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Nigerian Central Bank Threats Force Parallel Exchange Rate Tracker to Suspend Service
20.9.2021
Following threats from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the management of Abokifx, a website that tracks the Nigerian currency’s black market exchange rates, has announced the suspension of their daily updates. This suspension will remain in effect until Abokifx gets “better clarity...
Nigerian Currency Plunges to New Low of 570 — 10% of Value Lost in Under 30 Days
17.9.2021
The Nigerian currency, the naira, plunged to a new all-time low of N570 for every dollar on September 16, 2021. This new exchange rate means since August 17, the naira has now lost about a tenth of its value on the foreign currency black market. Naira Overvalued In spite of this plunge, which...
Nigerian Crypto Exchange Boss: CBN Directive Led Shift of Trades From Centralized Exchanges to Black Market Exchanges
1.8.2021
It has been more than six months since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed banks to stop serving customers from the cryptocurrency industry. While the measure appears to have succeeded in removing crypto entities from the banking ecosystem, the policy has however led to the growth...
Nigerian Central Bank Stops Forex Sales to Bureaus de Change — Operators Accused of Feeding Black Market
28.7.2021
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently announced the abrupt end to sales and outsourcing of foreign exchange to Bureau de Change (BDC) operators after accusing them of failing to stick to their core mandate. Instead of providing forex to retail users, BDCs are believed to be supplying...
Forex Shortages Force Nigerian Corporates to Turn to Parallel Market
13.7.2021
Nigeria’s ongoing shortage of foreign exchange is forcing corporates and businesses to source this resource on the parallel market, a former official with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has said. According to Muda Yusuf, who is the previous director-general at LCCI, these...
Nigerian Currency Overvalued by 10% Says Central Bank Governor
1.7.2021
The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has reportedly told investors that the country’s currency is overvalued by 10%. The governor’s remarks, which have been confirmed by two unnamed sources, suggest that the central bank is planning to devalue the naira...
After Central Bank Devalues Naira by 5% Finance Minister Attributes Drop to ‘Market Forces’
14.6.2021
Nigerian Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed has denied widespread reports that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had sanctioned the devaluation of the local currency sometime in May 2021. Instead, she attributes the naira’s fall to the “volatility in the oil price.” Ahmed’s...
The CBN Says Nigeria Will Have a Digital Currency Before End of Year
12.6.2021
Nigeria is likely to have its own central bank digital currency (CBDC) by the end of the year, an official with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said. In his remarks following the bankers’ committee meeting, Rakiya Mohammed, who is the director of information technology at CBN, also...
Nigerian Lawmakers Slam Naira Devaluation, Warn of Inflation Implications
11.6.2021
Nigeria’s House of Representatives has moved a motion calling on the country’s central bank to end the continuing devaluation of the naira. In his unanimously adopted motion, House Representative Bamidele Salam warned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of the negative “implications...
Nigeria’s Naira Loses Ground on Forex Black Market Just a Few Days After Devaluation
28.5.2021
The Nigerian naira currency lost further ground against major currencies after it depreciated to 493 nairas for one dollar on the black market on May 25, 2021. Before the latest depreciation, the currency had stabilized at around 485 nairas to the dollar. This was shortly after the exchange rate...
Nigeria Devalues Currency as Central Bank Moves to Unify Exchange Rates
17.5.2021
In a possible policy shift, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently allowed the local naira currency to briefly drop to a new low of USD$1 for 419.75 nairas on May 14, 2021. However, by close of business the naira had recovered and was trading around 411.25. Before the latest adjustment,...
Indian Doctors Warn of Illegal Covid-19 Vaccine Sales for Bitcoin: Citizens Urged to Wait for Government Approved Vaccine
14.1.2021
Indian doctors have warned that the sale of unauthorized Covid-19 vaccines on the black market, where vendors ask for bitcoin as payment, is illegal. According to the doctors, the unsanctioned marketing of the vaccine to the elite is prevalent in the state of Karnataka. Some doctors say the Indian...
Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Decries the Use of Parallel Exchange Rate as Citizens Switch to Crypto
4.12.2020
The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele says the embrace of the parallel market exchange rate by some professionals in that country is unfair and unfortunate. The CBN governor says the parallel foreign exchange market only accounts for a share of the market that does...
Argentina’s Peso Plunges After Central Bank Tightens Foreign Exchange Controls: Citizens Discuss Bitcoin Adoption
18.9.2020
The Argentine peso plunged by more than 10% shortly after the country’s central bank announced measures to tighten controls on the movement of foreign currency. The peso, which is officially pegged at 72 for every USD, touched new lows of 145 to the greenback on the black market. The latest...
Zimbabwe’s Battle To Control Currency Inadvertently Boosts Bitcoin Profile
12.7.2020
Zimbabwe’s deteriorating economic situation is forcing authorities to sign off on some desperate and controversial decisions. Some of such decisions include the abrupt suspension mobile money as well as the recent designation of Zimswitch as a national payment switch. Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe...
Russian Ministry Slams Bill to Ban Crypto — Experts Warn Easy to Bypass, Creates Black Market
11.6.2020
Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development has informed parliament of its disapproval of the bill to ban cryptocurrency. Experts say a ban will be ineffective as people can use technology to bypass it, leading to the creation of an “uncontrolled black market.” Russian Ministry...
Bitcoin Use on Darknet Markets Jumps 65% to Over $400 Million in First Quarter
21.5.2020
Bitcoin transactions on darknet markets jumped 65% in value during the first quarter to $411 million, according to research by a blockchain analytics firm. The amount of bitcoin sent from darknet entities to mixers also grew rapidly as exchanges with verification requirements became less popular...
Hyperbitcoinization: Visions of Bitcoin Fueling the Post Covid-19 Shadow Economy
7.4.2020
With the recent coronavirus spread and its overall effect on the global economy, some people believe the powers that be are preparing a financial reset. During these times, a number of bitcoiners think a bitcoin-induced form of fiat currency demonetization will take place, otherwise known...
Alleged Deer.io Black Market Kingpin Arrested by FBI
12.3.2020
Deer.io facilitated $17 million worth of sales in stolen information and compromised online accounts across seven years of operations
Cryptocurrency Is Agorism in Action
17.2.2020
The book “New Libertarian Manifesto” (NLM) by libertarian-anarchist Samuel E. Konkin III (SEK3) launched a movement that has grown amazingly over the last few decades: Agorism. This is the movement of peaceful revolution through counter-economics. Counter-economics is “the study...