The Economics Of Fintech

This book is a collection of academic lectures given on fintech, a topic that has been written about extensively but only from a business or technological point of view. In contrast to other publications on the subject, this book shows the reader how fintech should be understood in relation to economics, financial theory, policy, and law. It provides introductory explanations on fintech-related concepts and instruments such as blockchains, crypto assets, machine learning, high-frequency trading, and AI. The collected lectures also point to surrounding issues including start-ups, monetary policy, asset management, cyber and other security, and stability of financial systems. The authors include professors, a former central bank official, current officials at Japan’s Financial Services Authority, a lawyer, the former dean of the Asian Development Bank Institute, and private sector professionals at the frontline of fintech. The book is most suitable for those both within and outside of academia who are beginning to learn about fintech and wish to successfully take part in the revolution that is certain to have wide-ranging effects on our economy and society.

We are only in the early stages of a broader revolution that will impact every aspect of the global economy, including commerce and government services. Coming financial technology innovations could improve the quality of life for all people. Over the past few decades, digital technology has transformed finance. Financial technology (fintech) has enabled more people with fewer resources, in more places around the world, to take advantage of banking, insurance, credit, investment, and other financial services. Marion Laboure and Nicolas Deffrennes argue that these changes are only the tip of the iceberg. A much broader revolution is under way that, if steered correctly, will lead to huge and beneficial social change. The authors describe the genesis of recent financial innovations and how they have helped consumers in rich and poor countries alike by reducing costs, increasing accessibility, and improving convenience and efficiency. They connect the dots between early innovations in financial services and the wider revolution unfolding today. Changes may disrupt traditional financial services, especially banking, but they may also help us address major social challenges: opening new career paths for millennials, transforming government services, and expanding the gig economy in developed markets. Fintech could lead to economic infrastructure developments in rural areas and could facilitate emerging social security and healthcare systems in developing countries. The authors make this case with a rich combination of economic theory and case studies, including microanalyses of the effects of fintech innovations on individuals, as well as macroeconomic perspectives on fintech’s impact on societies. While celebrating fintech’s achievements to date, Laboure and Deffrennes also make recommendations for overcoming the obstacles that remain. The stakes—improved quality of life for all people—could not be higher.

Master's Thesis from the year 2020 in the subject Economics - Macro-economics, general, grade: 1,0, , language: English, abstract: This paper is about the relevance of cluster economics for the FinTech industry. While the FinTech industry overall has experienced strong growth in recent years, the geographical presence of FinTechs is not homogeneously distributed. Instead, it can be observed that certain FinTech hotspots are emerging. Within the political arena there is a discussion about how to make business locations more attractive for the accumulation of FinTechs. In this context the theory of economic clusters must be investigated. What are the underlying factors that contribute to the formation of FinTech clusters? This paper builds on initial studies on this topic and sheds light on various factors that could be decisive for the agglomeration of FinTechs. Using Michael Porter's Diamond Model, various factors were derived, which were then statistically examined using a data sample for the European Union. The results of the study show that besides the availability of positive externalities, such as specialized talent pools, universities, and accelerators, demand factors such as total market size, internet connectivity, and financial literacy are relevant. Furthermore, the results suggest that the presence of competitors and similar firms, as well as the strength of intellectual property protection laws, are related to the size of FinTech clusters. Based on the results, recommendations for policy makers and FinTech entrepreneurs are provided.

The book provides deep insight into the processes of digital transformation of banking according to economic, institutional, and social dimensions. Together with the transformation of incumbent banks, the processes result in changes in the scope of existing banking services. Moreover, new entities (FinTech firms) partner with incumbent banks and reshape the banking sector and its financial environment. The far-reaching transformation of banks and the banking sectors is accompanied by some institutional and socioeconomic processes. Regarding institutional processes, the book provides insight into the digitalization of the banking sector from a legal point of view. Traditionally, banking is strongly regulated by norms and rules and this status should be maintained when new entities are entering the sector and/or when new technological solutions contribute to the provision of banking services. Regarding socioeconomic processes, it must be highlighted that digitalization is exerting a powerful impact on societies. One significant example, among others, is the increase in the financial inclusion of disadvantaged groups (especially customers either underserved by the traditional financial sector or unbanked). The socioeconomic aspect, however, has a much greater dimension and its selected aspects are described in this book. The principal audience of the book will be scholars in the fields of banking and finance, but also other related disciplines in the social sciences that are of particular relevance to the banking sector’s digital transformation. This includes legal science, management, and psychology. The book also targets professionals in the financial industry interested in the impact of new financial technologies on banking sectors and bank services, particularly with a main focus on legal and socioeconomic dimensions.

