There has been outcry on why the world powers had not used SWIFT as a tool of sanction against Russia. Now that they have used it. Let's look at the implications it might have and why they have delayed its deployment. We will also attempt to look at the implications it might have on the global economy.
LET'S START WITH SWIFT
According to
google, SWIFT is a vast messaging network used by banks and other
financial institutions to quickly, accurately, and securely send and receive
information, such as money transfer instructions. It connects more than 11,000
financial institutions all over the world.
World Street Journal (WSJ) in its article says, “The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, or SWIFT, is the financial-messaging infrastructure that links the world’s banks. Swift doesn’t handle actual money transfers itself. It is a messaging system, a secure way banks transmit transfer requests to each other. Money moving from one account to another often passes by multiple banks before landing in the final destination, particularly if it involves a foreign currency. Swift routes messages with instructions from one bank to another, allowing them to know where the money should ultimately land. The Belgium-based system is run by its member banks and handles millions of daily payment instructions across more than 200 countries and territories and 11,000 financial institutions.”