The Future of Core Banking

Abstract

Core banking replacement is consistently framed as a technology decision. This paper argues that framing is backwards — the technology choice rarely determines whether a migration succeeds. Continuity does.

Drawing on Alden Advisory's core banking engagements, the paper argues for continuity-first migration design: phased sequencing by operational risk, a single named authority for accepting risk during the migration window, and measurement against the pre-migration operational baseline rather than simply whether the new system is live.