Chief among the headwinds to greater blockchain adoption is the tough regulatory environment around consumer finance and the poor reputation of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin which have made the retail banking sector “nervous and cautious” about any blockchain-related initiatives, says the report’s author Matt Higginson.
In contrast, the investment banking world has experimented extensively with blockchain and launched a number of initiatives around bond issuance, trading settlement, trade finance, private equity and fund distribution.
