Bank technology

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has deployed technology that brings transparency and discipline to an area that for many banks is a murky free-for-all: commercial account pricing.

Banks and nonbanks should accept that more fintech regulation is inevitable, but how far regulators go will depend in part on how well companies demonstrate they are managing risk.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

Capital One in McLean, Va., has launched an accelerator program for U.K. fintech startups. The 10-week program, called Growth Labs, will operate from the company's Nottingham, England, headquarters in partnership with tech investor L Marks.

If the DAO, an automated, leaderless "company," lives up to the hype, it could radically transform corporate finance and governance. But many wonder if the entity's record crowd sale is kosher under securities laws.

Interest in smart contracts is growing, in part because of the promise of lower legal expenses. But the programmers of these self-enforcing, automated agreements will still need to consult with lawyers to translate the terms into code.

Users of the Walmart MoneyCard, issued by Green Dot, took to social media Wednesday to complain about problems they've encountered checking balances and accessing funds. The problems come at an inopportune time for Green Dot.

Banks have stumbled in their forays with wearable technology. Now the leading maker of personal fitness trackers plans to add contactless payment capabilities to the devices.

Banks are trying to upgrade tech offerings, from mobile banking to bill pay. But that's easier said than done, in part because the biggest core processors use their dominant market share to restrict access to banks' networks. They do this, in part, because they offer their own competing tech products.

Technology leader BBVA Compass has been ahead of the pack in real-time payments, neobanking and fintech investing. Manolo Sanchez shares his vision for next steps: the bank's developing API marketplace and "Uberized" digital banking.