Our Picks

Payments are about politics

The ongoing revolution in payments merits everyone’s attention. That’s because it’s not just a question of winners and losers in the battle over payment technology or the societal impact of […]

Gold and bitcoin primed for a rebound?

Investors seeking refuge from the equity market meltdown in gold and bitcoin have so far faced losses. But this is a buying opportunity in both assets, say market observers. Amidst […]

The cross-border payment challenge

Domestic payments—those within a single currency area—are becoming faster, easier and safer. But the opposite is true when payments go global. There are six deep-rooted reasons for the opacity, high […]

FCA’s crypto risk warnings cause confusion

The UK’s financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), caused confusion this week by issuing risk warnings against two cryptocurrency exchanges, Kraken and BitMEX, then withdrawing one of them. One […]

How (il)liquid is bitcoin?

Last year’s PlusToken scam involved a clever combination of technology, fraudulent promises and viral marketing. The theft deprived its 3 million victims, mostly based in Asia, of over $2bn. But […]

The wild world of crypto derivatives

Soaring volumes, billion-dollar fortunes, insane leverage and radical new risk models: welcome to the wild world of unregulated cryptocurrency derivatives. The real action in crypto derivatives The Chicago Mercantile Exchange […]