Bank technology

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.

Huntington Bancshares is the latest institution to add a cybersecurity expert to its board, highlighting the growing importance of guarding against hackers and other online dangers.

The June 25 launch, which will provide lenders with much more information about a borrower's credit history, will mark the first widespread use of trended data in the mortgage industry.

UBS is partnering with the technology developer SigFig to launch a robo platform for its 7,000 advisers, making this one of the most high-profile deals of its kind between a wealth management firm and a tech startup.

Fifth Third Bancorp has hired Citigroup's Melissa Stevens to the newly created position of chief digital officer and head of omnichannel banking.

Too many fintech companies are selling superficial products. Entrepreneurs need to start solving hard problems and offering real value.

As more fintech companies seek bank charters in the U.S., acquiring a community bank is one potential option.

The rub is that the global messaging system's security is only as strong as the weakest link.

Stephen Scherr, Goldman Sachs Group's chief strategy officer, will take on the additional role of chief executive officer for banking operations.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's recent white paper is a great first step in promoting innovative collaboration between banks and fintech, but companies need clearer guidelines on what regulators expect of them.

Swift, the inter-bank messaging system embroiled in one of the largest cyber heists in history, warned customers that hackers have struck again, attacking a commercial bank client that it didn't name.

Banks have a hard time figuring out millennials, those born between the early 1980s and 2000. Many millennials don't remember a world without the Internet, plenty entered adulthood during the thick of the financial crisis and the generation is broadly considered one willing to vote with its feet. Several firms have tried to demystify millennials for bankers. The following is a look at some of the data.

BMO Harris Bank in Chicago has hired a former M&T Bank executive as its chief information officer.