Facebook’s move to launch a cryptocurrency has been met with strong opposition from the gatekeepers of the global financial system. Joy Macknight explores these concerns.
Latest articles from FX & Payments
Ripple and Swift: best of frenemies?
September 2, 2019The battle royal between incumbent infrastructure consortium Swift and challenger Ripple may be cooling after years of heated disagreement.

PSD2: what next?
September 2, 2019The European payments industry is coming to the end of the Payment Services Directive 2 implementation – or is it?

Can Swift weather the sanctions storm?
September 2, 2019Swift must contend with complex geopolitics, with the US now diverging from its traditional allies. How will it fare amid plans for new international networks? Silvia Pavoni reports

Laying the foundation for faster global payments
July 2, 2019Appetite and expectations for faster payments continue to build among consumer and corporate clients. Yet delivering the service – especially across borders – remains a challenge, writes Christof Hofmann of Deutsche Bank.

Opening up banking through APIs
July 2, 2019APIs provide an efficient way to enable third-party developers to build applications and services. Heather McKenzie reports.

Invisible payments move into sight
May 1, 2019Invisible payments are transforming the physical point of sale into a zero-effort, frictionless affair. The Banker explores why banks should have a strategy for this concept.

Is cash still relevant?
January 2, 2019The case for cash is being eroded by innovations in payments and wholly digital business models, yet physical banknotes and coins persist. Is there a future for physical monetary exchange? Joy Macknight investigates.

The power of QR codes
November 20, 2018The use of QR codes for payments has seen widespread take-up across emerging markets due to the low-tech, low-cost deployment. But will they conquer the developed markets?

Using blockchain to revamp cross-border payments
July 2, 2018Is blockchain living up to its potential in revolutionising the cross-border payments space? Joy Macknight investigates how far the technology has come.