Southeast Asia Startup Ecosystem Report 2018
by e27
Southeast Asia’s startup environment is growing and facing maturation, and this report gives an overview of what’s going on in the region’s major countries, touching on what kinds of start-ups are being launched, average deal sizes, and more.
2018 Trends for Mobile Payment in Chinese Outbound Tourism
by Nielsen
Chinese tourism is on the rise, and this analysis finds that, amongst other things, all segments of tourists embrace mobile payments, mobile payments actually increase spending for Chinese tourists, and the Chinese preference for mobile payments pushes vendors to accept the payment method.
Islamic Fintech Report 2018: Current Landscape & Path Forward
by Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre, DinarStandard
Although the Islamic finance industry has seen much innovation, Islamic fintech has not; however, it is poised to have a promising future. This report looks at the global and Islamic fintech landscapes, outlining points of parity and divergence, and details opportunities.
Cryptos: Recommendations for a regulatory framework
by DNB, AFM
This report outlines recommendations from the Dutch central bank and financial market authority regarding cryptos to the Dutch government. It advises the government to put a licensing regime in place for fiat-crypto exchanges and wallets, and amend the EU regulatory framework to enable blockchain-based development of SME funding, and other measures.
China’s Digital Economy: Opportunities and Risks
by IMF
Digitisation is taking off in China, even if it remains lower than in advanced economies. In some sectors, such as fintech and ecommerce, digitisation is already high, and will continue to mold the Chinese economy. Looking forward, this paper advises the government to maximise the benefits of digitisation and minimise related risks like labour disruption and privacy infringement.
Crypto-Assets and Blockchain Technology: On the Brink of Legitimacy?
by Marsh & McLennan, FireEye, Circle
Blockchain and crypto are seen by many as “over-hyped” technologies despite their potential. This paper looks at the challenges these technologies need to overcome to make good on their promise.
Establishing viable capital markets
by BIS
Taking capital markets’ ability to spur economic growth and create financial stability, this paper looks at practical ways that policy can enhance particular drives of capital market development, such as a strong enabling environment and effective regulation, from the point of view of a central bank.

The euro area bank lending survey: Q4 2018
by ECB
This report reports the result of a bank lending survey taken during the fourth quarter of 2018, finding that credit standards went largely unchanged for enterprise loans and housing loans, net percentage of rejected loan applications increased, net demand for loans increased, and more.
Financing the Sustainable Development Goals: Impact Investing in Action
by Global Impact Investing Network
Impact investors have an opportunity in the UN’s SDGs in that they can support the goals by deploying increasing amounts of capital to high-impact projects focusing on the SDGs. This paper gives an overview of impact investors that are creating products, raising capital, and making investments targeting the SDGs.