Last updated on April 15, 2023
If you could take a time machine into 2030 to catch a glimpse of how banking will look, you would be surprised to find that the entire market shifted. What was once a massive centralized cartel that controlled the world is now a diverse multifaceted digital ecosystem that is open to all. While these predictions may seem like fairy tales considering the current state of the market today, there’s a lot of evidence to support this vision, Here is what banks will look like in 2030 and why.
There continues to be a steady increase in customer expectations from banking firms. Consumers are tired of high fees and low yields. They want a piece of the billion-dollar industry and they’re willing to take their business elsewhere to achieve this goal. This sudden application of pressure on these firms has had some interesting results. Here are just some of the ways you may not recognize banks in the future.
Going Digital
One of the most significant changes to the banking sector occurred with the introduction of digital banking services. In the early days, computers were used to improve efficiency and lower human errors. Soon, fully digital banks began to emerge. These low-cost operations reshaped the market forever.
For one, digital banks have much lower overhead which means they can charge far less fees than brick-and-mortar options. When you delve deeper into the statistics, it reveals some eye opening trends.
For example, the generation that’s most interested in digital banking is millennials according to surveys. One report put the percentage as high as 79.3% compared to baby boomers where only 33% require access to digital banking options.
Digital banking services have seen an incredible rise to fame. The sector saw a massive boost of $8T in 2020 according to reports by Global Market Insight. Around 27% of Americans use an online-only bank currently which is up significantly from this time just 2 years ago.
It’s Time to Go Mobile
The main difference that you would notice is that banking will be mostly conducted on mobile devices in the future. The expansion and improvement of high-speed internet has opened the door for people from across the globe to gain unfettered access to the market via mobile devices like Smartphones.
This prediction makes perfect sense as developing nations are skipping over the industrial age and going directly into the digital. They are forgoing things like building heavy infrastructure to support banks and instead, they’re offering high tech low-cost solutions and getting impressive results. A survey by Chase bank revealed that by 2022, 71% of consumers had used a mobile wallet to make a payment within the last 12 months.
Fewer Branches
The rise in digital and mobile options will take its toll on local branches. There are going to be fewer and fewer people that want to drive and go to a branch in person as nearly all features and services will be available via digital apps. Additionally, banks will gain a lot from the elimination of local branches. This maneuver will lower overhead and improve trackability.
There will also be a rise in “no-human” banking branches. You can think of the locations as advanced ATMS that can handle banking tasks that used to require a specialized financial expert. Things like accessing loans and checking your credit will become readily available via these high-tech devices.
The decline in traditional banks has already begun to take place. Reports show that around 9% of local bank branches have closed over the last decade. This trend is set to continue into the foreseeable future. Additionally, factors such as war and pandemics continue to increase the rate at which people shift to digital banking options.
Third-Party Financial Services
The rise in digital banking has also led to arise of third-party financial service providers. What used to be features that only banks could offer are now handled by third parties. Payment processors are a prime example of this transition occurring in real life. People used to have to go to the bank or a money transfer service provider to send funding globally.
Remittance payments like this are the backbone of many countries economies. However, they’re expensive to handle and grossly inefficient. The introduction of third-party money-sending applications helps to improve these systems. Now they are billions sent internationally using these networks.
Notably, blockchain money transfer services raise the bar yet again. The p2p nature of blockchain technology makes it the ideal way to send value internationally. It cost less, is more secure, and provides full real-time transparency. These upgrades are part of the reasons countries like El Salvador have embraced cryptocurrency technology.
Hyper-Personalization
Banks of the future will become her personalized. These financial institutions will constantly collect data on you to customize your offerings and features. The good thing about hyper-personalization is that it will enable financial firms to find services that meet your needs faster. The downside is that your data is going to get harvested and used to create customized ads.
Customer Experience
There will be some serious upgrades when there is a data-driven banking model in terms of offerings. Additionally, when you integrate DeFi options, it opens the door for customers to start capitalizing on their data. For years, clients have known their data holds value. Innovative blockchain firms are now offering ways for users to secure returns when their data is used.
AI
Artificial intelligence is a technology that is reshaping the way people interact and live every day. This tech has seen a recent boost in usage with firms like CHAT-GPT bringing reliable low-cost AI to the market with great success. In the future, your banker could be fully AI as their tech is playing a growing role in multiple banking systems.
