Book excerpt: The aim of this book is twofold: Firstly to focus on the development of new instruments and topics in the financial industry. Secondly to analyze the development of “old” themes applied to different international contexts, such as cross-border banking and the role of government financial resources in China. With these goals in mind, the book explores the investigation of new instruments for the financing of SMEs and new ventures, such as mini bonds and equity crowdfunding. Additionally, it covers the field of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility including financial inclusion, gender roles, disclosure, social media roles and litigation. The book also investigates the choices followed by the Royal Swedish Academy in the selection of Nobel laureates in economics science to analyze their influence on the financial industry. Geared to banking academics, researchers and students, this book uncovers the most prominent issues within the banking industry today.