Korea’s Kakao Bank demonstrates Big Tech’s potential threat to incumbent lenders

Inside this episode:Tae Jong Ok looks at Kakao Bank’s rapid rise from its social media origins to one of Korea’s biggest retail lenders. Plus, Christian Badorff and Melina Skouridou talk about the insurance impact of recent heavy floods in Germany, and the European Central Bank’s plan to pilot a digital euro.Related content:Banks – Europe: Despite financial inclusion benefits, digital euro poses disintermediation risks to banks, a credit negative A digital euro would support innovation and financial inclusion, and could become an alternative to stablecoins, but would reduce banks' profitability and increase disintermediation risk.Insurance – Germany: German floods will hit P&C insurers' profit, highlighting climate change risk Devastating floods that hit parts of Germany on 14 and 15 July look set to cause insured losses of €4 billion to €5 billion, according to preliminary estimates. Banks – Korea: Big Tech success in banking highlights rising competition from virtual banks Big Tech success in banking highlights rising competition from virtual banks