Finance

Decentralized finance is part of the growing distributed ledger technology ecosystem, with decentralized lending processed via smart contracts on DLT networks. DeFi lending is in its infancy and doesn’t threaten established lenders, but as the system’s bugs are ironed out—and it incorporates traditional use cases—it definitely could.

Pakistan’s economic strength has gradually eroded in 2021, and it now faces a critical crisis. Record-breaking inflation has rendered the most basic items unaffordable to many Pakistanis, and government debt is growing alongside it, while exports remain stubbornly steady. How can Pakistan get back on an ascending financial flight path?

Momentum is building around green finance. According to recent UN estimates, the value of sustainable financial products such as green bonds and sustainable funds hit $3.2trn in 2020 – an increase of more than 80% compared to the previous year .

A frustrating economic malady is stagflation, in which typical remedies to solve one aspect (inflation) aggravate the second facet (stagnation). As the world’s economies struggle with the COVID effect, stagflation is rearing its head after being in remission for nearly half a century. How policymakers respond now will determine its future course.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a $390 million penalty against Capital One for “willful” anti-money-laundering (AML) failures that happened during a period between 2008-2014. For compliance operators in the space, the action was a strong signal of rigorous enforcement, and perhaps a sign of increased pressures to come.

After encouraging economic performance during the first half of 2021, Indonesia’s enviable advance was thwarted by a resurgence in Delta-variant COVID cases during the third quarter, prompting forecasters to lower their GDP growth projections. Will Southeast Asia’s leading economy pull through this downturn and regain its momentum?

With home prices surging, many homeowners are sitting on high-value properties while remaining cash-poor. Owners can unlock some of the equity in their homes through secured credit arrangements, but the shared home-equity agreement offers a popular way for cash-strapped owners to access some of the riches locked inside their properties.

2020 delivered the biggest shock to the financial services industry since the financial crash. Business continuity plans and other contingency measures were put to the test like never before, putting compliance officers under pressure to adapt annual compliance programmes. Many financial institutions grappled with the operational, financial, risk and regulatory compliance implications.

In Australia, it seems a while ago that pundits were hailing the country’s rebound from the pandemic. With a record 9.6-percent annual growth through June 2021, the nation was en route to a stellar recovery. Then Delta hit, and strict lockdowns cut expectations to recession-level territory. Will “Down Under” define this country’s economy?

COVID-19 has reinforced the dividing line between the developed and developing worlds. Recovery in developed countries, with high vaccination rates and generous fiscal stimuli, is impressive. But the situation is the opposite in developing nations. The future is as unpredictable as the virus, but experts are forecasting what may happen.