Cryptocurrencies continue to dominate much of the news, with a warning on bitcoin taking the top spot and a story about Ripple's partnership with MoneyGram doing well. Housing finance reform, Wells Fargo and the CFPB also featured.

Executives of large banks told investors and analysts what they wanted to hear Friday when they said they plan to increase returns to shareholders.

Wells Fargo had another surprise for investors in the form of its biggest legal charge yet, showing the lender is not yet past its consumer banking scandals.

JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo are the first to report; payments company will run pilot to see if digital currency speeds transactions and lowers costs.

The disclosure of a key part of Wells Fargo's exam rating is fueling speculation that further regulatory action may soon be taken against the megabank and raising renewed questions about its regulator's oversight.

There are dangers for companies that portray themselves as virtuous, particularly if their corporate cultures do not match the public stories they have been telling about themselves.

A key part of Well Fargo's Camels score was reduced, reflecting concerns about its management; Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank join the list of banks taking writedowns for deferred-tax assets.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaints dropped last year for most of the big banks, including Wells Fargo, though they rose sharply at Capital One.

Banks have been in full cost-cutting mode in recent years, but with profits expected to increase substantially as a result of tax reform, all analysts and investors want to know is how they plan to spend their tax savings.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau featured in three of our most read articles of last year, while two others were about the disruptor Ripple. Other highlights included our annual Women in Banking package, the aftermath of the Equifax data breach and news of Amazon's possible banking plans.