BankThink

While instant payments and open banking have been gaining momentum across the globe, payments providers have established digitally backed services that not only facilitate seamless financial operations but also help generate revenue, says AFEX Americas' Christian Spaltenstein.

Organizations that put the customer experience front of mind will be the winners, but they must nonetheless expect additional pressure from regulators, new competition, ever more digitally demanding consumers, and no slowdown in technological innovation, says Entersekt's Gerhard Oosthuizen.

The bank’s stock price hit its first record close in three years on the prospect of higher interest rates; the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose above 1% for the first time since March.

As the transport ticketing market evolves in the wake of the pandemic, further intensifying the challenges caused by the dominance of proprietary systems, it’s time to see a more open, collaborative public transport ecosystem, says Calypso Networks Association's Philippe Vappereau.

Congress acted first when it freed financial firms from having to disclose the beneficial owners of commercial clients. Now it's time for regulators to further ease anti-money-laundering reporting requirements by freeing them from filing duplicative or unnecessary suspicious activity reports.

With people shopping online more than ever before, and a new group of consumers joining the online retail space, it’s become increasingly important for brands to connect their sales channels and embrace e-commerce, says Hatch founder and CEO Joris Kroese.

While a positive development, the bank is still operating under 10 other enforcement actions; the president said Alipay, WeChat Pay and six other apps pose national security risks.

With the advances in technology and digitization, and evolving security threats, it’s time for smarter, more robust authentication methods, says Entersekt's Dewald Nolte.

2020 has shown that the payment industry is flexible and resilient, and if 2021 throws our plans out the window, we'd better be equipped to adapt on the fly, says IDEMIA's Megan Heinze.

Haven Health, which included Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway, had little to show after three years; the Federal Reserve’s lending scheme hasn’t been able to find its niche or attract banks.