David G.W. Birch
@dgwbirch.bsky.social
Author, advisor and commentator on digital financial services.
New on the not-a-newsletter "In the future, everyone will be famous for 15Mb"...
My Prediction On Prediction Markets : Run Roh buff.ly/p1YlAGN
The Economist recently said that prediction markets were an “economist’s dream”. Maybe, but they are my nightmare.
My Prediction On Prediction Markets : Run Roh buff.ly/p1YlAGN
The Economist recently said that prediction markets were an “economist’s dream”. Maybe, but they are my nightmare.
February 14, 2026 at 11:42 AM
New on the not-a-newsletter "In the future, everyone will be famous for 15Mb"...
My Prediction On Prediction Markets : Run Roh buff.ly/p1YlAGN
The Economist recently said that prediction markets were an “economist’s dream”. Maybe, but they are my nightmare.
My Prediction On Prediction Markets : Run Roh buff.ly/p1YlAGN
The Economist recently said that prediction markets were an “economist’s dream”. Maybe, but they are my nightmare.
"CBDCs... most significant resilience potential lies in user-centric design features, including offline functionality, flexible front-end solutions, and programmability for crisis response"
Not my words. The IMF.
buff.ly/AWloShJ
Not my words. The IMF.
buff.ly/AWloShJ
February 13, 2026 at 5:17 PM
"CBDCs... most significant resilience potential lies in user-centric design features, including offline functionality, flexible front-end solutions, and programmability for crisis response"
Not my words. The IMF.
buff.ly/AWloShJ
Not my words. The IMF.
buff.ly/AWloShJ
Europe’s best bet for financial sovereignty is a true safe asset buff.ly/hZcweTi
"A European safe asset would complete the long-overdue EU financial architecture: a savings and investment union... and a credible euro-denominated stablecoin market."
"A European safe asset would complete the long-overdue EU financial architecture: a savings and investment union... and a credible euro-denominated stablecoin market."
February 13, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Europe’s best bet for financial sovereignty is a true safe asset buff.ly/hZcweTi
"A European safe asset would complete the long-overdue EU financial architecture: a savings and investment union... and a credible euro-denominated stablecoin market."
"A European safe asset would complete the long-overdue EU financial architecture: a savings and investment union... and a credible euro-denominated stablecoin market."
#FlashbackFriday | In 2020, I argued that fintechs should stop selling financial services and start selling financial health, and that this wasn’t a buzzword, but a different way of thinking about the financial sector itself: buff.ly/g6usv0k
Yesterday’s future. Progress optional.
Yesterday’s future. Progress optional.
February 13, 2026 at 8:01 AM
#FlashbackFriday | In 2020, I argued that fintechs should stop selling financial services and start selling financial health, and that this wasn’t a buzzword, but a different way of thinking about the financial sector itself: buff.ly/g6usv0k
Yesterday’s future. Progress optional.
Yesterday’s future. Progress optional.
US payments: check use is down but check fraud is up.
90-year-old man scammed out of $814K buff.ly/cwzq878
"Starting last April, someone began forging Rosenberg's signature on checks and draining his savings account"
Picture below for people outside the US who've never seen a "check".
90-year-old man scammed out of $814K buff.ly/cwzq878
"Starting last April, someone began forging Rosenberg's signature on checks and draining his savings account"
Picture below for people outside the US who've never seen a "check".
February 12, 2026 at 5:17 PM
US payments: check use is down but check fraud is up.
90-year-old man scammed out of $814K buff.ly/cwzq878
"Starting last April, someone began forging Rosenberg's signature on checks and draining his savings account"
Picture below for people outside the US who've never seen a "check".
90-year-old man scammed out of $814K buff.ly/cwzq878
"Starting last April, someone began forging Rosenberg's signature on checks and draining his savings account"
Picture below for people outside the US who've never seen a "check".
Noelle is _always_ worth reading, to today is especially good
Stablecoins and the new Gresham’s Law buff.ly/zrONvxD
"So, the US ended up with a system of good money, bad payments."
