2026 Pub. 5 Issue 3

“How do you make a small fortune by investing in cryptocurrency? Start by investing a large fortune,” or so goes the quip about investing in crypto and any number of other speculative assets. One-liners aside, it is becoming increasingly difficult to deny that cryptocurrency, or crypto for short, particularly the blockchain technology on which it is based, is here to stay. Although AI has taken much of the public’s attention previously lavished on crypto, the question of whether and how to engage with crypto remains meaningful for community banks and will only become more so in the future.

Succession planning has become one of the most important strategic priorities for community banks. As experienced leaders retire and competition for talent intensifies, many banks are asking the same question: Who will lead us next?

For years, deposit modernization focused on improving the account holder experience. Today, the bigger opportunity may be in the back office.

Financial institutions have spent the last several years navigating margin pressure, rising compliance costs, workforce challenges and ongoing technology investments. As a result, operating expenses and efficiency ratios remain under intense scrutiny.

The recently enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act marks a significant shift in how U.S. banks can use reciprocal deposits — an established but increasingly important tool for deposit growth and local lending.

Optimizing the customer experience has long been a central goal for every financial institution. In today’s digital-first, mobile-everything world, the definition of a “great experience” has evolved dramatically. Customers no longer compare their bank solely to other banks; they measure their interactions against the frictionless convenience of leading technology companies, retailers and digital platforms. As a result, expectations are rising faster than ever, with customers demanding experiences that are secure, reliable, personalized, seamless and available across every channel.

Small businesses wear a lot of hats. They want to focus on serving customers and growing their business, not chasing invoices or managing manual tasks. As a result, they’re not just asking, “Where should I bank?” They’re asking, “Who can help me run my business better?” The institutions that answer that question are better positioned

I would like to make clear in the title of this column that we’re not talking about anything rude or unfriendly. In fact, you are about to learn just the opposite. It has been many a year since the U.S. bond market’s yield curve has been normally sloped. By “normal,” we mean that the differential in short and long yields (i.e., “2s to 10s”) is around 100 basis points (1%), which has been the average this century.

War overseas. Inflation concerns. Interest rate uncertainty. Rising energy costs. For investors, today’s headlines can feel like a constant stream of competing challenges. Add in questions surrounding tariffs, government spending and the direction of the economy, and it’s easy to understand why many are concerned about the impact on their retirement savings.

In my experience, community banks sell for one of the following reasons: Board succession has not been strategically planned, executive staff and leadership succession have not been strategically planned, or the market has taken a turn. Two of the three focus on preparing bank leaders for the future, making succession planning a critical component of a community bank’s long-term viability.

In the months that have passed since we came together at ICBA LIVE, I’ve been reflecting on one key sentiment that came across loud and clear: Community banks have a unique and profound impact on the lives of those we serve.