Stablecoins, Crypto and the Future of Money

For centuries, the power to create money was isolated to traditional issuers, who built trust over the ages. But now stablecoins are starting to pull at that monopoly, rising up in relevance as a massive innovation on infrastructure.

On the Policy Prompt season two opener, hosts Vass Bednar and Paul Samson welcome Ali Abou Daya and Morva Rohani to discuss the emergent and transformative nature of crypto and stablecoins — it’s currency policy, foreign policy and tech policy, all in one conversation.

CIGI is pleased to announce that Cornelia C. Walther has joined as a senior fellow. Cornelia is a visiting fellow at the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative/Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative and adjunct associate faculty at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine. A former UN humanitarian practitioner with two decades of field experience, she is a pioneer in hybrid intelligence and prosocial AI, collaborating with leading universities across the Americas and Europe.

A warm welcome to Cornelia!

“Africa and the Geopolitics of Artificial Intelligence,” a webinar held on November 19, 2024, explored AI development and regulation in Africa and the practice of African agency within AI geopolitics. The webinar was convened under the Negotiating Africa’s Digital Partnerships project hosted at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, and supported by CIGI.

In this conference report, Folashadé Soulé-Kohndou, Leslie N. L. Mills and Charles Falajiki summarize the participants’ discussion of these issues, and the opportunities and challenges they present to Africa’s digital sovereignty.

Russia’s hybrid warfare — blending disinformation, cyberattacks and economic coercion — has spread beyond Ukraine, with authoritarian regimes adopting similar tactics. Drawing on Ukraine’s response, Anna Romandash outlines lessons for Canada to strengthen cyber defences, media literacy, legislation and allied cooperation against such threats.

As the United States and Hong Kong move forward with stablecoin regulation, China faces a strategic choice on the future of the RMB in digital finance. In this analysis, Alex He explores how offshore yuan stablecoins could accelerate RMB internationalization, reshape cross-border payments and position China in the emerging global digital currency landscape, all while highlighting regulatory challenges and the delicate balance between efficiency and oversight.

Rising global military spending poses both challenges and opportunities for the United Nations. In this analysis, Salvator Cusimano examines how escalating defence budgets, declining peacekeeping resources and shifts in diplomacy impact the UN’s ability to “hold the centre” in global conflicts, highlighting why collective security and investment in peace operations remain essential for international stability.