Tokenization of Infrastructure: A blockchain-based solution to financing sustainable infrastructure

whitePaper | September 26, 2022

Fintech Notes offer practical advice from IMF staff members to policymakers on important issues. The views expressed in Fintech Notes are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

whitePaper | January 1, 2023

The workforce challenges which have persisted throughout 2022 remain a primary concern heading into 2023. Inflation, tightening budgets, a renewed focus on profitability, and a tight labor market make productivity measurement and capacity utilization paramount.

whitePaper | July 5, 2022

What customers expect from their banks is changing. Trends which were developing slowly have accelerated since the onset of the pandemic. A new generation of financial services has emerged as a result, and traditional banking models are struggling to keep pace.

whitePaper | September 20, 2022

Banking has historically been one of the business sectors most resistant to disruption by technology. Since the first mortgage was issued in England in the 11th century, banks have built robust businesses with multiple moats: ubiquitous distribution through branches; unique expertise such as credit underwriting underpinned by both data and judgment; even the special status of being regulated institutions that supply credit, the lifeblood of economic growth, and have sovereign insurance for their liabilities (deposits). Moreover, consumer inertia in financial services is high. Consumers have generally been slow to change financial-services providers. Particularly in developed markets, consumers have historically gravitated toward the established and enduring brands in banking and insurance that were seen as bulwarks of stability even in times of turbulence.

whitePaper | July 3, 2022

Founded in 1896, Barclays is among the world's oldest banks and enjoys the patronage of some of Europe's most profitable corporations. In 2021, Barclays claimed over 48 million customers, amassed over its 120+ year history. On the other hand, Revolut is a UK neobank that has acquired over 15 million account holders in less than a decade since its founding. These numbers are illustrative of a larger shift in the global banking system, with agile, digitally empowered financial service providers making inroads into mainstream banking territory. Currently, traditional banks, with their large product and service portfolios and legions of loyal customers, still hold the lion's share of the European banking market.

whitePaper | June 21, 2023

Over the past few years, the banking industry has experienced a radical paradigm shift towards digital adoption, driven by a progressive change in needs and habits of its customers, further accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic context.