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DESK FILE · 74 DISPATCHES · ALL SOURCED

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sovereign wealth · sanctions designations · central banks · sovereign debt

On this deskFederal Reserve · 13OFAC · 10Iran · 9Russia · 8United Kingdom · 6U.S. Treasury · 5European Central Bank · 4European Union · 4China · 4Saudi Arabia · 4Scott Bessent · 4FCDO · 4Sveriges Riksbank · 3Monetary Policy Committee · 3
FCA and the Bank of England set out approach to joint regulation of systemic sta
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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-07-02SCOOP 82

FCA and the Bank of England set out approach to joint regulation of systemic stablecoin issuers

The Bank of England and the FCA have published a joint approach setting out how they and where relevant other authorities will work together to regulate systemic stablecoin issuers in the UK.It explains how responsibilities will be split between the authorities, and how UK stablecoin issuers may move from FCA supervision to joint regulation once recognised as systemic by HM Tre

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-07-01SCOOP 68

Fed payments study: noncash payments reached 236.6 billion in 2024

The Federal Reserve on July 1 issued initial findings from its 2025 triennial payments study, reporting that noncash payments reached 236.6 billion in 2024 — more than triple the volume in 2000. Per the release, cards accounted for over three quarters of payments by number, with credit card payments growing faster than debit for the first time in nearly a decade, while the ACH

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Riksbank expands offline card payment options for essential goods
Photo: Boberger · via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-07-01SCOOP 55

Riksbank expands offline card payment options for essential goods

Sveriges Riksbank said that from July 1, 2026, there are more options for paying by card in-store when buying essential goods. According to the Riksbank's release, the change strengthens the resilience of the payment system and is based on an agreement between the Riksbank and market participants.

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OeNB's Kocher closes Vienna conference on monetary policy trade-offs in a h
Photo: Bundesministerium für Finanzen · via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-30SCOOP 55

OeNB's Kocher closes Vienna conference on monetary policy trade-offs in a heterogeneous currency area

The Bank for International Settlements published on June 30 the concluding remarks of Martin Kocher, Governor of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank, delivered at the OeNB-SUERF Economics Conference "Monetary policy trade-offs in a heterogeneous currency area" held in Vienna on June 19. The material available contains no further detail on the content of the remarks.

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Pezeshkian says $6 billion in Iranian frozen assets held in Qatar to be released
Photo: khamenei.ir · via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-29SCOOP 55

Pezeshkian says $6 billion in Iranian frozen assets held in Qatar to be released

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday June 29 that $6 billion of Iran's frozen assets held in Qatar would be released and returned to the country, CGTN reported, citing Iranian state media. The material available gives no detail on the timing or mechanism of the release.

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-27SCOOP 55

Sanctioned Kinahan cartel lieutenant found playing padel in Dubai

Bellingcat, in a collaboration with The Sunday Times published June 27, reported locating a sanctioned lieutenant of the Kinahan cartel at a padel club in west Dubai. According to the piece, the club hosts Friday-evening competitions with cash prizes and presents itself as part of modern wellness culture, with climate-controlled courts. The reporting bears on how sanctioned ind

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-26SCOOP 60

ECB survey: consumer inflation expectations for year ahead fall to 3.5%

The ECB's Consumer Expectations Survey for May 2026, published June 26, showed median inflation expectations for the next 12 months declined to 3.5% from 4.0% in April, while perceptions of inflation over the past 12 months held steady at 4.0%. Per the release, expectations three years ahead were unchanged at 2.9% and five years ahead at 2.4%, economic growth expectations impro

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BOJ board member Tamura speaks in Hyogo on economic activity, prices and monetar
Photo: Suicasmo · via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-25SCOOP 64

BOJ board member Tamura speaks in Hyogo on economic activity, prices and monetary policy

The Bank of Japan published on June 25 a speech by Policy Board member Naoki Tamura, delivered in Hyogo, titled "Economic Activity, Prices, and Monetary Policy in Japan." The full text was released as a PDF; the material available contains no further detail on the speech's content.

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ECB's Piero Cipollone speaks on central bank money for the digital era
Photo: Jennifer Jacquemart - European Commission · via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-25SCOOP 61

ECB's Piero Cipollone speaks on central bank money for the digital era

The European Central Bank published on June 25 the text of a speech by Piero Cipollone titled "Central bank money for the digital era." The material available contains no further detail on the content of the remarks.

