As of today, EU banks are required to comply with the new relevant regulatory framework on markets and financial institutions, based on the second Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, (MiFID II), and its corresponding regulation, MiFIR.

In December, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) announced the finalization of the review process of the Basel III framework, which will allow banks to better withstand financial crises. The new standards, which will enter into force in January 2022, should help clarify and bring more stability to the global regulatory framework.

In the last couple of years the Latin American currency trading, FX, market has been in turmoil; after the devaluation of major Latam currencies in 2016, trading volumes have decreased and many of the global banks that used to lead the FX market in the region have left, allowing strong regional players, including BBVA, to step in and increase their market share.

BBVA has acted as a Green Agent for a green credit in the amount of 800 million euros for Red Eléctrica España S.A. (“REE”). This is the first syndicated green revolving credit facility in Spain, and also the first of its kind in the electric utilities sector.

Let’s be honest. You’ve procrastinated in your holiday shopping. Even though a fall 2017 survey claimed that procrastination among holiday shoppers would dwindle this year and 30 percent of consumers planned to start their holiday shopping over Thanksgiving, it still leaves a big percentage of shopping stragglers.

BBVA in Switzerland has just become the first private financial institution in the country to offer its clients the digital signature service, which facilitates the management and signing of documents and provides an improved user experience.

What is the future of fintech? A group of experts recently met in the European Parliamentary Financial Services Forum (EPFSF) to discuss the European Fintech Action Plan. The meeting brought together about 60 representatives of the European Parliament, the European Commission, consumer groups and the financial industry. BBVA was represented by Alvaro Martín, Head Economist for Digital Regulation at BBVA Research.

The debate revolved around the following questions:

BBVA has reached an important milestone in its continued drive towards technology focussed banking, with a key digital tipping point reached in Spain.

Global Finance magazine has chosen BBVA as the best private bank in Latin America in its “World’s Best Private Banks 2018” awards. Among its attributes, the magazine said, are the Group’s “high technology credentials”.