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Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · 1d

Here are the videos for the 7th event of our IMF Sub-Saharan Africa Central Bank Network on Central Bank Digital Currency and Digital Payments, organized on May 12-13, 2025 together with the Bank of Ghana. The event focused on “Remittances, Compliance, and Interoperability”.

substack.com/@marketsenti...

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · 3d

Market Sentiment (@marketsentiment)

Jeff Bezos called AI an “industrial bubble”: “Investors don’t usually give a team of six people a couple billion dollars with no product, and that’s happening today.”

substack.com

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · 25d

New Tether USAT will change the global landscape of stablecoins and likely influence the US Treasuries market tether.io/news/tether-...

Tether Unveils USA₮, its Planned U.S.-Regulated Dollar-Backed Stablecoin, and Will Appoint Bo Hines as CEO of Tether USA₮ - Tether.io

The introduction of USA₮ and appointment of Bo Hines marks Tether’s next chapter in strengthening U.S. dollar dominance through transparency and innovation 12 September 2025 – Tether, the largest comp...

tether.io

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · 29d

Pls see the video here: www.omfif.org/videos/sub-s...

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · Sep 5

Please join me for this event on Thursday organized by OMFIF, where we discuss developments and policy issues related to Digital Payments in Sub-Saharan Africa.

www.omfif.org/meetings/sub...

Sub-Saharan Africa's digital payments innovation: insights from the IMF - OMFIF

Luca Antonio Ricci, mission chief and assistant director of the International Monetary Fund’s Africa department, joins OMFIF to present the IMF’s latest departmental paper on digital payments innovati...

www.omfif.org

Ludger Woessmann @woessmann.bsky.social · Jul 7

❓Why do the Nordics & Dutch speak English so much better than the Germans, Italians & French?

➡️ New Working Paper:

Out-of-School Learning: Subtitling vs. Dubbing and the Acquisition of Foreign-Language Skills
w/ F. Baumeister & E. Hanushek

www.nber.org/papers/w33984

A 🧵 1/12

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Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · Jun 27

Our paper on Digital Payment Innovations in Sub-Saharan Africa is finally out!
www.imf.org/en/Publicati...

Digital Payment Innovations in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper takes stock of developments and policy issues related to digital payments innovations across sub-Saharan African (SSA), including central bank digital currency (CBDC), fast payments systems...

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · May 8

Luca Antonio Ricci, Advisor IMF African Department
Tommaso Mancini Griffoli, Division Chief IMF Monetary and Capital Markets Department
Xiangming Li, Advisor IMF African Department

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · May 8

Abebe Aemro Selassie, Director of the IMF African Department, Tobias Adrian, Financial Counsellor and Director IMF Monetary and Capital Markets Department
Vitaliy Kramarenko, Deputy Director IMF African Department

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · May 8

A great thank you to all the key speakers:
Lesetja Kganyago, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank,
Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, Governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO),
Bo Li, IMF Deputy Managing Director

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · May 8

This was organized as part of the IMF African Department Working Group on CBDC and Digital Payment that I am co-leading.

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · May 8

The rise of digital money and payments has transformed the payment landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa. Policymakers explored the future policy agenda related to digital payments, aimed at improving financial inclusion and payment efficiency.

Digital Innovations in Payments: Sub-Saharan Africa Future Agenda

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · May 8

As part of the IMF-WB 2025 Spring Meetings, we held a High-Level event on “Digital Innovations in Payments: Sub-Saharan Africa Future Agenda”:
www.imf.org/en/Videos/vi...

The rise of digital money and payments has transformed the payment landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa. Policymakers explored the future policy agenda related to digital payments, aimed at improving finan...

IMF Executive Board Concludes 2025 Discussions on Common Policies of Member Countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · May 8

Thanks to the WAEMU regional authorities with whom we had excellent meetings, and to the WAEMU team for the tireless efforts.

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · May 8

I am happy to report that the IMF Executive Board concluded on Friday May 2nd the 2025 Discussions on Common Policies of Member Countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union.
www.imf.org/en/News/Arti...

Economic growth continues to be strong in the WAEMU. Inflation has fallen back to its target range, and recent improvements in regional external imbalances are supporting a strong recovery in reserves...

Bond Sell Off Raises Questions About U.S. Safe Haven Status

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · Apr 9

This is another opportunity for Europe to start denting the US$ financial dominance in global markets (the could not take advantage of the GFC )
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/b...

As the fallout from President Trump’s global trade war spreads, investors are fleeing what is typically seen as the safest corner.

Reciprocal Tariff Calculations

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · Apr 3

ustr.gov/issue-areas/...

Executive Summary Reciprocal tariffs are calculated as the tariff rate necessary to balance bilateral trade deficits between the U.S. and each of our trading partners. This calculation assumes that pe...

ustr.gov

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · Mar 26

The importance of boredom www.facebook.com/share/r/18fi...

Redirecting...

www.facebook.com

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · Mar 15

This discusses more broadly the USA South Africa relations, the land reform, and the US welcoming Africaners www.cnn.com/2025/03/14/p...

Rubio says South African ambassador ‘no longer welcome’ in US | CNN Politics

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said that South Africa’s ambassador to the United States “is no longer welcome in our great country.”

www.cnn.com

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Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · Mar 13

www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/t... “The main loser in each case [IMF and WB] would be the US itself.…For the Fed, the situation is, if anything, more dire”

The Fed, the Fund, and the Bank in Trump’s Crosshairs | by Barry Eichengreen - Project Syndicate

Barry Eichengreen explains why the US president’s second administration, unlike his first, is targeting all three.

www.project-syndicate.org

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · Mar 12

“That’s the world we’re going into,” he predicted, adding “I don’t think we’re going back to the one we had before.”

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · Mar 12

Sir Alex Younger, the former head of MI6, the British spy agency, said in a BBC interview that it reminded him of the Yalta Conference — the meeting of Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin in 1945 — where “the strong countries decided the fate of small countries.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/11/u...

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · Mar 12

Power, Money, Territory: How Trump Shook the World in 50 Days

The system America took 80 years to assemble proved surprisingly fragile in the face of Trump’s assault, a revolution in how the country exercises power across the globe.

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/09/o...

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · Mar 10

Opinion | The MAGA Culture War Comes for Georgetown Law

If our liberties can survive a world war, then they can and should survive the Trump administration.

Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda

Luca Antonio Ricci @lucaricci2010.bsky.social · Mar 6

This site tracks lawsuits against trump agenda www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Follow the lawsuits and rulings that are challenging President Trump's executive orders.