Fiat currencies around the world are beginning to transition to a purely digital form. Venezuela just killed the 100 bolivar note, India removed the 2000 and 4000 rupee notes, and the EU just removed the 500 euro note. With a purely digital fiat currency, governments expect to expose black market monetary stockpiles, increase the number of participants in the banking system, and improve fiscal efficiency. But there is also a juggernaut preparing to assault financial institutions: cryptocurrencies. Money is flowing freely, with no capital controls, and the metadata surrounding financial transactions is more valuable than the money itself--yet often poorly secured. It does not really matter if bitcoin is a fad or if the Hyperledger project can live up to its promise: blockchains are a disrupting technology and they will destroy established business models. It is very likely the Bretton Woods economic system as we know it will transform before our eyes in the next few years.
This all poses a huge security risk as fintech businesses can no longer be secured in the way a traditional bank was, with locks, vaults, and stern guards. The digitalization and outsourcing of digital processes in the financial world transforms IT companies handling these assets and processes into new forms of banks themselves. We’ll discuss how the collision of infosec and finance is leading to a redefinition of what money itself means to governments and to you.
