Financial innovation is happening worldwide. Here are some of the top developments to watch.

As the leader of a 32-person R&D team helping U.S. Bank's business lines implement new technology and scout out the most promising financial innovations, Dominic Venturo is on the front lines of fintech innovation in the banking world. On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast, Venturo talks about recent and upcoming innovations that U.S. Bank is rolling out.

Financial institutions are leveraging technology to make payments faster, easier and safer.

Aside from the recent bitcoin mania that is seeing a wave of "initial coin offerings" and goosing the stock value of companies that announce virtual currency plays, the underlying technology -- known as blockchain, or distributed ledger technology -- has attracted significant interest from financial institutions and investors.

As financial innovation forges ahead and digital currencies like bitcoin continue to make headlines, Federal Reserve Vice Chairman for Supervision Randal Quarles today emphasized the need to balance innovation with financial stability.

A conversation with Ripple’s Chris Larsen.

The Federal Reserve has convened a working group on distributed ledger technology, commonly known as blockchain, to review its uses for financial services and issue a report later this year, Fed Governor Lael Brainard said on Friday.

In its annual report and during its public session yesterday, the Financial Stability Oversight Council trained scrutiny on the potential risks posed by the growing use of new financial products and delivery mechanisms, including marketplace lending and distributed ledger or blockchain technology.

Amid the hoopla over bitcoin and other virtual currencies, it’s the underlying documentation platform that’s revolutionizing transactions.