Two of the most common buzzwords that seemed to have taken over the banking industry were Blockchain and fintech. These are terms which have revolutionised banking over the last decade or so and are seen as the future of banking, especially in the hands of the millennials, who have technology at their fingertips.
If you're working at a financial institution, then there may be situations where you've to explain what "Fintech" and "Blockchain" are to a lot of people. Here's a small guide to help you do so:
Fintech
FinTech is simply a combination of "Finance + Technology." But obviously, there's more to that. It is a massive field that covers a wide array of startups, and these can be divided into five categories, with each solving a different unique problem:
- Payments
- Lending
- Cryptocurrency
- Banking
- Personal finance and wealth management
For each category, FinTech solves a multitude of problems by improving it in either one of two ways:
- Making it more available for more people
- Making the product or service easier and cheaper to use.
Fintech basically takes a common problem plaguing a lot of individuals and simplifies the same. By doing so, it allows innovations in the industry to prosper and make finance a much easier sector to work in. Companies are able to transfer their paperwork electronically, saving precious time and money as well.
There are special fintech training and fintech courses available which make it easier for those looking to specialise in this field.
Blockchain
Blockchain, in the simplest of terms, is just about security and fairness. It is a large database which is available to the public and cannot be tampered with. Blockchain stores all important financial data and since it cannot be erased, it just adds another "block" of information.
This block is part of a series of blocks which create a chain or network of digital information. Anytime new information is added, it creates a successive block, which means that all transactions are public and can be viewed.
It also helps banks save money by having one centralised system for all transactions. If anybody tries to tamper with the information, the common code which all parties involved are given,
Thus, Blockchain and fintech are going to play a major role in shaping the financial future of the world. Learning and applying their basic principles to modern banking will serve you in good stead over the long term.
