Countries are starting to settle trade in local currencies rather than U.S. dollars, and warnings of the dire consequences are heating up. They range from serious policy analyses on sanctions to conspiracy theories designed to sell investment information. Interest in the concept of “dedollarization” began to rise toward the end of the first quarter of 2023, spiking up at the … [Read more...] about Dedollarization: A Yuan Tale
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Chainlink & Decentralized Finance
Chainlink launched in 2019 as the first to market a decentralized oracle network. Since then, it has become the de-facto standard in how DeFi & smart contracts interact with the real world. By building a framework for decentralized oracle networks, Chainlink empowers hybrid smart contracts for expansive use by providing a secure foundation for connecting oracle data with … [Read more...] about Chainlink & Decentralized Finance
The Future of Digital Assets: Not a Zero-Sum Game
Blockchain technology and digital assets rose to new heights in 2021; with a record $30 billion in investments, interest in this sector of FinTech has never been stronger. But what's happening with all that money? That was the subject of 1871's recent Tech Talk: Digital Assets and Cryptocurrency: A Breakout Year, with experts weighing in on where developments in digital assets … [Read more...] about The Future of Digital Assets: Not a Zero-Sum Game
Can Digital Assets Really Disrupt Payments?
As digital assets continue to become more and more mainstream, what role they’ll play as they move beyond a token for professional traders to something more widespread and ubiquitous remains a primary question. To some extent, there are no clear answers – yet. A lot depends on the moves that government organizations and banks make moving forward, and the answers they come up … [Read more...] about Can Digital Assets Really Disrupt Payments?
Could FinTechs Bridge the Inclusion Gap?
The problem of inequity for minority communities in America has many faces, with access to financial services still lagging concerningly behind. Black and Latinx households make up more than 60% of the nation’s unbanked, and nearly half of underbanked households, according to FDIC surveys. Efforts to foster greater inclusivity provided a focal point to the recent Washington … [Read more...] about Could FinTechs Bridge the Inclusion Gap?
Stablecoin: A Faster Future?
Could stablecoin be an idea whose time has arrived? The industry remains niche in terms of overall value, but as more competitors test the ground to enter the field - including large central banks in some countries like Sweden - the conversation has rapidly developed into what could be suggested to be an inevitability. Stablecoins - in this case, cryptocurrency tied directly … [Read more...] about Stablecoin: A Faster Future?