There are good reasons for most countries to improve cross-border payment efficiencies, though that desire is complicated by technical and legal issues. But new forms of digital money potentially open up some interesting new channels.

The markets are entering a period of disruption, both positive and negative, but ICMA chief executive Bryan Pascoe believes they can weather the storm and adapt in key areas.

Demand for gold-backed payments is on a sharp upward trend as customers look for stability, with regulators’ attention likely to draw in.

Huge growth in digital payments during the Covid-19 pandemic points to a longer-term trend, with physical payments set to gradually wane.

In the world of digitalisation, old trade issues have new consequences. What work is being done, what will a digitised trade finance ecosystem solve and what is needed for benefits to be realised? 

New contenders are challenging the dominance of Swift in the cross-border payments space, compelling it to improve on its flaws.

African nations are at the vanguard of the new movement towards central bank digital currencies, in a desperate bid to regain the initiative in the wake of rising cryptocurrency usage across the continent. 

Five regional central banks have announced plans to enable QR code-based cross-border payments. Furthermore, they want to link such a network to other regional payments platforms and eventually to central bank digital currencies. 

While the CPMI provides a review of current interlinking arrangements, being a bit more prescriptive may help the industry in its quest to connect faster payment systems internationally. Heather McKenzie reports.

Is the increased regulatory activity around buy now, pay later good news or bad for the financial services industry? Heather McKenzie reports.