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This book records the first success stories of a new form of financial intermediation, the hometown investment fund, that has become a national strategy in Japan, partly to meet the need to finance small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.The hometown investment fund has three main advantages. First, it contributes to financial market stability by lowering information asymmetry. Individual households and firms have direct access to information about the borrowing firms, mainly SMEs, that they lend to. Second, it is a stable source of risk capital. The fund is project driven. Firms and households decide to invest by getting to know the borrowers and their projects. In this way the fund distributes risk but not so that it renders risk intractable, which was the problem with the “originate and distribute” model. Third, it contributes to economic recovery by connecting firms and households with SMEs that are worthy of their support. It also creates employment opportunities, at the SMEs as well as for the pool of retirees from financial institutions who can help assess the projects.Introduction of the hometown investment fund has huge global implications. The world is seeking a method of financial intermediation that minimizes information asymmetry, distributes risk without making it opaque, and contributes to economic recovery. Funds similar to Japan's hometown investment fund can succeed in all three ways. After all, the majority of the world's businesses are SMEs. The first chapter explains the theory behind this method, and the following chapters relate success stories from Japan and other parts of Asia. This book should encourage policymakers, economists, lenders, and borrowers, especially in developing countries, to adopt this new form of financial intermediation, thus contributing to global economic stability.

Principles of Public Policy Practice was written with policy makers, concerned citizens, and students of public policy in mind. Striving to avoid technical language, the author introduces a new paradigm that starts from the commonality of human nature and the assumption that public policy should be impartial. Rather than playing the interests of one group versus those of another, he argues convincingly that public policy should aim at enhancing the ex ante welfare for everyone if everyone did not know the position or the identity one would assume. Using this conceptual device of the representative individual, the analysis readily leads to policy implications that are both reasonable and concrete in diverse areas ranging from health care, crime and punishment to macroeconomic and financial market stability. The book concludes with a chapter summarizing the various principles of public policy practice that will meet the challenges of the new millennium. These principles, certainly of interest to academics in social sciences who are studying public policy, political economy, international financial systems, and capital markets, should appeal equally to practitioners, including public policy makers, consultants, advisers, administrators, and public service trade unions.

This publication reviews recent developments in emerging East Asian local currency bond markets along with the outlook, risks, and policy options. It covers the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; and the Republic of Korea.

Today's global financial system bears little resemblance to what it was at the end of the twentieth century. Shadow banking—financial activity taking place outside existing regulatory frameworks—has grown so important that it now serves as the backbone of the entire system. The shadow banking system, however, is highly unstable and the main reason why the financial system has remained in crisis mode since the 2008 financial crisis. To maintain stability, central banks like the Fed and the European Central Bank have come to use radical new monetary policy instruments which were inconceivable until very recently. Without intervention on the part of central banks, existing financial systems would completely collapse. As Joscha Wullweber shows, there has been a radical change in the state-market nexus. With governments refraining from strong and comprehensive fiscal and financial regulatory policies, central banks have become the main stabilizing force and the nodal point of financial circulation. These overburdened institutions are called on to make near-daily interventions to avert crisis. Wullweber calls this historic phase central bank capitalism. His book offers a lucid account of our current state of permanent crisis with its new dilemmas and paradoxes that pose enormous challenges to financial and economic stability.

'Incisive debut treatise... Mohsin brings to the proceedings a reporter's eye for story'— Publisher's WeeklyFrom Bloomberg News reporter Saleha Mohsin, the untold story of how one of America's most invincible institutions—the Treasury—has used the U.S. dollar to define America's role in the world, and our economic future.In 1995, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin re-defined the next thirty years of currency policy with the mantra, “A strong dollar is in America's interest.” That mantra held, ushering in exceptional prosperity and cheap foreign goods, but the strong dollar policy also played a role in the devastating hollowing out of America's manufacturing sector. Meanwhile, abroad, the United States increasingly turned to the dollar as a weapon of war. In Paper Soldiers, Saleha Mohsin reveals how the Treasury Department has shaped U.S. policy at home and overseas by wielding the American dollar as a weapon—and what that means in a new age of crisis.For decades, America has preferred its currency superpower-strong, the basis of a'strong dollar'policy that attracted foreign investors and pleased consumers. Drawing on Mohsin's unparalleled access to current and former Treasury officials like Robert Rubin, Steven Mnuchin, and Janet Yellen, Paper Soldiers traces that policy's intended and unintended consequences, including the rise of populist sentiment and trade war with China—culminating in an unprecedented attack on the dollar's pristine status during the Trump presidency—and connects the dollar's weaponization from 9/11 to the deployment of crippling financial sanctions against Russia. Ultimately, Mohsin argues that, untethered from many of the economic assumptions of the last generation, the power and influence of the American dollar is now at stake.With first-hand reporting and fresh analysis that illustrates the vast, often unappreciated power that the Treasury Department wields at home and abroad, Paper Soldiers tells the inside story of how we really got here—and the future not only of the almighty dollar, but the nation's teetering role as a democratic superpower.

Historically and contextually, various integration models were experimented with by colonial powers, but these systems largely collapsed post-independence. For instance, the French attempted to maintain cohesion but prioritized their own interests, leading to fragmentation.Efforts in East and West Africa similarly faltered, as each nation pursued its own agenda without a unified political will. South Africa made a notable attempt, but integration never materialized; it would have required a different approach, such as the adoption of a SADC currency.The recent endeavors of AES countries and Zimbabwe's new currency inject fresh dynamics into this ecosystem. Concurrently, the rise of new technologies presents both challenges and opportunities for financial integration.Public organizations and pan-African institutions play crucial roles in navigating this journey, where the political dimension holds significant sway. Additionally, international dynamics, exemplified by initiatives like those of the BRICs, further influence the landscape.Taken together, these elements paint an intriguing picture, fostering discussions on the African ecosystem and brainstorming plausible solutions. The ultimate aim is to achieve, within a reasonable timeframe, a monetary union and a common African currency.

