Insights
Asian sovereign funds: The new playbook
As Asian sovereign wealth funds’ total assets surged to US$6.1 trillion in 2025, the landscape has transformed significantly over the last decade as new entrants emerged, shifting their focus from merely saving wealth to actively building it. They are no longer just guardians of wealth; they have become architects of national destiny.
Asia’s shift beyond the dollar
From local currency trade and gold accumulation to CBDCs and cross-border payment corridors, de-dollarisation in Asia is unfolding steadily and strategically. The region is taking steps toward a gradual shift to a multipolar currency landscape to secure greater financial sovereignty, relying less on the US dollar.
US Sovereign wealth fund: a game changer?
Donald Trump signed an executive order on February 3 to create a US sovereign wealth fund. Despite many issues that have to be addressed, the fund could fundamentally reshape global investment flows, economic partnerships and geopolitical dynamics, ushering in new complexities beyond the ongoing tariff wars.
Time for an Asian Monetary Fund?
The idea of creating an Asian Monetary Fund is resurrected as nations reconsider the downsides of over-reliance on the US dollar.
The race for SWIFT alternatives
The recent cutoff of sanctioned Russian banks from SWIFT has sparked a race for alternative cross-border payment channels.