Financial inclusion
Brazil’s Pix gaining prominence in B2B transactions – report
Small businesses increasingly using platform for procurement, study from fintech company finds
CBDCs versus instant payments
Are technological and ecosystem advances using CBDCs and instant payments complementary or substitutes?
Renato Gomes on Pix, Drex and digital asset regulation
Brazil’s deputy governor speaks with Christopher Jeffery about pros and pitfalls of open finance, financial inclusion and crime on Pix, and the need to sideline DLT for Drex phase 3
Richard Doornbosch on central banking in a tempestuous climate
The president of the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten speaks to Christopher Jeffery about addressing legacy financial scandals, transition to a Caribbean guilder, tapping gold holdings and managing a currency peg at a time of US policy uncertainty
EBA’s Campa on simplifying EU regulations and supervising stablecoins
The departing pan-European supervision chief speaks about advancing the banking union, streamlining the implantation of new rules, financial resilience and why he is stepping down early
Digitisation of money brings more regulatory risks – IMF head
Georgieva says crypto regs are in early stages and not yet coherent internationally
Nexus’s new CEO on the future of the cross-border payments platform
Nexus Global Payments CEO Andrew McCormack discusses the multi-lateral instant payments system’s technical build-out, governance and launch strategy
Nexus will connect at least three Asian countries by 2027 – CEO
Company expects to announce winning bidder for contract to build payments platform by year’s end
The next step for Africa’s digital economy: fast, inclusive payments
Central banks should lead policy for a payments transformation that benefits all levels of society, argue Jean Pesme and Michael Wiegand
The cost of inaction on wholesale CBDCs
A gap exists between demand in capital markets and most central banks’ research priorities as evolving risks accrue
Austria boosts rural access to cash with 120 new ATMs
Central bank provides cash machines to communities with at least 500 inhabitants
Boris Vujčić on Croatia’s economic journey, the digital euro and the Governing Council
The Croatian National Bank (HNB) governor speaks with Christopher Jeffery about managing financial risks, the pros and cons of euro adoption, payment system reform and the use of real-time data
Paraguay’s Carvallo Spalding on resilience and cutting its inflation target
The Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP) governor speaks about lowering the inflation target to 3.5%, opening up to foreign investors and promoting inclusion through digital payments
Thailand approves its first virtual banks
Thai, South Korean and Chinese firms will operate online-only lenders, central bank announces
Riksbank: everyone should be able to pay in cash
Bank welcomes government report calling for payments in physical currency to be facilitated
Book notes: Smart money: how digital currencies will win the new Cold War, by Brunello Rosa with Casey Larsen
This alarmist book, although lacking nuance, provides a lucid account of how CBDCs could play a decisive role in geopolitical dominance
Can central banks cut remittance fees to sustainable levels?
More action is needed to reach the UN’s 3% global average cost target. But central banks face limits on what they can do
Central Banking Awards 2025: third group of winners released
Paraguay recognised for market infrastructure and IMF for work on AI, as green and FMI awards also unveiled
Fast payment systems enhance financial inclusion – BIS paper
Researchers examine systems’ spread in Latin America and Caribbean
Bank of Canada study calls for standard accessibility practices
Academics say current banking infrastructure is inadequate for people with disabilities
Confidence in stability matters for financial inclusion – IMF paper
Study of central Asia finds good governance increases effectiveness of many policies