The Economic and Financial Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis Around the World: Expect the Unexpected provides an informed, research-based in-depth understanding of the COVID-19 crisis, its impacts on households, nonfinancial firms, banks, and financial market participants, and the effectiveness of the reactions of governments and policymakers in the United States and around the world. It provides reflections and perspectives on the social costs and benefits of various policies undertaken and a toolkit of preventive measures to deal with crises beyond the COVID-19 crisis. Authors Allen N. Berger, Mustafa U. Karakaplan, and Raluca A. Roman apply their expertise to the research and data on the COVID-19 economic crisis as well as draw on their own rich research experience. They take a holistic approach that compares and contrasts this crisis with other economic and financial crises and assesses economic and financial behavior and government policies in the booms before crises and the aftermaths following them, as well as the crises themselves. They do all this with a keen eye on'Expecting the Unexpected future crises, and policies that might anticipate them and provide better outcomes for society. - Serves as a compendium of available research and data on COVID-19, policies in response to the pandemic, and its effects on the real economy, banking sector, and financial markets - Contextualizes the COVID-19 economic crisis by comparing it to two other global crises from the past: the Crash of 1929 and the Global Financial Crisis of 2007–2009 - Helps illustrate how crises that originate in financial markets and in the banking sector differ from each other as well as from the COVID-19 crisis that harmed the real economy first - Compares the policies and outcomes of nations to the COVID-19 pandemic and assesses their costs and benefits, with potential implications for prospective future crises

Under the high inflationary period and high interest rate market conditions, financing became extremely difficult for homebuilders and homebuyers. The land is expensive, construction costs are high, and the wages are not satisfactory enough to afford a house. Due to increased prices, the renting or buying dilemma is not even the case for millions of people. Unfortunately, bank loan-dependent financing is unable to provide a sustainable solution to the industry's boom and bust cyclical nature. This book introduces a sustainable new home financing model by creating an investment and financing ecosystem that integrates real estate capital market instruments with pension funds. The model proposed in the book shifts the mindsets from a conventional bank loan-oriented housing financing system to an interest-free collective and cooperative approach. The practical implications of the model are discussed, mainly in terms of how the model could increase affordability in the housing sector. The book will be of interest to researchers, policymakers, regulators, practitioners, and government agencies related to real estate investments, pension funds, and capital markets.

Delving into the comprehensive evolution of Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), this innovative book traces their origins and transition into modern forms such as Security Token Offerings, Initial Exchange Offerings, Initial DEX Offerings and Non-Fungible Tokens. It provides an in-depth analysis of the factors behind the appeal of ICOs, the complex ecosystem surrounding them, and the key developments within the blockchain and cryptocurrency space.Countering common misconceptions such as equating ICOs with fraud, Dmitri Boreiko emphasizes the need for robust regulation in the field. Chapters explore the economics of ICOs, offer practical research guidance and navigate the complexities of ICO regulation. The book concludes by highlighting emerging mechanisms in blockchain fundraising, focusing on the increased security, transparency, and flexibility of newer mechanisms.Concise and incisive, this is a timely read for economics students focusing on ICOs and blockchain applications, as well as fintech more broadly. Written in an accessible style, blockchain practitioners, investors and entrepreneurs, and start-ups in tech will also find this to be an interesting read.

Where does money come from? This provocative question lies at the heart of a compelling narrative that delves into the intricate world of finance and governance. The book exposes the absolute monopoly held by governments in the creation of money, a process often shrouded in mystery and misconception. It reveals how governments, regardless of their form – be it empires, kingdoms, democracies, dictatorships, or other structures – have historically manipulated the money creation process. The narrative unfolds to show how governments, under the guise of independence, instruct central banks to generate money, thereby profiting the government at the expense of its citizens. This deception is likened to historical practices where Kings and Emperors debased precious metal coins for personal gain. In today's digital age, the technique has evolved, but the essence remains the same: governments create money digitally and introduce it as an unrepayable debt, effectively siphoning value and wealth from the populace. This insightful book not only uncovers the hidden mechanics of monetary systems but also sheds light on the real losers in this game: everyday individuals like you and me. It's a revealing exploration of how financial systems and governmental policies intertwine, impacting the wealth and well-being of global citizens.

This book is a collection of research works by experienced academics focusing on the current issues of fintech and cryptocurrency in the context of Malaysia. The book aims to fill the gap in the extant literature on the topic in Southeast Asia. The book starts with a discussion on the role of monetary policies in the advent of the current trend where cryptocurrencies are being used more widely as a medium of exchange compared to conventional fiat money. It then goes on to provide a comparative analysis for beginners regarding the differences between cryptocurrencies and stocks, considering facets such as ownership, methods of exchange, volatility, regulation, and their interconnectedness. Also discussed are the factors influencing on-line investment options using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) review method, a comparison of Islamic banking products and conventional fintech. The book ends on an analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Malaysian stock market. This book is a valuable read for undergraduate students, postgraduate students, academicians, researchers, and professionals working in the economics, finance, and banking industries, particularly in Southeast Asia.

This book explains the strong push for the security of digital currencies and the sustainability of global trade development. It studies multilateral international trade agreements such as Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. This book analyses and examines case studies from Asia and Europe presented from different trade agreements'policies. It focuses on the role of digital currencies as the tool for global trade development used by the biggest economies and international trade organisations such as WTO. It explores the strategies of the respective countries using digital currencies in international trade to gain economic advantage. It is beneficial for international finance students and professionals working in the banking sector.