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-24SCOOP 68

Fed stress test: all 32 large banks stay above capital minimums in severe-recession scenario

The Federal Reserve said on June 24 that its annual stress test confirms large banks are well positioned to weather a severe recession and continue lending to households and businesses. Per the release, all 32 banks tested remained above their minimum common equity tier 1 capital requirements despite more than $708 billion in projected losses — including roughly $200 billion on

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Riksbank publishes minutes of June 16 monetary policy meeting
Photo: Boberger · via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-24SCOOP 61

Riksbank publishes minutes of June 16 monetary policy meeting

Sveriges Riksbank published on June 24 the minutes of its monetary policy meeting held on June 16, 2026. The material available contains no further detail on the policy decision or the discussion recorded in the minutes.

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Boris Vujčić speaks on euro area economic outlook and monetary policy
Photo: Hrvatska narodna banka – Croatian National Bank from Croatia · via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-23SCOOP 61

Boris Vujčić speaks on euro area economic outlook and monetary policy

The European Central Bank published on June 23 the text of remarks by Boris Vujčić titled "Outlook for the euro area economy and monetary policy." The material available contains no further detail on the content of the remarks.

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-22SCOOP 68

Federal Reserve marks the death of former chairman Alan Greenspan

The Federal Reserve said in a June 22 statement that it "notes with deep sadness" the passing of Alan Greenspan, who served as the 13th Chairman of the Board of Governors from 1987 to 2006. The statement credited Greenspan with guiding the Fed through periods of economic expansion and stress and with a sustained era of price stability that supported economic growth, and extende

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-21SCOOP 62

SNB working paper tracks a century of Federal Reserve speeches with new dataset

The Swiss National Bank published a working paper by Thomas Lustenberger, Enzo Rossi and Anna Zeitz that draws on a novel dataset of more than 10,000 Federal Reserve speeches from 1914 to 2024 to identify stylized facts about central bank communication. According to the paper's abstract, the overall volume of speeches has declined over the past decade, yet the composition of Fe

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-18SCOOP 68

Fed proposes customer identification requirements for payment stablecoin issuers

The Federal Reserve Board on June 18 requested comment on a proposal to require certain payment stablecoin issuers to establish and maintain effective customer identification programs, per its press release. The Fed said the requirements would be comparable to the customer identification standards currently applied to banks and credit unions, and the proposal was issued jointly

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Bank of England holds Bank Rate at 3.75% in June decision
Photo: Diliff · via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-18SCOOP 66

Bank of England holds Bank Rate at 3.75% in June decision

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee maintained Bank Rate at 3.75%, according to the June 2026 Monetary Policy Summary and minutes published on June 18. The material available contains no further detail on the vote or the Committee's reasoning.

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-17SCOOP 76

UK issues largest financial sanctions penalty since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine

The UK's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, part of HM Treasury, imposed a penalty of £1,000,920.59 on travel technology firm Sabre Global Technologies Limited on June 17, according to the government's release — the largest UK penalty for breaches of Russian financial sanctions since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. OFSI said the company continued providing services to

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-16SCOOP 55

Central banks are rethinking where they store their gold

The Wall Street Journal reported on June 16 that fewer central banks now store bullion in London and New York. According to the Journal, the shift reflects growing geopolitical concerns and central banks' desire to ensure greater control over, and access to, their reserves.

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-12SCOOP 76

OFAC adds names to Specially Designated Nationals list in new sanctions action

The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control published a Federal Register notice on June 12 announcing that one or more persons have been placed on its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List after OFAC determined that applicable legal criteria were satisfied. Per the notice, all property and interests in property of the designated persons subject to U.S

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-11SCOOP 74

OFAC publishes list of medical devices requiring specific authorization under North Korea sanctions

The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control published in the Federal Register on June 11 a list of medical devices that may not be exported or reexported to North Korea under the general license covering certain agricultural commodities, medicine, medical devices and replacement parts. According to the notice, exporting or reexporting the excluded devices to North Kore

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ECB raises rates for first time since 2023 as Iran war stokes inflation
Photo: DXR · via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-11SCOOP 70

