Marcus Treacher is a globally recognised expert in global payments and blockchain technology, with over three decades of leadership experience in the financial services industry. He has held various global leadership roles with renowned financial institutions, including Citigroup and HSBC. Marcus is a blockchain disruptor and has served on the boards of SWIFT, CHAPS, ClearBank & RippleNet.
Academic and Professional Background
A Physicist by training, Marcus is a global payments and blockchain expert with vast experience in building international businesses with digital and emerging technologies. He began his career as a Software Engineer in 1985 and worked as a management consultant with Accenture before joining Citigroup in 1993, where he led payments and banking technology across Europe, Middle East, South Asia and Africa. Marcus joined HSBC in 2004, to drive the bank’s global transition to digital channels and its adoption of emerging technologies for innovation. In 2015, Marcus joined Ripple, where he learned about blockchain technology from the coalface. During his time at Ripple, he focused on finding ways to bring blockchain mainstream and overcome scaling and legacy interoperability challenges. Marcus built a real payment network for Ripple globally, where he learned about the mechanics of blockchain in the commercial world.
Current Active Role
Marcus is the Executive Chairman of cross-border payment & settlement start-up, RTGS.global. In this role he oversees the build-out of the company’s ground-breaking global network for immediate cross-border flows, leveraging blockchain technology in-cloud as well as interfacing to national CBDC schemes and structures.
Involvement with DLT/Blockchain
Marcus first learned about blockchain technology in 2014-15 while leading HSBC's global payments innovation unit. He found the technology's potential to redefine how value is stored and moved worldwide captivating. Marcus then joined Ripple to learn about the technology and how it functioned in the commercial world. He took up the challenge of building a real payment network for Ripple globally.
Explaining Blockchain to Non-DLT Family/Friends
Marcus uses the term "Internet of Value" to explain blockchain to non-DLT family and friends. He draws parallels to the sea-change in information-use brought on by the internet at the start of the century. Marcus explains the distributed nature first, which people easily understand, leading nicely onto the maths and methods used to control it all.
Accomplishments in DLT/Blockchain
Marcus's accomplishments in blockchain have been in the practical use of the technology, building business propositions that use and commercialise it.
Involvement with DLT Science Foundation
Marcus first got involved with the DLT Science Foundation through Ripple's university engagement programme, which led to him giving some talks to the UCL blockchain faculty. With his ClearBank role, he continued to focus on blockchain/crypto customers and watched with interest as the DLT SF was formed.
Attraction to the DSF
Marcus was attracted to the DSF's opportunity to stay close to the cutting edge of this new technology and be part of its growth as a real-world class of enabling tech that delivers great benefit to economies and people.
Role/Responsibility in the DSF
As an advisor from the commercial world, Marcus hopes to provide feedback, guidance and insight from the business end of tech innovation: how to implement, build businesses, tackle blockers, and commercialise.
Vision for the Future
Marcus sees DLT becoming ubiquitous, as it expands into all sectors of industry and unlocks information and stores of value, enabling a much more functional digital economy to take shape.
DSF's Role in Bringing about the Future
Marcus sees the DSF as vital catalysts in this process. He believes that London and the UK are uniquely well positioned to promote the growth and adoption of DLT, being a world-leading centre for finance, technology innovation, and law/governance.
To connect with Marcus Treacher, you can visit his LinkedIn profile at Marcus Treacher and follow him on Twitter at @marcus_treacher. You can also follow the DSF on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay updated on the latest DLT developments.
