Author: Milan Ignjatovic

Kyrgyzstan is pursuing a twin track strategy by issuing a national stablecoin (KGST) at the same time and creating a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), the digital som. There are multiple sources that confirm Kyrgyzstan has actually been working closely with Binance on digital assets. President Sadyr Japarov also sat down with Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) to talk about developing blockchain and cryptocurrency, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in May 2025 with Kyrgyzstan's National Agency for Investments on collaboration in crypto payment infrastructure and blockchain education. April 2025: Kyrgyzstan has been developing its own digital currency, the som, President Japarov having signed into law enabling a CBDC pilot project. May 2025: CZ has been appointed pro bono advisor of the President of Kyrgyzstan on the development of digital…

This is a fascinating and complex issue that Ethiopia is currently exploring with China, following a similar move by Kenya. Ethiopia is reportedly discussing converting a portion of its approximately $5.38 billion debt owed to China from US dollars (USD) to Chinese Yuan (CNY) or Renminbi (RMB). Ethiopia, which is a BRICS member, is indeed in early-stage discussions with China to potentially convert a portion of its substantial US dollar-denominated debt into Chinese yuan-denominated loans. The primary goal for Ethiopia, as stated by the Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia, Eyob Tekalign, is to reduce financing costs (interest savings) and strengthen trade with its key partner, China. The move comes after Ethiopia and China had already signed a currency swap deal aimed at facilitating trade in Ethiopian Birr and…

The US President Donald Trump has consistently elevated the threat of losing the dollar's dominance to a matter of national security. His explicit characterization of BRICS as an "attack on the dollar" and the accompanying claims were made on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, during a bilateral meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei at the White House. He has publicly stated that losing the dollar's status "would be like losing a war, a major world war" and that the U.S. "would not be the same country any longer." He also categorically called the BRICS alliance an "attack on the dollar" during his meeting with President Milei, claiming that without his intervention, the dollar would already be losing its dominant status. The key details surrounding this event were made to reporters during…

Pi Network was founded by Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis and Dr. Chengdiao Fan, who are the key leaders of the project. Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis, a PhD holder from Stanford University, is the Head of Technology, while Dr. Chengdiao Fan, also a Stanford PhD, is the Head of Product. Together, they have been developing and guiding the Pi Network since 2019. The founders' vision has attracted a massive global community, with over 50 million registered users, known as "Pioneers." This community-driven approach has been a cornerstone of Pi Network's growth and its ambition to become a recognized global currency. Pi Network is on the brink of a significant milestone as it prepares to align with ISO 20022, a global financial messaging standard, on November 22, 2025. This transition is set to transform…

Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission visited Serbia on 15 October 2025, as part of her tour to the states of the Western Balkan. In Serbia, she held a press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. She stated that EU sees Serbia as her future partner and that more is needed to be done to help countries I major economic growth. The EU offered major economic benefits (like the €6 billion Growth Plan and Single Market access) while only threatening consequences for a lack of democratic progress. Critics argue this approach is too gentle with a government that has been slow-walking reforms for years. While Von Der Leyen welcomed "recent progress" on issues like the Unified Voter Register, she immediately stressed that "Implementation is now key."…

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is calling for a unified European stock exchange for simple economic and strategic objectives, all pertaining to increasing European competitiveness and re-booting the German economy. The push for a single stock market and broader Capital Markets Union (CMU) comes ultimately from a desire for economic outcomes for the EU comparable to those of the US, but does not suggest the EU will become a political replica of the US. A number of reports cite German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as having called for a "European stock exchange" in a speech to the Bundestag on a Thursday, just ahead of an EU summit. His quoted arguments for preventing successful companies such as biotech firm BioNTech from being listed in New York due to the disunited European market are…

Central banks globally have been accumulating gold at record levels in recent years. Central bank gold buying is driven by one of the key reasons, which is hedging against geopolitical risk, global uncertainty, and the risk of sanctions or asset freezes. Gold is viewed as crisis-proof, a safe-haven asset that will never be frozen or blocked like foreign exchange reserves (e.g., US dollars or Treasuries) can. This provides monetary sovereignty and a financial firewall in an uncertain world. A number of countries, particularly developing market economies, are diversifying reserves off dependence on the US dollar through gold, reducing systemic risk as well as vulnerability to American fiscal crises. This is part of a broader "de-dollarisation" policy. Gold is perceived as a secure long-term store of value and an anti-inflation hedge…

Instant Euro Payments rules mandate commercial banks and euro-area payment service providers to extend the facility of immediate sending and receiving of regular euro funds (the money in your account in your current bank) instantly (within seconds) and at no extra cost compared to a standard transfer. It is a new regulation on existing money in banks. The new regulations convert the old bank transfer from a slow, business-hours-only service to an immediate, always-on utility that is safer and cheaper to use. The main distinctions of the new Instant Euro Payments system from the previous standard payment system are: speed, availability, cost, and security. Instant Transfers 24/7: Euro payments are now received by the beneficiary in seconds, day or night, and including weekends and weekdays. Mandatory Service: Payment service providers…

The record bank earnings despite overall economic uncertainty is due to a combination of factors related to the specific structure of their business. The biggest banks are highly diversified, so their profits aren't solely from lending. For the quarterly earnings of major banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Citi, and Wells Fargo in (Q3 2025), their huge profit jump—with JPMorgan's net income rising to $14.39 billion and Goldman Sachs' profit soaring 37%—was catalyzed by a strong bounce back in their capital markets businesses. The biggest banks get to enjoy large corporate business and market volatility (Wall Street), which can thrive even when Main Street falters. The banks mostly surpassed expectations and attributed their profitability increase to a "resilient" U.S. economy despite geopolitical conditions, tariffs, and trade uncertainty. The main…