Germany is famous for its engineering and infamous for its banks – but how does a $4 trillion economy get by with only one battered global systemically important bank? And is the answer also the problem or an example to follow?

Automation and artificial intelligence are transforming the payments industry into one of the most dynamic sectors of transaction banking. But there are still many teething problems in an industry that has been catapulted onto centre stage.

It has just received a very public vote of no-confidence from non-bank liquidity providers, but concerns around transparency are yet to outweigh the perceived benefits of last look.

With a balance sheet of €486 billion, KfW is Germany’s third-largest bank and a key player in German finance. Does it provide a protective cloak to the country’s financial well-being or cast a shadow over its banking sector?

Zagreb Stock Exchange pilots multi-level market structure with Estonia’s Funderbeam.

Europe’s banking sector’s investment in fintech and ESG merits more confidence than their exposure to negative European Central Bank rates might suggest. On these counts, the US banks may be lagging.

The bid by HKEX for the London Stock Exchange is bold and has scale on its side, but faces regulatory barriers – and the fact the LSE has a different idea of what an exchange should look like.

Bankers in Europe have discussed pooling resources across different institutions for some years, as the threat from bigger US rivals has become painfully obvious.

It is 11 years since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, and even now, only about half of the UN recognizes it as a free-standing sovereign state. That lack of international validation – not least the absence of a credit rating – is holding back a strong economy.

It is less than two and a half years until Libor, the benchmark on which trillions of dollars-worth of financial instruments are based, will disappear. That is a hopelessly ambitious timetable in which to complete what has been called the largest financial engineering project in history. Even if chaos is averted, the way in which banks lend, and indeed how corporates borrow, may never be the same again.

Banks are caught in the middle of regulatory pressure from above and corporate inertia from below when it comes to transitioning away from Libor, but they are the lynchpin on which the whole process depends.

Clubby governance structures in the EU are obstructing the fight against money laundering.

Once a global wealth management (WM) powerhouse, DBWM no longer sits in the top 10 when it comes to AuM or stature.

As Europe’s financial conduct authorities get tougher, banks will be even less likely to support trade between the EU and states that are small and poor.

To date, the transformation of financial services through new technology has been a success story, but regulators are becoming more nervous.

European banks are trying to put a devastating series of money-laundering scandals behind them, but the crisis is far from over. The extra costs it implies are hitting them at the worst possible time, while the damage to their reputations will be even harder to repair.

Money-laundering scandals have dealt another blow to the reputation of Europe’s financial architecture. Does the EU stand any chance of convincing the rest of the world that it is getting tough on financial crime and fixing the leaks in its system?

Huge fines, criminal investigations and public opprobrium are the consequences of big anti-money laundering failures at banks, but what about the regulators? The reluctance of fellow EU supervisors to criticize one of their own in Denmark has heightened doubts about Europe’s AML framework.

Legal hurdles await race for European equivalents to UK AML partnership between banks and police.

Cash flow at risk and earnings at risk can help ensure FX risks are reported correctly, but treasurers need to do more to convince senior management to move away from tried and trusted methods that are no longer fit for purpose.

Any market sell-off in advance of coming recession will raise the cost for banks of holding their customers’ cash and make them look again at open banking.

Establishing clear criteria, and sticking to them, are key to successful ESG investing.

Danske Bank’s compliance head Philippe Vollot is on a hiring spree, but parts of its international network might still be too risky.

Lower yields on 10-year US government bonds than two-year notes may presage recession and further pain for equities, credit bonds and currencies.

The gradual erosion of institutional credibility could prove more damaging to Turkey than economic and political shocks.

A reluctance to dispense with legacy technology, combined with heightened regulatory oversight and changing liquidity provision from banks, has seriously complicated the execution management system (EMS) selection process for FX traders.

Blockchain has the potential to revolutionize trade finance, but a lack of standardization will hinder its adoption.

Consolidation is due in the fintech payments sector as new specialized companies begin to build scale.

Former DWS head could shake up captive fund model after Flint’s exit.

The regulators want overnight rates to become the norm in all markets after Libor – that could be wishful thinking.