ECB President Lagarde on De-Dollarization: Reserve Currency Status Should No Longer Be Taken for Granted

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has warned that the U.S. dollar’s reserve currency status “should no longer be taken for granted.” Acknowledging de-dollarization efforts by various countries, she stressed: “New trade patterns may have ramifications for payments and international currency reserves.” ECB’s Christine Lagarde on De-Dollarization and Alternative Currencies The president of the … Read more

Republicans Seek to Repeal Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act in Exchange for Raising US Debt Limit

There has been a lot of commentary concerning the U.S. raising its debt limit, as Treasury secretary Janet Yellen said last month that a U.S. default would be “devastating,” and European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde warned it would be a “major disaster” if the U.S. defaulted on its obligations. It now appears that Republican … Read more

Gold Slides on Higher US Treasury Yields, Dollar

Prices of gold, and other precious metals, fell on Wednesday due to stronger U.S. yields and national currency. The decline comes on the backdrop of expectations of new interest rate increases next month amid persistent inflation in the United States and elsewhere. Gold and Silver Slip as Investors Bet on Another Rate Hike in May … Read more

Europeans to See More Interest Rate Hikes, Central Bank Governors Indicate

Further rate hikes are warranted by persisting inflation in the eurozone, according to members of its monetary authority’s decision-making body. Two central bank governors, with different opinions about how aggressive the European Central Bank should be, nevertheless agree that more increases of key interest rates are yet to come. ECB Has Some Hikes Left to … Read more

Despite Using Euro, Montenegro to Develop Own Digital Currency With Ripple

Montenegro intends to create and issue its own digital currency with help from U.S.-based crypto company Ripple. The Southeast European nation, which adopted the euro unilaterally, is moving to realize the plan despite the eurozone developing a digital version of the common currency. Monetary Authority of Montenegro to Cooperate With Ripple on ‘National Stablecoin’ Project … Read more

ECB Board Member Warns EU’s New Crypto Rules Not Sufficient

A European Central Bank Supervisory Board member has warned that the crypto rules in the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) bill “will not be sufficient on their own.” While emphasizing that “MiCA will set out important safeguards to prevent incidents similar to the FTX case from occurring,” she cautioned: “Certain areas still need further strengthening.” … Read more

Core Inflation on Upward Trend, Further Rate Hikes Expected, ECB Execs Say

Amid underlying inflationary pressures, further interest rate increases may still be needed, members of the European Central Bank’s Governing Council have admitted. At the same time, the cycle with the highest hikes may soon be over, the officials indicated. End of Most Aggressive Rate Hikes in Sight Despite Inflation, but More to Come Before It’s … Read more