Print the page
Increase font size
Your Bank Might Disappear

Your Bank Might Disappear

James Altucher

Posted November 26, 2024

James Altucher

"I am deeply skeptical that some of these super entrenched financial institutions like the ‘too big to fail’ banks will be able to adapt."

Omid Malekan, who used to run crypto at Citibank and now teaches at Columbia, is a regular on my podcast.

But this one might be our best yet.

No, we didn’t talk about dog coins and rocket emojis. (OK. Maybe a little.)

Mostly we talked about the $3 trillion that banks make every year by basically doing nothing.

Banks Will Be Forced to Adapt

Thing is, when Omid talks about crypto, he's not really talking about crypto.

He's talking about why your bank can randomly fire you as a customer without explanation, or why sending money overseas feels like you're living in 1985.

Every time you use your credit card, you're basically saying, "I agree to give some random companies 2-3% of my money just to spend my own money."

Think about that.

If you make $100,000 a year, you're instantly giving away $2-3,000 just for the privilege of buying stuff. It's even worse if you're a small business owner - those fees might be eating up 15-20% of your actual profits.

But here's where it gets interesting.

Want to know why banks take three days to "process" your wire transfer? Because they're making interest on your money during those days.

Multiply that by trillions of dollars, and you start to understand why banks aren't exactly rushing to speed things up.

But something's changing.

The regulatory cloud that's been hanging over crypto is lifting. Gary Gensler is on his way out at the SEC. BlackRock and Goldman Sachs are diving into "tokenization" - a word that sounds nerdy but actually represents a market bigger than all the world's currencies combined.

It's not JUST about Bitcoin - it's about the entire financial system being rebuilt from scratch.

Remember when we all thought the internet was about email?

This is like that.

We're all focused on crypto prices while the actual infrastructure of money is being reinvented.

Then I asked Omid what happens next.

Omid thinks we'll see major companies launching their own blockchain systems - imagine WhatsApp or Disney having their own financial networks.

BUT with a huge (and surprising) difference from banks. (Listen to the whole thing.)

What Happens Next

Look…

This isn't about whether crypto will change finance. It's about how much of the current financial system is going to survive crypto.

Will some people still get rich off meme coins? Sure.

But that's like focusing on Pets.com during the early internet. The real story is what's happening under the surface.

By the way, if you're wondering why your bank suddenly cares about blockchain - now you know.

They're not innovating. They're terrified.

Click here to listen to the whole podcast and see WHY they’re terrified.

How to Survive a Cult

Posted July 04, 2025

By James Altucher

He was literally taken from his family by a cult leader. Here’s what I learned.

How I Learned Not to Panic

Posted July 03, 2025

By James Altucher

Catastrophizing is ruining your life. Here’s how to heal.

The $1Q Token Grab (And Who Gets Rich)

Posted July 02, 2025

By Chris Campbell

This one line of crypto code has already moved more money than most banks. Soon, it’ll dwarf them entirely.

This Is Not a Drill: Tokenized Capital Is Here

Posted July 01, 2025

By Chris Campbell

It’s simple: Tokenization is eating everything. Every fintech in the world is playing catch-up. Here’s how to play it…

I Flew 4,000 Miles to Say “Be Stupid”

Posted June 30, 2025

By James Altucher

It’s not just about chess. It’s about how to stay relevant when everything around you is trying to make you obsolete.

Conspiracy: Iran’s Bitcoin Nukes

Posted June 27, 2025

By Chris Campbell

So here's the question that exploded across the cryptosphere this week: Did the U.S. just take out Iran’s Bitcoin mines? It started with a viral post. The claim? A sudden dip in...