The West Fights Back!

When the Biden administration passed the Inflation Reduction Act and the Chips and Science Act for clean energy and tech last year, Americas trade allies in Europe and Asia were surprised. Now they are scrambling for ways to catch up. 

Are western economies in a war of subsidies with each other and China over technology and green infrastructure?

How will regulation affect America's crypto industry?

On June 6th the Securities and Exchange Commission sued Coinbase, the US’s largest crypto exchange, for failing to register as a broker, exchange or clearinghouse of securities. When markets opened, Coinbase’s share price dropped by a fifth.

The day before the SEC had sued Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange—alleging both that it offered securities-trading services without the necessary registrations, and that it had placed customer funds in a trading outfit owned by its boss, Changpeng Zhao. Binance rejected all the allegations and said it would “vigorously defend” itself.

At the core of both lawsuits is the idea that many cryptocurrencies are in fact securities. American law defines securities to include any “investment contract” that produces an asset for which an owner can expect to accrue returns depending on the effort of a promoter.

So, how will this affect the US crypto industry? Read the full article HERE.

What will China do in 2022?

China’s Xi Jinping seems likely to have his third term in office ratified by the Communist Party Congress in 2022. What could that mean for China, and for the rest of the world?

 

Chinese Spies Accused of Using Huawei in Secret Telecom Hack

The U.S. government has warned for years that products from Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co. pose a national security risk. Now, a Bloomberg investigation has found a key piece of evidence explaining why. Bloomberg's Jamie Tarabay reports on "Bloomberg Daybreak: Asia."

WTO director-general says supply chain problems could last months

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first African head of the World Trade Organization, tells the FT Africa Summit that she expects global supply chain difficulties to last several months. She tells FT editor Roula Khalaf that the rhetoric about a decoupling of the US and Chinese economies is not matched by reality on the ground, and she blames a lack of global leadership for Covid-19 vaccines not ending up where they are needed most. 

 

American Branch Banking is dying - Why?

The 2008-09 financial crisis was triggered by reckless banking practices that morphed into the global economic system. Though the world has since recovered and moved on from the crash, the banking system that ignited such damage has in some ways never been the same.

In the last decade, 27,943 bank branches have closed in the U.S. The increasing prominence of mobile and digital banking is leading to lighter demand for in-person banking services 

Check out the infographic HERE.

Demographics of U.S. Small Businesses

We take a look at the demographics of U.S. small businesses. 

This is according to the Mercator Advisory Group. 

PSD2 - what U.S.based merchants who sell into the EU need to know

PSD2, Europe’s new set of online payment security rules, was supposed to have a ripple effect on U.S.-based merchants when it took effect in September 2019. However, a delay in full enforcement of the new standards until the end of 2020 has given US companies more time to figure out whether they’re required to comply and if so, how to do so.

What do U.S.-based merchants who sell into the EU need to know now? Get the details HERE.

Top 10 Country GDP Ranking History (1960-2017)

This video shows the Top 10 countries with the highest GDP from 1960 to 2017.

This country GDP ranking includes countries such as, United States, China, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, etc. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced in a period of time, often annually or quarterly. Nominal GDP estimates are commonly used to determine the economic performance of a whole country or region, and to make international comparisons.

European customers are more open to digital services than their US counterparts

Why banks outsource

The 9 ways Brexit will affect foreign banks

From Financial Times -

“Banks across Europe and the US have been battered by Brexit. Shares in big global banks outside the UK fell anywhere from 7 to 20 per cent on the day after the UK voted to quit the EU. Though other parts of the market have since recovered, non-UK banks have failed to make back all of their losses.

Brexit will change overseas banks significantly, sometimes for the good. Here are nine ways the vote will affect them.”

Read More>>

Citadel Advantage’s Principal Associate in Indonesia

Pictured on the left is one of Citadel Advantage’s Principal Associates, Richard Barr, “in action” at the Indonesian central Bank in Jakarta. Richard was there recently as a member of the United States’ Financial Services Volunteer Corps (FSVC) team.

Since 2014, FSVC has been working with the central bank of Indonesia, Bank Indonesia (BI), to strengthen its capacity for anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). Indonesia's porous coastlines and geographic location pose specific money laundering and terrorist finance threats. Improving financial integrity by eliminating such threats encourages foreign investment and fosters a safer and more secure environment for citizens.

FSVC, with support from the U.S. Department of State, most recently conducted a workshop for staff members of BI's National Payments Division. The workshop covered basic AML/CFT principles, but focused specifically on money laundering/terrorist finance threats posed by payment products such as mobile money transfers and credit, debit and pre-paid cards. These products are commonly used to promote financial inclusion throughout Indonesia but require additional AML/CFT supervisory considerations. The workshop also addressed several key issues pertaining to unregulated money remittance providers, an increasing area of concern for regulators in Indonesia.