SWIFT had it all. They had the monopoly on international inter-bank transfers. They were 'the only game in town'. Then they blew it by disconnecting Iran from the international banking scene.<p>Suddenly people saw that SWIFT were not the reliable, neutral entity that people thought they were. I actually emailed their public-relations office way back then stating this fact. Of course, I was disregarded. "What would I know?" I was a nameless nobody after all.<p>Fast forward a decade or so, and there are now at least three more interbank tranfers entities available. Already they are taking business away from SWIFT. In years to come, SWIFT will decline further and further as The East becomes more and more financially important.<p>They had it all. They lost it.