• Mario Draghi, President, European Central Bank, Frankfurt during the special address session at the Annual Meeting 2013 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 25, 2013. . . Copyright by World Economic Forum. (via Wiki commons, swiss-image.ch/Photo Remy) Steinegger
    Mario Draghi, President, European Central Bank, Frankfurt during the special address session at the Annual Meeting 2013 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 25, 2013. . . Copyright by World Economic Forum. (via Wiki commons, swiss-image.ch/Photo Remy) Steinegger
    Cryptocurrencies

    Outgoing ECB president (somewhat) optimistic on stablecoins

    European Central Bank President Mario Draghi says crypto-assets are not yet ‘suitable substitutes for money’ but have potential

    September 27, 2019 /

    The biggest obstacle to a European Central Bank-issued digital currency is not the technology, according to departing European Central Bank President Mario Draghi. Rather, he said, the “key issue is … its utility in terms of costs and benefits to the public.”

    Read More
  • Europe's fiat money (via Pixabay).
    Europe's fiat money (via Pixabay).
    Europe

    EU banks must speed up blockchain investment, warn Lagarde, Bain

    The consulting giant and likely European Central Bank president say blockchain FinTech is coming fast

    September 4, 2019 /

    European banks must speed up their investments in blockchain technology in order to recapture their own capital markets from American financial institutions, global consulting firm Bain & Company warned in a report released on September 3. A day later, International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde told the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee that with bank profits low and FinTech firms gobbling up investments, EU central banks must welcome new technologies—including digital currencies—in order to remain competitive.

    Read More
  • Christine Lagarde, when she was head of the IMF and before she became the ECB chief (via IMF.org)
    Christine Lagarde, when she was head of the IMF and before she became the ECB chief (via IMF.org)
    Europe,  Libra

    Christine Lagarde’s nomination to head the ECB is good news for Facebook’s Libra, says eToro’s Mati Greenspan

    The European Central Bank’s incoming leader will bring a positive outlook on digital assets

    July 8, 2019 /

    Facebook’s new Libra stablecoin got a break in Europe last week with the announcement that Christine Lagarde has been nominated to be the new head of the European Central Bank, says eToro’s senior market analyst, Mati Greenspan.

    Read More