Rebuilding Ukraine, Uzbekistan’s gradual opening up and sub-Saharan Africa dominated the agenda at this year’s EBRD meeting in Samarkand.

Heads of digital assets at buy- and sell-side firms are busying themselves with digital bond issuances on their proprietary tokenisation platforms. But what is behind their newfound love for tokenising traditional financial assets? 

Can US regional banks put their problems behind them now that First Republic has been bought by JPMorgan Chase?

The first quarter results for both banks are in, but the value of what UBS has acquired remains to be seen. 

Norwegian banks dominate several best-performing categories, while two Swedish banks have different stories to tell in this year’s top Nordic bank rankings.

Ask the average person on the street what a bank is and you may be surprised by the answer you get. Is a smartphone app that helps you manage your finances a bank? What about your favourite travel operator that provides financial services? The bank is being redefined and reshaped. 

EBRD president Odile Renaud-Basso says the bank is keeping the lights on in Ukraine and has the capacity to do more to help combat climate change.

Collapsed firms Silicon Valley Bank and Silvergate Capital catered to the specific financing needs of tech start-ups and crypto firms. Who understands their needs now?

Credit Suisse had bumper years, particularly during the dotcom boom, and it weathered the 2008 financial crisis reasonably better than UBS. But trouble was never far from the bank’s door. 

The sale of Credit Suisse to UBS may have preserved market stability for now, but economists warn we are not out of the woods yet.