Articles
A Selection of articles I have written for other publications
Central bank digital currency — nine key questions answered
Dec 15, 2020 — London School of Economics Business Review
Central bank digital currency is turning into a pre-occupation of central banks and much of the fintech world. Hundreds of pages of analysis have been produced in the last eighteen months. However, the concept dates back almost three decades and has so far had little impact on the world. So, what are the essential questions about CBDC that need to be answered?
Do we need programmable money?
Sep 14, 2020 — London School of Economics Business Review
Do we need programmable money?
Central banks and financial and technology firms have a growing interest, but there are many challenges, writes Martin Walker
Do six percent of financial transaction sent via swift really fail?
Nov 4, 2019 — London School of Economics Business Review
Do six per cent of financial transactions sent via the Swift system really fail?
Fintech enthusiasm may have led to inaccurate claims about conventional financial transactions systems, writes Martin Walker
Mentioned in Bloomberg, Finextra, and Financial Times Alphaville
Fintech innovation labs as “innovation theatre”
Sep 30, 2019 — Financial Times Alphaville
How to make innovation more evidence-based
Hitchhikers Guide to Cryptocurrencies
Nov 2, 2017 Financial Times Alphaville
Article for Financial Times Alphaville on Cryptocurrencies. Douglas Adams predicted the madness of cryptocurrencies and their need for environmental destruction to avoid hyperinflation.
Seven Signs of Over-Hyped Fintech
Jul 4, 2017 London School of Economics Business Review
The Fintech revolution is producing many interesting new ideas and technologies but how do the non-technical ask the right questions or even identify those that are largely hype? This article attempts to help.
Article featured on the recommended reading lists of Bloomberg, FT Alphaville and Finextra
‘Ledger Nirvana’ in trade processing either doesn’t exist or is aeons away
May 23, 2017 LSE Business Review
Description of the progress and problems in applying Distributed Ledger Technology/Blockchain in capital markets trade processing.
Challenges of adopting a common domain model for securities finance
Aug 30, 2019 Securities Finance Monitor
Regulations such as SFTR are driving discussion in the securities finance industry around how to agree on standardized processes and workflows. One idea is the Common Domain Model (CDM), similar to the initiative by ISDA in the derivatives space. Is there a strong argument in favour of a standardized domain model, and what challenges need to be overcome to get there?
Going green — Investigating the practical implications of ESG for securities finance and collateral management
Feb 4, 2020 Securities Lending Times
Socially responsible strategies now account for 26 percent of UK’s assets under management. The total value of global assets invested according to the criteria coming from the environmental, social and governance (ESG) movement is soon likely to reach trillions of dollars. While ESG is already having a major impact on investment decisions in both primary and secondary investment markets, areas
coming under greater spotlight now include securities finance and collateral management.
This article examines the practical impact of ESG on the securities finance trade lifecycle and discusses the technology implications of managing ESG in a way that minimises operational workload.
