Arbitrageurs, meet the disintermediation of tech

The fact that it's taken this long is the only real surprising aspect of this story - that Wall Street is under threat by the rise of info tech (wired):

These so-called “fintech” upstarts are calling attention to the many shortcomings of the gatekeepers who have traditionally controlled lending, paying, and investing. When these incumbents were the only option, they could rest easy assuming annoyed consumers had no other options. Now they do, and a nervous Wall Street, Dimon included, is realizing it has to play along in order to fight back. Amid fears of a growing threat to their market share, Wall Street is now playing catch-up. Banks are launching competitive products (or slapdash imitations, depending on where you sit) to startups’ innovations. They’re financing partnerships. And in some cases, they’re just trying to acquire away threats to their businesses.

More: Inc. profiles a few companies that are making it easier for startups to find money.