Banking

While there are a handful of payment pilots underway, the real benefit of blockchain for banks is a long-term proposition--and most early projects will be internal.

Kevin S. Kim thought he was joining a bank board to bring youth to an aging slate of directors. Eight years, four acquisitions and a banking crisis later, he is now the chief executive of the nation's largest Korean-American bank.

American Banker is pleased to bring you Breaking Banks, hosted by Brett King, and featuring the editors of American Banker.

Key details — like exactly how many regulations companies will face — remain to be worked out on the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's new limited-purpose charter for fintech firms, leaving the industry divided on whether the charter is a good idea.

Fentura Financial in Fenton, Mich., is the latest banking company to outline plans to sell common stock.

The Music City is booming because of entertainment and health care. Still, banks are monitoring growth in areas such as real estate development for signs of stress.

Carlyle Group has liquidated its remaining stake in Brand Group Holdings in Lawrenceville, Ga.

Construction loans are a big source of interest income for community banks but also carry a lot of risk. A few fintech firms say their platforms can reduce the risk and improve the lending process.

Iberiabank in Lafayette, La., is planning to raise at least $255 million from a common stock offering.

Piloting distributed ledger technology is important. However, banks need to temper expectations regarding the returns.

Lines are nothing new in Venezuela, where the economy is shattered. Now added to the indignities of daily life in a country desperately short on most everything except crime is the ATM hustle, as banks crack down on what customers can take out.

Opus Bank in Irvine, Calif., continues to bolster its credit ranks following a surprising third-quarter loss.

Wells Fargo is making an exception to its retirement policy for its longtime general counsel, who plans to remain with the company indefinitely to deal with the fallout of the fake-accounts scandal.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will start granting limited-purpose bank charters to fintech companies, but intends to maintain high standards for new entrants.

Welcome to the new PaymentsSource Morning Briefing, delivered daily. The information you need to start your day, including top headlines from PaymentsSource and around the Web. Today: Spain becomes Apple Pay's 13th market; a government health care program could help payments; Lithuania recruits fintech in the U.K.; new gaming payment tech.

Radius Bank in Boston has bought a national equipment finance business from NewStar Financial in Boston.

Unity Bancorp in Clinton, N.J., has a deal in place to sell $15 million in common stock over time.

After more than two decades bringing underbanked consumers into the mainstream, Bryant has found a way to combat financial illiteracy that also addresses two critical business problems facing banks today: keeping branches relevant and finding new customers.

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.

The recent shake-up at CAN Capital could spark greater scrutiny of a sector that has drawn comparisons to the bubble-era subprime mortgage market.