Stablecoins and the new Gresham’s Law buff.ly/zrONvxD
"So, the US ended up with a system of good money, bad payments."
February 12, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Noelle is _always_ worth reading, to today is especially good
Stablecoins and the new Gresham’s Law buff.ly/zrONvxD
"So, the US ended up with a system of good money, bad payments."
Stablecoins and the new Gresham’s Law buff.ly/zrONvxD
"So, the US ended up with a system of good money, bad payments."
Man who accumulated more than £1million in identity fraud crime jailed buff.ly/sV8vRcv
"Craig Milligan, 47, of Dumfries, used several aliases – including those of two dead men – to fraudulently open accounts and obtain credit cards"
Yeah but we don't need digital identity.
"Craig Milligan, 47, of Dumfries, used several aliases – including those of two dead men – to fraudulently open accounts and obtain credit cards"
Yeah but we don't need digital identity.
February 11, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Man who accumulated more than £1million in identity fraud crime jailed buff.ly/sV8vRcv
"Craig Milligan, 47, of Dumfries, used several aliases – including those of two dead men – to fraudulently open accounts and obtain credit cards"
Yeah but we don't need digital identity.
"Craig Milligan, 47, of Dumfries, used several aliases – including those of two dead men – to fraudulently open accounts and obtain credit cards"
Yeah but we don't need digital identity.
Reposted by David G.W. Birch
subscriptions >>> shop.viz.co.uk/viz353bs
February 9, 2026 at 11:06 PM
subscriptions >>> shop.viz.co.uk/viz353bs
February 10, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Friends left 'in tears' over £8k rental scam on London flat buff.ly/zAcyaUT
"the people who had scammed them had stolen the identity of both the landlord of the property and a letting agency in order to carry out the scheme."
But we don't need no digital identity.
"the people who had scammed them had stolen the identity of both the landlord of the property and a letting agency in order to carry out the scheme."
But we don't need no digital identity.
Friends left 'in tears' over £8k rental scam on London flat
A Chartered Trading Standards Institute spokesperson says their advice is to "take a step back".
buff.ly
February 9, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Friends left 'in tears' over £8k rental scam on London flat buff.ly/zAcyaUT
"the people who had scammed them had stolen the identity of both the landlord of the property and a letting agency in order to carry out the scheme."
But we don't need no digital identity.
"the people who had scammed them had stolen the identity of both the landlord of the property and a letting agency in order to carry out the scheme."
But we don't need no digital identity.
Doubleplus good snapshot of where we are and what we need to do...
KeyFlux | Trust Infrastructure buff.ly/GUchkpR
"What Actually Works
Treat machine identity as a first-class problem. Not an afterthought bolted onto service accounts."
KeyFlux | Trust Infrastructure buff.ly/GUchkpR
"What Actually Works
Treat machine identity as a first-class problem. Not an afterthought bolted onto service accounts."
February 9, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Doubleplus good snapshot of where we are and what we need to do...
KeyFlux | Trust Infrastructure buff.ly/GUchkpR
"What Actually Works
Treat machine identity as a first-class problem. Not an afterthought bolted onto service accounts."
KeyFlux | Trust Infrastructure buff.ly/GUchkpR
"What Actually Works
Treat machine identity as a first-class problem. Not an afterthought bolted onto service accounts."
The Promise of Digital Identities (IDs): Access and Crime Prevention buff.ly/oyx1wGf
"A digital ID combines the three pillars of secure transactions—identification, authentication, and authorization".
Not my words, the Feds.
Well, to be fair, my words too. Albeit some time ago.
"A digital ID combines the three pillars of secure transactions—identification, authentication, and authorization".
Not my words, the Feds.
Well, to be fair, my words too. Albeit some time ago.
February 7, 2026 at 5:17 PM
The Promise of Digital Identities (IDs): Access and Crime Prevention buff.ly/oyx1wGf
"A digital ID combines the three pillars of secure transactions—identification, authentication, and authorization".
Not my words, the Feds.
Well, to be fair, my words too. Albeit some time ago.
