Insights

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Could Central Bank Digital Currencies change the way we pay for trade?

Financial Services

David Song
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The growing debate around Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) has begun to focus increasingly on the question of cross-border payments. A number of pilots around the world have begun to test the practical questions of whether CBDCs can improve global trade invoicing. These discussions and the review of pilots have generally been confined to CBDC specialists and a…

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Silicon Valley Bank - the regulatory response, the political fallout and what it means for policy

TMT

Conan D'Arcy
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The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has unleashed global concern over the health of the banking sector and triggered newfound worries about the strength of the tech industry. Regulators in the US have taken dramatic action to secure deposits in the bank. In the UK, HSBC has assumed control over the firm's UK unit in a rescue deal facilitated by the government.

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FTX bankruptcy rattles lawmakers globally. How does the industry move forward?

Financial Services

Constantine Arvanitis
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The bankruptcy of major cryptocurrency exchange FTX marks a major moment in the ongoing drive to regulate digital assets within the United States, likely dwarfing the impact seen by the collapse of the Terra-Luna ecosystem earlier this year. The concurrent timing of the 2022 midterms blunted the initial reactions from Congress, but with contagion risks still possible and…

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General Politics

Unpacking the surprising US midterm elections

General Politics

Max Mandich
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Joe Biden's Democratic Party overperformed expectations in the United States midterm elections, surprising Washington and European observers and plunging Donald Trump and the Republican Party into newfound turmoil. While Democrats are expected to narrowly lose the House, it was the most robust midterm performance for a Democratic incumbent in forty years. The weakened…

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Terra’s collapse has intensified U.S. regulatory scrutiny surrounding stablecoins. What’s next?

Financial Services

Max Mandich
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Last week’s price collapse of algorithmic stablecoin Terra has highlighted regulatory concerns surrounding stablecoins as U.S. policymakers have continued to examine potential policy frameworks for the growing asset class. As of this writing, Terra continues to trade well below its $1 target peg while sister token Luna has also plummeted in value, catalysed by a downdraft…

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