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The Finanser’s Week: 23rd February – 1st March 2026
This week’s main discussions include … Stripe buying PayPal? Wow! Two headlines really struck me this morning. The first is that Stripe is now valued at over $150 billion – I’ve been following Stripe’s valuations for over a decade (it was just over $9 billion in 2016) … … and the second is that they……
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JPMorgan’s $20 billion bet on AI and digital transformation
There’s been a lot of talk this week about JPMorgan spending $20 billion on technology in 2026. It sounds huge, and it is, and it’s slightly more than their peer group spend but, bear in mind, this is a bank worth over $800 billion and with revenues of $185 billion, so you need to……
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Things worth reading: 27th February 2026
Things we’re reading today include … Fintech company Block lays off 4,000 of its 10,000 staff, citing gains from AI What’s Next for Klarna After US$1bn in Revenue U.K. ‘buy now pay later’ regulation signals end of ‘Wild West’ fintech loans system The crypto winter is not over, with the cryptocurrency market following the sentiment……
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What will money look like in 2050 and beyond?
I wonder what my kids will feel in a financial future of 2050 and beyond. We will probably regale them with stories about using cheques and cash and paper to exchange value. They will probably be amazed that such systems worked, but it’s a bit like me being amazed about how tally sticks worked a……
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Things worth reading: 2nd March 2026
Things we’re reading today include … Major bank faces £600million hit after UK mortgage lender collapses Bank for ultra-rich warns Reeves over entrepreneur exodus Braddick to take the helm at the UK’s banking watchdog the PRA The economic effects of changes to bank capital regulation: evidence from the United Kingdom, a report from the Bank……
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When did the Ponzi scheme start?
I said to a friend this week that I’m working on a fictional new book about a Ponzi scheme. She turned to me and said “you know that he wasn’t the person who created the Ponzi scheme?” Intrigued, I made the mistake of asking “what?” and suddenly you go down a rabbit hole. Who created……
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What does programmable money mean for treasury operations?
I had a lovely deep-dive conversation with Martin Hargreaves, Chief Product Officer at Quant, during our webinar about how programmable money and liquidity are transforming corporate treasury and financial infrastructure. Martin gave me a great definition: “Programmable money is money that responds to external events and conditions while preserving its fundamental nature. The money itself……
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Things worth reading: 3rd March 2026
Things we’re reading today include … Is the UK still a global fintech leader? World’s money launderers are shifting to crypto, report warns Elliptic Reports 700% Surge in Cryptocurrency Outflows from Iran Following Airstrikes Are banking hubs the answer to bank branch closures? 2026: Three Regulatory Strategies for Banking in an Increasingly Fragmented World DORA’s……
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Branches aren’t needed for advice or transactions … it’s all about trust
Returning to the branch discussions, I picked up on Jim Marous’s recent podcast with Bank of America (BoA) which is headlined: BofA is Building 150 New Financial Centres at $5 Million Each. Here’s Why The podcast focuses on the fact that BoA is opening new branches focused upon advisory services having almost halved its branch……
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Branches aren’t needed for advice or transactions … it’s all about trust
Returning to the branch discussions, I picked up on Jim Marous’s recent podcast with Bank of America (BoA) which is headlined: BofA is Building 150 New Financial Centres at $5 Million Each. Here’s Why The podcast focuses on the fact that BoA is opening new branches focused upon advisory services having almost halved its branch……