Microfinance loans could spell disaster in the time of coronavirus
Jul 22, 2020 12:26 pm UTC| Fintech Economy
When the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus in 2006 for his concept of microfinance, it brought what began as a local policy experiment in the 1970s to global attention. Microfinance...
South African banks need to do more to ensure financial inclusion
Jul 02, 2020 15:11 pm UTC| Economy Fintech
An analysis of financial inclusion in South Africa shows that affordability limits poor households access to formal financial services. In our study, which looked at peoples use of financial goods and services between 2008...
The price of AI art: Has the bubble burst?
Jan 07, 2020 15:33 pm UTC| Insights & Views Fintech
Last fall, an AI-generated portrait rocked the art world selling for a staggering US$432,500 at Christies auction house in New York. The portrait called Edmond de Belamy features a slightly out-of-focus man with no nose...
Iran works on national blockchain platform and cryptocurrency
Aug 28, 2018 03:31 am UTC| Digital Currency Fintech
Iran is developing a national blockchain platform which will enable the country to build a money transfer network with its allies, an official at the Central Bank of Iran was recently quoted saying. Speaking during a...
BankSign: Samsung SDS announces blockchain-based co-verification platform for banks
Aug 27, 2018 10:58 am UTC| Digital Currency Fintech
Samsung SDS, an IT subsidiary of South Korean tech giant Samsung Group, has developed a blockchain-based certification system, Yonhap News Agency reported. Dubbed BankSign, the platform has been set up in collaboration...
Reserve Bank of India sets up new blockchain and AI-focused unit
Aug 27, 2018 05:37 am UTC| Digital Currency Fintech
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up a new unit to ramp up its efforts in the area of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence, according to The Economic Times. Sources familiar with the latest...
World Bank raises A$110M via blockchain-based bond transaction
Aug 27, 2018 03:34 am UTC| Digital Currency Fintech
The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) has officially announced the details of the blockchain-based bond transaction last week. Earlier this month, the World Bank announced that it has mandated CBA as the sole arranger of the...
Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility
Economist Chris Richardson on an ‘ugly’ inflation result and the coming budget
Biden administration tells employers to stop shackling workers with ‘noncompete agreements’
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects