Handbook

The FinTech revolution is dramatically shaping financial markets and financial regulation. Innovative technologies include robotics, cryptography, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and smart contracts. These technologies are being applied to provide more affordable, accessible and inclusive financial services. These technologies will also deliver more effective financial regulatory solutions. However, the FinTech revolution also poses new challenges to policymakers, regulators and legal practitioners because it brings increased risks particularly in the areas of consumer protection and data privacy.

Laws underpinning financial regulation will need to be adjusted to remain responsive and relevant. Contemporary regulatory approaches, such as ‘Regulatory Sandboxes’, need to be implemented in a way which balances innovation, risk mitigation and financial inclusion.

This course will provide students with a basic understanding of the FinTech revolution and the implications for financial law and regulation (including RegTech).

The course will focus on market developments and regulatory trends which are being shaped by, and are themselves shaping, the FinTech revolution. The primary legal and regulatory issues that concern policymakers and regulators will be canvassed. The course will emphasise the tremendous opportunities these changes provide in terms of increased access to finance. Students will be encouraged to identify examples of how the knowledge base provided by this course can be applied to current industry developments.