Chart of the WeekMore African Central Banks Are Exploring Digital Currencies
Several sub-Saharan African central banks are exploring or in the pilot phase of a digital currency.
Cryptoassets as National Currency? A Step Too Far
By Tobias Adrian and Rhoda Weeks-Brown
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
New digital forms of money have the potential to provide cheaper and faster payments, enhance financial inclusion, improve resilience and competition among payment providers, and facilitate cross-border transfers. […]
Digital Financial Inclusion in the Times of COVID-19
By Ulric Eriksson von Allmen, Purva Khera, Sumiko Ogawa, and Ratna Sahay
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
The COVID-19 pandemic could be a game changer for digital financial services. Low-income households and small firms can benefit greatly from advances in mobile money, fintech services, and online banking. […]
Digital Currencies: The Rise of Stablecoins
By Tobias Adrian and Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli
A battle is raging for your wallet. New entrants want to occupy the space once used by paper bills or your debit card. […]
Fintech in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Potential Game Changer
If you are reading this blog—drawn by current buzz around financial technology and the “fintech” reference in the title, and its promise to democratize financial services—then it is probably a safe bet to assume that you have heard of M-Pesa. […]
Economic Gains from Gender Inclusion: Even Greater than You Thought
By Christine Lagarde and Jonathan D. Ostry
November 28, 2018
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
Raising women’s participation in the workforce can give a bigger boost to growth than previously thought (photo: Ahrens/Steinbach Projekte/fotogloria/Newscom)
Despite some progress, the gaps in labor force participation between men and women remain large. […]
Chart of the Week: Grading the G-20 on its Growth Goals
By Helge Berger and Margaux MacDonald
November 19, 2018
Growth is stronger in the G-20 but progress toward more balanced, sustainable, and inclusive growth is slow (photo: Egon Bömsch imageBROKER/Newscom)
This blog is dedicated to the memory of Giang Ho, an IMF economist who died suddenly this past August. Her efforts and ingenuity were critical to carrying out this analytical work. We miss her and will never forget her.
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Chart of the Week: The Digital Divide in Asia
By IMFBlog
September 25, 2018
Young people on their phones in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia: about 70 percent of the country does not have internet access and can’t participate in the digital economy (Samrang Pring/Reuters/Newscom)
The countries of Southeast Asia are young—more than half of its 643 million people are under 30— and together they live in an economy of $2.8 trillion. […]
Women in Finance: An Economic Case for Gender Equality
By Martin Čihák and Ratna Sahay
September 19, 2018
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
A group of women attend an event in Sao Paolo to promote women’s participation in the financial sector: women account for 51% of borrowers in Brazil (Sebastio Mareira/Newscom)
Women are underrepresented at all levels of the global financial system, from depositors and borrowers to bank board members and regulators. […]