Economy
Bitcoin is halving again – what does that mean for the cryptocurrency and the market?
Andrew Urquhart, University of Reading - Bitcoin, the largest and most talked about digital asset, has been on a rollercoaster of a ride since its launch in January 2009. With a market capitalisation that reached a high of more than US$1.4 trillion (£1.125 trillion)...
Why it’s so difficult to figure out what to do with your life – and three steps to take
Marina Milosheva, Edinburgh Napier University - What do you want to be when you grow up? Practically from the moment you start talking, you’re asked this question. As a child, you’re encouraged to make...
“Watershed” agreement: Farmers, water suppliers and communities work together to protect forests and water sources
By Ingo Geiger - In Bolivia, 24,000 farmers in cooperation with communities and public water suppliers protect more than 600,000 hectares of forest from deforestation, exploitation, and the interests of mining companies—and thus...
The Impending Danger: High National Debt Restricts Government Action and Triggers Financial Crises
A Closer Look at the Looming Economic Threat and Strategies for Mitigation In the corridors of power and finance, a growing concern casts its shadow over nations worldwide - the ominous specter of high national debt....
How to battle boredom at work
Casher Belinda, University of Notre Dame - Though neuroscience suggests that boredom can be good for us, we all try to avoid it. Even the most exciting jobs in the world — astronaut,...
Spotify just made a record profit. What can the platform do now to maintain momentum?
Andrew White, King's College London - It is not much of an exaggeration to say that Spotify saved the music industry. Global revenue for recorded music reached its zenith in 1999 – the...
Rate hikes may have slowed inflation in the US – but they have also heightened the risk of financial crises for lower-income nations
Cristina Bodea, Michigan State University - The campaign to fight U.S. inflation by upping interest rates has been going on for a year and a half – and its impacts are being felt around the world. On July 26, 2023, the Federal Reserve announced another quarter-point hike. That means U.S. rates have now gone up 5.25 percentage points over the past 18 months. While inflation is now coming down in the U.S., the aggressive monetary policy may also be having significant longer-term impact on countries across the world, especially in developing countries. And that isn’t good. I study how economic phenomena such as banking crises, periods of high inflation and soaring...
Almost no one uses Bitcoin as currency, new data proves. It’s actually more like gambling
John Hawkins, University of Canberra - Bitcoin boosters like to claim Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies, are becoming mainstream. There’s a good reason to want...
UK bonds have hit a 25-year high – here’s what that means for the economy
David McMillan, University of Stirling - It’s been more than a year since the UK economy was thrown into crisis after then-prime minister Liz Truss suggested making a wealth of unfunded tax cuts in her September 2022 mini-budget. But a recent bond market sell-off has now sent borrowing costs rocketing again, pushing the bond market even higher than after Truss’s announcement. Yields on UK treasury bonds – the rate the UK government must pay to borrow money – have risen to approximately 4.6% for ten-year bonds. Yields on 30-year bonds hit 5.1%, the highest since 1998. Banks also use this rate as a key benchmark to set commercial loan rates, so...
What this year’s El Niño means for wheat and global food supply
David Ubilava, University of Sydney - The World Meteorological Organization has declared the onset of the first El Niño event in seven years. It estimates 90% probability the climatic phenomenon, involving an unusual...
South Africa begins own production of groundbreaking HIV-prevention drug to make it affordable within the continent
By Harry Markham - South Africa will soon begin production of the groundbreaking HIV-prevention drug, long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA),...
How smaller businesses can become net-zero influencers and enablers
Richard K. Blundel, The Open University - What if all of the UK’s 48,000 hairdressing salons and barbershops started sharing water and energy-saving advice with their clients, alongside a clipper cut or a...
Digital Currency Revolution in Venezuela and Argentina
In Latin America, a revolution is growing now without...
Markets in Transition: Chile and Peru Seek to Diversify Beyond Traditional Exports
Chile and Peru have long been leaders of Latin...
Women Leaders and Activists Shaping South America’s Future: Gender Equality in Politics
South America has undergone a sea change in recent...
Plundered through Crisis: Big Crises and Their Impact on Governance Across the Region
In South America, corruption has provided a long shadow...
Digital Currency Revolution in Venezuela and Argentina
In Latin America, a revolution is growing now without a sound, with Venezuela and Argentina at the vanguard. With crippling inflation and the devaluation...
Markets in Transition: Chile and Peru Seek to Diversify Beyond Traditional Exports
Chile and Peru have long been leaders of Latin America’s export-driven economies, with copper, gold and other minerals forming the foundation of their economic...
Women Leaders and Activists Shaping South America’s Future: Gender Equality in Politics
South America has undergone a sea change in recent years. Once consigned to the sidelines, women are now stepping into positions of power and...
Plundered through Crisis: Big Crises and Their Impact on Governance Across the Region
In South America, corruption has provided a long shadow over governance that has slowly eroded public trust and brought state institutions to their knees....
The São Paulo Auto Show: Brazil’s Car & Motor Get-Together
Resplendent metropolises of South America — São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Lima — are cultural and economic luminaries. But behind their colorful façades, they...
