Blockchain in Banking Industry: How To Use Blockchain For Financial Services

Blockchain technology, the secure system of distributed ledgers that gave rise to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, has more use cases than facilitating peer-to-peer transactions. If things evolve in the right direction, this technology could become the backbone of financial services in the future.

To keep up with this looming evolution, many financial institutions, such as commercial banks, investment banks, and even central banks of various countries, are looking into blockchain app development and other blockchain-based solutions. In this article, we will review the importance of blockchain adoption in the banking industry and the potential cases of financial services using this technology. 

• Blockchain technology offers a decentralized, secure, and immutable ledger system ideal for transforming banking operations.
• Blockchain in banking enables digital identity management, regulatory compliance via smart contracts, asset tokenization, secure transaction settlements, and streamlined lending processes. 
• Despite its benefits, the adoption of blockchain in banking is hindered by challenges like regulatory compliance, data privacy concerns, high implementation costs, and interoperability with legacy systems.
• Blockchain is poised to be a major driver in the banking sector’s evolution with some early adopters already leveraging its capabilities. 

Introduction to Blockchain Technology

Blockchain is a type of digital ledger system that facilitates the process of recording transactions as blocks linked to each other cryptographically. Each block has a unique hash which is a type of cryptographic fingerprint generated based on its contents. The block stores this hash along with the hash of the previous blocks, creating a chain of chronologically linked blocks. Once stored, blockchain data is immutable which means participants cannot change or tamper with the transaction after it has been recorded. 

The blockchain system is also decentralized. The data isn’t stored on a central server as it is in a traditional database. Instead, an exact copy of the ledger is stored on connected computers on the network known as nodes. All copies of the distributed ledger must match for it to be considered valid. This sort of immutable shared ledger ensures that transactions recorded on the blockchain are secure and tamper-proof.  

A blockchain also has a consensus mechanism to validate transactions. This could be a Proof-of-Work or a Proof-of-Stake system (or any of several other consensus systems) that validates and adds new blocks to the chain with no need for a third party. 

Why Blockchain Adoption in the Banking Sector is Crucial?

The financial services sector is responsible for several economic activities, from transaction settlements to processing payments, trading, lending, and so on. While traditional banking operations have evolved significantly over the years thanks to the introduction of new technologies, several processes are still bogged down by paperwork and inefficient legacy systems. 

Not only do these inefficiencies waste time and resources, but they also open financial service providers to all kinds of security risks – a threat that has become bigger in recent years due to the growing number of cyber-attacks. 

It goes without question that the banking system needs to adopt a technology for managing transactions more securely on a global scale. The faster transactions are processed and the more accurate they are, the better things will be for banks and other financial services providers. 

Blockchain in banking is the ideal solution to deliver all of these services. It provides a shared and observable database where transaction information is stored on a distributed ledger and access can be set to only permissioned members of the network. 

A blockchain network can be used to manage a bank’s entire operations or the most important aspects as the case may be. And because members share a single view of everything, all the details are secure from end to end, giving all parties confidence while promoting efficiency and opening the door to new opportunities to transform traditional banks. 

Blockchain Use Cases in Banking and Finance

Blockchain technology has been a game-changer across several industries. In the banking and financial services sector, it’s a much-needed solution to many of the longstanding problems that currently plague the industry. Many players within the financial services industry are starting to recognize the transformative impact of blockchain in banking as it affects various aspects of their business operations. Some of the areas where blockchain protocols are currently being used and may find further applications in the future are highlighted below. 

Digital Identity Verification and Management

Digital and online banking has become an integral part of modern-day banking services and with this comes the challenge of managing the digital identities of users who make use of these services. Digital banking also comes with the risk of identity theft and fraud. 

Adopting blockchain as the underlying technology for digital identity management systems provides a secure and decentralized framework for storing, verifying, and managing the digital identity of customers. With blockchain-based identity solutions, different financial institutions may even be able to share the same database or create a common financial crime enforcement network based on pooled data.

This will simplify the KYC process since all customers can now have a unified digital signature that is automatically updated across all databases instead of creating new identities for each bank account. Such a network will also make it easier to track transactions seamlessly for fraud detection, settlement, and clearance purposes. 

Smart Contracts and Regulatory Compliance

The banking services sector is one of the most closely monitored industries in any country. Financial institutions are governed by several laws and regulations meant to protect consumers, the economy, and the integrity of the industry in general. Keeping up with these regulations can be challenging due to regulatory changes and other complexities. 

Blockchain can help banks stay compliant with regulatory requirements within the market where they operate. In a blockchain-based system, many governance and compliance requirements can be programmed directly into digital assets with smart contracts. These are self-executing contracts that do not require human actors to enforce the terms of the agreements.