ECB raises rates for first time since 2023 as Iran war stokes inflation

The European Central Bank raised its main deposit rate from 2% to 2.25% on June 11, its first increase since 2023, in response to higher inflation caused by the war in Iran, according to reporting by Euronews and The Guardian. Financial markets expect the move to be the first of three rises, with two further increases anticipated by next spring. The decision was widely covered,

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Japan's 30-Year JGB Auction Draws Weakest Demand in a Year as Bid-to-Cover
Photo: Dick Thomas Johnson · via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
COFFERS · sovereign debt · 2026-06-10SCOOP 74

Japan's 30-Year JGB Auction Draws Weakest Demand in a Year as Bid-to-Cover Slides to 2.94 Ahead of BOJ Decision

Japan's auction of 30-year government bonds on June 10 drew the weakest demand since June 2025, with the bid-to-cover ratio falling to 2.94 from 3.49 at the previous sale and below the 12-month average of about 3.4. The average yield at the sale was recorded at 3.86%, after the 30-year yield had climbed to 3.94% on June 8, up 5 basis points on the session, in a high-yield envir

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Bank of Canada Holds at 2.25% for Fifth Straight Meeting, Vows Oil Shock Won
Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via BNN Bloomberg
COFFERS · central banks · 2026-06-10SCOOP 62

Bank of Canada Holds at 2.25% for Fifth Straight Meeting, Vows Oil Shock Won't Become 'Persistent Inflation'

The Bank of Canada held its overnight-rate target at 2.25% on June 10, its fifth consecutive hold, keeping the Bank Rate at 2.50% and the deposit rate at 2.20%. The Governing Council said CPI inflation reached 2.8% in April, pushed up by global oil prices roughly $10 a barrel above the assumptions in its April Monetary Policy Report, while core measures moved down to around 2%.

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Bank Indonesia Delivers First Off-Cycle Hike in Eight Years, Lifting BI-Rate 25b
via Central Banking
COFFERS · central banks · 2026-06-09SCOOP 88

Bank Indonesia Delivers First Off-Cycle Hike in Eight Years, Lifting BI-Rate 25bps to 5.50% to Halt Rupiah Rout

Bank Indonesia raised its benchmark BI-Rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% on June 9, deploying its first off-cycle rate increase in eight years to arrest a slide in the rupiah that had driven the currency to successive record lows. The hike was decided at an additional weekly Board of Governors meeting outside the regular monthly cycle, which last convened May 19-20, and lifted t

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Gulf Wealth Funds Pile Into SpaceX's $75 Billion IPO as PIF Weighs $5 Billi
AFP via Getty Images via CNBC
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-09SCOOP 80

Gulf Wealth Funds Pile Into SpaceX's $75 Billion IPO as PIF Weighs $5 Billion Anchor Ahead of June 12 Nasdaq Debut

SpaceX entered the final stretch of the largest IPO on record with its fixed $135-per-share offering set, CNBC reported June 9, as Gulf sovereign wealth funds placed multibillion-dollar orders ahead of the planned June 12 Nasdaq debut under ticker SPCX. The company is selling 555.6 million shares to raise about $75 billion at a valuation of roughly $1.77 trillion, with underwri

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PBOC Extends Gold Buying to 19th Straight Month; FX Reserves Hit Decade High of
Kitco News
COFFERS · central banks · 2026-06-08SCOOP 58

PBOC Extends Gold Buying to 19th Straight Month; FX Reserves Hit Decade High of $3.44 Trillion

The People's Bank of China added 320,000 troy ounces — 9.95 tonnes — of gold to its reserves in May, official data released June 7 showed, lifting holdings to 74.96 million ounces (2,331.52 tonnes) and extending its buying streak to 19 months, the longest run since the central bank began publishing more regular updates in 2015. Bloomberg reported the purchase came even as bulli

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Saudi PIF and Talaat Moustafa Group sign MoU to develop mixed-use real estate on
Arab News
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-07SCOOP 58

Saudi PIF and Talaat Moustafa Group sign MoU to develop mixed-use real estate on PIF land across the Kingdom

On June 7, 2026, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Talaat Moustafa Group Saudi for Real Estate Development (TMG Saudi) — the Saudi arm of Egypt's largest listed developer — signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to explore joint mixed-use real estate projects on PIF-owned land and across PIF's projects in the Kingdom. The MoU covers residential, commerci

