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How to Become a Founding Member of the Libra Association
To be a validator node and founding member, organizations will need to meet technical requirements and specific evaluation criteria. If the conditions are met, upon approval, the Enterprise will have to make an initial minimum investment of $10 million worth of Libra Investment Tokens issued by the Association. Nonprofits will not be required to make the initial investment.
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- Finance
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Facebook Unveils Libra Cryptocurrency, Targeting 1.7 Billion Unbanked
Customers interested in holding or transferring Facebook’s newly-announced Libra token will be given a number of options to do so, the company announced Tuesday, with an initial focus on international remittances.
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- Finance
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A Landmark Impact Investment: Could This Innovative Experiment with Islamic Finance Provide a Model for Both Sectors?
Impact investing and Islamic finance are two segments of the socially responsible finance spectrum that rarely intersect – despite having much in common. But according to Umar Moghul, a transactional lawyer with experience in Islamic law, a recent impact investment by Mission Driven Finance in Somali Family Service of San Diego offers an example of how the two sides can come together to boost their mutual impact.
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Viewpoint: Are Big Banks Really Serving Cash-Strapped Americans?
Overdraft “protection” can feel like a misnomer, as anyone who has ever been charged an overdraft fee — or a collection of them — knows. “Violation” would be a more appropriate term in many cases.
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- Finance
- Region
- North America
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African Development Bank launches Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility
The African Development Bank and its partners on Wednesday launched the Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility (ADFI), designed to aid safety and expansion of digital financial transactions in Africa.
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- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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The Trouble With ‘Women’s Empowerment’ Programs: Perceptions vs. Reality in India
India's government, funders and development initiatives have an increasing focus on including women in different programs. But according to Sudarshan Thakur at PRADAN, these efforts often seem more concerned about what women can do for development than what development can do for women. He argues that social change cannot come only from outside interventions or credit. Instead, global development agencies need to engage with women across different communities and contexts, as women themselves are the best judges of the types of services and programs they need.
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- Finance
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Scaling your Social Enterprise – While Handling your Success: A Q&A with Microfinance Pioneer Alex Counts
Few people know more about the opportunities and pitfalls of scaling a social enterprise than Alex Counts. A seminal figure in microfinance, he led Grameen Foundation's growth from a $6,000 start-up to a $20 million powerhouse, while playing a key role in the often turbulent expansion of the broader microfinance sector. NextBillion caught up with Counts to discuss his latest book, “Changing the World Without Losing Your Mind.” The book – and this Q&A – provide essential advice for social impact leaders working to grow their organizations – and dealing with the new tensions scale can bring.
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- Finance, Social Enterprise
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The Front Lines of the Digital Revolution: Reasons for Hope and Caution as India Rides the Fintech Boom
India is now the world's second biggest fintech hub, trailing only the U.S. Its digital payments market is set to grow to US $500 billion by 2020, with its overall digital economy predicted to reach 30% of the country’s GDP by 2025. According to Moin Qazi, this ongoing fintech revolution offers a preview of what global banking may look like a generation from now, delivering vast benefits to both providers and customers. But it isn't free of downsides – for both traditional financial institutions losing their market share to tech-based entrants, and for customers navigating new risks.
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- Finance, Technology
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