Finance Disrupted 2018: Asia

The heady world of finance has been turned on its head in the decade since the global financial crisis (GFC) in 2007–8. Lehman Brothers, a leading investment bank, collapsed, its rival Bear Stearns was sold, and many others were so close to bankruptcy that only controversially generous bailout packages could save them. As familiar names from the banking world struggled, China stepped into the limelight, becoming the world’s biggest source of capital. Today four of the world’s top five banks are Chinese. Tech giants such as Apple, Amazon and Facebook have become the most valuable companies and attract the best talent. Why suit up for Goldman Sachs when you could wear flip-flops and t-shirts at Facebook? Financial technology (fintech) companies, from Ant Financial in China to Square in the United States, have broken into the consumer-banking space like a wrecking ball.

Hyperledger’s Executive Director, Brian Behlendorf will be speaking with Cory Johnson of Ripple and Mark Smith of Symbiont on the Panel “The Unbreakable Chain” at 2pm on June 22.