Disruptors

Digital-only Atom Bank in the U.K. recently won a banking license — a feat U.S. fintech entrepreneurs have either failed to accomplish or not bothered trying, instead partnering with established institutions.

PayPal is putting a lot of effort into ensuring that the company that emerges from eBay ownership this month is a much different — and more powerful — creature than the one it has been until now.

First National Bank of South Africa says the offering for its direct-deposit customers should give them one more disincentive to leave, beyond the usual hassles of switching financial institutions.

As wearable devices like the Apple Watch gain an audience, banks and retailers are exploring ways to make the most of this new style of consumer technology. But a number of hurdles stand in the way.

As financial technology transforms the banking industry, experts are placing bets on the banks and startups most likely to thrive in the digital future. Here are seven top contenders, according to insiders from both sides of the divide at last week's Next Bank USA conference in New York.

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Departing New York state regulator Benjamin Lawsky revealed the final version of the BitLicense, the regulatory framework for digital currency businesses his department has developed over the past 18 months.

California officials briefly raised hopes among digital currency proponents Friday by releasing a statement that they would drop plans to regulate digital currency businesses and instead defer to the legislature.

It took three or so days to settle stock trades. What if that could happen instantly and be recorded on a blockchain for everyone to see?

Critics concede Bitcoin's innovations may change finance but predict the system itself isn't long for this world. Nasdaq is challenging that idea by not only testing Bitcoin's much-vaunted blockchain technology, but doing so on the Bitcoin network.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including how convenience may help banks beat out Silicon Valley and whether community banks can reduce their regulatory burden on their own.

The Fintech Sandbox — an accelerator of sorts for startups — has attracted ten data providers and eight fintech startups in two months. But it's still missing what it needs most: bank members.

After the early exuberance surrounding Apple Watch, banks and vendors are ramping up testing of bank apps on other wearable devices and everyday objects, preparing for a day in which most everything is connected to the Internet.

Last month Western Union sharply cut its prices to keep pace with the retail giant, several months after MoneyGram took a similar step. The developments offer a reminder of why banks remain scared of Walmart's consumer finance ambitions.

Jeffrey Robinson, author of the acerbic "BitCon," explains how he squares his admiration for blockchain technology with his contempt for the Bitcoin currency and community in the final part of a conversation with American Banker's Marc Hochstein.

Experts from the banking, retail and technology sectors gathered last week for SourceMedia's annual Card Forum and Expo, sharing their predictions for the payments industry's next step. Some were involved in Apple Pay from day one; others are looking past it to the next big thing.

Only 10 people in the bank were allowed to know what the project's goal was, and the other Apple Pay partners were known only by code names. But even though Apple was running the show pre-launch, U.S. Bank had a daunting task ahead of it once the restrictions lifted and Apple revealed its mobile wallet to the world.

Bitreserve, a payments startup that aims to give consumers the speed, transparency and cost advantages of Bitcoin without the currency fluctuations, hired a former Barclays executive as its president and chief operating officer, a newly created position.

Europe is home to many innovative and disruptive banks, telcos and technology firms. Some of these are deploying mobile wallets that have the potential to span the entire continent.

Modern payment terminals are streamlining the update process for merchants by enabling instant updates of their capabilities, and U.S. Bank is taking advantage of this technology to rapidly get new offerings to market.