This book looks at Italy and Germany as prototypes of the peripheral and core countries in the European Monetary Union (EMU) and examines their respective faults. It also analyses the context of the European Union (EU) institutions, their origin, the forces that drove away from a more balanced or federalist one, and shortcomings. This offers the opportunity to suggest some changes to EU structures, particularly in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. Both Germany, Italy, and other EU countries have violated European rules. However, despite this, the negative performance of the EMU has to be connected to its deflationary and unbalanced institutions. These were driven away from the federalist route that they seemed to be initially following by a Franco-German axis and by a decisive German switch towards a tough monetary regime.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a pivotal institution in global economic governance tasked with ensuring monetary stability and preventing financial crises through promoting balanced trade, economic growth, and poverty reduction. It also plays a powerful normative role by shaping economic policies worldwide through its research and expertise. The IMF played a crucial role in managing crises like the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, providing significant financial aid and advocating for stimulus measures. However, the IMF faces both internal and external challenges from reforming its governance structure to better represent emerging economies to finding its place in a world increasingly defying liberal internationalism and multilateralism. Despite reforms, power remains concentrated among advanced economies, hindering inclusivity and trust, particularly in regions like sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitical tensions, populist nationalism, and economic imbalances further strain the IMF's effectiveness. This handbook aims to uncover these challenges by providing diverse perspectives and proposing policy recommendations that the Fund could undertake to better navigate the complex landscape of 21st-century global governance. Part I delves into its historical origins and key debates of the IMF. Part II focuses on formal operations such as lending, surveillance, and capacity development. Part III explores the involvement of different actors including states, markets, and civil society. Part IV discusses partnerships with other international organizations and collaboration in financial regulation. Part V analyzes shifts in policy instruments and ideological frameworks. Part VI broadens concerns to include gender mainstreaming, labor markets, climate policy, and inclusive growth. Part VII addresses internal challenges including cultural diversity concerns and uniformity of treatment. Part VIII evaluates external challenges such as populist movements, China's influence, global inequality and unresolved issues in Europe. Part IX explores how the IMF can meet the multiple challenges identified in this volume and positively impact 21st century global governance.

From financial crises, to pandemic price-spikes, to recurring cycles of inflation, everyone agrees: the economy has seen better days. But as soon as pundits and politicians start discussing economics, things get murky. Most books ask more questions than they answer. Most books...but not this one.Judy Shelton—Senior Fellow at Independent Institute, former Chairman of the National Endowment for Democracy, and critically acclaimed monetary economist—has written a book with answers. And not a moment too soon. With clarity and moral courage, Shelton charts the course to a brighter future. She's one of the few economists bold enough to challenge the inflationary policies of the Federal Reserve, emphasizing how today's policies enrich elites at the expense of—you guessed it—poor and middle-class Americans. This, Shelton insists, must end. And it can end—easily. But Shelton doesn't stop there. Her vision is for not only America but also for people around the world. Global, economic upliftment, she insists, need not come at the expense of domestic prosperity. We can have both—but not without a sound and stable U.S. currency. And history is very clear on this point. When the U.S. dollar is backed by gold, America prospers, and so does the rest of the world. In this book, Shelton casts a powerful vision that is as revolutionary as it is time-tested...a vision that shows how the future American dollar can perform as good as gold......or even better. But this is no curmudgeonly demand to return to the gold standard of yore. Neither is it a demand to return to the Bretton Woods era. Instead, Shelton offers something new: an explanation of how we can use gold for a new international monetary order. Step by step, she lays out how gold can provide a universal measure of value across borders, create new financial opportunities, and dramatically increase prosperity around the world. If you care about the poor, rich, and everyone in between, you have to read this book... and discover: · how price stability functions as the foundation for productive economic growth; · how political freedom and economic freedom are fundamentally linked... and how one cannot exist without the other; · how to reconcile the stability of America's domestic currency in a global context; · the proper role of government in the economy; · and much, much more... Writing with a sober but hopeful voice, Shelton is no ordinary economist. With grace, intellectual rigor, and unmatched passion, this book is a must-read for anyone invested in the future of the American—and global—economy. You'll walk away with more answers than questions—a rare experience for anyone who reads about monetary policy.

This book illustrates how central bank policies such as zero percent interest rates have brought about a $300 trillion global debt bubble. The authors, both academics and policy-makers, offer first-hand insights into the economic and financial market mechanisms that have caused the debt bubbles of the past few decades, as well as the political economy that drives such policy-making. Written in an accessible style, the book illustrates how central banks responded to recessions by creating successively larger debt bubbles with lower and lower interest rates, thereby distorting the pricing mechanisms of credit markets and bringing about a series of credit expansions beginning in the early 1980s. This book brings together senior policy-makers from the world of politics and central banking who describe the negative effects of central bank policies of the last generation. The policy-makers include the former manager of the Monetary and Economic Department at the Bank for International Settlements (the central bank of central banks), the Vice President of the Austrian central bank, the former governor of the Spanish central bank and a former senior member of the European Parliament. The core part of the book is written by experienced economists with academic rigor, with other chapters written by senior policy-makers going through the intricacies of the problems of central banking, and how things might be reformed.

This book presents an edited collection of chapters from academic and industry expert contributors focusing on the directions of blockchain cryptocurrency from leading authorities in their field providing the cutting-edge and timely insights in the world of cryptocurrency behaviour. Whether you are a researcher, a portfolio manager, financial adviser, or nvesting novice, this book will provide you with thought provoking perceptions and insights. It will bring you fully up to date on the consumer issues, trends, and challenges in the world of blockchain crypto behaviour equipping you to understand and meet current challenges to come. Advances in Blockchain Research and Cryptocurrency Behaviour provides an interesting and thought-provoking insight into blockchain and cryptocurrency behaviours and is filled with new insights into: Consumer adoption and behaviour; digital currency innovations; blockchain technology and governance; sustainability and environmental impact; branding and resilience and investing in blockchain. The culmination of many decades of investing experience and academic research, this book makes complex issues interesting and logical.

