Cryptocurrencies, sustainability and financial inclusion are the notable hot topics for the banking industry over the past year, as well as regulatory changes and the continued digital transformation of the sector. 

In recent weeks, a few central bank experiments with wholesale digital currencies and blockchain have come to fruition, as well as private sector initiatives, all aiming to improve transaction settlement. 

The 11th edition of McKinsey’s annual banking review analyses the global industry’s profitability challenges, as well as the widening gap in market-to-book ratio between top and bottom performers.

The Covid-19 pandemic and widespread political turmoil in the region may have taken a toll on the profitability of the lenders included in The Banker’s 2021 Top 100 CIS Banks ranking, but they have managed to increase their assets.

Join us (virtually) as we raise our glasses to the banks that outshone their peers in terms of performance, strategic initiatives and response to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.

Carlo Messina, CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy’s biggest bank by assets following the merger with UBI Banca, talks to The Banker about Italy’s economic rally, the bank’s job in supporting the recovery and the role ESG will play in its new strategic plan.

According to a recent report, the pandemic has lit a fuse under cloud adoption in banking. However, there are a few challenges – and perceived risks – that need to be overcome.