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Saudi NDMC opens June 'Sah' retail savings sukuk at 4.60% return, subs
Arab News
COFFERS · sovereign debt · 2026-06-07SCOOP 55

Saudi NDMC opens June 'Sah' retail savings sukuk at 4.60% return, subscription June 7-9

Saudi Arabia's National Debt Management Center (NDMC) opened the June 2026 tranche of its government-backed 'Sah' retail savings sukuk on June 7, 2026, offering an annual return of 4.60% — up from 4.56% on the May tranche. Subscription opened at 10:00 a.m. Saudi time on June 7 and closes at 3:00 p.m. on June 9, 2026. The Sharia-compliant instrument carries a one-year tenor with

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Bessent Moves to Channel $24 Billion in Frozen Iranian Assets to Gulf Allies for
Getty Images via CBS News
COFFERS · sanctions designations · 2026-06-06SCOOP 82

Bessent Moves to Channel $24 Billion in Frozen Iranian Assets to Gulf Allies for War Repairs

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has directed the Treasury Department to use 'all available authorities' to make frozen Iranian assets — estimated at roughly $24 billion — available to Gulf partners as compensation for damage from Iranian military strikes, CBS News reported June 6, citing a source familiar with the plan. The proposal surfaced days after Iranian missile and dron

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OFAC sanctions Iranian LPG-smuggling and shadow-banking network, blocks six tank
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COFFERS · sanctions designations · 2026-06-05SCOOP 78

OFAC sanctions Iranian LPG-smuggling and shadow-banking network, blocks six tankers in 'Economic Fury' action

On June 5, 2026, the U.S. Treasury's OFAC designated a network shipping hundreds of millions of dollars of Iranian-origin liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) disguised as Omani fuel, the latest tranche of the Trump administration's 'Economic Fury' campaign (press release sb0524). The action, taken under E.O. 13902 targeting Iran's petroleum, petrochemical and financial sectors, block

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State Department designates Brazil's Comando Vermelho and PCC as Foreign Te
Small Wars Journal
COFFERS · sanctions designations · 2026-06-05SCOOP 74

State Department designates Brazil's Comando Vermelho and PCC as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, effective June 5

The U.S. State Department, in an announcement attributed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, designated two of Brazil's largest criminal organizations — Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) — as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) effective immediately, and announced intent to designate both as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) effective Ju

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Reserve Bank of India holds repo rate at 5.25% in unanimous June 5 vote, lifts F
Upstox
COFFERS · central banks · 2026-06-05SCOOP 64

Reserve Bank of India holds repo rate at 5.25% in unanimous June 5 vote, lifts FY27 inflation forecast to 5.1%

On June 5, 2026, the Reserve Bank of India's six-member Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to keep the benchmark repo rate unchanged at 5.25% and retained its 'Neutral' stance, Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced. The hold reflects a hawkish-tilt reassessment: the RBI raised its CPI inflation projection for FY27 to 5.1% from 4.6% previously, while core inflation was peg

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US Sanctions Cuban President Díaz-Canel, Castro Kin and Military Ministry Under
UPI
COFFERS · sanctions designations · 2026-06-04SCOOP 72

US Sanctions Cuban President Díaz-Canel, Castro Kin and Military Ministry Under EO 14404

The State Department on June 4 designated five individuals and five entities at the apex of the Cuban state, in the third sanctions round in just over a month under Executive Order 14404, signed May 1, 2026. The individuals are President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez; his spouse Lis Cuesta Peraza; her son Manuel Anido Cuesta; Alejandro Castro Espín, former head of Cuban intelligen

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Russia to Quadruple FX and Gold Purchases to Rebuild Wealth Fund and Rein In the
The Moscow Times
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-03SCOOP 70

Russia to Quadruple FX and Gold Purchases to Rebuild Wealth Fund and Rein In the Ruble

Russia's Finance Ministry said Wednesday, June 3, that it will sharply increase purchases of foreign currency and gold over the coming month, spending 208.2 billion rubles ($2.81 billion) between June 5 and July 6 — daily purchases of 9.9 billion rubles ($133.7 million). After accounting for previously scheduled offsetting operations, the central bank's actual daily market purc

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OFAC Designates Nobitex and Three Other Iranian Crypto Exchanges as Sanctions-Ev
CoinDesk
COFFERS · sanctions designations · 2026-06-02SCOOP 68