In today's rapidly changing financial landscape, a formidable challenge looms large—digital currencies. The surge in popularity of virtual currencies has sparked a global debate, captivating the attention of investors, regulators, and scholars alike. However, a pressing concern persists amidst this digital revolution: the potential for unregulated digital currencies to facilitate the laundering of illicit funds, ranging from organized crime profits to terrorism financing and government corruption. This growing threat not only jeopardizes the integrity of our financial systems but also disrupts the socioeconomic and political order as we know it. Digital Currency Assets and Their Impact on Financial System Stability is the key to unlocking a profound understanding of the challenges posed by digital currencies and, more importantly, discovering intelligent solutions to safeguard our financial ecosystem. With meticulous research and expert insights, this book embarks on a comprehensive exploration of digital currencies'structure, potential disruptions, and capacity to reshape the financial landscape. Is it the primary objective? To provide a platform for scholars, investors, regulators, and researchers to delve into the risks, dangers, and threats stemming from unregulated digital currencies and to propose innovative strategies for mitigating these challenges. This book transcends traditional boundaries, making it an indispensable resource for diverse audiences. Academic scholars will find an invaluable source of knowledge to deepen their understanding of the digital currency landscape. Investors, whether digital currency enthusiasts or traditional financiers, will discover essential insights to navigate this uncharted territory. Regulators and central banks will gain vital perspectives to inform their policies and approaches in an evolving financial world. Researchers will uncover a rich trove of data and analysis to fuel their investigations. This book stands as a beacon of knowledge, guiding us through the complex realm of digital currencies, revealing hidden threats, and offering a path toward a safer, more resilient financial future.

This is an open access book. Europe faces significant challenges in the coming decades: geopolitical, demographic, technological, increased competition, climate-related, and health issues due to an aging population, to mention a few. Given these challenges, technological progress and new ways of handling complex issues will be key to continued prosperity and growth. To accomplish a growth process driven by innovation and entrepreneurship, the institutional environment must take into account a multitude of different policy areas that interact to either strengthen or weaken an economy's innovative potential. Innovation is not only about R&D and higher education but is also intimately related to entrepreneurship. Similarly, entrepreneurship is not only about low start-up costs and favorable tax rates. Hence, a consistent and coordinated policy environment conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship is required to translate innovation into high-growth firms and macro-level growth. This book presents the basic cornerstones required to provide a policy regime that can nurture such dynamics. The authors draw extensively on empirical analysis of the development of the Swedish economy, which has been transformed from a so-called'sclerosis'state in the 1980s until the early 1990s to an economy characterized by successful entrepreneurship and innovation. This transformation resulted from a reform agenda that has been gradually rolled out, beginning in the mid-1980s. The authors argue that the Swedish experience provides useful lessons for other nations as well.

Since at least the Great Financial Crisis, authorities around the world have increasingly relied on macroprudential policy to help secure financial stability and complement monetary policy as an integral element of a broader macro-financial stability framework. In today's interconnected global financial system, policy actions taken by the major advanced economies can have spillovers on the rest of the world through their impact on capital flows and exchange rates, potentially generating vulnerabilities across borders. Conversely, in emerging market economies, macroprudential policy as well as foreign exchange intervention and/or capital flow management policy can help mitigate the corresponding impact. This can in turn generate spillbacks on advanced economies — spillbacks that have become more sizeable as the emerging market economies'heft in the world has grown. Yet little is known about these interactions.The contents of this book are based on a conference held on 26-28 May 2021 and jointly hosted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). It aims to contribute to existing literature on macro-financial policymaking by providing an overall conceptual framework and documenting the latest global trends and country experiences. In particular, it highlights the role of international spillovers and spillbacks, paying particular attention to emerging market economies. This book is essential reading for academics, graduate students and economic professionals. It can also serve as a handbook for policymakers at central banks, regulatory authorities and other government agencies tasked with designing and implementing macroprudential or more generally macro-financial stability policies. The book will also be of interest to researchers at international organisations.

Longlisted for the FT Schroders Business Book of the Year Award 2023 - A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: GQ, Los Angeles Times, WiredWherever you look, money is being re- placed by tokens. Digital platforms are issuing new kinds of money-like things: phone credit, shares, gift vouchers, game tokens, customer data-the list goes on. But what does it mean when online platforms become the new banks? What new types of control and discrimination emerge when money is tied to specific apps or actions, politics or identities?Tokens opens up this new and expanding world. Exploring the history of extra- monetary economies, Rachel O'Dwyer shows that private and grassroots tokens have always haunted the real economy. But as the large tech platforms issue new money-like instruments, tokens are suddenly everywhere. Amazon's Turk workers are getting paid in gift cards. Online streamers trade in wishlists. Foreign remittances are sent via phone credit. Bitcoin, gift cards, NFTs, customer data, and game tokens are the new money in an evolving economy. It is a development challenging the balance of power between online empires and the state. Tokens may offer a flexible even subversive route to compensation. But for the platforms them- selves they can be a means of amassing frightening new powers.An essential read for anyone concerned with digital money, inequality, and the future of the economy.