Smart contracts can be used to verify if transactions on a blockchain network adhere to specific regulations before executing them. For instance, it can be used to check a loan application to ensure it meets stipulated eligibility criteria or programmed to flag transactions that do not comply with anti-money laundering regulations. This streamlines the compliance process, eliminates errors, and reduces operational friction in governance. 

Asset Tokenization and Crowdfunding

The tokenization of real-world assets is one of the use cases of blockchain technology that recently became popular. While this concept was mostly used for digital art in the form of non-fungible tokens, it can also be applied to all kinds of real-world assets from real estate to financial instruments. 

Asset tokenization essentially transforms these tokens into programmable forms that are considerably easier to manage. Asset tokenization also provides wider market access thanks to the connectivity that the internet offers along with other benefits such as fractionalized ownership and seamless verification. 

Blockchain technology can also be applied to crowdfunding. Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) which is the blockchain’s equivalence of an Initial Public Offering (IPOs) allow several investors to buy into blockchain projects by simply purchasing tokens. This raises funds for the project while also giving investors a chance to earn returns if the launch is successful. Crowdfunding with blockchain helps to avoid many of the legal and security issues associated with doing so the traditional way. 

Security and Risk Management

Generally, blockchain technology is more secure compared to the traditional system of managing transactions. The technology stores data on a secured and shared ledger that provides a transparent and traceable record of all transactions. 

Blockchain also has transaction-verification mechanisms built directly into the technology. Transactions are validated using the blockchain protocol’s consensus mechanism, ensuring the integrity of all records stored on the system. Blockchain records are immutable, which simplifies the process of auditing transactions if there’s a need for the future. 

Clearance and Settlement Systems

The process of moving money between multiple financial institutions is one of the operational behemoths in the financial services industry. Fortunately, blockchain can eliminate intermediaries involved in validating transactions, allowing near-instantaneous settlements of transactions through smart contracts. This technology will also improve transparency and trust in the settlement process since all transactions on the blockchain are visible to all the parties involved. 

Lending

Blockchain can be used to streamline the lending process for loans and mortgages. This technology can potentially decrease issuance times while also reducing counterparty risks. With blockchain, the KYC and documentation phase of the application can be completed significantly faster. 

In addition to verifying customer identities, data stored on blockchain networks can also be used to calculate and predict credit scores based on the customer’s digital identity. Blockchain can even be used to manage syndicated loans, which can be complicated since multiple stakeholders are involved.

Benefits of Blockchain in Banking

Blockchain’s decentralized transaction recording, digital assets, and smart contracts offer several benefits for banks. This technology can help banks improve their operational efficiency, grow their revenue, and gain an edge over competitors while offering improved services to their customers. Some of the benefits of blockchain in banking include: 

• Cost-effective transactions: The current banking system has significant overhead costs due to the multiple layers and intermediaries involved in financial markets. By implementing self-executing smart contracts, banks can reduce both infrastructure and personnel costs without jeopardizing efficiency. The decentralized nature of blockchain transactions also helps to cut transaction fees and commissions charged by counterparties or intermediaries while facilitating transparent transactions.
• Faster transactions: The distributed nature of blockchain technology allows quicker payment processing and other banking-related operations. This is mainly because multiple nodes can validate transactions at the same time. Blockchain will also enable sophisticated transactions since it is free from intermediaries that may become points of failure for transactions. It can also facilitate faster cross-border transactions and international payments.
• Security: Blockchain in finance can be used to build secure banking systems designed to be tamper-proof and difficult for malicious actors to manipulate. Without a single point of failure, a decentralized system is inherently more secure compared to centralized legacy systems.
• Enhanced accountability and transparency: Blockchain and banking solutions are built on shared processes and mutualized standards. With multiple validators in every system, the quality of stored transaction data is trustable. Blockchain systems are also visible to all network participants, providing a transparent source of truth for both new and existing customers. 
• Improved error handling and reconciliation: Errors are easier to trace and identify on a blockchain platform since transaction records are immutable and transparent. This makes it easier for banks to reconcile transactions and fix errors even in private transactions before they cause serious problems down the line. 

Challenges of Blockchain Adoption in Financial Institutions

As with every new technology, implementing blockchain technology in the financial industry isn’t always going to be smooth sailing. Banks and other operators in the ecosystem still have to navigate some challenges in their quest to attain full blockchain adoption in the future. Some of these challenges are listed below: 