OFAC Designates Nobitex and Three Other Iranian Crypto Exchanges as Sanctions-Evasion Conduits

The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control on June 2 designated Iran's four largest digital asset exchanges — Nobitex, Wallex, Bitpin and Ramzinex — along with four Iranian nationals in their leadership, accusing the platforms of providing significant support to the regime's sanctions evasion and terror finance. Treasury said Nobitex, Iran's largest exchange, processed

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GIC and Temasek anchor Singapore's stake in Anthropic's $65bn Series H
Anthropic
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-06-01SCOOP 72

GIC and Temasek anchor Singapore's stake in Anthropic's $65bn Series H at $965bn valuation

Singapore's two sovereign investors, GIC and Temasek, anchored Singapore's participation in a landmark $65 billion Series H round for AI developer Anthropic that values the company at $965 billion post-money — one of the largest private financings ever and a defining sovereign-wealth-fund move of the window. Per Anthropic's announcement (dated May 28, 2026; the GIC/Temasek SWF

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Euroclear Fights Immediate Enforcement of Moscow's $256 Billion Judgment fo
TASS
COFFERS · central banks · 2026-05-31SCOOP 74

Euroclear Fights Immediate Enforcement of Moscow's $256 Billion Judgment for Bank of Russia

Euroclear has filed a complaint with the Moscow Arbitration Court against immediate enforcement of the ruling ordering it to pay 18.2 trillion rubles ($256 billion) to the Bank of Russia, TASS reported late Saturday, with the filing disclosed by a source who said the complaint 'was filed this week'; Interfax carried the same development as the news ran into Sunday. The Russian

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Trump Says US Naval Blockade of Iran 'Will Now Be Lifted' — But Navy W
The Maritime Executive
COFFERS · sanctions designations · 2026-05-30SCOOP 78

Trump Says US Naval Blockade of Iran 'Will Now Be Lifted' — But Navy Warnings to Ships Persist

President Trump announced on Truth Social late Friday that the US naval blockade of Iranian ports 'will now be lifted' as part of the proposed 60-day memorandum of understanding with Tehran, with the news breaking overnight into Saturday across Gulf markets. Trump conditioned the move on Iran agreeing never to obtain a nuclear weapon, the Strait of Hormuz opening 'immediately'

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EU Council adds 10 Hamas Politburo members and four Israeli settler entities to
Photo: belgium24.eu · via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
COFFERS · sanctions designations · 2026-05-29SCOOP 70

EU Council adds 10 Hamas Politburo members and four Israeli settler entities to sanctions lists

On May 28, 2026, the Council of the European Union expanded the legal framework of its Hamas/Palestinian Islamic Jihad sanctions regime to capture members of Hamas' Political Bureau (Politburo) and added 10 named individuals, following a political agreement among EU foreign ministers on May 11. The instruments were formalized as Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1173 and Council Reg

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South Africa's Reserve Bank hikes repo rate 25bps to 7%, first increase sin
SAnews.gov.za
COFFERS · central banks · 2026-05-29SCOOP 67

South Africa's Reserve Bank hikes repo rate 25bps to 7%, first increase since 2023, on Iran-war and El Nino risks

On May 28, 2026, the South African Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7%, effective May 29, 2026 — its first rate increase since 2023 and a move that lands squarely at the opening of the coverage window. Governor Lesetja Kganyago said four MPC members backed the hike while two preferred to hold. The committee acted because inflat

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Bank of Korea Holds at 2.50% as Hawkish Split Emerges Under New Governor Shin
AFP via Getty Images / CNBC
COFFERS · central banks · 2026-05-28SCOOP 62

Bank of Korea Holds at 2.50% as Hawkish Split Emerges Under New Governor Shin

The Bank of Korea left its base rate unchanged at 2.50% on May 28, an eighth consecutive hold, at the first monetary policy meeting chaired by new Governor Shin Hyun-song, who took office in April. Five of the seven board members voted to keep the benchmark unchanged while two dissenters voted for a hike — a hawkish split that surprised markets even though the hold itself was e

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Mubadala raises about $2bn selling 22 million GlobalFoundries shares in block tr
AGBI (og:image)
COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-27SCOOP 58

Mubadala raises about $2bn selling 22 million GlobalFoundries shares in block trade

Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company raised nearly $2 billion by selling 22 million shares in U.S.-listed chipmaker GlobalFoundries through a block trade executed May 26, 2026 at $89.96 per share, with Morgan Stanley brokering, according to AGBI. After the sale Mubadala continues to own about 73% of GlobalFoundries; the fund's co-head of private equity, C

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COFFERS · sanctions designations · 2026-05-26SCOOP 50

UK adds 18 designations targeting Russia-linked crypto exchanges and financial intermediaries

On May 26, 2026 the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office added 18 designations under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, targeting the financial and crypto infrastructure used to support Russia and evade sanctions. The FCDO said the package directly targets Russia's illicit financial infrastructure, including the so-called A7 network the UK describes a

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-25SCOOP 55

Dutch authorities seize 800 servers, arrest two hosting bosses tied to EU-sanctioned Russian cyber infrastructure

Authorities in the Netherlands seized 800 servers and arrested the co-owners of two related internet hosting companies for operating IT infrastructure used by Russia to carry out cyberattacks, influence operations and disinformation campaigns inside the European Union, Krebs on Security reported on May 25. According to the report, the two men had been the focus of a 2025 KrebsO

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-23SCOOP 55

US nears the limits of its sanctions power against Iran, experts say

The United States has reached the limits of what sanctions can achieve against Iran's economy, Fortune reported on May 23. The article says the Trump administration's "Economic Fury" campaign, launched April 16, 2026 as an update to the first-term Maximum Pressure approach, comes on top of nearly 2,000 sanctions imposed since 2018 that have not forced Iranian capitulation, even

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Kevin Warsh confirmed and sworn in as Federal Reserve chair amid scrutiny of cen
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COFFERS · central banks · 2026-05-22SCOOP 74

Kevin Warsh confirmed and sworn in as Federal Reserve chair amid scrutiny of central-bank independence

Kevin Warsh became the 17th chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve in May 2026, completing a contested transition from Jerome Powell. Per the Federal Reserve Board's own release, the Senate confirmed Warsh as a Board member on May 12 and as chairman on May 13, 2026; he took the oath of office as chairman and a Board governor on Friday, May 22, with the Federal Open Market Committee

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-22SCOOP 72

Kevin Warsh sworn in as Fed chair; FOMC unanimously elects him chairman

Kevin Warsh took the oath of office as chairman and a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on Friday, May 22, and the Federal Open Market Committee unanimously selected him as its chairman the same day, the Fed said in its May 22 press release. According to the release, President Donald J. Trump nominated Warsh on March 4, 2026; the Senate confirmed hi

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-22SCOOP 56

Waller says policy risks have shifted, backs holding rates amid energy-driven inflation

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said policy risks have changed and backed holding interest rates steady in the near term, in a May 22 guest lecture at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. According to the speech text, Waller opposed both immediate cuts and increases, advocated removing easing-bias language from policy statements, and said the next move wi

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IMF completes second review of Argentina's $20bn EFF, releasing about $1bn
Rio Times (og:image)
COFFERS · sovereign debt · 2026-05-21SCOOP 66

IMF completes second review of Argentina's $20bn EFF, releasing about $1bn despite missed reserves target

On May 21, 2026 the IMF Executive Board completed the second review of Argentina's roughly $20 billion Extended Fund Facility and concluded the 2026 Article IV consultation, enabling an immediate disbursement of about $1 billion (SDR 0.8 billion) and bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to about $15.8 billion. Per the IMF release and corroborating coverage from th

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COFFERS · sanctions designations · 2026-05-21SCOOP 56

OFAC designates nine Hizballah-aligned Lebanese officials for obstructing disarmament

On May 21, 2026 OFAC designated nine individuals in Lebanon it accused of obstructing the country's peace process and impeding the disarmament of Hizballah, which Treasury called an Iran-backed terrorist organization. Per the Treasury text (via GlobalSecurity.org), the designees were embedded across Lebanon's parliament, military and security sectors, and included: Mohamed Abde

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OFAC sanctions Sinaloa Cartel cash-to-crypto fentanyl laundering networks
Chainalysis (og:image)
COFFERS · sanctions designations · 2026-05-20SCOOP 57