Macroprudential policy (MPP) has been one of the major initiatives in the post-2008 crisis restructuring of financial regulation. Under the macroprudential mandate, the regulator monitors and judiciously controls systemic risk in the financial system, in an attempt to minimise the probability and severity of a future financial crisis. The book reveals why MPP authorities are rightfully at the centre of a highly sensitive policy debate, as MPP necessitates the allocation of significant regulatory power to technocrats, while the highly technical nature of MPP makes policy evaluation challenging. Specific issues examined include: the importance of financial stability as a public policy goal; the political economy issues stemming from the delegation of MPP to an independent authority; and the definition of accountability in the context of MPP. Focusing on a case study on the Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England, the macroprudential authority in the UK, the book develops the normative grounds to justify the need for accountability in the conduct of MPP, while also formulating the necessary institutional framework to ensure the accountability of MPP authorities.

For decades, science and technology (sci-tech) have influenced world trade, world economy, and international finance. However, their specific impacts are seldom known and related empirical studies are rare. Thus, we must quantify and empirically explore how sci-tech influences such areas as mentioned above. The purpose of this book is to explore how sci-tech influences world trade, foreign exchange, and currency internationalization in various ways through first quantifying science & technology. This book empirically explores how major world currencies might change their relative international positions with continuous innovation and diffusion of sci-tech.Currency internationalization is measured by the percentage share of the average daily turnover of a particular currency in the global foreign exchange market over the corresponding overall daily turnover of the global foreign exchange market over the corresponding overall daily turnover of the global foreign exchange market. Sci-tech as a commodity is borderless, yet its inventors and related businesses are bound by the intellectual property laws of their own countries. Patents, especially international patents, are useful representations of sci-tech. They cannot be compared directly because of different criteria of patent regulators worldwide, and thus the quality of patents varies across patent regulators. Based on patent data from annual IP 5 Statistics Reports and charges for the use of IP of major currency issuers released by the WTO, this book quantifies sci-tech internationalization using weighted patent families first, and proceeds to study how sci-tech internationalization affects currency internationalization.

Longlisted for the Financial Times Schroders Business Book of the Year Award 2023BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: GQ, Los Angeles Times, WiredThe essential guide to this new landscape of NFTs, Web3, Crypto and DAOs and a warning of the political consequences of what happens when platform capitalism comes for the money in your pocketWherever you look, money is being re- placed by tokens. Digital platforms are issuing new kinds of money-like things: phone credit, shares, gift vouchers, game tokens, customer data—the list goes on. But what does it mean when online platforms become the new banks? What new types of control and discrimination emerge when money is tied to specific apps or actions, politics or identities?Tokens opens up this new and expanding world. Exploring the history of extra- monetary economies, Rachel O'Dwyer shows that private and grassroots tokens have always haunted the real economy. But as the large tech platforms issue new money-like instruments, tokens are suddenly everywhere. Amazon's Turk workers are getting paid in gift cards. Online streamers trade in wishlists. Foreign remittances are sent via phone credit. Bitcoin, gift cards, NFTs, customer data, and game tokens are the new money in an evolving economy. It is a development challenging the balance of power between online empires and the state. Tokens may offer a flexible even subversive route to compensation. But for the platforms them- selves they can be a means of amassing frightening new powers.An essential read for anyone concerned with digital money, inequality, and the future of the economy.

This book reviews the historical evolution of U.S. monetary policy, and then uses various methods such as mathematical models and econometric analysis to study the impact of U.S. monetary policy adjustments on the domestic economy and the spillover effects on the world economy. Finally, it summarizes the challenges faced by the Chinese economy in the post financial crisis era and proposes relevant countermea­sures and suggestions for China to respond to U.S. monetary policy adjustments.

This publication reviews recent developments in East Asian local currency bond markets along with the outlook, risks, and policy options. It covers the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; and the Republic of Korea.

EBES conferences have been an intellectual hub for academic discussion in economics, finance, and business fields and provide network opportunities for participants to make long-lasting academic cooperation. This is the 26th volume of the Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics (EBES's official proceeding series), which includes selected papers from the 38th EBES Conference which took place in Warsaw. The conference was organized in hybrid mode with both online and in-person presentations at the Faculty of Economics Sciences, the University of Warsaw in Warsaw, Poland, on January 12-14, 2022. At the conference, 197 papers by 439 colleagues from 50 countries were presented. Both theoretical and empirical papers in this volume cover diverse areas of business, economics, and finance from many different regions.

This publication reviews recent developments in East Asian local currency bond markets along with the outlook, risks, and policy options. It covers the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; and the Republic of Korea.

This book reviews the development of Chinese economics since the reform and opening-up, associated with the history and experience of China's economic growth. This book makes a systematic study of the direction of reform, the method of reform, the path of reform, the main body of reform and the motive force of reform, accumulates more experiences that can be used for reference for the exploration of new reforms to be opened, and probes into the way of reform in the next period. The topics cover all key concepts and theories relating to the China's economic reform.

This book continues the ongoing debate about the need for alternative, interdisciplinary and heterodox approaches to teaching economics at university. It deals with challenges currently faced by economists, pursues an interdisciplinary approach to enhance collaboration with academics from disciplines other than economics, and analyses several questions and issues related to the 2007-08 financial crisis and the current Covid-19 emergency. The Covid pandemic has shown the flaws of the current neoliberal model and the inability of mainstream economic theory to address the problems created by the pandemic. The book engages with an academic audience interested in incorporating a wider range of economic approaches in their research and teaching, and with undergraduate and postgraduate economics students who are trying to understand the limitations of their current economics syllabi. The novelty of the book is the active involvement of undergraduate and postgraduate students who contribute to this volume with three chapters. The book will be of interest to a wide range of researchers, students and teachers interested in interdisciplinary and heterodox economics.

