Kevin Warsh takes the Jackson Hole stage for first time as Fed chair

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City opens its 49th annual Economic Policy Symposium at Jackson Lake Lodge in Wyoming this week, running from August 27-29. For the first time, the gathering will be presided over by Kevin Warsh, who stepped into the Fed chair role determined to put his own stamp on the institution. His keynote address, scheduled for August 28 at 10:00 a.m. ET, is the main event. Every central banker, bond trader, and macro tourist with a Bloomberg terminal will be parsing that speech word by word. The reason is simple: inflation has now exceeded the Fed’s 2% target for 65 consecutive months, and July’s headline PCE index clocked in at 3.7%. A symposium theme that matters more than usual This year’s topic, “Financial Innovation: Implications for Payments and Policy,” is a deliberate departure from the more abstract themes of recent years. The agenda explicitly covers how digital technologies and cryptocurrencies are reshaping payments systems, banking infrastructure, and global financial integration. Roughly 120 central bankers, policymakers, and academics from over 70 countries are expected to attend. Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid, who hosts the sympos...