Technology

Book Review
Without the need for being either a skilled mathematician or uber-geek. The Age of Cryptocurrency includes everything you could possibly want to know about cryptocurrencies.

Eddie Listorti, co-global head of fixed income, currencies and commodities at ANZ Group in Singapore, sees intra-Asian currency flows as a lucrative opportunity.

Mikhail Palei, head of foreign exchange flow at VTB Capital in Moscow, expects international banks to lose their appetite for risk in the Russian ruble—which he sees as an opportunity for Russia’s FX desks.

Antti Ranta, head of FX at Nordea in Helsinki, sees demand growing for emerging markets currencies in Nordic countries—and for advice on how to trade them.

Regulatory uncertainty, technological change and traders behaving badly have collided in a perfect storm for banks’ foreign exchange operations

Philip Nel, head of FX trading for Africa at Standard Bank in Johannesburg, anticipates a proliferation of new foreign exchange products in countries across the continent.

UK Corporate Tax | Trends
Britain likely will succeed in taxing multinational companies at a 25% rate on their UK operations beginning in April, without violating international tax treaties, analysts say, but tensions are rising between countries on suspicions that MNCs are engaging in global tax evasion.

Last year ended with a data breach of the US retailer Target, this year "The Sony Hack".  What will 2015 hold for cyberattacks and cybersecurity?

How significant is a digitized, simplified, single platform to trade finance?

Website design is becoming more important than ever, particularly in areas such as ease of use, security features, integrated functions and aesthetics.
 

Global Finance held its 11th annual Internet Banks Awards dinner in New York in November. Leading financial executives from around the world were present to accept their awards and honor other recipients.

Hungary | Milestones
Hungary has witnessed the biggest street protests since the current right-wing government came to power in 2010, against the government’s plans to tax Internet traffic, the world’s first such levy.

Venture Capital | Trends
Start-up companies and innovators in the Arab World have suffered from underinvestment and lack of technology infrastructure in recent years.

What is the key consideration in adopting a digitized banking strategy?

Annual Awards
In the final installment of a two-part series, Global Finance recognizes the best corporate/institutional and consumer Internet banks globally and in six regions, as well as an overall winner. We spotlight the financial institutions around the world that are leading the way in digital banking services that generate strong business results.

How has Internet banking evolved in the last year or so?

To most people the idea of infrastructure investment denotes visions of water systems, highways and bridges, and basic general services usually relegated to municipal authorities. Recently, however, at the Canadian Council for Public Private Partnerships Conference in Toronto, a new model for infrastructure was discussed – that of the “intelligent city.”

Milestones | India
In partnership with more than 50 state-run, cooperative and private banks, India’s National Democratic Alliance government has launched the world’s largest financial inclusion project to bring 75 million households into the banking fold by the end of January 2015.

Special Report | Treasury Outsourcing
The concept of treasury outsourcing has been around since the 1980s, but until fairly recently, it enjoyed limited adoption, owing to concerns about operational control. But cost pressures are forcing treasurers to look at the concept again.

Newsmakers | United States
HP CEO Meg Whitman’s volte-face announcement to split the company in two has drawn a lot of speculation about, and criticism of, the motives behind the decision.