Disruptors

Banks around the world have spent the past few years preparing for competition from small, nimble technology startups. It turns out the real threat may be Jeff Bezos, according to McKinsey & Co. In its annual banking report.

Trading on Friday afternoon pushed the cryptocurrency's market capitalization above $100 billion for the first time ever.

With online retailers beginning to challenge the dominance of brick-and-mortar grocery stores, CRE loans to strip mails anchored by them look riskier.

The explosion of interest in digital assets this year, and the multiplying of their market value, are making cryptocurrency debit cards newly attractive. Banks could partner with intermediaries or issue the cards directly, but obstacles remain before that day can arrive.

When Apple or Google releases a new version of its operating system, banks are forced to respond by updating their mobile apps—running just to stay in place. Next month's release from Apple is especially challenging.

A San Francisco startup working with Swift plans to launch a network that would tie self-executing contracts to independent data sources.

Readers react to USAA teaming up with Amazon’s Alexa, how a new Wells Fargo’s scandal could affect arbitration rules, a digital identity startup’s ambitions, and more.

Startups and open-source software projects have raised $1.3 billion this year through initial coin offerings. The real boom may still lie ahead, fears of a bubble notwithstanding.

New entrants don’t pose a disruptive threat to the incumbent cohort of issuers, credit card networks and acquirers primarily because the incumbents — Visa, Mastercard and First Data — are prepared to compete in all segments of the market.

There is too much customer and regulatory inertia for banks’ business model to become irrelevant overnight. The real danger is banks will fade out of the picture over time.