After a slow 2023, exchange-traded fund listings are revitalizing

In 2023, more than 120 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were delisted in Canada—more than four times as many as in an average year. Even so, there was still a net gain in the overall number of ETFs, with 164 new ones launching for the year. With numbers in for the first quarter of 2024, the high number of delistings appears to have been an anomaly.

Interaction with major crypto-asset platforms could benefit both CBDCs and cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies are an unregulated, ethically dubious financial instrument used by criminal organizations, terrorists and war criminals, writes Andy Holloway in the FP Investor Newsletter. But central bank digital currencies (CBDC) are the right side of regulation.

Central bank digital currencies could help improve financial inclusion

People are using cash less, and plastic more. But this presents a problem for unbanked and underbanked people. There are still a significant number of Canadians who don’t have a bank account. They can’t participate fully in the digital economy, but central bank digital currencies could help them do that.

Official launch of the Laidley Centre for Business Ethics

On November 14, the Laidley Centre for Business Ethics hosted students, faculty, staff, donors, alumni and friends of McGill Desautels for the official launch of the Centre.

Delve: Why digital currencies could change the future of central banking

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) represent a possible next step in the technological evolution of banking and the financial intermediation sector, with advances in privacy, fraud protection, and efficiency—but their roles and risks on the high-tech path forward are only now becoming clear.

Alberta politician who is spreading conspiracy theories could become premier

Danielle Smith is running for the leadership of Alberta’s United Conservative Party, and could become Alberta’s next premier. But Smith is campaigning on a platform that includes internet conspiracy theories. In a newsletter, she cautioned that Canada’s currency could be replaced with an international common digital currency, and the federal government could use it to “punish and reward” Canadians.

Keeping cryptocurrency alive

Wealthsimple, a Toronto-based financial services company, recently announced plans to push for digital currencies to be used in day-to-day transactions beyond trading. Professor Katrin Tinn says the recent downturn in cryptocurrency use emphasizes the need for stakeholders to innovate cryptocurrency for real-world applications.

Plans for Canadian digital currency remain on hold

With digital currencies like Bitcoin gaining traction in the e-commerce space, banks are considering the challenge of integrating digital and paper currencies while protecting user privacy. Although the Bank of Canada has no immediate plans to implement a government-backed digital currency, Professor Katrin Tinn wouldn't rule out a shift to cryptocurrency in the future.

Q&A with Professor Katrin Tinn

Get to know Assistant Professor Katrin Tinn, who teaches in the Finance area, in a new Q&A. She discusses her research on digital currencies and stock trading, her teaching style - including how she integrates her research - and her interest in art.

Delve: A Digital Currency for the Public by the Public

Could a Central Bank Digital Currency ensure privacy and transparency for every transaction? A new model of digital currency by Desautels Professor Katrin Tinn proposes a secure yet anonymous “asymmetric privacy” alternative to cash, traditional bank transactions, and cryptocurrency. “A public institution is in a better position to design a digital currency that has the correct incentives,” says Tinn. 

Digital currency a solution to dwindling cash transactions?

Over the last ten years, cash payments have been in a free fall and experts predict that by 2030, they could make up for just 10% of monetary transactions.

Predicting the future of digital currency

A recent survey found that Canada has the most cashless economy in the world, with most consumers using the credit card system. Professor Katrin Tinn joined CTV News Montreal to share her insights on the potential for the Bank of Canada to approve other forms of digital currencies, such as Bitcoin.

The pros and cons of digital currency

Professor Katrin Tinn weighs in on the ongoing debate about the sustainability of digital currency in Canada. In her view, consumers would benefit from a more up-to-date understanding of their spending habits, and the lending process could be streamlined. But the picture isn’t entirely rosy. Adopting digital currencies presents an inevitable security risk.

Building the digital currency space

Professor Katrin Tinn is at the forefront of the effort to reimagine Canada’s monetary backing system.

With the right innovations in central bank digital currencies, she believes, everything from paying taxes to earning income as an independent artist could become more reliable and more efficient.

Professor Katrin Tinn proposes unique design for digital currency

Professor Katrin Tinn recently teamed up with Professor Christophe Dubach from the Faculty of Engineering to propose a new design for the Bank of Canada’s digital currency. By protecting the identity and transactions of individual spenders, their design would address ongoing privacy and compliance concerns with Central Bank digital currency (CBDC).