Regardless of mainstream reservations, rampant speculation, and a near-certain chance of bust, Bitcoin is here to stay. Cryptocurrencies will transform the way we identify, manage and mitigate political risks across borders – and Venezuela offers a perfect case study. Understanding the hype Regular descent into what is only retrospectively described as insanity has been a […]
Back in May I wrote about the derisively named “storm in a teacup” over the decision of the Bank of England to remove reformer Elizabeth Fry from the £5 note. Why this was controversial to some was that it meant that no women, apart from the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, would appear on paper currency […]
How often have you opened your wallet or purse, taken out any banknotes and then instead of spending them or paying them into your account, actually studied them? I too have not spent hours of my day examining the pieces of paper/cotton/melting polymer which allow me to pursue my acquisitive tendencies. But a couple of […]
For at least three decades now, personal wealth has been a political asset. In both the industrialized and developing worlds, in the words of Deng Xiaoping of China, “to get rich is glorious.” Money was access to political power, political power (especially in the developing world) access to money. I remember about four years ago, […]