The Research Handbook of Financial Markets carefully discusses the histories and current states of the most important financial markets and institutions, as well as explicitly underscoring open questions that need study. By describing the institutional structure of different markets and highlighting recent changes within them, it accurately highlights their evolving nature. Taking the perspective that finance and macroeconomics are intertwined, this illuminating Research Handbook brings together prominent experts to investigate key market interactions. Chapters act as self-contained case studies of particular markets, allowing for a thorough individual examination of each. Ultimately, they offer a holistic understanding of financial markets and the current state of research. Academics and researchers in economics and finance curious about developments within financial regulation and banking will find this comprehensive Handbook to be hugely valuable. Market participants will additionally find it to be a useful reference, along with regulators seeking to mitigate financial instability.

This book analyses the new strategic decisions of the European Central Bank. Contributors from different fields examine especially the sustainability strategy of the ECB: What role can the European Central Bank play in fighting climate change? ECB President Christine Lagarde has repeatedly confirmed that the central bank wants to play a role in coping with climate change. What will this role be? What instruments does the ECB have to make a difference in challenges such as the defossilization of the economy and transport, biodiversity, the energy transition, resource consumption and other sustainability areas? Is it entitled or obliged to go beyond the classic mandate of maintaining price stability? The volume includes contributions from academics and practitioners from the financial sector, civil society and institutions involved at European level.

With the inflation rate in the United States and many other countries on the rise for over a year and nearing double digits, the Hoover Institution hosted its 2022 conference on monetary policy. Policy makers, market participants, and academic researchers gathered to discuss the situation. Many agreed that low interest rates and high money growth were inappropriate given the high inflation rate and evidence that the United States has recovered from the deep recession induced by the pandemic and its policy response in 2020. The thoughtful papers and the thorough discussions in this volume of conference proceedings illustrate the debate about the reasons for this mismatch, as well as how to get back on track. They reflect a range of opinions and perspectives, including examination of the fiscal shock resulting from the COVID pandemic and the related borrowing and spending; emphasis on the value of adherence to rules versus discretion in setting Fed policy; lessons from history in the spikes in federal expenditures during times of war (including the pandemic) and in the timing of the Fed's use of its policy instruments; the role of central banks in the emerging inflation crisis; and strategies toward disinflation.

The explosion of the Covid-19 pandemic in February 2020 led to a paradigm change in the European Union architecture of economic governance. To mitigate the pandemic's damage, the EU established a Recovery Fund called'Next Generation EU'(NGEU). Funded though resources raised on the financial markets, this special budget is worth 750bn€ at 2018 prices, which corresponds to 806,9bn€ at current prices. Disbursed to member states in the form of both loans and grants and to be repaid on a long-term basis through the introduction of new EU taxes, the NGEU has endowed the EU with borrowing, spending, and taxing powers. EU Fiscal Capacity: Legal Integration After Covid-19 and the War in Ukraine argues that the NGEU constiutes a profound overhaul in the EU architecture of economic governance. Moving away from the fiscal surveillance shown in response to the euro-crisis, the EU has adopted a strategy of fiscal federalism more akin to the United States. The return of war in Europe following 75 years of peace has caused yet more socio-economic damage for the EU. Occuring as Europe was slowly re-emerging from the pandemic, the war in Ukraine has disrupted supply chains, increased humanitarian assistance costs, and generated an energy crisis. Within the context of war, the limitations of the current EU constitutional arrangements have yet again been exposed. EU Fiscal Capacity argues that the EU needs to retain the NGEU as a permanent feature of EMU. The first book to analyse how the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have affected Europe's Economic & Monetary Union from an EU law and policy perspective, this book is a must read for policy makers and students of European law and politics alike.

In the current era of globalised financial markets, the stock market cannot be assessed solely by comparing quantitative features such as the number of listed companies or capitalisation on the stock exchange. This is of secondary importance from an investor's point of view. What is important, however, is how a given stock market behaves towards the environment – whether it is ‘hyperactive'or ‘excessively lethargic'in response to information. This book provides an innovative tool for assessing global stock markets. It describes the complex concept of ‘stock market development'in light of classical and behavioural finance theories and considers both quantitative (the number of listed companies, turnover, etc.) and behavioural aspects (price volatility, the behaviour of fundamental indicators of listed companies). Based on an innovative method for assessing development, the author analyses 130 stock markets, indicating those that are more developed in terms of quantity and behaviour. Ultimately, this enables the assessment of which markets are more or less developed and why. This knowledge, used properly, offers an advantage over other financial market participants, and allows for the comprehensive assessment of individual stock markets, which can support the process of making good investment decisions. The book is an invaluable resource for research fellows and students in economics, particularly the field of finance. It is also addressed to business and stock market practitioners, such as financial market analysts, brokers and investment advisers.

From the New York Times bestselling author, the fascinating story of U.S. economic policy from Kennedy to Biden—filled with lessons for todayIn this book, Alan Blinder, one of the world's most influential economists and one of the field's best writers, draws on his deep firsthand experience to provide an authoritative account of sixty years of monetary and fiscal policy in the United States. Spanning twelve presidents, from John F. Kennedy to Joe Biden, and eight Federal Reserve chairs, from William McChesney Martin to Jerome Powell, this is an insider's story of macroeconomic policy that hasn't been told before—one that is a pleasure to read, and as interesting as it is important.Focusing on the most significant developments and long-term changes, Blinder traces the highs and lows of monetary and fiscal policy, which have by turns cooperated and clashed through many recessions and several long booms over the past six decades. From the fiscal policy of Kennedy's New Frontier to Biden's responses to the pandemic, the book takes readers through the stagflation of the 1970s, the conquest of inflation under Jimmy Carter and Paul Volcker, the rise of Reaganomics, and the bubbles of the 2000s before bringing the story up through recent events—including the financial crisis, the Great Recession, and monetary policy during COVID-19.A lively and concise narrative that is sure to become a classic, A Monetary and Fiscal History of the United States, 1961–2021 is filled with vital lessons for anyone who wants to better understand where the economy has been—and where it might be headed.