OFAC sanctions Sinaloa Cartel cash-to-crypto fentanyl laundering networks

On May 20, 2026 the U.S. Treasury's OFAC sanctioned more than a dozen individuals and entities across two distinct networks tied to the Sinaloa Cartel's fentanyl trafficking and money laundering, designated as a narco-terrorist organization. According to the Treasury text (press release SB-0503, reproduced by GlobalSecurity.org) and Chainalysis, the first network, led by Armand

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-20SCOOP 55

Barr says bank account access alone is not delivering financial health for Americans

Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr told the EMERGE Financial Health 2026 conference in Atlanta on May 20 that access to banking is not translating into financial well-being for many Americans. According to the speech text, Barr noted bank account ownership has risen to 96% of American adults, up from 92% fifteen years earlier, yet only around 31% of Americans report feeling

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-19SCOOP 69

UK amends statutory guidance for Russia sanctions regime to reflect legislative changes

The UK government's statutory guidance for the Russia sanctions regime, issued under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, has been amended to reflect what the publication's change history describes as significant changes to legislation, per the GOV.UK publication page. The guidance summarizes the regime's purposes, scope and prohibitions, covering asset freezes on

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-18SCOOP 67

FCA and Bank of England set out shared vision for tokenisation in UK wholesale markets

The Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England have set out a shared vision for tokenisation in UK wholesale markets, the Bank of England said in a May 18 news release. The two authorities are seeking industry views on the future of UK wholesale markets as part of the initiative. No further detail was available in the source material.

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-15SCOOP 62

Mubadala Energy, Kimmeridge and CPP Investments greenlight $13bn Commonwealth LNG with $9.75bn financing

On May 15, 2026 Mubadala Energy, U.S. alternative asset manager Kimmeridge and Canada's CPP Investments announced a final investment decision (FID) for the Caturus Commonwealth LNG export facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, closing $9.75 billion of project financing for the roughly $13 billion, 9.5 million tonnes-per-annum plant. Per The National and the company releases, to

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-14SCOOP 60

Bowman urges tailored regulation for community banks at Kansas City Fed conference

Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman argued against applying "one-size-fits-all" regulations designed for large institutions to community banks, in pre-recorded remarks delivered May 14 to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's 2026 Future of Banking Conference. According to the speech text, Bowman said the supervisory framework should focus on material financial r

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-14SCOOP 52

PIF named Official Tournament Supporter of FIFA World Cup 2026 across North America and Asia

On May 14, 2026 the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and FIFA announced that PIF will serve as an Official Tournament Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the North America and Asia regions. Per FIFA's media release, the partnership incorporates PIF companies Savvy Games Group (Saudi Arabia's games and esports champion) and Qiddiya City (a flagship entertainment, sport and cultu

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-13SCOOP 56

Arkham maps OFAC-sanctioned Tron wallets linked to Iran's central bank

Blockchain analytics firm Arkham has mapped two OFAC-sanctioned Tron wallets it links to Iran's central bank, Cointelegraph reported on May 13. According to the report, the mapping turns a $344 million USDT freeze into a public window on Tehran's onchain activity following the wallets' OFAC designation.

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-12SCOOP 71

Kevin Warsh clears key Senate hurdle in bid to lead the Federal Reserve

Kevin Warsh cleared a key Senate hurdle on May 12, advancing his bid to lead the US Federal Reserve, The Hindu reported. The report placed the vote against a backdrop of challenges to the central bank's independence. Follow-on coverage of Warsh's path to the Fed chairmanship ran in CBS News, NBC News and NPR on May 13.

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Norway's $2.2tn wealth fund faces government review over transparency of et
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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-12SCOOP 54

Norway's $2.2tn wealth fund faces government review over transparency of ethical divestments amid pause

In mid-May 2026 Norway's roughly $2.2 trillion Government Pension Fund Global (managed by Norges Bank Investment Management, NBIM)—the world's largest sovereign wealth fund—was the subject of a government commission reviewing the rules governing its ethical divestments, with the finance minister publicly weighing whether the fund should be required to explain its divestment dec

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OFAC designates three individuals and nine firms in UAE, Hong Kong and Oman over
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COFFERS · sanctions designations · 2026-05-11SCOOP 72

OFAC designates three individuals and nine firms in UAE, Hong Kong and Oman over IRGC oil shipments to China

