Bundesbank Executive Board member Carl-Ludwig Thiele has outlined the advantages and drawbacks of blockchain technology in a speech, stating that the basic version of this technology must be adapted to financial transaction conditions if it is to be used in the financial sector.

German external assets grew by a net €231 billion in 2016, closing the year at €1,709 billion. This increase was chiefly attributable to net capital exports, which were primarily a reflection of last year’s current account surplus.

According to the Bundesbank’s latest economic projection, German gross domestic product will rise more steeply than previously expected up to and including 2019. This is partly attributable to the brisk recovery in global trade.

Times of strong growth and low interest rates have seen vulnerabilities build up in the German financial system. In addition, the probability of an economic downturn has increased. “Now is the time to build up sufficient capital and strengthen the financial system’s defences,” said Bundesbank Vice-President Claudia Buch at the press conference on the publication of the new Financial Stability Review.

The German economy continued to expand at a rapid pace in the second quarter. In the Bundesbank’s assessment, the strong economic growth is likely to continue in the current quarter. The Monthly Report also notes that economic output for the year as a whole could rise even somewhat more strongly than was forecast in June.

The Bundesbank is expecting economic growth in Germany to remain quite robust. According to the current issue of the Monthly Report, the underlying pace of economic activity is still high. The Bundesbank’s economists believe that private consumption will be the main driver of growth.