Converge

Recorded live at Money2020 EU on 6/5/2024! We sat down with Rita Martins, author of the new book 'Web 3 in Financial Services', to discuss the innovations happening in the payment space and the potential of Web3-related technologies in the financial services industry. We cover the use of stablecoins for remittances in emerging markets, the tokenization of real-world assets for loans, the challenges financial institutions face in implementing Web3 Technolgies, and the potential for public blockchains to connect closed systems. Additionally, we cover the importance of education and consumer trust in the adoption of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and the role of interoperability and governance in the future of Web3, envisioning the roadmap to a future where blockchain technology is seamlessly integrated into financial services and everyday users unaware of its presence in the background of our financial lives. Don't miss it!

The aftershock of President Emmanuel Macron calling for a snap election continues to work its way through markets. FX options are pricing in higher volatility and a stronger bias against the common currency as the French yield premium rose by the most on record last week. In the United States, the narrative of the disinflation story continues to gain credibility among investors again as the consumer, producer and import price indicators for the month of May surprised to the downside.  These two events led to the largest government bond sell-off so far this year and have overshadowed the renewed hawkishness of both the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank. All of this gives us a volatile backdrop going into the Bank of England decision and French and UK general elections in June and July.   Join macro analyst Boris Kovacevic as he breaks down this week's global market news.

Recorded live at Money2020 EU on 6/4/24! Join Ryan Rugg, Head of Digital Assets for Citi's Treasury and Trade Solutions, as we discuss tokenization and its likely impacts on the financial sector. Tokenization is the digital representation of an asset and can be used for various purposes, including tokenizing cash, real-world assets, and central bank digital currencies. There have been several barriers to widespread adoption, such as the lack of standards, governance, and regulation, but 2024 has seen significant progress. We cover the advantages of tokenization for corporate treasurers, including enhanced efficiency, security, and transparency; the importance of regulatory clarity and the role of legal frameworks in the adoption of tokenization technologies; the future potential of tokenization; and the need for financial institutions to prepare and partner with fintechs to take advantage of the latest innovations in this space.

Recorded live on 6/4/2024 at Money2020 EU! Join Convera's Market Insights team for special candid discussion on the policy and geopolitical events shaping the global markets, including the European elections, ECB rate decision, US-China tensions, and the impact of political uncertainty on monetary policy. We cover the implications of the impending US and UK elections in 2024, non-farm payrolls report, and potential equity market sell-off. Plus, what risks to look out for in the coming weeks.

Alisa DiCaprio, Chief Economist for R3, discusses the future of digital money covering CBDCs, stable coins, and AI in programmable money. They explore challenges of CBDC adoption, geopolitical implications, and the evolving role of regulators in digital assets.

Germana Cruz, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank LatAm, and Fady Abdel-Nour, venture capitalist, discuss the impact of open banking on traditional banks, regulation challenges, and security considerations in Latin America. They explore the partnership between traditional banks and fintech companies, Antler Elevate's focus on fintech investments, and the transformative role of open banking in client understanding and product development. The discussion also touches on fintech innovation, cross-border payments, and the importance of secure transactions in the Latin American market.

Get your copy of Fintech2025+ https://convera.com/lp/fintech-2025-report/ We project a significant surge in cross-border payment flows, expected to reach an eye-popping $290 trillion by 2030, driven by the rise of international e-commerce, greater workforce mobility, and advancements in digital payment technologies. This growth highlights the need for robust fintech solutions that enhance transaction speed, transparency, and security. Convera's new report, Fintech2025+ Trends, technology and transformation in global commercial payments is a detailed analysis of the transformative role of fintech in global commerce, focusing on the cross-border payments landscape as a critical element of international trade and finance. We also explore key trends such as blockchain integration, real-time payments, and open banking initiatives, alongside the regulatory dynamics shaping the fintech ecosystem this decade and beyond. Join head of Market Insights, Steve Dooley, and Head of Content & Industry Engagement, Alex Lawrence, as they break down the best bites of the upcoming report.

The US economy has clearly been in a league of its own in the post-pandemic era. And 2024 has underlined the exceptional position of the US economy compared to its peers with inflation and employment data broadly surprising to the upside. The lagging data that is relevant for the National Bureau of Economic Research to make a call on whether the US has entered a recession has remained resilient over the past quarters. Still, a weak GDP print for Q1, the softening of leading indicators and job growth cooling have revived the talk of a potential recession this year. Meanwhile, inflation has remained elevated and proved more sticky than expected going into 2024. This does pose a conundrum for the Fed looking to fulfill its double mandate of full employment and price stability.  Join macro analyst Boris Kovacevic for the latest on the markets and global economy. Disclaimer: Converge is Convera’s new podcast that discusses a range of financial services topics. We want to remind our listeners that the information shared should not be considered financial advice.

Join Riya Grover, co-founder and CEO of Sequence, as we discuss how her fintech, dubbed "the financial router," is building a flexible toolkit to help companies automate their contract-to-cash process. The move towards usage-based pricing and the adoption of hybrid pricing models are driving the need for tools like Sequence. And while spreadsheets are still useful, they are increasingly limited when it comes to managing complex workflows across today's modern digital organizations. Sequence aims to provide scalability and automation in finops, allowing companies to achieve more with less human effort. We also spoke about how important it is for finance leaders to focus on data-driven approaches, strategic investments, discipline, and regular forecasting during economic downturns - and how technology can help.

April has been about many things. In the United States, it was about inflation surprising to the upside and investors pricing out rate cuts from the Fed. In Asia, it was about a strong dollar leading central banks to verbally or physically intervene in FX markets to prop up demand for their own currencies. And in Europe, it was about confirming the bottoming of economic activity. In this week's Market Update, hear from Boris Kovacevic as we discuss how Jerome Powell failed to promote a hawkish narrative despite inflation remaining elevated and how the strong dollar is more a problem in Asia than it is in Europe.