By Andrei Skvarsky. The guests at a July 30 ceremony in Tangier celebrating Moroccan King Mohammed VI’s 19th anniversary of enthronement included the chief of the African Development Bank (AfDB), which has put more than $10bn into the Maghreb country’s economy over the past half-century. Continue Reading
Category Archives: News
Cryptos, blockchain high on agenda for Aug 16 FinTech Canada forum
Big companies such as Google, IBM, MasterCard and Amazon will be represented at FinTech Canada, a conference in Toronto on August 16 with an agenda largely taken up by cryptocurrency and blockchain issues. Continue Reading
Permira provides Bridgepoint with loan for buying out French retailer
By Andrei Skvarsky. Investment group Permira Debt Managers (PDM) has announced that one of its funds is acting as the sole lender to buyout firm Bridgepoint in the acquisition of Private Sport Shop, one of France’s largest sports equipment online retailers. Continue Reading
CORRECTION: Sept 11 Stockholm conference to discuss blockchain use in energy, real estate industries, media
(Correcting date to September 11 from November 11 in headline and lead). Experts, businesspeople and others specialising or interested in blockchain and cryptocurrencies are getting together at a planned conference in Stockholm on September 11 to discuss subjects including the use of blockchain in industries such as energy, real estate and newsmaking. Continue Reading
UPDATE 2: London to host two tech-focused European insurance forums in October
(Quoting changed codes for attendance fee discounts). Use of digital technology in insurance will be discussed in detail at two European conferences in London this October that are being organised by Insurance Nexus, a London-based intelligence company that is part of British-registered FC Business Intelligence. Continue Reading
Rhode Island hosting Opal conferences on cybersecurity, payment technologies
Newport, Rhode Island, is the site of two more financial conferences this week organised by Opal Group besides a family office event that has just ended – Cyber Security Summit 2018 and Financial Innovation and Payments Summit 2018, both being held on July 18-20. Friday’s agenda for the Cyber Security Summit includes panel sessions on… Continue Reading
Blockchain, cryptos to be among topics at Rhode Island family office forum
Blockchain and cryptocurrencies will be among a multitude of subjects to be raised at the Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum in Newport, Rhode Island, on July 16-18. Continue Reading
Sberbank subsidiary: Security firms technologically behind cybercriminals due to bureaucratic, legal constraints
By Andrei Skvarsky. Cybercriminals across the world are technologically “a step ahead” of cybersecurity firms as the latter are handicapped by bureaucratic formalities and legal requirements, according to the head of a cybersecurity subsidiary of Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank. Continue Reading
Blockchain/crypto event to be hosted by crypto-friendly France
The blockchain/cryptocurrency theme, which has been discussed at numerous meetings across the world, is going to be raised again in a month’s time, this time round in an increasingly crypto-friendly country – at Blockchain and Bitcoin Conference France on July 18. Continue Reading
Over 150 insurtechs to get together at London conference on June 19-20
More than 1,000 people are going to gather at the Insurtech Insights conference in London on June 19-20 to hear what over 240 speakers from a bunch of companies including more than 150 insurtechs have to say about how their firms use modern technologies in their business. Continue Reading
Big-scale forum on cryptos to be held in New York
New York City will host a conference on cryptocurrency investment on June 11-12 that is going to be an outstanding event for the range of issues it will address. Continue Reading
Sberbank launches versatile electronic brokerage platform for institutional clients
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank has launched a single electronic brokerage platform for institutional clients that gives them access to all key Russian and international floors for financial instrument trading. Continue Reading
Retirement Products and How They Work
Retirement products (like provident funds, pension funds and retirement annuities) all come with various benefits and restrictions, thus it is important to understand how they work so that you can choose the one that is right for you. Your investment return in retirement products comes from underlying investments such as unit trusts. These need time… Continue Reading
Individuals withdraw $479bn from Russia between 2016 and 2017 – Tranio, central bank
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russian individuals withdrew $479bn from Russia between 2006 and 2017, taking the money to 257 foreign countries and territories, Russian real estate broker Tranio said, citing Russia’s central bank. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Some of RenCap’s traditional products offer crypto market access – senior manager
