Blockchain

Until significant steps are taken toward creating a seamless and intuitive experience, blockchain will fall short of its goals, as it is unable to communicate its value.

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank plans to launch a pilot in 2020 of a blockchain-based digital version of the Eastern Caribbean dollar. This marks the first time that a central bank will have issued digital legal tender using the blockchain.

Banks say easing rules on people with some criminal records will diversify the applicant pool; deal with Synchrony may be near.

The SEC and other regulators are taking a closer look at ICOs and mergers involving cryptocurrencies and distributed ledgers, which requires careful diligence for payment companies and dealmakers, according to Will Turner, a partner in the blockchain and cryptocurrency practice at Steptoe & Johnson.

The reasons for banks to not embrace faster payments schemes are quickly dwindling. But many are still watching from the sidelines.

Price hit "a grim reminder" about impact of soft interest rates; despite bitcoin's plunge, blockchain could be prominent in Wall Street's future.

Transactions along the supply chain are a particularly good use case, argues Vinay Pai, senior vice president of engineering at Bill.com.

The cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex is protesting New York's decision this week to deny it a virtual license exchange, claiming that its rationale contains factual errors and its personnel were not well versed in blockchain.

Cryptocurrencies will come and go but blockchain will flourish, because it has game-changing use cases that will fundamentally improve the way financial transactions get done, according to Vinay Pai, senior vice president of engineering at Bill.com.

As bankers' skepticism about blockchain deepens, crypto firms should demonstrate how the technology can help financial companies, such as by extending access to the underbanked, says Hinkes, a prominent advocate of blockchain.