The rise of FinTech in the global financial markets

Abstract

When I chose the su bject matter of this work, the FinTech, I asked some people if they know the meaning of this word. Most of them, not knowing exactly what the term impl ies , are everyday users of it, without even realizing it. According to the National Digital Research Cent re in Dublin, FinTech or Financial Technology is “ innovation in financial services ”. N evertheless, "the term has started to be used for b roader applicatio ns of technology in the space, to front - end consumer products, to new entrants competing with existing players, and even to new paradigms such as Bitcoin" 1 . Lee (2017) points out that FinTech companies use technology to shake up incumbent financial systems. A rtificial intelligence in banking , peer - to - peer (P2P) lending, B ig D ata, blockchain, crowdfunding, digital payments and Robo advisors, are some examples of FinTech services. A n example is W eChat app , a tool to transfer money, which no t only allows to buy insurance products or invest in funds directly from your smartphone , but also book your next doctor appointment, call a taxi, donate to charity, and even find a date without ever leaving the app (Arslanian, 2017). hanks to FinTech , problems that traditional banks present such as have a certain amount of seniority in the bank, go to the office, fill out all the forms, provide endless documentation and wait even several weeks for the approval , could disappear . Further, a great advanta ge is that you can get loans without commissions . Now adays , banks have found a great competitor , and they have increased their efforts , offering the possibility of requesting personal loans through the Interne t and with hardly any paperwork . T hey are trying to compete with the FinTechs. Based into the EY Fintech Adoption Index (2017) , FinTech enterprises are gaining adoption , reaching levels that can influence industry standards and consumer expectations. FinTech adoption rate is defined as the percentage of the digitally active population using certain FinTech services. As Figure 1 shows, Spain is currently situated in the six th place in terms FinTech adoption. It is an amazing feature since it means is the first country in the euro area in terms of adoption of Financial Technology.