Dante Disparte on Stablecoins and the Future of FinanceWhile the volatility of digital currencies like Bitcoin has kept it out of traditional banking systems, stablecoin is gaining ground in the race for a suitable digital counterpart to fiat currency. Dante Disparte heads strategy and global policy at Circle, which issues two of the world's most widely traded stablecoins. In this podcast, he says stablecoin money can help overcome some of the inefficiencies of the traditional banking system.DANTE DISPARTEPablo Peña on why AI is No Match for Human CapitalWhile artificial intelligence continues to outperform our human abilities in many areas, Pablo Pena believes critical thinking and curiosity are what will keep us in the driver's seat. Pena is an associate professor of economics at the University of Chicago and author of Human Capital for Humans: An Accessible Introduction to the Economic Science of People. In this Podcast, Pena and journalist Rhoda Metcalfe discuss his article in the December issue of Finance & Development magazine.PABLO PENABig data | December 2025Alternative Data and Monetary PolicyCentral bankers are tapping nontraditional data sources for a more complete picture of the economyCLAUDIA SAHMHolding Steady: Sub-Saharan Africa’s OutlookSub-Saharan Africa is holding its own despite a deteriorating global trade and aid landscape. The latest outlook projects growth to remain steady at 4.1 percent this year with a modest pickup in 2026. In this podcast, IMF economist Athene Laws says removing barriers to private firm growth is crucial for providing the jobs needed by the region’s young and rapidly expanding labor force.Athene LawsBig data | December 2025Counting SmarterThe head of India’s statistics ministry, Saurabh Garg, explains how he is tackling challenges of scale as demand for real-time data growsSRIKANTH SRINIVASGlobalization | December 2025Why Civilizations Flourish—and FailFrom Athens to the Abbasids to today’s Anglosphere, creativity and commerce drive greatnessJOHAN NORBERGHuman capital | December 2025The Human EdgeCuriosity, critical thinking, and self-regulation matter more than ever in the AI agePABLO PENABig data | December 2025The Hidden Price of DataRevealing data’s true price can turn passive users into active suppliers who demand fair valueLAURA VELDKAMPBig data | December 2025It’s Time to Modernize Measures of GrowthEconomic assessments may miss important changes in a rewired, data-driven economyREBECCA RILEYBig data | December 2025The Pulse of the PlanetThe explosion of data offers new ways to understand the economy—and change what gets measured, not just howKENNETH CUKIERSee AlsoMagazine ArchivesCountry FocusBlogs
