Cryptoliquidity: the blockchain and monetary stability

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Lee Caton

Purpose The development of blockchain and cryptocurrency may alleviate the economic strain associated with recession. Economic recessions tend to be aggregate-demand driven, meaning that they are caused by fluctuations in the supply of or demand for money. Holding monetary policy as solution assumes that stability must arise from outside of the economic system. Under a policy regime that allows innovations in blockchain to develop, blockchain technology may promote a money supply that is responsive to changes in demand to hold money. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that cryptocurrencies present an opportunity to profitably implement rules that promote macroeconomic stability. In particular, cryptocurrency that is asset-backed may provide a means for cheaply attaining liquidity during a crisis. Design/methodology/approach The role of cryptocurrency in promoting macroeconomic equilibrium is approached through the lens of monetary theory. Moves away from macroeconomic equilibrium necessitate either a change in the average price of money or a change in the quantity of money, or a change in portfolio demand for money. Cryptocurrency promotes an increase, however this requires the alignment of policy regulating the use of cryptocurrency, reduction in taxes placed on the use of cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency protocol. Findings Cryptocurrency is unlikely to become legal tender, but it may alleviate macroeconomic fluctuations as a near money that provides liquidity and whose supply is sensitive to changes in demand to hold money and money-like substitutes. This role might be inhibited if policy stifles the development of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Research limitations/implications New financial innovations like cryptocurrencies can be analyzed applying the equation of exchange in light of the mechanics of money creation under conditions of disequilibrium. Monetary disequilibrium may be promoted by policy that causes bottlenecks in financial markets. Originality/value Theory of monetary disequilibrium has broad implications for the development and regulation of financial markets. This theory has not been applied to the development of cryptocurrency markets.

Subject Proposed new regulatory standards for EU financial markets. Significance The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published comprehensive new proposed technical standards, covering trading, market abuse and securities settlement. The standards aim to increase the transparency, safety and resilience of European financial markets, as well as enhance investor protection. They comprise some of the most important post-crisis regulation of financial markets. Impacts The new standards will tighten regulation of high-frequency trading and 'dark pools'. They will also cover trading in commodities, fixed income, futures and derivatives. Regulators hope that greater transparency will reduce market manipulation and enhance price discovery, promoting more efficient markets.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-232
Author(s):  
Gurbachan Singh

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to improve policy, and also to simplify theory and policy. Design/methodology/approach – Theory is used in a simple and yet powerful way. Stylized facts are used. This paper reconsiders the prevailing macroeconomic policy regime, and proposes an alternative policy regime. Findings – The low interest rate policy of the central bank in a recession is tantamount to imposition of tax on lenders’ interest income and a subsidy for borrowers implying an implicit tax-subsidy scheme. This scheme may be replaced by a different and explicit tax-subsidy scheme. This may also be supplemented by lower consumption taxes in a recession. From the viewpoint of stabilization of aggregate demand, the prevailing policy regime and the proposed policy regime can be equivalent. However, from the viewpoint of general macroeconomic and asset price stability, the proposed policy regime is superior, though it has (additional) cost of administration. Social implications – Macroeconomic and financial instability has large social cost. This paper can be useful in this context, as it has suggestions for improved macroeconomic policy. It also has policy implications for developing countries and highly indebted countries. Originality/value – This paper’s innovation goes well beyond refinements to prevailing theories and policies. Also, it paves the way for further research.


Author(s):  
Daniele D'Alvia

Abstract This paper aims at providing an account of the Islamic conception of Gharar in contrast to the current Western conceptualisation of risk, using the respective financial legal frameworks of both as the criterion. One of the more decisive stakes of the difference in approach between the Islamic and contemporary Western legal orders today concern the regulation of financial markets; specifically, the definitions of risk and uncertainty – crucial characteristics of modern economies – can be understood as preferentially related to specific features of Islamic law. In the end, according to Knight, money-creation processes are centred on uncertainty. Without uncertainty, there is no profit. This is why, although different at first sight, Islamic finance with its understanding of permissible Gharar and Western finance with its uncertainty-aversion trend have become more resilient, especially since the financial crisis (2007–2010).


Subject Blockchain in China. Significance China is moving rapidly ahead with the use of blockchain technology to support homegrown financial digitisation efforts. Blockchain technology records transactions in 'blocks' of data chained together so that they cannot subsequently be altered undetected. The objective of the technology is to combat fraud and increase trust in financial markets and also increase efficiency and reduce time lags. Impacts Blockchain’s imperviousness to tampering may backfire in a system that has traditionally placed a high priority on 'information control'. More traceability of transactions will aid the Party's efforts to police itself by making corruption more difficult to hide. Blockchain technologies will help Chinese banks leapfrog from the paper-based approaches that they still widely use. Blockchain and digital currencies will receive strong support from state institutions and banks, as long as trading can be regulated.


Significance Despite mounting pressure on Hungarian assets, partly stemming from the Greek crisis, and the end in May of a long spell of deflation, the Hungarian National Bank (MNB) expects to ease policy further. However, persistently high debt levels, a dearth of structural reforms, imprudent monetary policy and continued deleveraging in the banking sector render Hungary vulnerable to a sharp deterioration in market sentiment. Impacts Central Europe's financial markets remain among the developing world's most resilient because of the relatively strong fundamentals. The scope for contagion from Greek default and possible Grexit is unclear, despite a euro-area seemingly better placed to manage its impact. Foreign holdings of Hungarian local bonds are mostly held by institutional investors less likely to reduce exposure during market turmoil.