By Andrei Skvarsky. Legislative gaps prevent Russians from pursuing full-scale cryptocurrency business, yet Russian banks have been finding legally safe ways of access to cryptocurrency markets in meeting growing client demand – Renaissance Capital, for one, sells traditional products that offer exposure to the crypto world. Continue Reading
BlockShow study: Switzerland Europe’s most cryptocurrency-friendly country
By Andrei Skvarsky. Switzerland is Europe’s most cryptocurrency- and blockchain-friendly country, according to a study carried out in the framework of BlockShow Europe 2018, a planned flagship conference on blockchain technology in Berlin on May 28-29. Continue Reading
BlockShow attendees to be able to use blockchain-based voting app
By Andrei Skvarsky. Those attending BlockShow Europe 2018, a planned conference on blockchain on May 28-29, will be able to use a blockchain-based application for voting to compile rankings of women executives and companies that have made outstanding achievements in blockchain development. Continue Reading
“Hypersmart contract” creator ORS hopes to raise nearly $30m via ICO
By Andrei Skvarsky. ORS Group, a software company that claims to have developed a modernised type of smart contract, the “hypersmart contract (HSC)”, by connecting artificial intelligence to blockchain, hopes to raise €25m ($29.5m) through a current initial coin offering (ICO). Continue Reading
FXPrimus accuses company of stealing its branding for ICO
By Andrei Skvarsky. Foreign exchange broker FXPrimus has accused a company that has “no association” with it is of unauthorised use of its branding for a planned initial coin offering (ICO). Continue Reading
Cross-border pension plan among matters to be discussed at Europe pension forum
European Union officials, bankers, lawyers, academics and others are getting together at a pan-European conference on May 17-18 to discuss developments in and plans for Europe’s pension industry. Continue Reading
Wikipedia co-founder Wales to address BlockShow Europe conference
Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales will be among the more than 80 speakers addressing an anticipated audience of over 3,000 at BlockShow Europe 2018, a planned conference on blockchain on May 28-29, according to a statement from the BlockShow company, the forum’s organiser. Continue Reading
BlockShow Europe ticket price rising but EM.me readers still qualify for discount
As we warned in an article on March 30, tickets for BlockShow Europe 2018, a planned major conference in Berlin on May 28-29 on blockchain developments, are going up in price by 30 per cent as of April 26. Continue Reading
Renaissance Capital reports robust performance for 2017
By Andrei Skvarsky. Renaissance Capital, a Moscow-based privately owned investment bank focusing on emerging and frontier markets all over the world, has reported robust performance for 2017, including a year-on-year net profit increase of 43 per cent. Continue Reading
EU pension issues, risk and collateral management aspects to be discussed at forums
Various issues in the European pension industry, in risk management, and in collateral management will be addressed at conferences this May organised by event manager Global Leading Conferences (GLC). Continue Reading
Insurers to hold two key conferences in London in June
Insurance Nexus, a London-based research and event organisation company, is planning two key conferences on European insurance for June 2018, both of which will take place in London. Continue Reading
Cryptocurrencies, blockchain among subjects to be raised at Cbonds-organised forum in London
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain, which are the “in-thing” in financial markets across the world today, will be among numerous subjects to be raised at the VII Cbonds Emerging Markets Bond Conference in London on April 19-20, organised by St Petersburg-based financial information company Cbonds. Continue Reading
Russian investors warming to South Africa – govt agency
By Andrei Skvarsky. There is considerable and growing interest among Russian companies in investing in South Africa, according to a study based on surveys and cited by a South African government agency responsible for managing the country’s global reputation. Continue Reading
Sovcombank-Rosevrobank merger expected to create one of Russia’s top 3 private banks
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s Sovcombank and Rosevrobank have agreed to merge in a deal that will bring into being what is expected to be one of Russia’s top three private banks by assets and capital. Continue Reading
Vienna training session looking at new Basel standards for banking book interest rate risk management
A current training session in Vienna is focusing on revised standards for banking book interest rate risk management as set out in paper D368 of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), which was published in April 2016. Continue Reading