Blockchain Bonds Could Slash Costs But Serious Investment Is Needed to Modernize the Industry Like trade finance, bond markets have traditionally been manual, paper-intensive, and tech-shy. Outside of large, liquid markets like US Treasuries, fixed income trading is often done over the counter (OTC) and bond issuance involves large volumes of paperwork
Regulation Could Help Move Cryptocurrencies into the Mainstream but Regulators Have Been Slow to Step Up The crypto assets market is rapidly becoming too big to ignore. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are attracting significant capital inflows and major financial institutions are increasingly interested in crypto as an asset class. However, despite the growing importance
Greenwashers Beware – Regulators Focus on ESG Ratings Agencies Investor appetite for sustainable assets has been growing rapidly. As institutions and organizations have increased their production of climate-friendly instruments and assets that incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns, the market for ESG ratings has exploded. However, in the absence of clear, global guidelines,
Does Rising Inflation Herald a new Economic Reality or are Higher Prices a Blip on the Radar? After a long hiatus, inflation is back. In June, the US recorded its highest annual inflation rate since 2008 and in the EU, last year’s deflation has turned into a healthy level of inflation. The turnaround
Big Oil, Big Problems: Listed Oil Majors Are Under Fire, But Oil Production Is Rising During just a few days in May, three of the world’s largest listed oil companies were dealt powerful public blows by climate activists. In the face of shareholder revolts and legal challenges, energy supermajors including Chevron, Exxon Mobil,
Cryptocurrency vs. Central Bank Money: Does the Future of Digital Currency Lie with Central Banks? As cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin become an increasingly established part of the financial landscape, central bankers have begun to explore the broader potential of digital currency more seriously. With a flood of white papers, task forces, and workshops,
Year of the SPAC? Opportunities and Risks in the Listings Boom In recent years, special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) have exploded in popularity and today, they account for a sizeable proportion of total IPO funding. Once viewed as a listing backdoor for weaker firms, they are now seen as an efficient and simplified vehicle
Rise of the Living Dead – Zombie Firms May Hold the Global Economy Back During the pandemic, governments in wealthy countries rolled out massive business support programs, which often took the form of soft loans to companies that suffered revenue losses during lockdowns. While these loans undoubtedly helped businesses survive a difficult year, many observers
Greening The Grid Is Sustainability Step One – But How? The decarbonization of the power grid is a core step in building a sustainable, climate-friendly economy. Indeed, US president Joe Biden has put having an emissions-free electricity sector by 2035 at the heart of his climate agenda. Emissions-free power is the foundation of
Banking In A Post-Pandemic World – What To Expect Banks had an unprecedented year in 2020. In a matter of months, they transformed into almost fully digital operations with remote workers delivering services from their homes. To support them, regulators eased capital requirements and provided liquidity, and banks were able to play a