2019 ◽  
pp. 5-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikhail V. Ershov ◽  
Anna S. Tanasova

Russian economy has reached the low level of inflation, but economic growth has not accelerated. Moreover, according to official forecasts, in the following years it will still be low. The article concludes that domestic demand, which is one of the main factors of growth, is significantly constrained by monetary, budgetary and fiscal spheres. The situation in the Russian economy is still hampered by the decline of the world economic growth. The prospects of financial markets are highly uncertain. This increases the possibility of crisis in the world. Leading countries widely use non-traditional measures to support their economies in the similar environment. In the world economy as well as in Russia a principally new combination of factors has emerged, which create specific features of economic growth. It requires special set of measures to stimulate such growth. The article proves that Russian regulators have large unused potential to stimulate growth. It includes monetization, long-money creation, budget and tax stimuli. It is important that the instruments, which will be used, should be based on domestic mechanisms. This will strengthen financial basis of the economy and may encourage economic growth. Some specific suggestions as to their use are made.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matti Raudjjrv ◽  
Manfred O. E. Hennies

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah ◽  
Maqsood Ahmad ◽  
Faisal Mahmood

Purpose This paper aims to clarify the mechanism by which heuristics influences the investment decisions of individual investors, actively trading on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), and the perceived efficiency of the market. Most studies focus on well-developed financial markets and very little is known about investors’ behaviour in less developed financial markets or emerging markets. The present study contributes to filling this gap in the literature. Design/methodology/approach Investors’ heuristic biases have been measured using a questionnaire, containing numerous items, including indicators of speculators, investment decisions and perceived market efficiency variables. The sample consists of 143 investors trading on the PSX. A convenient, purposively sampling technique was used for data collection. To examine the relationship between heuristic biases, investment decisions and perceived market efficiency, hypotheses were tested by using correlation and regression analysis. Findings The paper provides empirical insights into the relationship of heuristic biases, investment decisions and perceived market efficiency. The results suggest that heuristic biases (overconfidence, representativeness, availability and anchoring) have a markedly negative impact on investment decisions made by individual investors actively trading on the PSX and on perceived market efficiency. Research limitations/implications The primary limitation of the empirical review is the tiny size of the sample. A larger sample would have given more trustworthy results and could have empowered a more extensive scope of investigation. Practical implications The paper encourages investors to avoid relying on heuristics or their feelings when making investments. It provides awareness and understanding of heuristic biases in investment management, which could be very useful for decision makers and professionals in financial institutions, such as portfolio managers and traders in commercial banks, investment banks and mutual funds. This paper helps investors to select better investment tools and avoid repeating expensive errors, which occur due to heuristic biases. They can improve their performance by recognizing their biases and errors of judgment, to which we are all prone, resulting in a more efficient market. So, it is necessary to focus on a specific investment strategy to control “mental mistakes” by investors, due to heuristic biases. Originality/value The current study is the first of its kind, focusing on the link between heuristics, individual investment decisions and perceived market efficiency within the specific context of Pakistan.


foresight ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Baptiste Gossé ◽  
Dominique Plihon

Purpose – This article aims to provide insight into the future of financial markets and regulation in order to define what would be the best strategy for Europe. Design/methodology/approach – First the authors define the potential changes in financial markets and then the tools available for the regulator to tame them. Finally, they build five scenarios according to the main evolutions observed on the financial markets and on the tools used by the regulator to modify these trends. Findings – Among the five scenarios defined, two present highly unstable features since the regulator refuses to choose between financial opening and independently determining how to regulate finance in order to preserve financial stability. Three of them achieve financial stability. However, they are more or less efficient or feasible. In terms of market efficiency, the multi-polar scenario is the best and the fragmentation scenario is the worst, since gains of integration depend on the size of the new capital market. Regarding sovereignty of regulation, fragmentation is the best scenario and the multi-polar scenario is the worst, because it necessitates coordination at the global level which implies moving further away from respective national preferences. However, the more realistic option seems to be the regionalisation scenario: this level of coordination seems much more realistic than the global one; the market should be of sufficient size to enjoy substantial benefits of integration. Nevertheless, the “European government” might gradually increase the degree of financial integration outside Europe in line with the degree of cooperation with the rest of the world. Originality/value – Foresight studies on financial markets and regulation are quite rare. This may be explained by the difficulty to forecast what will be their evolution in the coming decades, not least because finance is fundamentally unstable. This paper provides a framework to consider what could be the best strategy of regulators in such an unstable environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei Xu ◽  
Joonghee Lee ◽  
James R. Barth ◽  
Robert Glenn Richey

PurposeThis paper discusses how the features of blockchain technology impact supply chain transparency through the lens of the information security triad (confidentiality, integrity and availability). Ultimately, propositions are developed to encourage future research in supply chain applications of blockchain technology.Design/methodology/approachPropositions are developed based on a synthesis of the information security and supply chain transparency literature. Findings from text mining of Twitter data and a discussion of three major blockchain use cases support the development of the propositions.FindingsThe authors note that confidentiality limits supply chain transparency, which causes tension between transparency and security. Integrity and availability promote supply chain transparency. Blockchain features can preserve security and increase transparency at the same time, despite the tension between confidentiality and transparency.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was conducted at a time when most blockchain applications were still in pilot stages. The propositions developed should therefore be revisited as blockchain applications become more widely adopted and mature.Originality/valueThis study is among the first to examine the way blockchain technology eases the tension between supply chain transparency and security. Unlike other studies that have suggested only positive impacts of blockchain technology on transparency, this study demonstrates that blockchain features can influence transparency both positively and negatively.


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