A writing project on the hidden architecture of digital finance in Europe, developed essay by essay, with the possibility that it may one day become a book.
The Invisible Machine started with one fairly simple idea: that digital finance is not only a set of products, services, and regulations, but also a hidden arrangement of systems, interfaces, rules, and dependencies that shape ordinary financial life from the bottom up.
That idea is expressed most clearly in the programme essay, and this project is meant to develop it further in a consistent way. I plan to publish texts that stay close to that same subject, each from a slightly different angle, rather than move from topic to topic. Over time, this may lead to a book. For now, it takes the form of a writing project.
I come to this as someone who has worked for many years across banking, digital channels, Open Banking, standards, and financial infrastructure. Writing gives me a way to step back from day-to-day implementation and describe the deeper structures that usually remain in the background.
More about my professional background can be found at mkostro.com.