The book provides deep insight into theoretical and empirical evidence on information and communication technologies (ICT) as an important factor affecting financial markets. It is focused on the impact of ICT on stock markets, bond markets, and other categories of financial markets, with the additional focus on the linked FinTech services and financial institutions. Financial markets shaped by the adoption of the new technologies are labeled ‘digital financial markets’. With a wide-ranging perspective at both the local and global levels from countries at varying degrees of economic development, this book addresses an important gap in the extant literature concerning the role of ICT in the financial markets. The consequences of these processes had until now rarely been considered in a broader economic and social context, particularly when the impact of FinTech services on financial markets is taken into account. The book’s theoretical discussions, empirical evidence and compilation of different views and perspectives make it a valuable and complex reference work. The principal audience of the book will be scholars in the fields of finance and economics. The book also targets professionals in the financial industry who are directly or indirectly linked to the new technologies on the financial markets, in particular various types of FinTech services. Chapters 2, 5 and 10 of this book are available for free in PDF format as Open Access from the individual product page at www.routledge.com. They have been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2017 in the subject Business economics - Accounting and Taxes, grade: 1,3, University of applied sciences Frankfurt a. M. (FOM), language: English, abstract: The beginning of the digital revolution at the turn of the millennium has ushered in a structural change in many sectors. Due to the increased use of modern information and communication technologies (ICT), several sectors have already experienced existential economic implications. This is especially evident in the music, media and publishing industries. For example, music is not only purchased on CDs from local retail stores, but is also increasingly consumed via the Internet through streaming services such as Spotify. Videos store rentals compete with the comfortable video-on-demand services available in customers’ own homes. The Internet as a medium for information and consumption for products and services has established itself as a faster, more comfortable and more efficient channel in comparison to traditional sales channels. Stationary retail stores were also not spared from digital disruption. The market research institute Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK) predicts a doubling of the online share of retail sales from currently to 20% by the year 2025. At the same time, new and innovative market participants known as financial technology or FinTech companies are edging into the financial sector and trying to gain market share from established banks through customer-friendly products and services. Nevertheless, the banks do not seem to recognize the seriousness of the situation and therefore are reluctant to adapt to the new situation. However, experience has shown that ignorance of an industry’s digitization has already led to the fall of large and established companies. As a well-known example in the technology industry, Kodak is often referred to in this context. The company’s reaction to the digital disruption took place too late, whereas other companies had already recognized the trend towards digital photography at an earlier stage and prepared corresponding products. As a result, Kodak plummeted from the top of the photography technology industry. Evidence of ongoing digital disruption of the financial services sector has already been provided in the form of a new type of bank, the direct bank, which was first introduced in the early 1990s . FinTech companies seek to take advantage of this success and gain customers and market share by offering innovative solutions for financial products and services.

"Academic, industry, and government experts provide a global survey of the financial services sector's transformation by AI, data science, and blockchain"--

Responding to growing interest in new regulations adopted by the EU, US, and UK authorities, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the legal and economic aspects of FinTech and the current regulation surrounding it. In particular, the book observes the technological evolution of finance and the ‘economic space’ that lies between the regulated market and the illegal circulation of capital. Analysing laws that influence the application of technology to the banking and finance sector, the author considers market infrastructure and illustrates how firms execute their activities on a global scale, away from the scope of public supervision and monetary backstops. With globalisation and digitalisation boosting efficiency, the economical relevance of technology is becoming ever more important and therefore this book provides a much-needed examination of the current trends in FinTech regulation, making it an essential read for those researching financial markets, and professionals within the industry.