Blockchain in Banking

Master's Thesis from the year 2017 in the subject Business economics - Investment and Finance, grade: A, École des hautes études commerciales de Paris, language: English, abstract: As central financial intermediary, the banking industry offers a broad range of potential applications for blockchain technology. The purpose of this study is the exploration of the possible uses of blockchain in the field of commercial banking, the derivation of potential operational and strategic implications of such applications, and the uncovering of hurdles that currently stand in the way of a wider-scale implementation of the technology. The exploratory research design is based on a literature review as well as on interviews conducted with dedicated blockchain professionals. The research methodology resulted in the identification of three particularly relevant use cases of blockchain technology in commercial banking: cross-border payments, trade finance, and know-your-customer applications. Utilizing blockchain within these areas can allow commercial banks to reduce process complexity and operating cost as well to unlock additional strategic opportunities. But as of today, technological issues, the lack of a common standard, regulatory uncertainty, and cultural hurdles of organisations still prevent the implementation of blockchain in commercial banks on a wider scale.