ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

  Facebuck: The Political Economy of the Libra ‘Stablecoin’ Backgrounders  -  August 19, 2024 By  Jose Miguel Alonso-Trabanco From a long-range perspective, private money is not a new phenomenon. Meaningful precedents include commercial bills of exchange controlled by financiers during the Renaissance and money minted by the English East India Company as a nonstate quasi-authority. In the digital age, the proliferation of FinTech —an innovation of the “ Fourth Industrial Revolution ”— has encouraged  private firms  to launch their own cybercurrencies. Furthermore, the possibility of supranational money has been proposed more than once, but none of these plans has taken off. In the deliberations under the umbrella of the Bretton Woods conference, British economist John Maynard Keynes suggested the creation of ‘bancor’ as a gold-backed monetary invention designed to diminish the risks of competitive devaluations and wild fluctuations in exchange rates. Such p...

  Overview of Global Geopolitical Developments on August 24, 2024 As of August 24, 2024, the global geopolitical landscape is marked by significant developments that highlight the ongoing complexities and tensions across various regions. These events underscore the shifting dynamics of international relations, with a particular focus on the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia. This analysis provides an in-depth examination of the most critical geopolitical issues currently shaping the world. 1. Middle East: Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations and Broader Regional Implications The Middle East remains a focal point of global concern, with the potential for a ceasefire in Gaza being a major development. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's ninth trip to the region this year reflects the high stakes involved in securing a lasting peace agreement. The conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah has escalated, raising fears of a wider regional conflict. The delicate negotiations in Gaza ...