Banque Havilland’s demise opens old wounds in Luxembourg

Banque Havilland, once a discreet player in the European private banking sector, is now caught in a severe regulatory storm. This case has also reignited old tensions related to the 2009 sale of Icelandic bank Kaupthing’s Luxembourg unit to the Rowland family, the financiers behind Banque Havilland.

Cryptos, highly undesirable alternative liquidity

Cryptocurrencies are causing the European Central Bank increasing concern. This exotic market segment operates outside the domain of central banks and, according to specialists, can undermine monetary and financial stability. This form of alternative liquidity is a highly undesirable development, according to Sylvester Eijffinger, emeritus professor of financial economics at Tilburg University and visiting professor at Harvard University’s economics department.