Last month, Jamison Greer, a top U.S. trade official, complained that Pix, Brazil’s instant payments system, was putting American companies like Visa and Mastercard at a disadvantage. The United States has proposed a 25 percent tariff on Brazil in response. But Brazilians appear unfazed. “Pix is a Brazilian achievement and we are not going to …
Tag: Christine Lagarde
Why don’t central bankers want private money? – The stablecoins revolution
In a recent speech in Portugal, Christine Lagarde — president of the European Central Bank (ECB) — gave a stern warning about the emergence of stablecoins, stating that they could lead to the creation of “new private currencies.” These stablecoins, which are tokens (digital tokens) backed by government currencies (fiat), pose a serious threat to …
The nightmare of ECB policy and the mistake of cutting interest rates
The ECB decided to cut interest rates by 25 basis points on the same day it raised its own inflation estimates for 2024 and 2025. If anyone wants irrefutable proof of the lack of independence of central banks, this is it. The ECB has only one mandate, price stability, and it has violated it for …