BLOCKCHAIN IN FINANCIAL SERVICES

Abstract

Banks and financial institutions have been spending significant sums to explore potential applications of blockchain technology. The financial services industry is among those areas predicted to benefit the most from blockchain use in the years to come. This chapter investigates this prediction after providing a primer on blockchain. It analyses the potential of blockchain to increase efficiencies and to transform business processes in a number of areas within the industry such as the trade life-cycle of securities and of derivatives, payments, traditional financing arrangements, asset management, insurance and corporate governance. It also examines new currencies and cryptoassets, phenomena ultimately enabled by the use of blockchain technology.