On May 11, 2026 the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions on three individuals and nine companies for facilitating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) sale and shipment of Iranian oil to China, part of the administration's 'Economic Fury' maximum-pressure campaign described by officials as the 'financial equivalent' of a bombing campaign

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EU and UK impose coordinated sanctions on Russia over forced deportation of Ukra
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EU and UK impose coordinated sanctions on Russia over forced deportation of Ukrainian children

On May 11, 2026 the European Union and United Kingdom announced coordinated sanctions over Russia's systematic deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children. The EU Council adopted restrictive measures against 16 individuals and seven entities (23 listings total) responsible for unlawful deportation, forced transfer, forced assimilation, indoctrination, militarized educ

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COFFERS · sanctions designations · 2026-05-11SCOOP 53

UK imposes 85 Russia designations over child deportation and Kremlin information warfare, with £1.2m return fund

On May 11, 2026 the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office designated 85 individuals and entities under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, in a package split between Russia's forced deportation of Ukrainian children and its information-warfare apparatus. Per the FCDO release, 29 designations targeted those linked to the forced deportation, indoctrination

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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-08SCOOP 71

Waller calls for standardizing Reserve Bank back-office operations across the Fed System

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller used a May 8 speech at the Hoover Institution's Annual Monetary Policy Conference at Stanford to argue for modernizing Reserve Bank operations by standardizing or centralizing back-office functions such as IT, human resources, financial management and payments services, rather than duplicating them across all 12 Reserve Banks. Accordi

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IMF completes third EFF and second RSF review for Pakistan, unlocking about $1.3
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IMF completes third EFF and second RSF review for Pakistan, unlocking about $1.32bn

On May 8, 2026 the IMF Executive Board completed the third review of Pakistan's Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the second review of its Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), allowing Islamabad to draw roughly $1.1 billion under the EFF and about $220 million under the RSF—approximately $1.32 billion (SDR 914 million) in total. The News International reported the State

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Riksbank holds policy rate at 1.75% as Middle East war clouds inflation outlook
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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-07SCOOP 58

Riksbank holds policy rate at 1.75% as Middle East war clouds inflation outlook

Sweden's Riksbank left its policy rate unchanged at 1.75 per cent, the central bank said in its May 7 press release. The Executive Board judged that the risk of the war in the Middle East pushing inflation higher has increased somewhat, but noted inflation is currently below target, recent outcomes have been clearly lower than the Riksbank's March forecast, and economic activit

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Brazil's Copom minutes turn hawkish, warning Iran-US conflict could shorten
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COFFERS · central banks · 2026-05-06SCOOP 48

Brazil's Copom minutes turn hawkish, warning Iran-US conflict could shorten easing cycle after Selic cut to 14.50%

Brazil's central bank (Banco Central do Brasil) released the minutes ('ata') of its April 29, 2026 monetary policy meeting on May 5, 2026, striking a notably hawkish tone after the Copom unanimously cut the Selic policy rate by 25 basis points to 14.50%—the second consecutive cut of that size, for 50 basis points of cumulative easing from the cycle peak. Per the minutes, the co

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RBI MPC member calls for prioritising energy security to sustain India's gr
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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-05SCOOP 55

RBI MPC member calls for prioritising energy security to sustain India's growth

A member of the Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee said energy security should be prioritised to keep India's growth momentum going, The Hindu reported on May 5. The comments came amid rising vulnerabilities from volatility in global oil markets, according to the report. The available material does not identify the member by name.

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Kashkari warns longer Iran war means greater inflation impact, keeps rate cut of
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COFFERS · sovereign wealth · 2026-05-03SCOOP 55

Kashkari warns longer Iran war means greater inflation impact, keeps rate cut off the table

Federal Reserve official Neel Kashkari warned that the longer the Iran war continues, the greater its impact on US inflation and the more it constrains the Fed's policy flexibility, according to a Middle East Eye live blog update dated May 3. "I don't feel comfortable signaling that a rate cut is in the cards. You know, we might be in worse scenarios, we might have to go the ot

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China invokes blocking law against US sanctions as trade tensions escalate

China has invoked a law to block US sanctions, escalating trade tensions between the two countries, Mint reported on May 3. State-affiliated English-language outlet China Daily defended Beijing's decision, describing the move as a "defensive and justified response" to what the government characterises as a clear violation of international law, per the report. No further details

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