• Regulatory compliance: Although it has been in use for a few years, blockchain is only beginning to find its footing in the banking sector. The regulatory impacts of such a large-scale adoption of this technology are still quite uncertain. As a result, banks have to tread carefully as they try to navigate the various legal and compliance issues that come with using this technology in an industry as heavily regulated as the banking sector. In some countries, the outright prohibition or lack of robust governance frameworks for blockchain is one of the major factors holding banks back from considering this technology. 
• Data privacy: Transparency and immutability are hallmarks of blockchain online banking. However, these benefits also raise concerns about data privacy, especially on public blockchains. Banks and other financial institutions can find a workaround for this problem by creating permissioned blockchains secured with privacy-enhancing techniques such as zero-knowledge proofs. Blockchain security features such as data encryption, and access controls should also be prioritized to protect sensitive banking information.
• Technological hurdles: Blockchain solutions are not very easy to create. Unlike traditional banking systems that are often available as SaaS modules, blockchain implementation for private use like the ones required by banks often have to be built specifically for the institution. Such blockchain platforms can lead to huge infrastructure costs upfront. Some blockchain technologies (like systems built on a Proof-of-Work mechanism) can also be difficult to adopt on a large scale due to high energy costs and slow transaction speeds. Then there are interoperability issues between multiple blockchains used by different financial institutions and integration with existing legacy systems. These are technological barriers that must be overcome before blockchain adoption can become a reality. 

Blockchain and FinTech Innovations

Financial technology (also known as FinTech) refers to new digital technologies used to streamline and automate the delivery of services. A 21st-century evolution of the traditional banking system, fintech aims to help service providers in the banking sector manage their operations better. Some of the past innovations in financial infrastructure within the industry include specialized banking software, advanced algorithms used in banking systems, online banking services, and mobile apps. 

In some ways, blockchain for finance seems like the next frontier in the evolution of FinTech. The integration of traditional fintech and blockchain will include the development and use of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin blockchain to facilitate financial transactions. It may also involve the full integration of blockchain ecosystems and protocols into day-to-day banking activities to streamline operations. These technologies will allow financial services companies to improve their service delivery to consumers. 

While traditional FinTech has completely reshaped the financial landscape by changing the way we carry out financial transactions, blockchain banks will transform this process further for corporate users, driving unprecedented change in the industry. 

Real-World Examples

Blockchain technology in banking is on the verge of going mainstream. Already, a number of big players in the industry are looking to get ahead of the curve by being early adopters of this technology. Some of the financial institutions and banks using blockchain to transform their operations include: 

• J.P. Morgan: The largest bank in the United States is one of the main proponents for the adoption of blockchain in banking. The financial services company has made a number of notable blockchain investments over the past few years. This includes the development of the Ethereum-based blockchain called Quorum, a real-world asset tokenization platform known as Kinexys (formerly Onyx), and a partnership with blockchain data analysis firm TRM Labs. 
• The Swedish Central Bank: The Swedish Central Bank is one of several traditional banking institutions currently dabbling into the blockchain space with the launch of its own digital currencies and blockchain platform. The central bank is working to create a digital currency which will be usable throughout the country and traded on the global market as an alternative to fiat currency. This digital coin is known as the e-Krona which is based on the R3 Corda blockchain. 
• HSBC: HSBC is one of the largest banks in Europe. This bank is currently building a custody blockchain solution known as Digital Vault which provides a platform for securing savings and private assets such as equity, debt, and real estate. The entire system will be digitized, using blockchain to essentially tokenize these financial assets. HSBC has also collaborated with Wells Fargo on a blockchain-based bilateral currency settlement project which allows them to settle FX trades in mere minutes. 

Future of Blockchain in Banking

With some of the biggest names in the banking industry such as JP Morgan, HSBC, and so many others announcing their interest in blockchain technology, it’s safe to say that the blockchain future in banking isn’t as far off as it might have seemed. 

For these early adopters of blockchain technology getting ahead of the competition is the main motivation behind their giant strides. Over time, we are likely to see many others embrace the promises that blockchain offers from automation to security and improvement in the digital experiences for customers. 

Nevertheless, if blockchain will gain mainstream acceptance, the mistrust that traditional financial institutions have towards blockchain has to change. This seems to be happening already as we are now seeing a growing surge of national banks launching their own digital central bank digital currencies to offer efficient and secure transactions, cross-border payments, and financial inclusion. 

A central bank digital currency and other government-sanctioned innovations may very well pave the way for the government and stakeholders to take some of the challenges of blockchain banking (such as the lack of a regulatory framework and data privacy issues) more seriously. Only when these challenges and the technical barriers to blockchain innovation are removed will the industry begin to grow as expected. 

Final Thoughts

Considering the recent evolution of the banking industry from traditional banking-related operations to digital platforms and fintech solutions, blockchain technology seems like the next logical upgrade of the industry. 

As the technology continues to evolve and gain popularity, the banking sector will become one of the big beneficiaries of blockchain capabilities. Of course, it doesn’t end with the banks. Blockchain and IoT, Blockchain and health, and many other industries will emerge alongside, facilitating growth in these sectors as well.

How Can CrustLab Help You with Blockchain Banking Solutions?

The financial world is one of the low-hanging fruits where integrating blockchain technology should be relatively easy. If you’re looking to get in on the trend, you should talk to an expert blockchain development company like CrustLab. We are experts in software development for the FinTech industry and blockchain platform development. Combining these experiences can help you create winning products. Contact us now to get started.