What are you ? I ’ m the modern banking industry . Ashes to ashes , dust to dust … Hey ! I ’ m not dead yet , you know . Our community poll says different . If Big Tech can do everything you used to , what place do you have ? So I guess you ’ ve closed all your bank accounts by now , right ? Well , no . Not quite … Exactly . Face it , you don ’ t trust giving all your worldly wealth to Silicon Valley just yet . Banks have been around for centuries and we ’ ll continue to be . Is age the only advantage you ’ ve got ? That ’ ll get old real fast . Why don ’ t you try a little innovation ? That ’ s the plan . Banking is only going to get more digital , but the industry can learn from and integrate with Big Tech instead of just rolling over . What could that mean ? More emphasis on CX , personalised products , faster and easier services through Open Banking … I think I hear a heartbeat ... it ’ s alive !

� OPAY Chinese-backed , Africafocused fintech OPay is on-course to securing $ 400mn of investor capital . If successful , this would value the startup at $ 1.5bn , making it one of the fastest companies to achieve unicorn status ( three years )

� WISE Leading UK fintech Wise secured a $ 227mn capital boost . It currently serves over 10 million per month and processes more than $ 6.38bn in payments . Wise ’ s value is now approximately $ 5bn

� BANK OF KOREA The bank has opened a tender for companies to pitch foundational technology for a potential CBDC . Although still in its infancy , the first phase of development could be complete by December 2021

� HSBC After 40 years of trying to establish itself in the US , HSBC has announced the sale of its countrywide retail banking network . The division apparently operated at a loss for years prior to the decision

� AIGIS BANCA Owing to its connections with Greensill , Aigis Banca has been forced into liquidation by the Bank of Italy . Its assets will be purchased by Banca Ifs for the symbolic price of € 1

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