Central Banks
AI spreads further among fintech teams
Centralised fintech teams more likely to apply AI/ML to sentiment analysis
ECB board members express regret over QE stimulus
Cipollone says unwinding balance sheet thwarts rate cuts, while Schnabel wants “less activist” bank
Reserve Bank of India launches economic data app
RBI says users will be able to access bank’s data portal and locate banking facilities in their local area
Bank Indonesia holds rates at 5.75%
Central bank faces dilemma of whether to prioritise bolstering growth or propping up currency
Fed governors differ on best way to deal with Trump uncertainty
Waller says monetary policy can’t be “put on hold”, but Bowman calls for wait-and-see approach
‘Sandpile’ model makes case for supervisory intervention
IMF paper finds that arranging sales of failing banks is best policy, despite some side effects
New Zealand continues easing cycle with 50bp cut
Trade concerns take centre stage as RBNZ delivers fourth consecutive reduction
Half of planned CBDCs designed to be programmable
Two-thirds of wholesale CBDCs likely to be programmable
Fed study suggests fewer fake dollar bills are in circulation
Research suggests number of counterfeit notes has fallen eightfold since 2006
Trinidad to remove Columbus imagery from TT$100 banknote
Bills will display new coat of arms featuring national musical instrument, the steelpan
Bank of Israel may consider paying interest on future CBDC
Survey finds substantial interest in digital shekel, particularly from older Israelis
Riksbank makes Skr36 million profit in 2024
However, Swedish treasury will not benefit as central bank failed to reach its target equity level
Australia cuts rates for first time since 2020
RBA delivers long-awaited 25bp reduction but says markets are overconfident about further easing
Most central banks without CBDC mandate engaged in retail projects
Only one in three banks has a legal mandate for CBDC issuance, but many are still working on digital currency
‘Dark’ oil shipping impacts inflation – paper
Research finds nearly 43% of seaborne crude is shipped undercover to evade sanctions
EMs resilient to US monetary spillovers, panellists say
Turkish and Thai governors discuss policy challenges at IMF conference in Saudi Arabia
Syria imports banknotes from Russia
Central bank says media reports of amounts involved are ‘exaggerated’
China to focus more on consumption, says PBoC governor
Pan Gongsheng wants domestic demand to be “key driver of growth”
Knot makes case for ‘international monetary diplomacy’
DNB governor says dream of a rules-based international order must be kept alive
American central banks less likely to struggle with fintech recruitment
But American banks face toughest battle for talent retention
Fed researchers unveil more secure payment system model
Byzantine fault tolerant system can process 110,000 transactions per second
US inflation higher or more cyclical at start of year – study
Dallas Fed research says slowing inflation is more encouraging if it takes place in January
Stablecoins can bolster dollar’s international role, says Waller
Fed governor also warns against domestic and international regulatory fragmentation
Bank of Russia holds rates
Inflation ticks up as central bank updates forecast again