Goldman Sachs

A trio of big deals in the payments and financial service provider area and continued bank and venture capital interest in fintech investments are creating expectations for a banner year.

Steve Hagerman, who was responsible for the first mortgage platform at JPMorgan Chase, will be head of consumer lending technology at Wells. It also named Gary Owen, a veteran of WarneMedia, Promontory Financial and Citi, its chief information security officer.

Purchase of United Capital Financial would extend the bank’s reach; the bank is raking in online deposits even as it pares back its branch network.

Big banks may have found a way to lower needed reserve levels; with Brexit delayed, Goldman will hold off on expansion.

Martin Chavez, global co-head of the securities division at Goldman, suggested the bank is unlikely to fully support crypto until such currencies have the backing of the U.S. government.