IBGR.NEWS - ECONOMIC NEWS YOU CAN USE FOR 17FEB22

Blockchain technology in financial services
Information Age, Aaron Hurst, 10FEB22

• Ever since Bitcoin came to the fore as a cryptocurrency providing an alternative to traditional finance, blockchain has been demonstrating its capabilities within financial services
• One key financial services use case for blockchain comes in the form of decentralised finance (DeFi) – global, autonomous capital markets that are powered by smart contracts that reside on the technology.
  
• Decentralised exchange platforms are allowing users to benefit from the interoperability, immutability and faster verification that traditional spheres sometimes lack.
  

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Commentary: Too few in Singapore understand the impact of inflation on investments and savings
Channel Asia News, Greg Harvey 16FEB22

• From groceries to computers, cars and clothing, the world is already paying more for everyday expenses.
• Mounting oil and gas prices and pandemic-related supply chain disruptions have also driven up freight rates, feeding into a steady climb in global commodity prices.
  
• Singapore feels these effects keenly, having already recorded a rise in headline inflation to 4 per cent in December 2021 from 3.8 per cent in November, registering the highest inflation figures for almost a decade.
  

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​China's inflation slows, leaving room for policy easing
Reuters, Staff, 15FEB22

• China's Jan PPI, CPI miss forecasts
• Slowing inflation gives PBOC scope to ease
• China's inflation, policy outlooks contrast with global peers

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Biden's economy drags US to all-time low in Heritage freedom index rating
FoxBusiness, Emily Colton, 14FEB22

• "The decline of American economic freedom is serious cause for alarm and has real and tangible consequences for all Americans, especially low-income families and the working class." 
• The report determined the U.S. fell 2.7 points from the 2021 Index of Economic Freedom to a record-low score of 72.1, according to the data released Monday. The U.S. also fell to its lowest ranking globally, from the 20th spot in last year’s rating to 25th in 2022. 
  
• Americans are currently dealing with 40-year highs in inflation, with the consumer price index rising 7.5% in January of this year compared to the same month in 2021.