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Financial Warfare: Afghan Central Bank’s $10B Confiscated by US, Biden Halts USD Shipments to Afghanistan
18.8.2021
The war in Afghanistan has been an extremely long conflict since the United States invaded the country in 2001, in order to drive the Taliban from power. After a messy exit, the U.S. occupation in Afghanistan has been compared to mistakes made during the Vietnam War. Now that U.S. forces have left...
Satoshi Versus the ‘Infrastructure Bill’ — Political Permission Not Required
12.8.2021
When Satoshi Nakamoto released the Bitcoin white paper in October 2008, it likely wasn’t with the idea that governments and central banks needed to recognize, adopt, and regulate Bitcoin for everyone’s benefit. To the contrary, if anything can be taken away from that document and...
Debunking the 4 Big Bitcoin Myths Promoted By Central Banks in 2021
8.8.2021
It's 2021 and central bankers still can't figure out what to make of Bitcoin (BTC). Although many of them have dismissed the asset as a highly speculative bubble in the past, the cryptocurrency keeps growing in terms of price, general adoption, and a variety of other metrics.
Due to the massive...
Mastercard Outlines Plans for Cryptocurrencies, Stablecoins, Central Bank Digital Currencies
2.8.2021
Mastercard’s CEO has outlined the company’s plans to develop products and services around cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). “We want to be playing a role across all of them … It’s obviously a vibrant space around digital...
Central Bank Governor: South Africa’s Digital Currency Study Ongoing
31.7.2021
South African Reserve Bank (SARB) governor, Lesetja Kganyago, has once again confirmed that the central bank is presently studying the feasibility of issuing a digital currency. In his remarks at the SARB’s annual general meeting, governor Kganyago suggested his organization has embarked...
Ghana Vice President Praises Central Bank’s CBDC Initiative, Says Digital Currencies Can Boost Intra-African Trade
30.7.2021
The Ghanaian Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia, has implored African governments to start exploring digital currencies as such alternatives have the potential to enhance intra-African trade. In addition, such digital currencies allow African countries to carry out all cross-border payments smoothly...
Digital Euro to Handle ‘Almost Unlimited’ Payments, Estonian Central Bank Says After Test
28.7.2021
A blockchain-based digital euro would be highly scalable allowing it to process an almost unlimited number of payments, the central bank of Estonia has concluded following a recent experiment. Central banks from several euro area countries and the ECB participated in the test, which also professed...
81 Countries Are Now Exploring Central Bank Digital Currencies — 5 CBDCs Fully Launched
25.7.2021
Eighty-one countries are now exploring central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), according to a new tracker. This number is 46 more countries than the number in May last year. In addition, five countries have fully launched their own digital currencies. 81 Central Banks Explore Launching Own Digital...
Digital Euro Project Gets Going as ECB Launches Investigation Phase
15.7.2021
After months of deliberation, the European Central Bank has decided to proceed with a digital euro project. Officials insist the new version of Europe’s common currency should “ensure privacy” and provide access to “the safest form of money” at...
UAE Central Bank Unveils Plan to Launch Digital Currency
14.7.2021
The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates has unveiled its plan to launch a digital currency as part of its 2023-2026 strategy to become one of the world’s top 10 central banks. A growing number of central banks worldwide are working to launch central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)....
Nigeria’s June P2P Bitcoin Trade Volumes Surged Again Despite Central Bank’s Crypto Restrictions
12.7.2021
Nigeria’s peer-to-peer bitcoin trade volumes went up to just under $38 million in June 2021, the latest data shows. This surge becomes only the second time Nigerian P2P traded volumes have breached the $35 million mark in 2021. March 2021 is the only other period when P2P bitcoin traded...
11% of Central Bankers Consider ‘Cryptocurrencies Like Bitcoin’ Gold Alternatives: UBS Survey
9.7.2021
A UBS survey finds that central bankers see benefits in investing in cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. 28% see benefits from cryptocurrency being an uncorrelated asset and “11% would consider it as an alternative to gold.” Central Bankers See Benefits in Investing in Cryptocurrencies Like...
Gold Spikes Higher as Fed’s Minutes Report Looms, Central Bank Bullion Purchases Begin to Swell
6.7.2021
After a long break, monthly purchasing data shows that central banks are buying gold again. The World Gold Council says throughout March and April, the organization recorded a higher level of central bank monthly gold purchases and the latest data from May shows the exact same trend. Gold Rises...
New York Fed president says crypto poses challenging questions for central banks
28.6.2021
John Williams responded to a presentation from Mark Carney, the former head of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, about the potential for issuing central bank digital currencies
Palestinians Ponder Digital Currency as Move for Monetary Independence
26.6.2021
The Palestine Monetary Authority is exploring the possibility of issuing its own digital currency. For Palestinians, the minting of a national coin would represent a step, at least a symbolic one, towards achieving monetary independence from the State of Israel. Digital Currency to Help...
Central Banks Step Up Bitcoin, Stablecoin Bashing Efforts Amid CBDC Plans
23.6.2021
The Bank for International Settlements keeps bashing cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin (BTC), and stablecoins, while preparing the ground for central bank digital currencies (CBDC), saying that they "open a new chapter for the monetary system."
Central bank interest in CBDCs comes at...
Swiss, French Central Banks to Trial Wholesale CBDC Settlements With BIS and Private Sector
11.6.2021
The central banks of Switzerland and France are joining hands with the Bank for International Settlements to test wholesale central bank digital currencies in cross-border transactions. The experiment will be conducted with the help of a private sector consortium led by Accenture. European Central...
BIS joins France and Switzerland's central banks on cross-border CBDC project
10.6.2021
The central bank digital currency project will test cross-border settlement between French and Swiss fiat currencies
G7 Finance Chiefs to Publish Common Rules for State-Issued Digital Currencies This Year
6.6.2021
The G7 finance ministers and central bank governors have met and agreed to work towards common principles for state-backed digital currencies and publish their conclusions this year. They said these digital currencies “could act as both a liquid, safe settlement asset and as an anchor for...
ECB: Digital Euro to Boost Global Appeal of European Money, Fight ‘Artificial Currencies’
4.6.2021
The digitization of traditional currencies like the euro has the potential to increase their international appeal, the European Central Bank says in a new report. A failure to offer a digital currency would endanger financial stability, ECB warns. The regulator is concerned about the prospect...