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ECB Says ETF Approval Does Not Change Bitcoin’s Unsuitability as Payment or Investment
22.2.2024
The European Central Bank (ECB) has reiterated its position on Bitcoin (BTC), stating that the approval of spot ETFs for the cryptocurrency does not change its unsuitability as a means of payment or investment.
The post ECB Says ETF Approval Does Not Change Bitcoin’s Unsuitability as Payment...
Centralized Provider Problem Causes Nationwide Digital Payment Meltdown in Spain: Users Turn to Crypto and Cash
21.11.2023
A problem with Redsys, a third-party platform used in all of Spain, caused a meltdown for almost all of the digital payment options in the country, leaving citizens without means of payment for hours. The incident left stores without the possibility of using credit and debit cards for receiving...
IMF Working Paper Urges Tax System Overhaul to Tackle Crypto’s Tax Collection Challenges
7.7.2023
A research paper published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns that tax collection is significantly more challenging with cryptocurrency assets, and current tax systems are not designed to handle them. The IMF’s working paper emphasizes that certain crypto assets may not persist...
Chinese City of Jinan Implements Digital Yuan Payments for Public Transportation Fares
5.7.2023
Jinan, the capital of the Chinese province of Shandong, has recently included the digital yuan as a means of payment for its public transportation system. According to local sources, digital yuan payments were implemented on July 1 in all city buses after being tested in just two bus lines. Jinan...
Right to Pay With Cash Enshrined in Constitution of Slovakia Amid Digital Euro Fears
21.6.2023
A member of the eurozone is amending its constitution in order to guarantee citizens the right to cash payments. The move comes amid growing fears that a digital version of the common European currency may eventually become the only means of payment in the eurozone, despite currently being touted...
Bali Government Cracks Down on Crypto Payments by Foreign Tourists
30.5.2023
The government of Bali, Indonesia, is cracking down on the use of cryptocurrency as a means of payment by foreign tourists. “Strict actions range from deportation, administrative sanctions, criminal penalties, closure of business premises, and other tough sanctions,” said the governor...
How Crypto Ended Up at the Center of a Potential $20 Billion Internal Corruption Scandal in Venezuela — Bitcoin Mining Shutdown Results
24.3.2023
The establishment of sanctions by the Trump administration towards PDVSA, the state oil company in Venezuela, reportedly forced the hand of the government in the country to find alternative means of payment for crude oil. According to reports, more than $3 billion are missing from these payments...
New York Considers Bill to Establish Cryptocurrency as a Form of Payment for State Agencies
28.1.2023
A bill has been introduced in the U.S. state of New York to allow state agencies to accept cryptocurrency payments, including bitcoin, ether, litecoin, and bitcoin cash. The legislation proposes allowing crypto to be used as “a means of payment of fines, civil penalties, rent, rates, taxes...
Spanish Airline Vueling to Accept Cryptocurrency as Means of Payment
17.1.2023
Vueling, a low-cost Spanish airline, has announced it is exploring the functionality of blockchain and NFT (non-fungible token) technology to accept cryptocurrency as a means of payment for its services. The company enlisted the aid of Criptan, a registered Spanish cryptocurrency exchange, and aims...
UN Agency Urges Authorities to Curb Cryptocurrency Expansion in Developing Countries
16.8.2022
A United Nations trade body has recommended a set of policy actions to “curb the expansion of cryptocurrencies in developing countries.” The intergovernmental group stressed that if cryptocurrencies become a widespread means of payment, it could jeopardize the monetary sovereignty...
Thailand Plans to Tighten Crypto Oversight, Giving Central Bank More Powers to Regulate Digital Assets
10.8.2022
Thailand is reportedly preparing to amend its law on digital assets to tighten the oversight of the crypto sector and empower the Thai central bank to oversee the sector. “Right now, the central bank has no room to enter into the regulatory framework except for notifying that cryptos are...
CBDC Could Be ‘Holy Grail’ of Cross-Border Payments, ECB Says, Sees Bitcoin as Less Credible
4.8.2022
Several solutions can potentially improve cross-border payments significantly and central bank digital currency (CBDC) could be the “holy grail,” according to the European Central Bank (ECB). In a new report, the eurozone’s monetary authority also claims stablecoins, among...
Mastercard Views Crypto More as Asset Class Than Form of Payment
4.8.2022
Mastercard sees cryptocurrency as more of an asset class than a means of payment, according to the payments giant’s chief financial officer. Mastercard’s crypto strategy “has been fairly successful ever since crypto environments came up,” he added. Mastercard’s...
Bank Indonesia Prepares to Issue Digital Rupiah as Legal Tender for Digital Payments
23.7.2022
The central bank of Indonesia is working to issue a wholesale digital rupiah. The new currency is meant to be the only legal tender for digital transactions in the country while the regulator also wants to ensure that it will be exchangeable across borders. Digital Rupiah Concept Expected by Year...
ECB’s Lagarde, Panetta See Digital Euro as More Efficient Payment Means Than Crypto
16.7.2022
Unbacked cryptocurrencies are not an efficient means of payment and stablecoins are vulnerable to runs, top officials at the European Central Bank have pointed out in a new article making the case for a digital euro. The executives have marked key objectives for the project which should provide...
Putin Signs Law Prohibiting Payments With Digital Assets in Russia
15.7.2022
President Vladimir Putin of Russia has signed into law a bill banning payments with digital financial assets. The legislation obliges exchange operators to refuse to process transactions facilitating the use of DFAs, a legal category currently covering cryptocurrencies, as “monetary...
Russian State Duma Adopts Law Banning Payments With Digital Financial Assets
7.7.2022
The lower house of Russian parliament has adopted a law prohibiting the use of digital financial assets in payments. To implement the restriction, exchange operators have been obliged to reject transactions which make it possible to employ these assets as a means of payment. Russian Parliament...
Bill Imposing Fines for Illegal Issuance and Exchange of Digital Assets Proposed in Russia
24.6.2022
A bill introducing financial penalties for those who illegally issue or exchange digital financial assets has been filed in the Russian parliament. The legislation has been submitted by the sponsor of another draft law banning their use as a means of payment. New Bill Targets Russian Platforms...
Bank of Jamaica Governor: Cryptocurrency ‘Not Sufficiently Stable to Be a Good Means of Payment’
19.6.2022
The governor of the Jamaican central bank has warned people using or who have plans to use cryptocurrencies to be mindful of the associated risks. The governor added that cryptocurrencies’ unpredictability means they cannot function as a medium of exchange. Not Stable Enough to Be Good Means...
Bill Presented in Brazil Seeks to Include Crypto as Approved Means of Payment
17.6.2022
A new bill presented in Brazil is trying to introduce bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as an approved means of payment in the country. The bill, presented by Federal Deputy Paulo Martins, proposes to amend already existing regulations to include several dispositions that would allow...