This volume presents an interdisciplinary reflection on the SARS-COV-2 pandemic and its consequences elaborated in real-time. It embodies the University of Palermo's values and mission by bringing together academics of very diverse disciplinary fields on an issue that is disrupting all aspects of individual and community existence. This volume captures the voices of academics during the pandemic, allowing to crystallize the discourses that are emerging in a wide variety of scientific fields as events unfold and knowledge is rapidly evolving. They share the belief that to shed adequate light on the complex and multifaceted phenomenon of the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences necessarily requires the adoption of an interdisciplinary approach, the consideration of a multiplicity of perspectives, and of a variety of levels of analysis. The organization of the single contributions in chapters allows the exchange of different perspectives, whilst conveying a general overall frameworkto the interpretation of the many facets of the changes and crisis generated by COVID-19.The volume addresses both academics and professionals dealing with the processes and the consequences brought forth by the pandemic and presents a solid example of the commitment an academic institution should devote to society and communities.

This book establishes that neoclassical economics based on the marginal utility calculus failed to derive a theory of consumer market price discovery consistent with the experimental market evidence. Such markets involve inherently discrete final-demand items bought for consumption and not subject to resale. Classical economists following Adam Smith articulated a rich narrative of price discovery theory consistent with experimental evidence based on operational concepts of discrete demand values (maximum willingness-to-pay), and symmetrically, supply costs (minimum willingness-to-accept). We develop and extend a mathematical model of classical market price formation. Chapter 1 & 2 describes this theme and chapter 3 connects it with experiments. Chapter 4 builds on experimental examples for an intuitive overview of the theory. A partial equilibrium version of the theory constitutes Chapter 5. Chapter 6 extends this framework to price formation by wealth constrained agents in multiple-goods markets. Chapter 7 applies this framework to the study of re-tradable durable-goods and financial claims that are subject to sources of instability absent in markets for consumer non-durables.

​This book presents both theory of financial data analytics, as well as comprehensive insights into the application of financial data analytics techniques in real financial world situations. It offers solutions on how to logically analyze the enormous amount of structured and unstructured data generated every moment in the finance sector. This data can be used by companies, organizations, and investors to create strategies, as the finance sector rapidly moves towards data-driven optimization.This book provides an efficient resource, addressing all applications of data analytics in the finance sector. International experts from around the globe cover the most important subjects in finance, including data processing, knowledge management, machine learning models, data modeling, visualization, optimization for financial problems, financial econometrics, financial time series analysis, project management, and decision making. The authors provide empirical evidence as examples of specific topics. By combining both applications and theory, the book offers a holistic approach. Therefore, it is a must-read for researchers and scholars of financial economics and finance, as well as practitioners interested in a better understanding of financial data analytics.

This publication reviews recent developments in East Asian local currency bond markets along with the outlook, risks, and policy options. It covers the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; and the Republic of Korea.

This textbook provides a comprehensive overview of macroeconomic relationships and explains the most important macroeconomic variables in an easy-to-understand manner. The reader is introduced to important macroeconomic variables such as inflation and aggregate demand in chapters that build on one another. They learn, among other things, how economic crises arise or the role and functioning of money, capital and goods markets. The aim is to provide the reader with economic knowledge that can be applied in business practice. The economics material has been deliberately selected so that business studies content is usefully supplemented. However, detailed explanations and both application-oriented and practice-related examples and exercises make it easy for non-economists to understand the complex economic topics. Well-founded knowledge presented in an immediately comprehensible way!

The monetary instability experienced in recent years imposes enormous costs worldwide and has led to calls for a reset of the international monetary system. To avoid the problem arising again, the value of money must once again be defined in terms of some real commodity or commodities, as it has been for most of history. However, making currencies convertible into gold once again would be no panacea. A better alternative, first proposed in the 19th century and advocated in the 20th century, is for money to be made convertible into a range of commodities other than gold. Stabilizing Currency and Preserving Economic Sovereignty Using the Grondona System discusses how a sustainable basis for sovereign national money systems can be simply achieved by implementing the “Grondona System,” whereby the value of currency is stabilized by making it conditionally convertible into a range of primary commodities. Covering a range of topics such as economic growth, fiat money, and digital currencies, this book is ideal for policymakers, economists, investors, academicians, researchers, instructors, and students.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is Singapore's central bank and integrated financial regulator. As a central bank, MAS promotes sustained, non-inflationary economic growth through the conduct of monetary policy and close macroeconomic surveillance and analysis. It manages Singapore's exchange rate, official foreign reserves, and liquidity in the banking sector. As an integrated financial supervisor, MAS fosters a sound financial services sector through its prudential oversight of all financial institutions in Singapore — banks, insurers, capital market intermediaries, financial advisors and financial market infrastructures. It is also responsible for well-functioning financial markets, sound conduct, and investor education. MAS also works with the financial industry to promote Singapore as a dynamic international financial centre. It facilitates the development of infrastructures, adoption of technology, and upgrading of skills in the financial industry.This 50th anniversary compilation provides convenient access to the thinking behind MAS'policies and strategies as they have evolved, through 50 landmark statements by its leaders.

This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access.The increasing capacity of digital networks and computing power, together with the resulting connectivity and availability of “big data”, are impacting financial systems worldwide with rapidly advancing deep-learning algorithms and distributed ledger technologies. They transform the structure and performance of financial markets, the service proposition of financial products, the organization of payment systems, the business models of banks, insurance companies and other financial service providers, as well as the design of money supply regimes and central banking.This book, The Future of Financial Systems in the Digital Age: Perspectives from Europe and Japan, brings together leading scholars, policymakers, and regulators from Japan and Europe, all with a profound and long professional background in the field of finance, to analyze the digital transformation of the financial system. The authors analyze the impact of digitalization on the financial system from different perspectives such as transaction costs and with regard to specific topics like the potential of digital and blockchain-based currency systems, the role of algorithmic trading, obstacles in the use of cashless payments, the challenges of regulatory oversight, and the transformation of banking business models. The collection of chapters offers insights from Japanese and European discourses, approaches, and experiences on a topic otherwise dominated by studies about developments in the USA and China.

