Global ETF News Older than One Year
IMF World Economic Outlook -Global Economy in Flux, Prospects Remain Dim October 2025
October 14, 2025-- While the near-term forecast is revised up modestly, global growth remains subdued, as the newly introduced policies slowly come into focus
The global economy is adjusting to a landscape reshaped by new policy measures. Some extremes of higher tariffs were tempered, thanks to subsequent deals and resets. But the overall environment remains volatile, and temporary factors that supported activity in the first half of 2025-such as front-loading are fading.
As a result, global growth projections in the latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) are revised upward relative to the April 2025 WEO but continue to mark a downward revision relative to the pre-policy-shift forecasts. Global growth is projected to slow from 3.3 percent in 2024 to 3.2 percent in 2025 and 3.1 percent in 2026, with advanced economies growing around 1.5 percent and emerging market and developing economies just above 4 percent. Inflation is projected to continue to decline globally, though with variation across countries: above target in the United States-with risks tilted to the upside-and subdued elsewhere.
Source: IMF
Reserve and CF Benchmarks Partner on First Index Token, Tracking Over 90% of Crypto Market Cap
September 25, 2025-The industry's first licensed institutional-grade index token will be available to trade on Kraken
Reserve, the industry's leading platform for DTFs (Decentralized Token Folios), has announced the Large Cap Index DTF (LCAP), in partnership with CF Benchmarks, the UK FCA-regulated crypto index provider behind BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF.
LCAP is an onchain index token providing investors with access to a diversified basket of large-cap crypto assets. Powered by Reserve, the DTF tracks the CF Large Cap Index calculated and published by CF Benchmarks. With MEV Capital as the trading partner, LCAP gains institutional-grade scale and execution.
Source: Reserve
Central Banks Drive $407 Billion ETF Surge as Industry Consolidation Accelerates
September 22, 2025-Global central banks have purchased over 1,000 tonnes of gold annually for the last three years, representing a dramatic acceleration from the 400-500 tonne average of the preceding decade, according to the World Gold Council[1].
This institutional demand has catalyzed a parallel surge in gold ETFs, with global assets under management hitting a record $407 billion in August following three consecutive months of inflows totaling over $18 billion[2]. The sustained institutional buying is coinciding with unprecedented M&A activity in the gold sector, where deals increased 32% to 62 transactions in 2024, accounting for 70% of all mining M&A activity as companies seek scale and operational leverage[3].
Source: USA News Group
AI to boost trade by nearly 40% by 2040 if gaps are bridged, World Trade Report 2025 finds
September 17, 2025-The 2025 edition of the World Trade Report reveals that, with the right enabling policies, artificial intelligence (AI) could boost the value of cross-border flows of goods and services by nearly 40% by 2040 thanks to productivity gains and lower trade costs.
However, the flagship publication by the WTO Secretariat notes that for AI and trade to contribute to inclusive growth-with benefits shared widely- policies need to be in place to bridge the digital divide, invest in workforce skills, and maintain an open and predictable trading environment.
According to the report, AI could lead to significant increases in trade and GDP by 2040, with global trade projected to rise by 34-37% across different scenarios based on different degrees of policy and technological catch-up between low-, middle- and high-income economies. Global GDP could meanwhile see a 12-13% increase across different scenarios. Trade, in turn, can be a powerful enabler of inclusive AI -supported growth by helping economies access AI-enabling goods, such as raw materials, semiconductors and intermediate inputs. The WTO report estimates that global trade in these goods totalled USD 2.3 trillion in 2023.
Source: World Trade Organization (WTO)
Finance Changed, Risks Didn't
September 10, 2025--New technologies are rewiring liquidity, payments, and economic stability
More than 15 years after the global financial crisis, the banking and financial system looks safer. But it’s also evolving in ways that are reshaping who provides liquidity, how money moves, and risks to economic and financial stability.
As a result, the next shock may begin not in a bank, but in the new infrastructure underpinning the system.
