A proposal to oblige the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to hold bitcoin was set in motion in an initiative published by the Swiss federal chancellery on Tuesday. The initiative proposes changing the law to make the Swiss central back hold part of its reserves in gold and bitcoin. Put forward by a group of 10 […]
A U.S. bank regulator told banks to pause dabbling directly in crypto in 2022 and 2023, but did not order them to stop providing banking services to crypto companies contrary to industry complaints of widespread “debanking,” according to documents released on Friday. A judge ordered the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to provide versions of supervisory “pause […]
MANTRA, a blockchain platform focused on real-world assets (RWAs), has signed a deal with Dubai developer DAMAC Group to tokenise assets in the Middle East worth at least $1 billion, the two firms said on Thursday. Asset tokenisation allows rights to, or ownership of assets, including RWAs, to be converted into digital tokens on a […]
TikTok plans to shut off its app for U.S. users on Sunday, when a federal ban on the social media app could come into effect, The Information reported on Tuesday, unless the Supreme Court moves to block it. If TikTok shuts off for all U.S. users, the outcome would be different from that mandated by […]
Oil prices rose on Wednesday trimming losses from the previous day, as the focus turned back to potential supply disruptions from sanctions on Russian tankers, though gains were capped as the market awaited more clarity on their impact. Brent crude futures edged up 11 cents, or 0.1%, to $80.03 a barrel by 0515 GMT, after […]
Reminiscent of the ‘Greenspan conundrum’, since 18 September 2024 the Federal Reserve has cut short-term interest rates by 100 basis points, while 10-year interest rates have risen by 100 basis points, defying conventional expectations. This column argues that this ‘Trump conundrum’ can be explained by a sharp decline in foreign official demand for US Treasuries […]
Agriculture contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, but is often excluded from carbon pricing frameworks. This column analyses how different tax policies can be used to address emissions in agriculture, while considering the impact on producer competitiveness and distributional effects across households. It shows that demand-side tax measures, such as VAT adjustments based on greenhouse […]
Establishing a Ukrainian Development Bank is key to Ukraine’s post-war recovery, to foster both international trust and local ownership. This column describes how, drawing on lessons from the European national development banks and Ukraine’s recent reforms, a Ukrainian Development Bank could integrate existing financial structures, channel EU aid, support small and medium-sized enterprises, and drive […]
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war that has ensued – already entering its third year – have encouraged research and policy proposals on the imposition of economic sanctions on sectors, individuals, and legal entities. This column reviews the initial results of European sanctions and proposes amendments to make them more effective. As we enter […]
Free trade agreements have long aimed to remove barriers that limit the movement of goods, services, and capital across borders. But in recent decades, such agreements have expanded to cover issues beyond basic trade. This column examines Free trade agreement provisions that support short-term business travel, using a specialised algorithm to analyse large volumes of […]