There are already AI systems used for hiring and evaluation services of bank personnel. There are also algorithms in place to help determine if a person is a good fit for a loan or particular service. AI will one day be the main way in which you interact with your local bank branch. It will also find a home in marketing as your data will be fed to the AI algorithm to target services.
Decentralized Banking
The biggest change that will occur over the next decade is the elimination of centralized banking and the complete adoption of DeFi services. Currently, DeFi is just a tiny drop in the bucket in terms of banking clientele. However, this drop is slowly becoming a waterfall as more users flock to DeFi services to fulfill their needs.
DeFi brings some major upgrades to the market that can’t be ignored. For one, these systems are much cheaper to operate. DeFi systems are your code, which means there is no human intervention, mistakes, or discrimination involved. Just these factors alone mean that DeFi banking is far ahead of centralized banking when discussing openness and transparency.
Permissionless
Banking in the future will be about remaining censorship resistant. The everyday, global economy becomes more polarized. For the last 60 years, the USD has been the dominant global currency. However, recent developments such as the use of the global financial system as a weapon have lowered faith in the system and driven a desire for a multi-polar alternative.
Already, countries like India and China and ditching the dollar for direct trade. Additionally, countries can now buy oil on the international market using other currencies rather than USD. All of these changes are creating a dangerous atmosphere for the USD which is currently suffering from crushing inflation.
Open to All
A permissionless and censorship resistant economy would be ideal. It would enable people to commerce freely and promote innovation and the common good on a large scale. On a smaller scale, it would be meant that you never need to ask permission to send funding, take loans, or leverage other financial services.
When you notice that there are billions of underbanked individuals in the market, it’s easy to see why a more open and inclusive solution could be the answer needed. There are +4 billion people in the world that don’t have access to basic financial services according to the World Bank.
DeFi options could open the door to more inclusion. Those who may have not been able to join the economy due to a lack of infrastructure, paperwork, or war can now gain instant access to funding. In this way, a decentralized economy is the best option as it will have more participants and be more transparent.
Easier to Make Global Transactions
The world is closer than ever with global transactions taking place every second. Before the internet, mostly businesses would conduct daily international money transfers. Today, it’s completely normal for a person to log onto an online retailer and order products from across the planet.
Digital assets are the best option for this style of economy. Users can make these payments fast using p2p technology. The speed at which blockchains can send funding varies depending on their network specifications. Early cryptos like Bitcoin could take an hour or more to complete transactions which still beats days that it takes to send large amounts of fiat.
In comparison, today’s top-performing fourth-generation networks like META 1 Coin can send value internationally in minutes and for pennies. This added efficiency means that more business can occur and more profits can be obtained. It also opens the door for more merchants to gain access to global funding.
Lower Fees
The future of banking is going to have lower fees. Already, fees are at the top of consumer concerns. DeFi options have far fewer fees and the fees are straightforward. In comparison, your bank statement is full of random fees that make no sense to the average person
Transparency
Another major upgrade will occur in terms of transiency. People are becoming aware of the open and transparent nature of the blockchain network. These systems enable anyone to monitor the health of a network using a free blockchain explorer. This approach beats out the current system of depending on the bank to provide data that can be skewed.
In a blockchain network, real-time monitoring is a stock feature. Users can leverage blockchain explorers to view past transactions, wallet balances, network health, and verify smart contracts. In the future, people will want more control and oversight over financial institutions and blockchain networks provide these upgrades in a reliable manner.
Stability
The biggest change you may see in the future of baking is that there is going to be a shift away from fiat currency. Blockchain assets can provide a better store of value and day-to-day commerce options. Additionally, the introduction of new types of stable digital assets has added to the chances that the USD will be pushed out to the limelight as a viable option for savers.
Safehaven tokens
The rise of safehaven assets like Meta 1 Coin could be the catalyst for this massive change. META 1 Coin leverages a basket of gold-related assets rather than a single reserve type. This approach provides the network with self-appreciation and long term store of wealth capabilities.
Additionally, safehaven tokens integrate protections to keep the asset value safe and prevent centralization. For example, only humans can participate in the METANOMICs DeFi ecosystem. This requirement ensures that no firms can infiltrate and take over the community. In this way, the project seeks to remain a community-led effort.
Banking in 2030 – A Different Dance
All of the changes that are occurring in the market will lead to a new type of banking scenario. What was once people being used by central bankers will become personalized DeFi options where the people are the bank. Networks like META Coin continue to pioneer these efforts via their unique combination of features. For these reasons and many more, your bank may be unrecognizable in the future.