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How Blockchain Is Changing Finance

Harvard Business

In 2017 we expect that blockchain startups will raise more funds through ICO than any other means — a historic inflection point. The unstoppable force of blockchain technology is barreling down on the infrastructure of modern finance. ” Others are sure to follow suit. Incumbents are taking notice.

Finance 70
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Uber Is Finally Realizing HR Isn’t Just for Recruiting

Harvard Business

As Pete Ramstad and I note in Beyond HR , leaders often have far better developed frameworks for the value proposition of the finance function than for HR. Uber apparently lacked oversight about sexual harassment behavior; it seems far less likely that such oversight would be lacking when it comes to finance.

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What Initial Coin Offerings Are, and Why VC Firms Care

Harvard Business

For example, the cryptocurrency used for the Ethereum network, called Ether , saw its value double in just a few days in March 2017. While the price of Ether has been rising , Bitcoin has dropped 20% to $1,000 dollars from a record $1,290 on March 3, 2017. Yes, in three days, people who invested in Ether doubled their investment.

Financial 132
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How Companies Are Already Using AI

Harvard Business

And in January 2017, McKinsey’s research arm estimated AI-driven job losses at 5%. Some 51% of our AI leaders predicted that by 2020 AI will have its biggest internal impact on their back-office functions of IT and finance/accounting; only 34% of AI followers said the same thing.

Company 163
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How Regulation Could Help Cryptocurrencies Grow

Harvard Business

Ignorance may be bliss for some, but ask anyone in commerce or finance, and they will make it abundantly clear: Ignorance is risk. Although still nascent, cryptocurrencies worldwide are nevertheless on the rise, with money raised by issuers in the first half of 2018 already exceeding the amounts raised in all of 2017. Getty Images.

Finance 121
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Green Bonds Benefit Companies, Investors, and the Planet

Harvard Business

The past five years have seen explosive growth in “corporate green bonds” issued to finance climate-friendly projects. While investors bought just $3 billion of these bonds in 2013, they scooped up $49 billion worth in 2017, bringing the total sold since 2013 to $113 billion at an average of $308 million per offering.

Company 128
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Research: The Digitization of Banks Disproportionately Hurts Women Entrepreneurs

Harvard Business

since 2013 , and shrank by more than 1,700 in 2017 alone. In Sweden, for example, the portion of approved bank loans to small and medium-size enterprises has decreased by 15% over the last 10 years , and roughly 60% of all ventures in need of external financing have reported difficulties in accessing financing for their investments.

Banking 70