CN&CO Fin-blog recap for the week ending 3 February 2017

Team CN&CO love financial services (among other things) and we enjoy reading about what’s happening in various quarters of the industry. Here are our favourite fin-blog picks of the week:

Kurt’s pick:

Google replaces Apple as the world’s most valuable brand as Lego is crowned the planet’s most ‘powerful’
World’s most valuable brands vs. the planet’s most powerful! Is Apple still at the top or has google knocked the tech giant off the number one spot? Lego, Amazon and Facebook are up there too.

 Rob’s pick:

South Africa open to digital currency
“The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is open to issuing a national digital currency, which would likely be based on Blockchain or Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT).”

Josie’s pick:

Meet the First Woman to Win the “Nobel Prize of Mathematics”
“Maryam Mirzakhani became the first woman in 78 years to be awarded the prestigious Fields Medal, considered the highest honour in mathematics.”

 Colin’s pick:

Top 10 Insurtech Trends for 2017
The most interesting takeout for me from this article is the need for cooperation with insurtech companies, as well as between traditional industry players themselves.

Neo’s pick:

Tech companies protest Trump immigration order
“Google, Apple and other tech giants expressed dismay over an executive order on immigration from President Donald Trump that bars nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.”

Guest contributor – Allan’s pick:

Here Is How to Fend Off a Hijacking of Home Devices
With recent fibre installations into many neighbourhoods, are you sure you’re safe from (cyber)thieves?

Source:
The Telegram
Moneyweb
Mother Jones
Insurance Thought Leadership
The Jarta Post
The New York Times