As fintechs expand their core offerings towards becoming digital banks, the challenge of customer loyalty in a digital-only, non-customer facing environment becomes paramount. With only a simple download and a few screen taps needed to switch banks - - how do these companies build a loyal community of primary customers?

Blockchain is becoming widely known as the next big innovative technology, impacting the future of how we do business. The issue faced today is that the answer blockchain provides is still searching for problems to solve that customers are willing to pay for. Which problems will be most realistic and profitable to solve for blockchain?

There is no slowing down fintech as it continues to disrupt traditional financial institutions and processes with innovative technology and enhanced user experiences.  The next level of disruptive technology to be applied by fintechs is AI (artificial intelligence).

As far as fintech companies go, PayPal is among the first and most well-known for its online payment platform that offers an alternative option to using debit or credit cards.  The company is now looking to go further by targeting an underserved market: millions of “unbanked” clients (adult consumers unable to have bank accounts due to various reasons), with deposit accounts and debit cards.

As 2018 rolls along, blockchain continues to be a huge buzzword full of tremendous future potential.  With all this attention and promise of innovation, why has the technology not gone mainstream already to the masses?  The answer lies in creating a clear understanding for everyone, which can be definitely be catapulted by a gaming app.

IBM is teaming up with non-profit Sovrin Foundation to use blockchain technology to build a framework of global identity for both individuals and businesses, which aims to make everything in the online space as true and authentic as in the offline space (or "real world").

After years of investment in digital transformation, the top US banks have actually started to pull away with market share while smaller regional banks are left behind, based on a study by Accenture of US banks, in reference to core banking systems, back-office processes, and workforce development.

The tech giant, Google, is making movements in the blockchain space and looking to stay ahead of the competition with developments in its cloud systems.  As another tech giant, Facebook, has come under huge scrutiny for its mishandling of private information, blockchain offers enhanced security of information on this distributed ledger platform, highly benefiting Google and users globally.

Trouble keeping up with the latest cryptocurrency and bitcoin news and trends? It's even more difficult to be clear on what governments are regulating worldwide on a country-by-country basis.  The existing gray area of where crypto exists in the financial system and lack of unison from nations have created this mixed stance.

Image credit Mashable

The recent struggles for Bitcoin to get back to its 2017 peak (or even the $10,000 price point) have many in the finance world thinking the downward spiral has started already.  Stefan Hofrichter, a leader of well-known money manager, Allianz Global Investors, agrees based on what has happened in the past with bubbles.

Despite the growing force of machine learning, businesses are struggling internally to find usable applications for the new technology.  Companies are able to figure out how models and algorithms work, but not sure how to use it yet to solve current issues they face.

Image from Class Central

Despite Bitcoin's future taking the majority of the top stories in finance, multiple fintech companies are experiencing noteworthy growth and tackling today's critical issues from fraud detection, streamlining loan approval, to going beyond standard credit score decisioning in underwriting loans.

Image Credit Forbes