Fintech and financial stability

The International Workshop on Financial System Architecture and Stability (IWFSAS) was recently hosted at Cass Business School.

Held annually, the IWFSAS facilitates discussions of quality policy-relevant research papers that inform our understanding of how various financial sector policies can affect the architecture and stability of the financial system and the overall economy, nationally, regionally and globally.  It provides a forum for academic researchers and policy makers to discuss issues related to the structure and design of financial systems and their impact on growth and financial stability.

Impact of fintech on financial system

The theme of this year’s meeting was Fintech. Delegates discussed theoretical and empirical contributions on fintech and their impact on the structure and stability of the financial system.

Keynote address delivered by Professor Franklin Allen

The keynote address on Fintech and Financial Stability was delivered by Professor Franklin Allen, Professor of Finance and Economics and Executive Director of the Brevan Howard Centre at Imperial College London.

A lively public panel discussion on Financial stability implications of fintech and financial innovations and regulatory challenges in diverse financial systems? was also held.

The session was chaired by Cass Visiting Professor Rym Ayadi and included contributions from Jason Allen, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Centre for British Studies, University of New South Wales Centre for Law Markets and Regulation; Adrian Blundell-Wignall,Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney (School of Economics); Cordelia Kafetz, Head of Fintech Hub at the Bank of England, Michael King, Co-Director of the Scotiabank Digital Banking Lab, Ivey Business School; Slavka Eley, Head of Banking Markets, Innovation and Products Unit, European Banking Authority (EBA); and  Ruth Wandhöfer, Managing Director / Global Head of Regulatory & Market Strategy, Citi.

Discussion topics

Other areas of discussion at the IWFSAS included:

• Financial innovation and its impact on the structure of the financial system;
• Fintech and systemic risk and contagion;
• Financial innovation, access to financial services and financial inclusion;
• Crypto currencies, distributed ledgers and block-chain
• Regulatory challenges of crypto currencies and other fintech innovation;
• New emerging forms of finance and financial stability;
• Crowdfunding and alternative finance solutions;
• Robo-advisors and the use AI in investing;
• High frequency trading and systemic risk;
• Financial innovation, sustainable finance and impact investing;
• Financial innovation and Sustainable Development Goals

This year’s meeting was hosted by the Cass Centre for Banking Research, in collaboration with the Gustavson School of Business and the Department of Economics at the University of Victoria.

Find out more about the IWFSAS here.  Find out more about the Cass Centre for Banking Research here.