FinTech : Finance, Technology and Regulation - Introduction

This is the introductory chapter of the latest book by the authors titled FinTech: Finance, Technology and Regulation to be published by Cambridge University Press in the second half of 2023. In this comprehensive, accessible work, Buckley, Arner and Zetzsche offer an ideal reference for anyone seeking to understand the technological transformation of finance and the role of regulation: this is the world of FinTech. They consider FinTech technologies including algorithms, artificial intelligence, blockchain, BigData, cloud computing, cryptocurrencies, central bank digital currencies, crypto-exchanges and distributed ledger technologies, and provide a unique perspective on FinTech as an interactive system involving finance, technology, and law and regulation. Starting with an evolutionary perspective, the authors then consider the major technologies transforming finance, arguing for approaches to balance the risks and challenges of innovation. They then move address through the central role of infrastructure in digital financial transformation, highlighting the lessons of China, India, the EU as well as the impact of pandemics and other sustainability crises, while and analyse considering the risks generated by FinTech. They conclude by offering forward-looking strategies that will best assist societies seeking to employ FinTech to address the challenges facing our world today.The sample chapter provides an overview of the book as well as the flow of arguments presented throughout the book on why and how to regulate financial technologies