Trend Redefining Finance and Monetary Systems

Summary

Redefining Finance and Monetary Systems is a new megatrend in this edition, describing how the meaning of value, money and investment is changing under the influence of investor priorities, generational values and technology. Financial infrastructure is altering how capital is allocated, how finances are managed and how everyday payments are made. Competing forms of digital money, built on centralised, decentralised and hybrid models, are driving the shift while assets diversify into physical, digital and tokenised forms. Established and new non-bank institutions are reshaping access to credit and investment, and a Bank for International Settlements survey found 91% of 93 central banks exploring central bank digital currencies, covering 94% of global GDP. Together with cross-border flows, divergent regulation and real-time analytics, these forces are expected to redefine net worth, income and how goods are paid for.