Blockchain technology first became part of the public conversation via bitcoin, the peer-to-peer electronic currency system that runs without government backing. It provides the underlying mechanics that allow the digital currency to exist. The bank’s economists say that while interest in bitcoin has evened out, blockchain is drawing more attention because of its ability to safely conduct transactions with no middleman and its potential for applications beyond purely digital currency transactions.
“A technology that has the ability to conduct and verify transactions via an immutable, time-stamped record that is replicated on servers across the globe has immense implications for the banking sector,” said BBVA Compass Chief Economist Nathaniel Karp. “We’re talking about a massive overhaul of the banking industry’s processes and a significant reduction in costs.”
Blockchain is effectively a high-tech public ledger, or a book of recorded transactions, maintained by a community-agreed, distributed network of computers. It requires no central authority or third-party intermediaries. Blockchain has three key components: a transaction, a transaction record and a system that verifies and stores the transaction. It operates similarly to how a bank tracks the money in each of its accounts, but the technology is entirely transparent and distributed widely.
https://ihb.io/2015-08-10/news/bbva-blockchain-technology-poised-financial-industrys-biggest-disruptor-yet-22330
Edit: News courtesy of gotmilk from another thread.