Markets Not Buying Into Central Bank Talk

“Markets are not really buying into what all of these major central banks are talking about.” 

Ben Luk, senior multi asset strategist at State Street Global Markets, discusses market sentiment and Federal Reserve policy. He speaks on Bloomberg Television.

How does raising interest rates control inflation?

When central banks raise interest rates, the impact is felt far and wide. Mortgages become more expensive, house prices might fall and unemployment can rise. So why do central banks do it? This film from The Economist tells you why.

Does safe DeFi require CBDCs?

A BIS conference, streamed live on 4 April 2022, aimed at establishing a common understanding on how DeFi-based markets might evolve from their current state, what role central banks might have, and the potential interaction with Central Bank Digital Currencies.

The likely impact of central bank digital currencies on quantitative easing

Many central banks are considering launching digital currencies. Far from a simple technological innovation, central bank digital currencies (CBDC) might persistently alter the size and composition of central bank balance sheets. Martina Fraschini, Luciano Somoza and Tammaro Terracciano analyse the equilibrium effects of the introduction of a CBDC and its interaction with current monetary policies. They show how and when issuing a CBDC might render expansionary policies quasi-permanent.

Read their insightful article HERE.

Central banks and BIS have published their first central bank digital currency (CBDC) report laying out key requirements

Seven central banks and the BIS have release a report assessing the feasibility of publicly available central bank digital currency (CBDC). The aim is to help central banks deliver their public policy objectives.

The report outlines base principles and core features of a CBDC, but does not give an opinion on whether to issue digital currencies. Central banks will continue investigating CBDC feasibility without committing to issuance.

The report, Central bank digital currencies: foundational principles and core features, was compiled by the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, Sveriges Riksbank, the Swiss National Bank and the BIS, and highlights three key principles for a CBDC:

• Coexistence with cash and other types of money in a flexible and innovative payment system.
• Any introduction should support wider policy objectives and do no harm to monetary and financial stability.
• Features should promote innovation and efficiency.
  

The group of central banks will continue to work together on CBDCs, without prejudging any decision on whether or not to introduce CBDCs in their jurisdictions.

Based on these principles, the group has identified the core features of any future CBDC system, which must be:

• Resilient and secure to maintain operational integrity.
• Convenient and available at very low or no cost to end users.
• Underpinned by appropriate standards and a clear legal framework.
• Have an appropriate role for the private sector, as well as promoting competition and innovation.
  

Further development of CBDCs requires a commitment to practical policy analysis and applied technical experimentation. While this has already started, the speed of innovation in payments and money-related technologies requires the prioritisation of collaborative experimentation.

Future activities will include exploring other open questions around CBDCs and the challenges of cross-border payments, as well as continuing outreach domestically and with other central banks to foster informed dialogue on key issues. Work by the BIS Innovation Hub, which serves the broader central banking community, will contribute to this objective.

Can Bitcoin Replace Government-Issued Money? A Debate

"Bitcoin is poorly suited to the purpose of becoming any nation's main medium of exchange." That was the topic of a public debate hosted by the Soho Forum in New York City on August 12, 2019.

The debate featured George Selgin, director of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at the Cato Institute, and economist Saifedean Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking (2018). Soho Forum Director Gene Epstein moderated.



The debate was an Oxford-style, in which the audience votes on the resolution at the beginning and end of the event, and the side that gains the most ground is victorious.

Ammous prevailed in the debate by convincing 23 percent of audience members to change their minds. Arguing for the affirmative was Selgin, whose books include Less Than Zero: The Case for a Falling Price Level in a Growing Economy (2018) and Floored! How a Misguided Fed Experiment Deepened and Prolonged the Great Recession (2018). Ammous argued for the negative. An associate professor of economics at Lebanese American University, Ammous is also teaching an online course in bitcoin and Austrian economics.

The Soho Forum, which is partnered with the Reason Foundation, is a monthly debate series at the SubCulture Theater in Manhattan's East Village.

What Did the IMF Call a "Significant Disruption" to the Financial Landscape?

The open banking era is upon us, but banking basics still need to be executed as financial institutions weave through the disruption. Most financial institutions do an exceptional job of managing often overwhelming levels of compliance requirements, and must continually navigate change, especially as new tech presents both challenges and opportunities.

• Significant disruption is likely to come from the big tech firms who will use their enormous customer bases and deep pockets to offer financial products
• Other disruptions to financial services include the 2021 phase out of LIBOR, following the 2012 rate manipulations
• As of April 2019, there were $300 trillion in contracts that use LIBOR as a reference rate
• At least $35 trillion in contract value will not yet have expired by the end of 2021
• Another disruption to finance markets is the advent of cryptocurrency with 70% of central banks studying the concept
• But 85% of central banks are not likely to issue a general purpose Central Bank Digital Currency in the next 6 years

The role of the Bank of England - Part 5: The Money Go Round

Keeping on an even keel: the role of the Bank of England is a short film that uses nautical metaphors and animation to explain the Bank's roles and responsibilities in an accessible, imaginative and entertaining way. The film is divided into seven short modules, which provide a simple guide to the Bank's monetary policy and financial stability roles.

They explain why low inflation and a safe and stable financial system matter to the UK economy and how the Bank contributes to achieving them.