Currencies

The GENIUS Act will enable tech companies to issue stablecoins that functionally blur the boundary between public and private money. But Winston Ma, adjunct law professor at New York University, argues that private stablecoins cannot function as true currency without sovereign enforcement. Yuriy Brisov, a lawyer at Digital & Analogue Partners, contends that privately issued currencies can serve as legitimate alternatives to traditional monetary systems. US President Donald Trump wants to sign the stablecoin rule as soon as possible. (Donald Trump) To understand the legal implications of the GENIUS Act...

Artificial intelligence is the greatest investment opportunity of our lifetime. The time to invest in groundbreaking AI is now, and this stock is a steal! AI is eating the world—and the machines behind it are ravenous. Each ChatGPT query, each model update, each robotic breakthrough consumes massive amounts of energy. In fact, AI is already pushing global power grids to the brink. Wall Street is pouring hundreds of billions into artificial intelligence—training smarter chatbots, automating industries, and building the digital future. But there’s one urgent question few are asking: Where...

Welcome to the wild world of cryptocurrencies. Unlike coins and bank notes, digital currencies exist electronically, not under the control of some central authority, such as a central bank or a government.What attracts so many people to these pseudo-currencies is privacy and tax concerns. Criminals also appreciate the secrecy these currencies employ, especially since central banks have withdrawn many high-denomination bank notes in recent years, which could otherwise be a convenient way to store ill-gotten gains.Are coins and bank notes on their way out? According to Senator Mark Warner (D.,...

Trading desks across Asia are buzzing with excitement again, as the region shakes off tariff shocks and attracts investors with its solid growth prospects. From stocks to currencies to credit, the rebound from the depths of the April market turmoil has been impressive. MSCI’s Asia equities index has jumped 25 per cent to a four-year high, while a slump in the US dollar has powered a regional currency gauge to the strongest since October. Companies are rushing to raise money to capitalise on the market’s reawakening. It marks a sharp reversal...

HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s de-facto central bank spent more than a billion dollars propping up the city’s exchange rate, as it sought to defend a currency peg that has been strained by volatility in the greenback.The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) took out HK$9.42 billion (S$1.5 billion) of the city’s currency from circulation after the exchange rate touched the weak end of its US dollar peg. In earlier weeks, the monetary authority had injected liquidity into the financial system to rein in gains in the local exchange rate as...

The U.S. dollar sank to a three-year low on Thursday as Asian currencies gained ground, fueled by political pressure on the Federal Reserve and improving regional risk sentiment. The dollar index slipped 0.2% to 0.3% during Asian trading, marking its weakest level since March 2022. U.S. President Donald Trump intensified his criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, calling for aggressive interest rate cuts. A Wall Street Journal report that Trump may name Powell’s successor earlier than expected added further pressure on the greenback, prompting speculation of a possible rate cut...

Most stocks fell on Thursday and oil rose as traders kept a nervous eye on the Iran-Israel ceasefire, while the dollar dropped after Donald Trump said he had a handful of candidates to succeed Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell, fuelling rate cut bets.Uncertainty over the US president’s trade war was also keeping sentiment subdued, with most countries still not reaching deals with Washington to avert the reimposition of steep tariffs ahead of a July 9 deadline.With a shaky peace between Iran and Israel holding for now, Trump said he would...

Asian stock markets presented a mixed picture on Thursday, with Japanese equities climbing to a four-month high while other regional indices stuttered. Investors are navigating a complex landscape of geopolitical, economic, and fiscal uncertainties as they brace for US President Donald Trump’s fast-approaching deadline on tariffs. A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran has provided some market relief, but attention is shifting to US policy and its potential impact on global markets.Markets have been somewhat soothed by a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that appears to be holding, for now....

World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture backed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, is set to release a stablecoin audit and launch a new application.What Happened: The Trump family, which has a 75% claim on the venture’s net revenues, has been the subject of criticism due to potential conflicts of interest with the president’s involvement in crypto, reported Reuters.Zak Folkman, the co-founder of the platform, said the audit would be carried out “within days.” Folkman revealed that the app would make it seamless for lay investors to use cryptocurrencies.World Liberty...

BENGALURU: Thai stocks and the baht were largely unchanged on Wednesday after the country’s central bank stood pat on rates, as expected, while other Asian currencies and equities rose as easing Middle East tensions lifted sentiment. The currency was trading at 32.623 per dollar after the Bank of Thailand (BoT) held its key one-day repurchase rate steady at 1.75%, following two straight cuts, as it looked to preserve limited policy space amid persistent trade uncertainty and deepening political turmoil. The central bank said its monetary policy remained accommodative to support...