Category: Finance and Markets

Economics, Europe, Finance and Markets

Unregulated and Unchallenged: Iceland’s Banking Saga

In the midst of a global public health emergency, Iceland has fared exceptionally well amongst Western nations, with only 1,804 reported cases and 10 deaths. Twelve years ago, however, the story was very different; Iceland was facing collapse as a result of a Wall Street contagion, another pandemic that would expose the fundamental weaknesses of deregulated financial systems. Within a week, the entire banking sector … Continue reading Unregulated and Unchallenged: Iceland’s Banking Saga

Unknown's avatarChenyang LiLeave a comment
Natwest building
Finance and Markets, International, Long Read

Running for Cover: Insurance and Covid-19

The Olympics, Wimbledon, The British Open. Just a few in a long list of global sporting events that have been postponed indefinitely or cancelled due to the global outbreak of Covid-19. The impact on athletes, coaches, staff and even spectators has been significant. Furthermore, this pandemic has led to devastating losses for the various financial stakeholders of these events, such as sponsors and organisers. However, … Continue reading Running for Cover: Insurance and Covid-19

Unknown's avatarKavish HajarnavisLeave a comment
Stock broker watching screens
Behavioural, Finance and Markets, International

Psychological Trading

The human mind is not built for financial business. Our archicortex (the oldest region of the brain’s cerebral cortex) can’t distinguish between life-threatening and non life-threatening situations. This has effects throughout the financial sector, especially trading. Unfortunately, the perfect rationality of the “homo economicus” is a lie: humans have always been known to be affected by emotions and biases. Richard Thaler, a Nobel laureate in … Continue reading Psychological Trading

Unknown's avatarNoah DornLeave a comment
bitcoin fragmenting into sand
Business and Technology, Finance and Markets

The Bitcoin Bubble

In 2008 the first cryptocurrency Bitcoin was launched. While still providing a means for exchanges and the store of value, cryptocurrencies have the distinct advantage of being decentralised as opposed to the more typical fiat currencies (e.g. the US Dollar) which rely on banks and governments to declare it legal tender and maintain its value. However, Bitcoin has the advantage of cutting out the ‘middle-man’ … Continue reading The Bitcoin Bubble

Unknown's avatarJeremy Toussaint1 Comment
Development, Finance and Markets

Solution to the moral hazards of microfinance?

Microfinance is commonly regarded as the promise of innovative, cost-effective paths to poverty reduction and social change.  However, we are not living in a perfectly competitive credit market, so downsides such as moral hazard and asymmetric information that tend to create inefficiency make the program less effective, or even counterproductive in certain cases. So why don’t we ask people to help others and do the right … Continue reading Solution to the moral hazards of microfinance?

Unknown's avatarCaspian LeeLeave a comment
Bitcoin symbol
Business and Technology, Finance and Markets

Is Blockchain the most important technology of our time?

Blockchain is said to be the technology which will have the greatest social impact over the next decade, more so than social media, Artificial Intelligence, and Big-Data. Moreover, this effect will not only occur in the developed world, but also in the developing one. Hearing this, you’d be forgiven for being sceptical, forgiven for wondering how this unknown Blockchain technology will become the most impactful … Continue reading Is Blockchain the most important technology of our time?

Unknown's avatarBenjamin MowinckelLeave a comment