Peter Schwabach: Has blockchain finally come of age?

Shared record

clock • 4 min read

The last month has seen some of the world's largest companies apparently undergo a change of heart about blockchain technology. Peter Schwabach takes a closer look at why that might be

After a month where, among other developments,  Goldman Sachs said it would start trading bitcoin and bitcoin futures, Facebook revealed it was exploring launching its own cryptocurrency and HSBC announced it had completed its first blockchain cross-border currency transaction, it is fair to pose the question - has blockchain finally ‘come of age'? Yet it was only six months ago that Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein confidently announced: "Bitcoin is a vehicle to perpetrate fraud." And four months ago that Facebook announced it was blocking all advertising for cryptocurrencies. And thre...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Technology

'Bit of a nightmare': Microsoft outage disrupts advice firms

'Bit of a nightmare': Microsoft outage disrupts advice firms

Raises questions about overreliance on big tech giants

Isabel Baxter
clock 13 November 2026 • 4 min read
Brian McLaughlin: Your client can now ask a chatbot what you did for the fee

Brian McLaughlin: Your client can now ask a chatbot what you did for the fee

'Here is the odd thing about ongoing advice. The better it is done, the less of it the client sees'

Brian McLaughlin
clock 11 November 2026 • 4 min read
Andrew Goodwin: Why advisers should react positively when clients praise AI

Andrew Goodwin: Why advisers should react positively when clients praise AI

We really need to do is explain why AI is neither all good nor all bad

Andrew Goodwin
clock 09 November 2026 • 5 min read