Fintech

Introduction

Please note that this is a preliminary course description. The final version will be published in June 2027.

Fintech, or financial technology, encompasses the technological innovations transforming the financial industry, leading to significant disruptions within financial markets, institutions, and services. This course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of Fintech, current trends, and its potential impacts on financial services and markets.

The course will focus on three primary objectives: (i) tracing the origins and current developments in Fintech across various sectors of the financial industry, (ii) exploring the opportunities that technology presents for enhancing financial services and improving market efficiencies, and (iii) analyzing the risks and challenges brought about by digitalization.

Students will explore how emerging Fintech firms aim to decentralize existing financial systems and the implications this has for traditional financial institutions that heavily rely on human-centric services. In response to these disruptions, traditional financial institutions increasingly adopt Fintech solutions, modernizing their offerings through digitalization.

This course equips students with essential insights into the Fintech landscape, preparing them to:

• Develop and present innovative Fintech concepts.
• Pursue career opportunities in Fintech firms offering cutting-edge financial services.
• Contribute to traditional financial institutions adapting to digital trends.
• Collaborate with regulators to design frameworks that mitigate the risks of decentralization while harnessing the benefits of digitalization.

Course content

Topics covered in this course include:

• Functions of money and the evolution of payment systems.
• The Fintech landscape: key players, operational methodologies, and regulations (e.g., PSD2).
• The role of financial institutions in a digitized context.
• Comparisons between traditional bank lending and Fintech lending practices.
• Blockchain fundamentals: digital currencies, Libra, initial coin offerings (ICOs), and smart contracts.
• Applications of Fintech in equities, foreign exchange, commodities, futures, forwards, swaps, and options.
• Strategies for startup financing in the Fintech sector.
• Global perspectives on Fintech and regulatory considerations.
• Societal implications of Fintech innovations.