The European Monetary Union based on the Maastricht Treaty doesn't exist any longer. Permanent rescue parachutes, joint liability and legal presumptions by the EU Commission lead to a fiscal union with a redistributive character. Bond-purchasingprogrammes endanger the independence of the ECB. As an alternative, Dirk Meyer develops a parallel currency concept for a functioning common currency.

This collection of essays presents insight and methodology that are highly relevant for readers today as they consider the future of the world they live in. Experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, people have realized how fragile the current economy is and the necessity for reconstructing the socio-economic system. That system, which was considered the default for so long, was succeeded by the analytical framework of economics and regional science. The contents of this book are diversified, as are the achievements of Prof. Yasuhiro Sakai, to whom this volume is dedicated, and cover a wide area from mathematical and experimental economics to conventional and emerging fields of regional science. Some are timeless topics that have had new life breathed into them. Part I deals with, among other areas, risk management with uncertain events; the effectiveness and impacts of regulation and friction related to trading; the stability of strategic behavior and market equilibrium; and sustainable regional development and urban planning from the long-term perspective. Part II also presents a diversity of subjects, including input–output analysis and computable general equilibrium (CGE) modelling for internal as well as external structure and network linkage, such as a value chain; openness and creativity as related to competition among cities and regions; dispersion versus concentration; and inequality versus equality.

This book offers a fresh perspective on the early history of macroeconomics, by examining the macro-dynamic models developed from the late 1920s to the late 1940s, and their treatment of economic instability. It first explores the differences and similarities between the early mathematical business cycle models developed by Ragnar Frisch, Michal Kalecki, Jan Tinbergen and others, which were presented at meetings of the Econometric Society and discussed in private correspondence. By doing so, it demonstrates the diversity of models representing economic phenomena and especially economic crises and instability. Jan Tinbergen emerged as one of the most original and pivotal economists of this period, before becoming a leader of the macro-econometric movement, a role for which he is better known. His emphasis on economic policy was later mirrored in the United States in Paul Samuelson's early work on business cycles analysis, which, drawing on Alvin Hansen, aimed at interpreting the 1937-1938 recession. The authors then show that the subsequent shift in Samuelson's approach, from the study of business cycle trajectories to the comparison of equilibrium points, provided a response to the econometricians'critique of early Keynesian models. In the early 1940s, Samuelson was able to link together the tools that had been developed by the econometricians and the economic content that was at the heart of the so-called Keynesian revolution. The problem then shifted from business cycle trajectories to the disequilibrium between economic aggregates, and the issues raised by the global stability of full employment equilibrium. This was addressed by Oskar Lange, who presented an analysis of market coordination failures, and Lawrence Klein, Samuelson's first PhD student, who pursued empirical work in this direction. The book highlights the various visions and approaches that were embedded in these macro-dynamic models, and that their originality is of interestto today's model builders as well as to students and anyone interested in how new economic ideas come to be developed.

Pricing or benchmarking is a process of evaluating the performance of a financial company's products and services or systems, against other businesses, considered to be at the top of their field, by applying a measurement of “best in performance.” This book includes contributions from the leading global experts in the field who tackle topics such as whether the Islamic financial system has been dependent on the LIBOR / EURIBOR in its benchmarking exercises to date, and thus, whether it will be affected negatively by the predicted non-existence of the LIBOR / EURIBOR from 2021 onwards. They also address the question of whether the Islamic financial system requires benchmarking of its products and services and consider the emergence of Sharī ͑ah-justified benchmarking in today's Islamic financial system. Additionally, they look at how benchmarking formulas should be adapted to ensure the satisfaction of customers within the principles of Maqasid al-Sharī ͑ah. It takes a legal and institutional approach to the subject, which readers will find particularly valuable, as there are various forms of Islamic finance institutions that do not conform to established models in the finance industry. Furthermore, there are emerging business models that will benefit from this line of investigation. This book offers a timely analysis of these issues and redresses the existing misconceptions and misinterpretations pertaining to benchmarking, in an Islamic finance context, and, as such, provides guidance and strategies for future directions. It will appeal to researchers of Islamic banking, finance, and insurance, as well as, practitioners, particularly standard setting bodies, regulators, and policy makers.

What constitutes a sovereign wealth fund is contested. In general, however, it is a state-sponsored institutional investor that is answerable only to the state and makes investments according to the interests and mandate of that state. Different types of funds have emerged in the context of particular economic conjunctures, and over the last decade the number of sovereign wealth funds has grown substantially, with total assets exceeding $7 trillion. This trend is set to continue, as more and more countries look to establish an SWF. The place of SWFs in global financial markets may appear settled, but this does not mean that concerns about'state capital'and its place in financial markets has gone away. This short book offers an incisive discussion of the development of this class of investor, how they have become legitimate actors in global financial markets, and their role as providers of capital and in economic development at home and abroad.

This book provides an overview of the monetary and financial systems seen in Africa. The issues related to these systems are examined to help evaluate their effectiveness in fostering the development of African economies. Economic integration is extensively discussed to highlight variations between different parts of Africa and the specific challenges seen within certain regions. The impact of monetary unions, in particular the CFA franc zone, on economic activities is also explored.This book aims to outline how sustainable development can be achieved in Africa through well-developed financial and monetary institutions and policies. It will be relevant to students, academics and policy makers interested in African and development economics.