How often do you make mobile payments or use digital currencies? Whether you prefer to stick to PayPal, Venmo, Google, and Apple Pay, or you’re one step ahead and already using cryptocurrencies, fintech is all around you. We owe much of this convenient innovation to one man: Dave Birch. But who is he, and why is he so important? Let’s find out!
Life in Digital
Depending on where you are in the world, you might be able to go day in and day out without touching paper money at all. First we had credit and debit cards replace cash. But these days, you can pay for virtually anything through your phone or computer, thanks to the rise of digital financial services.
More than that, the rise of the cryptocurrency market continues to redefine our understanding of what money even is. While traditional fiat money comes from the central bank or other regulators, crypto enables you to make money out of thin air, or so it seems.
Indeed, the high degree of diversity among cryptocurrency networks creates many opportunities to profit in different ways. The more traditional networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum allow you to ‘mine’ crypto tokens. Newer blockchains offer additional ways to earn — for example, by staking your crypto coins for interest or participating in liquidity pools.
The possibilities seem to be endless. And considering that the global crypto market cap of $1.95 trillion keeps rising, the demand for digital money will only go up from here.
After all, crypto assets present many profitable investment opportunities. Many cryptocurrencies have risen by over 10,000% since their inception, offering unprecedented ROI.
Do you know how many people got richer simply by believing in Bitcoin back when it was worth less than a dime? More than you think! And this can potentially be you in a few years, as long as you pick a reliable fintech with a promising future to invest in.
But crypto talk aside, who exactly is Dave Birch, and what does he have to do with fintech in the first place?
Dave Birch: One of the Most Important Men in Fintech
David G. W. Birch is an internationally recognised thought leader in digital identity and money. He is a consultant, researcher, commentator on digital financial innovations, and author of digital money and finance books. He is the founder of Consult Hyperion, a company that focuses on issues related to transaction security. Birch also heads 15Mb, another famous financial consultancy agency.
Aside from his own ventures, Birch has also held positions with Digisec, Jersey for Fintech, and EEMA. In addition, he is one of the governors of the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation and a lecturer at the University of Exeter’s DIGIT Lab.
Through his various roles in his own consultancies and international financial organisations, Birch is one of the most influential voices in British fintech.
Dave Birch has influenced many other innovators in the financial technology industry with his ideas about money and digital identity. He is the author of influential books such as Identity Is the New Money, where he explores the relationship between identity and digital money. Other notable titles of his include The Currency Cold War and Before Babylon, Beyond Bitcoin. He also maintains one of the most widely read IT blogs and has written articles for hundreds of financial editions worldwide.
Other notable achievements:
- One of the top 15 business information sources, according to Wired magazine;
- One of the most followed fintech Twitter accounts. Birch is in the Twitter top 10 people followed by fintech creators and aspiring entrepreneurs — a list that also includes the likes of Bill Gates and Richard Branson;
- Named Contributor of the Year in 2018 by the Emerging Payments Association.
Disclaimer
All forms of financial investment pose a risk to your capital. Always consult a professional before making any investment decisions. Note that this article is purely information and cannot be considered investment advice. Do your own research and plan your budget accordingly.
