Fintech is now ubiquitous. It is no longer a vertical, it is a feature. If you are a more traditional brand, SME, or tech company, and you do not yet have fintech integrated into your platform, it may be too late. According to a report on Techcrunch, Google has created preliminary designs for a new debit card program.
I believe smaller companies will learn from Google, and offer compelling alternatives through unique business models, new partner tie-ins, and clever marketing. Americans’ confidence in banks has been cut in half over the last 40 years, according to tracking by Gallup. Google could create a new blue ocean market that helps smaller fintechs, and consumers, at the same time. Added to the recent consolidation in middleware fintech – Plaid (purchased by Visa for $5.3 Bil), Galileo (purchased by SoFi for $1.2 Bil) – it will be interesting to track new trends in fintech and Banking as a Service that Google’s entrance brings over the coming years!