Global ETF News for the Past 2 Months
you are currently viewing::Why gold retains enduring value in an era of digital assetsDecember 17, 2025--For more than five millennia, humanity has been captivated by gold-the immutable metal that has illuminated temples, crowned emperors, and underpinned monetary systems. Its story is as much about economics as it is about psychology. Across the centuries, gold has functioned as currency, ornament, reserve, and metaphor-embodying the human desire for permanence in a world of change. In an age of crypto assets, artificial intelligence, and central bank digital currencies, its persistence raises a question both ancient and modern: Why does gold still hold value? Gold's legacy as a standard of value began long before modern finance. The Lydians were among the first to mint gold coins in the seventh century BCE, transforming trade through standardization. Ancient Egypt and Rome regarded it as divine, associating its incorruptible gleam with eternity. In economic terms, its durability, scarcity, and divisibility made it uniquely suitable for money. It did not rust, could be stored indefinitely, and existed in limited quantities—a perfect medium of exchange. By the 19th century, gold had become the foundation of the global financial order. Under the classical gold standard, the British pound, the world's premier reserve currency, was directly convertible into a fixed quantity of gold held in the Bank of England's vaults. This system, adopted by much of the industrial world, imposed fiscal discipline and constrained governments from printing excessive money. Source: imf.org |
Global Economy in the Shadow of War
April 14, 2026-The global economy faces renewed tests as the war in the Middle East threatens to disrupt growth and disinflation.
After withstanding higher trade barriers and elevated uncertainty last year, global activity now faces a major test from the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Assuming that the conflict remains limited in duration and scope, global growth is projected to slow to 3.1 percent in 2026 and 3.2 percent in 2027.