"A digital ID combines the three pillars of secure transactions—identification, authentication, and authorization".
Not my words, the Feds.
Well, to be fair, my words too. Albeit some time ago.
Prove’s Nate Soffio on Reusable Identity, KYC, and the Coming Era of Agentic AI buff.ly/IzUkdT7
"There was nothing like a TSA PreCheck for financial access"
"There was nothing like a TSA PreCheck for financial access"
February 7, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Prove’s Nate Soffio on Reusable Identity, KYC, and the Coming Era of Agentic AI buff.ly/IzUkdT7
"There was nothing like a TSA PreCheck for financial access"
"There was nothing like a TSA PreCheck for financial access"
New on the not-a-newsletter...
AI Will Change Merchant Acquiring buff.ly/BHDXfYH
"The strategic imperative is clear: acquirers must function as AI-powered, data-driven service platforms that orchestrate intelligence, automation, and personalisation at scale."
AI Will Change Merchant Acquiring buff.ly/BHDXfYH
"The strategic imperative is clear: acquirers must function as AI-powered, data-driven service platforms that orchestrate intelligence, automation, and personalisation at scale."
February 6, 2026 at 5:17 PM
New on the not-a-newsletter...
AI Will Change Merchant Acquiring buff.ly/BHDXfYH
"The strategic imperative is clear: acquirers must function as AI-powered, data-driven service platforms that orchestrate intelligence, automation, and personalisation at scale."
AI Will Change Merchant Acquiring buff.ly/BHDXfYH
"The strategic imperative is clear: acquirers must function as AI-powered, data-driven service platforms that orchestrate intelligence, automation, and personalisation at scale."
Kobayashi Eitaku (1843 - 1890) The Rabbits' Dream of Peaceful Rest, 1873 - Fuji Arts Japanese Prints buff.ly/pcCtZp5
Reading all the about the Japanese rabbit bubble before I get back to "1929".
Reading all the about the Japanese rabbit bubble before I get back to "1929".
February 6, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Kobayashi Eitaku (1843 - 1890) The Rabbits' Dream of Peaceful Rest, 1873 - Fuji Arts Japanese Prints buff.ly/pcCtZp5
Reading all the about the Japanese rabbit bubble before I get back to "1929".
Reading all the about the Japanese rabbit bubble before I get back to "1929".
#FlashbackFriday In 2020, I said digital identity should be about credentials, not names, so we can trust sources without sacrificing privacy. In a world of AI and anonymity, that distinction matters more than ever.
Yesterday’s future. Progress optional.
Yesterday’s future. Progress optional.
Trust Me! I’m A Doctor On LinkedIn
But how would you know whether someone was a doctor or not? I wouldn’t ask to see their diploma, since I am not an expert in documentation authentication. I would have ask to see their LinkedIn page.
buff.ly
February 6, 2026 at 8:01 AM
#FlashbackFriday In 2020, I said digital identity should be about credentials, not names, so we can trust sources without sacrificing privacy. In a world of AI and anonymity, that distinction matters more than ever.
Yesterday’s future. Progress optional.
Yesterday’s future. Progress optional.
Bitcoin at $63k and still falling. Any crypto astrologers here with good reasons?
February 5, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Bitcoin at $63k and still falling. Any crypto astrologers here with good reasons?
The Coming Crypto Apocalypse buff.ly/Kr5quPb
"95% of 'blockchain' monies and digital services are blockchain in name only"
Nouriel Roubini gives cryptocurrency both barrels.
"95% of 'blockchain' monies and digital services are blockchain in name only"
Nouriel Roubini gives cryptocurrency both barrels.
February 5, 2026 at 5:17 PM
The Coming Crypto Apocalypse buff.ly/Kr5quPb
"95% of 'blockchain' monies and digital services are blockchain in name only"
Nouriel Roubini gives cryptocurrency both barrels.
"95% of 'blockchain' monies and digital services are blockchain in name only"
Nouriel Roubini gives cryptocurrency both barrels.
