Current identity systems place major limitations on Fintech innovationWORLD ECONOMIC FORUM | 201615ExamplesPayments Payments require validation of ACH information, meaning that digital payments innovators must either require users to provide identity information through pseudo‐digital channels (such as by photographing their driver’s license) or act as platforms on top of established Financial Institutions and rely on their know‐your‐ customer (KYC) processes Loans Evaluating customer risk and issuing loans requires validation of basic customer information, requiring innovators to gather information from users, again through pseudo‐digital channels such as photographing existing ID or gathering trusted information from an existing source, and therefore decentralising a central piece of the product offering Lack of digital identity limits the development and delivery of efficient, secure, digital‐based Fintech offerings Identity is currently a critical pain point for Fintech innovators. Many of these innovators are trying to deliver pure digital offerings, but the process of identifying users consistently forces them to use physical channels. These Fintech innovators now see the development of a new generation of digital identity systems as being crucial to continuing innovation and delivering efficient, secure, digital‐based Fintech offerings.
