Central banks' commitment to public interest goes beyond monetary policy. A wide range of areas are under the control of central banks (price and financial stability, services for the economy, e.g., economic analysis, payments, financial education, customer protection); central banks also have...

This paper deals with the neglected issue of central banks' social responsibility. Since central banks exert the "structural power" on economies as well as on societies, their power should be regulated and controlled by society through a reliable framework of social responsibility. To that aim,...

Virtual currencies are a contemporary form of private money. Thanks to their technological properties, their global transaction networks are relatively safe, transparent, and fast. This gives them good prospects for further development. However, they remain unlikely to challenge the dominant...