Boost Avios | Purchase, boost or subscribe to Avios | Avios buff.ly/RdIkXSJ
Great "special offer" from British Airways whereby if you pay more money you get FEWER Avois for every pound you spend.
Great "special offer" from British Airways whereby if you pay more money you get FEWER Avois for every pound you spend.
February 4, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Boost Avios | Purchase, boost or subscribe to Avios | Avios buff.ly/RdIkXSJ
Great "special offer" from British Airways whereby if you pay more money you get FEWER Avois for every pound you spend.
Great "special offer" from British Airways whereby if you pay more money you get FEWER Avois for every pound you spend.
Signal: Can Fintechs Out-AI Banks? buff.ly/yHuZ7kj
"Credit card issuers built defensible moats through decades of investment in brand loyalty. An AI agent has no loyalty."
As I said. Storm's a comin'.
"Credit card issuers built defensible moats through decades of investment in brand loyalty. An AI agent has no loyalty."
As I said. Storm's a comin'.
February 3, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Signal: Can Fintechs Out-AI Banks? buff.ly/yHuZ7kj
"Credit card issuers built defensible moats through decades of investment in brand loyalty. An AI agent has no loyalty."
As I said. Storm's a comin'.
"Credit card issuers built defensible moats through decades of investment in brand loyalty. An AI agent has no loyalty."
As I said. Storm's a comin'.
The Government of Bermuda Announces Plans to be the World’s First Fully Onchain National Economy buff.ly/D2zULje
"the world’s first fully onchain national economy"
I wonder how the economy (and politics) will change when all transactions are on chain?
"the world’s first fully onchain national economy"
I wonder how the economy (and politics) will change when all transactions are on chain?
February 1, 2026 at 5:17 PM
The Government of Bermuda Announces Plans to be the World’s First Fully Onchain National Economy buff.ly/D2zULje
"the world’s first fully onchain national economy"
I wonder how the economy (and politics) will change when all transactions are on chain?
"the world’s first fully onchain national economy"
I wonder how the economy (and politics) will change when all transactions are on chain?
Reposted by David G.W. Birch
So, Moltbook (AI built Reddit for Openclaw (formerly Moltbot, formerly Clawdbot) agents) is fascinating and stupid at the same time, but watching AI agents trying to reinvent trust & safety from first principles is... quite something.
January 31, 2026 at 11:58 PM
So, Moltbook (AI built Reddit for Openclaw (formerly Moltbot, formerly Clawdbot) agents) is fascinating and stupid at the same time, but watching AI agents trying to reinvent trust & safety from first principles is... quite something.
MoltsList buff.ly/yYw4y1L
"Where clawbots post listings, negotiate in public, and trade credits."
I'm nostalgic for the time when we thought that Skynet was going to be built by evil corporations rather than... us.
"Where clawbots post listings, negotiate in public, and trade credits."
I'm nostalgic for the time when we thought that Skynet was going to be built by evil corporations rather than... us.
January 31, 2026 at 5:17 PM
MoltsList buff.ly/yYw4y1L
"Where clawbots post listings, negotiate in public, and trade credits."
I'm nostalgic for the time when we thought that Skynet was going to be built by evil corporations rather than... us.
"Where clawbots post listings, negotiate in public, and trade credits."
I'm nostalgic for the time when we thought that Skynet was going to be built by evil corporations rather than... us.
New on the not-a-newsletter "In the future, everyone will be famous for 5Mb"...
The Short Term and the Long Term buff.ly/w8pX9ng
Western Union once passed on the telephone, but they are not going to pass on stablecoins.
The Short Term and the Long Term buff.ly/w8pX9ng
Western Union once passed on the telephone, but they are not going to pass on stablecoins.
January 30, 2026 at 11:42 AM
New on the not-a-newsletter "In the future, everyone will be famous for 5Mb"...
The Short Term and the Long Term buff.ly/w8pX9ng
Western Union once passed on the telephone, but they are not going to pass on stablecoins.
The Short Term and the Long Term buff.ly/w8pX9ng
Western Union once passed on the telephone, but they are not going to pass on stablecoins.