Where Are We on Stablecoins?

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

With more stablecoin transfers in 2024 than Visa and Mastercard combined, the asset-pegged token is shifting from niche crypto instrument to a foundational element of financial systems.

This session explores how stablecoins are redefining payments, cross-border flows and the role of the traditional reserve currencies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuTnBEDpDTY

Open Forum: Beyond Earth – The Next Space Race

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

Some 65 years ago, the first human ventured into space. What was once the domain of governments is now increasingly shared with private companies reshaping the landscape.

As missions push towards the moon, Mars and beyond, questions of ownership, accessibility and sustainability grow more urgent.
In this new space race, how do we balance discovery with responsibility?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS6uSI1QrgM

Can We Save the Middle Class?

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

Globally, the middle class had been growing by about 54 million people every year since 2011, but with the pandemic in 2020 that growth tapered off, while concerns about long-term job security are rising.

How will AI impact middle-class economics and where are economies focused on growth from the middle out despite the odds?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pHMJuWj0iM

Factories that Think

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

Manufacturers are embedding intelligence at every stage, from algorithmic design and AI agents to closed-loop recycling. The race is on to merge speed, innovation and talent without collapsing under complexity and cost.

As every factory becomes intelligent, what will set the leaders apart?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8uDLMppM5E

Taking NCDs Seriously

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

Noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease and diabetes claim over 70% of lives worldwide, yet they are not a priority in the global health agenda due to their slow and not easily detectable development.

From grassroots health services promoting physical activity to emerging digital tools for self-monitoring of metabolic levels, can harnessing place-based solutions be the key to addressing the burden of NCDs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF0c1aMdaXs

New Era for Finance

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

A new market infrastructure is emerging, where tokenized assets, AI-driven systems and future quantum capabilities reshape financial flows. While these technologies can offer unprecedented efficiency and access, they are also being deployed amid growing technological and economic competition.

Is the global financial system prepared to update its rules and operating models for new technologies or will strategic rivalry and the complexity of a more fragmented system heighten systemic risks?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgSRu6rzrkE

Velocity of the Blue Economy

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

The blue economy is fast becoming one of the world’s most powerful engines for sustainable growth, set to be worth over $3 trillion a year by 2030.

From tourism to renewable energy to a potential enabler of global trade, how is the ocean’s ever-increasing importance to economies and people changing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxs7gS1JtRI