Fintech progress means shiny new toys—at least in the minds of many bankers—yet some entrepreneurs focus first on a greater good. Moved by the plight of refugees in Europe, Taqanu founder Balázs Némethi created a blockchain-based system that lets users control their identities and data as they manage their finances. The winner of two BAI Global Innovation Awards at BAI Beacon 2017, Némethi discusses how he leveraged blockchain to create a platform honored for its societal impact and disruptive innovation.

For all the talk about interactive technology, it's more than just chatbots. Questions and answers represent just the first dimension of human-machine interplay; in the not too distant future, banks will leverage artificial intelligence to help customers manage their finances in real time. Michelle Moore, head of digital banking for Bank of America, discusses the initiatives under way to bring about this unprecedented high-tech change.

The endless disruptions and revolutions in payments have done more than just taken “evolution” out of the picture: They’ve also sent the banking industry on a “wild ride.” That’s no casual choice of words, as “A Wild Ride” is the title of a new Accenture report that highlights 10 mega trends driving the future of payments. Tommy Marshall, Accenture’s fintech lead for North America, discusses those trends and shares what financial institutions need to watch out for in the year ahead.

Compliance, so often followed by the rulebook, also needs a playbook: one that gets everyone on board, from the C-suite to the front-line employees who deal with customers. What are the five key ingredients that help organizations create a culture that improves compliance and bolsters the bottom line? Pam Perdue, the Executive Vice President and Chief Regulatory Officer at Continuity, lays down the blueprint for getting compliance out of silos and into the lifeblood of financial institutions.

While it’s tempting to break up customers by their particular age demographics, it can also overlook those crucial elements that unite consumers across all generations. For example, it isn’t just millennials who are tech savvy; many Gen Xers have come to expect the same levels of seamless customer experience via their mobile devices and payment apps. Deidra Colvin, Chief Marketing Officer at Baker Hill, makes her case for a more inclusive consumer group she calls the “Now Generation.”

The key to nurturing employee commitment goes far beyond the corporate mission statement or the latest C-suite buzzwords. Yet some banks have managed to create a great culture that fosters dedication, happiness and loyalty. On our podcast, Teresa Tanner of Fifth Third Bancorp discusses the fine points of employee engagement.

The Internet was in its nascent stages of public use in 1999--a time well before iPhones, apps and mobile banking. Yet a major initiative to take financial services into the cybersphere began that year with the founding of First Internet Bank. Why has that bank stood the test of time and where banks must focus in 2018 to remain viable in the digital realm. Nicole Lorch, First Internet Bank's executive vice president and chief operating officer, shares her perspectives on this podcast.

Whether it's through the use of chatbots and predictive analytics, or taking compliance and fraud fighting to the next level, artificial intelligence promises to change every aspect of banking like nothing else before it. Three members of BAI's leadership team--President and CEO Debbie Bianucci, Managing Director Karl Dahlgren and Chief Marketing Officer Holly Hughes--share their perspectives of AI and what the financial services industry can expect in 2018.

The oft-debated topic of branches often begs for clarity--so where to start looking? The area of data analytics holds a crucial key, as it can inform a host of decisions from staffing levels to taking care of customers in peerless ways. Our guest Kerim Tumay, vice president of marketing for Kiran Analytics, discusses the role of data best practices and what's driving the industry forward in terms of branch evolution done right.

While the home equity loan market is picking up, so too is the pipeline backing up for stuck applications waiting to be processed. Automated speed and seamlessness are in demand more than ever, yet critical mass isn't yet an across-the-board reality—a particular pain point among tech-savvy millennial customers. Tim Smith of FirstClose shares how organizations can rise to the challenges and answer the demands of today's customers.