•    IBM is to build and host a new trade finance platform running on a cloud-based enterprise blockchain system on behalf of seven large European banks. The Digital Trade Chain solution is intended to simplify and facilitate domestic and cross-border trade transactions and trade finance for small and medium enterprises in Europe, while helping to increase overall trade transaction transparency, both online and via mobile devices. The Digital Trade Chain Consortium consists of Deutsche Bank, HSBC, KBC, Natixis, Rabobank, Societe Generale and Unicredit. •    Israel's Bank Leumi has launched a standalone mobile bank for domestic customers modelled on consumer use of social media feeds, reports Finextra. The new mobile banking platform, dubbed 'Pepper', has been built around the use of artificial intelligence, and is designed to handle all of a customer's day-to-day current account activities, from on-boarding to ordering credit cards and cheques, transferring money, taking out loans and managing savings deposits. Live customer service is available via video chat, online messaging, or by phone. Pepper joins the free mobile P2P payment app "Pepper Pay' which was released to app stores several months ago.•    The Financial Stability Board has identified the top three fintech sector risks that merit further supervisory and regulatory attention: operational risk from third-party service providers; cyber risks; and emerging macrofinancial risks as fintech activities increase. The report notes the need to improve data on fintech applications, and for regulators to understand how businesses and the market structure are changing. Potential benefits include decentralisation and increased intermediation by non-financial entities; greater efficiency, transparency, competition and resilience of the financial system; and greater financial inclusion and economic growth. Potential risks include institution-specific micro-financial risks that could emerge and system-wide macro-financial risks such as increased connectedness and correlation risk.