iansiti

Marco is the David Sarnoff Professor of Business Administration, and heads the Technology and Operations Management Unit and is co-chair of the Digital Initiative at HBS.
Christopher Malloy

Christopher is a Professor in the Finance Unit at Harvard Business School, and a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
James Heskett

James is UPS Foundation Professor of Business Logistics, Emeritus at the Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University.