LONDON -- The rise of robots in manufacturing in Southeast Asia is likely to fuel modern slavery as workers who end up unemployed due to automation and face abuses competing for a shrinking pool of low-paid jobs in a “race to the bottom,” analysts said on Thursday.

AMONG THE WORLD’S top innovating economies, quite a few aren’t getting enough bang for their buck.

IT WAS IN 2015, when online marketplaces began offering exclusive discounts for electronic wallet users, that Arjan Salvanera, a college student then, saw a shoe advertisement on social media. It was purveying a pair of shoes for a third cheaper than the regular mall price, with (he claims) even higher discounts for users of electronic wallets (e-wallets) such as PayMaya and GCash -- a strategy to bring more users into the fold.

IN A FINANCIAL capability survey implemented by the World Bank in 2014 as part of a broader engagement on enhancing financial consumer protection and financial education in the Philippines, a sample of 3,000 adults were asked to answer seven questions dealing with basic calculus and financial concepts (simple interest rates, inflation, compound interest, risk diversification and the main purpose of insurance products) to gauge their financial knowledge and basic numeracy skills.

THE STORM of disruption that has besieged corporations and businesses throughout the decade is only growing stronger, with technology giants like Amazon, Uber, and Netflix rising from the ashes. Now, banks are on the storm’s path, with the development of blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, and their applications threatening to render banks and other financial services obsolete.

LAST YEAR, Bitcoin led a motley pack of so-called cryptocurrencies in one of the great booms in market history, soaring over 2,000% to its peak. Since then, it’s led an epic bust that rivals the dot-com era stock market collapse. But there are still plenty of true believers. And as the dust settles, investors and regulators find themselves still grappling with questions first raised when Bitcoin broke into public consciousness five years ago: What exactly is it? How do imitators like Ethereum, Ripple’s XRP and Bitcoin Cash work? Should I buy it? Where do cryptocurrencies fit into the future of money? Here’s a guide for those feeling at sea in these turbulent digital waters.

IT MIGHT BE the definitive sign that cryptocurrencies have arrived on Wall Street.

IN THE SEVEN MONTHS since Bitcoin’s price peaked, it has fallen by about two-thirds. But it’s still almost three times more valuable than it was a year ago.

THE INITIAL PRICE of bitcoin, set in 2010, was less than 1 cent. Now it’s crossed $19,000. Once seen as the province of nerds, libertarians and drug dealers, bitcoin these days draws millions of dollars from hedge funds. In its latest step toward widespread acceptance, futures trading in bitcoin has begun on two of the largest US exchanges. The recent price surge may be a bubble. Or it could be a belated recognition by the broader financial community that so-called cryptocurrencies -- digital forms of money -- are going mainstream.

LIKE MOST INDUSTRIES, the banking sector has been left with no other choice but to follow their clients onto the digital space.

IN MAY, S&P Global Ratings upgraded its risk assessment on the Philippine banking industry, uplifting the country’s Banking Industry Country Risk Assessment (BICRA) score to “6” from the previous “7.” S&P uses its BICRA framework to evaluate and compare global banking systems. Scoring is done on a one-to-10 scale, with one being the best score, signifying lowest risks.

BILLIONAIRE John Gokongwei, owner of the Philippines’ largest snack maker and budget airline, and a Skype, Inc. founder will invest as much as $200 million over three years to lend to millions of unbanked Filipinos.