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Banks Not Getting Anticipated Benefits From Rate Hikes, ECB Executive Admits
19.5.2023
Eurozone banks are profitable but the benefits from higher interest rates may be smaller than expected, according to the deputy head of the single currency area’s monetary authority. The official noted that while most of the tightening has been done already, more rate increases are to come. Euro...
Hong Kong Launches Digital Currency Pilot With 16 Firms Including HSBC, Bank of China, Alipay
19.5.2023
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has announced the commencement of its e-HKD pilot which “will take deep dives into potential use cases in six categories.” The pilot paves the way for “the possible implementation of a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC),” the central banking...
NY Fed, Singapore Regulator Verify CBDC Interoperability, Payment Speeds in Latest Test
19.5.2023
Central bank digital currency (CBDC) systems operating on different types of networks can be used for cross-border and cross-currency payments, a new report published by researchers with the New York Federal Reserve and Monetary Authority of Singapore late Thursday said
Rate Hikes Affecting Housing Markets in Eurozone, United States, ECB Study Shows
19.5.2023
Interest rate hikes in the euro area are already causing a decline in housing investment, the zone’s central bank revealed in a study. While smaller than in the United States, the impact of the monetary policy tightening on the Old Continent is likely to grow further, the regulator expects. Housing...
Ripple Starts Platform for Central Banks to Issue Their CBDCs
18.5.2023
The firm will also showcase a real estate tokenization product as part of Hong Kong Monetary Authority's e-HKD pilot
Even Licensed Firms Say Opening Bank Accounts Is Hard in Hong Kong
17.5.2023
Hong Kong has said it wants to be a crypto hub but its banks are rejecting account opening applications
Harvard Economics Professor: US Default Could Spark Global Financial Crisis
15.5.2023
Harvard economics professor Kenneth Rogoff, who previously served as the chief economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has warned that the U.S. defaulting on its debt obligations could spark a global financial crisis. “It’s a very perilous situation and we are in unknown waters,”...
IMF Warns of ‘Very Serious Repercussions’ if US Defaults on Debt Obligations
13.5.2023
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned of “very serious repercussions” to both the U.S. and the global economy if the U.S. defaults on its debt obligations, which could be as soon as June 1. “We are calling on all of the parties to come together, reach consensus, and resolve...
Inflation Expectations of Eurozone Consumers ‘Increased Significantly,’ ECB Says
12.5.2023
Consumers in the euro area have sharply raised their expectations about inflation in the coming months, the European Central Bank revealed. Survey data showing this comes after the monetary authority slowed the pace of its rate hikes last week while indicating that it’s still early for a pause....
IMF Says Zimbabwe Gold-Backed Digital Currency a Potential Threat to Financial Stability
11.5.2023
The International Monetary Fund has urged Zimbabwean authorities to weigh the benefits versus risks of issuing a gold-backed digital currency. Instead of using gold-backed digital currency to limit the demand for the greenback, the global lender said monetary authorities should consider...
Hong Kong to Have Tight Crypto Regulations, Head of Monetary Authority Says
10.5.2023
Companies attracted by the plan to turn Hong Kong into a hub for digital assets should expect strict regulations, the region has indicated. Authorities are preparing new licensing rules for service providers working with cryptocurrencies and guidelines for banks interacting with crypto firms....
Nigeria-China Currency Swap: Activist Lawyer Accuses IMF and World Bank of ‘Economic Sabotage’ to Promote US Dollar, Urges Nigeria to Join BRICS
10.5.2023
Nigerian human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana, has accused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) of sabotaging the currency swap arrangement between China and Nigeria. Falana said the Nigerian central bank and the two global financial institutions are helping...
Brazilian President Lula to Act as BRICS Liaison to Help Argentina, Discusses Credit Line in Brazilian Reals
5.5.2023
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated Brazil will serve as a facilitator to try and arrange BRICS bloc assistance for Argentina. Lula stated that the New Development Bank — the BRICS bank — could modify some of its rules to aid Argentina. Also, the two countries are negotiating...
Biden Aides Explore Minting $1 Trillion Platinum Coin as Solution to Impending Debt Default
4.5.2023
As the United States stares down the barrel of a potential debt default come June, a curious and intriguing solution has emerged: crafting a single $1 trillion platinum coin. This unusual tactic exploits a legal loophole that allows the Treasury Department to mint platinum coins of any value....
IMF Chief Warns of More Weaknesses in US Banking Sector — Sees ‘Gradual’ Shift Away From US Dollar
4.5.2023
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva expects “more vulnerabilities” in the U.S. banking sector amid a growing de-dollarization trend worldwide. “There has been a gradual shift away from the dollar,” the IMF chief acknowledged. U.S. Banking...
Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rate by 25bps, Insists ‘US Banking System Is Sound and Resilient’
3.5.2023
The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), announced on Wednesday that the central bank would raise the federal funds rate by 25 basis points (bps), as was widely expected by the market. This marks the tenth consecutive occasion in which the Fed...
Morgan Stanley Strategist Warns of Equities Sell-Off in Response to ‘Hawkish’ Fed Message
2.5.2023
On Monday, Morgan Stanley’s equity strategist, Michael Wilson, shared his thoughts on the state of Wall Street. He expressed his belief that a sell-off could be imminent, and that this could occur as a result of U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell’s upcoming remarks...
US Court Orders Operator of South African Bitcoin Ponzi Scheme to Pay Over $3.4 Billion
2.5.2023
Johann Steynberg, the founder and CEO of Mirror Trading International, has been ordered to pay over $1.73 billion in restitution to victims of his bitcoin ponzi scheme. The court has also ordered Steynberg to pay a civil monetary penalty of a similar amount. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission...
US Central Bank Expected to Raise Lending Rate by 25bps: Experts Predict Final Hike of 2023
30.4.2023
After the most recent increase in the federal funds rate, the U.S. Federal Reserve is set to raise the lending rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 5.25% in three days, according to expectations. A recent poll of 105 economists revealed that 94 of them predict a 25bps rate hike will occur during...
Japan’s Inflation Surges to 3.5% as New BOJ Governor Takes the Helm
29.4.2023
This week, the Statistics Bureau of Japan unveiled the latest core consumer price index (CPI) report for the country, revealing a surge to 3.5%. This figure comes as a surprise to analysts who had predicted a more modest 2.9% for the end of the quarter. It’s worth noting that Japan’s...