Currency
Cash needed for resilience, say eurozone central banks
Institutions from Austria, Germany and Spain outline why hard currency remains key
MAS supports PFMI monitoring for systemic stablecoins
Assistant managing director says potential for ‘crisis of confidence’ is embedded within instruments
HKMA awards Hong Kong’s first stablecoin licences
HSBC and Standard Chartered-backed JV to mint HKD-denominated assets from mid-2026
The role of high-denomination banknotes
High-value notes are an important store of value and remain in demand during crises
Crypto assets behave more like investments than money – study
Most owners are not using securities for payments and turn to cash in times of uncertainty
Central banks face ‘double whammy’ from Iran war
Policy-makers will have to tackle impact of higher inflation and greater fiscal stimulus
Geopolitics and debt are headwinds for dollar – Hammack
Cleveland Fed president says greenback’s long-term pre-eminence cannot be ‘taken for granted’
Banknotes: January to March 2026
A round-up of news and salient issues that have affected central bankers in the past three months
Stablecoin demand transmits to FX markets – BIS paper
Inflows into digital assets make acquiring dollars via swap markets more expensive, authors find
Inflation shock upends Aussie dollar rates flatteners
Hedge funds’ front-end curve trades stopped out as Iran conflict drove RBA terminal rate pricing higher
RBNZ responds to lenders’ concerns over cash proposal
Bank acknowledges industry view that prior consultation was lacking
BoE takes a walk on the wild side with banknote designs
Public votes to replace historical figures with wildlife, but plans incur backlash from some quarters
Fed independence key to dollar strength – FOMC member
Cleveland Fed chief says geopolitics and high US debt among factors that could ‘unseat’ greenback
Counterfeit notes continued to decline in Europe in 2025
ECB records ‘one of the lowest levels’, though Belgium, Cyprus and Czech Republic see uptick
Japan to trial blockchain-based central bank money settlement
BoJ’s Ueda says sandbox underway for ‘wide range of settlements’
Swiss National Bank announces new banknote designs
Central bank commissions Swiss firm Emphase to design new bills
BdF buys stake in Austrian and Portuguese note-printing facilities
Bank says move aims to consolidate existing co-operation between three monetary authorities
Bolivian authorities burn cash following plane crash
Central bank revokes legal tender of notes transported via military cargo plane that crashed in El Alto
China acts to slow yuan gains by scrapping FX forward hedge cost
PBoC to remove 20% reserve ratio as it aims for ‘reasonable and balanced’ renminbi
Renminbi options volumes plummet as vol grinds lower
USD/CNH volumes fell 84% in 2025 as PBoC currency management took hold
MAS and HKMA aim to green red envelopes over Lunar New Year
Monetary authorities encourage the giving of used notes or electronic cash gifts to cut waste