After 2008, regulators moved swiftly to raise capital standards and introduce new supervisory tools such as stress testing. Banks rebuilt their balance sheets and retreated from risky lending and arbitrage businesses. Asset managers were blamed for the financial turmoil at the onset of the pandemic, but not banks.
Yet even as regulators fortified banks, postcrisis innovations reshaped the financial landscape. Asset managers provided more liquidity as banks stepped back, nonbank start-ups built new risk assessment tools for institutional lenders, developers introduced a wider array of crypto assets, and central banks and governments established real-time payment systems.
Source: imf.org
Infographic-G20 Inflation Tracker: July
September 4, 2025--Key Highlights:
Argentina and Turkey remain outliers, with inflation at 36.6% and 33.5%-the highest in the G20 despite some cooling.
The United States held steady at 2.7%, lower than expected even amid tariff pressures.
The United Kingdom saw inflation climb to 3.8%, running hotter than market forecasts.
China recorded 0% inflation, underscoring persistent weak demand and deflationary pressures.
India managed inflation at just 1.5%-the lowest in the G20 outside China.
Australia, now included, posted 2.8% inflation-its highest in over two years, led by housing and energy.
Source: voronoiapp.com
How Stablecoins and Other Financial Innovations May Reshape the Global Economy
September 4, 2025--Policymakers will need to achieve a difficult balance between benefits and risks while safeguarding both individual consumers and financial stability
Three years ago, Finance & Development devoted a full issue to anticipating "The Money Revolution," driven by innovations in finance, such as crypto assets. That revolution is now unfolding.
This issue of F&D looks at the new frontiers of finance,where technology,data,and changing societal values are reshaping how people and institutions move money and trade financial assets,who provides liquidity,and where new risks are brewing. We bring together academics and policymakers to assess this complex and politically charged landscape,one that generates excitement and anxiety in equal measure.
Source: imf.org
Finance Changed, Risks Didn't
September 4, 2025--New technologies are rewiring liquidity, payments, and economic stability
More than 15 years after the global financial crisis,the banking and financial system looks safer. But it's also evolving in ways that are reshaping who provides liquidity,how money moves,and risks to economic and financial stability. As a result,the next shock may begin not in a bank,but in the new infrastructure underpinning the system.
After 2008,regulators moved swiftly to raise capital standards and introduce new supervisory tools such as stress testing. Banks rebuilt their balance sheets and retreated from risky lending and arbitrage businesses. Asset managers were blamed for the financial turmoil at the onset of the pandemic,but not banks.
Yet even as regulators fortified banks,postcrisis innovations reshaped the financial landscape.
Source: imf.org
Ondo Brings Over 100 Tokenized U.S. Stocks and ETFs Onchain, Starting on Ethereum
September 3, 2025--Ondo Global Markets offers 24/7 onchain exposure to U.S. stocks and ETFs
Over 100 U.S. securities are now available, with hundreds more coming
Available to qualifying global (non-U.S.) investors, making Ondo one of the largest gateways to U.S. markets for global investors
Ondo Finance and the Ondo Foundation, the leaders in tokenized real-world assets, today announced the launch of Ondo Global Markets, enabling non-U.S. investors to seamlessly access over 100 tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs on Ethereum, with plans to scale to hundreds more by year-end. Available now for eligible Asia-Pacific, African, and Latin American investors, Ondo Global Markets is one of the largest gateways for global exposure to U.S. markets.
Source: Ondo Finance
FBS Analysis Highlights How Political Shifts Are Redefining the Next Altcoin Rally
August 27, 2025--FBS, a leading global broker, has published a new market analysis highlighting that the upcoming altseason will look very different from past cycles. Unlike the retail-driven chaos of 2021, today's crypto market is heavier, more selective, and increasingly shaped by political and institutional forces.
According to FBS analysts, liquidity is no longer flowing freely across the entire market. Instead, it is concentrating at the top- in tokens with both strong fundamentals and political leverage. By mid-2025, the top 10 altcoins already captured over 70% of the total altcoin market cap, compared to less than 50% in 2021.
Source: financewire.com
