I started covering financial technology, aka “fintech” around the start of 2017. Everyone was talking about “fintech”, blockchain, distributed ledgers, digital identity, AI, machine learning. I was carving out a fun new beat, learning a ton and some of the stuff was fascinating. But alas, 2017 was also the year Home Capital, an alternative mortgage lender in Canada, saw a run on its high-interest savings accounts, and it was all hands on deck to help out. My other beat, retail, also turned into a bit of a beast, as Sak’s owner Hudson’s Bay faced shareholder discontent and Sears Canada filed for creditor protection. Here are some of the fintech and blockchain stories that managed to see the light of day before things went off the rails.

Read More