Theoretical and historical experience suggests a financial centre may either include a single, consolidated and loosely regulated stock exchange attracting all intermediaries and actors, or a variety of exchanges going from strictly regulated to completely unregulated and adapted to the needs of...

art I: The benefits of free financial markets -- Does finance benefit only the rich? -- Shylock transformed -- The financial revolution and individual economic freedom -- The dark side of finance -- The bottom line on financial development -- Part II: When do financial markets emerge? -- The...