Search
IMF envisions ‘new class’ of cross-border payment platform with single ledger
19.6.2023
The XC platform could operate domestically using tokenized assets, including deposits, with or without CBDCs
NY Fed and MAS publish joint CBDC cross-border payment project results
19.5.2023
The researchers built on their separate projects to demonstrate cross-border payments using illiquid currencies with an intermediate “vehicle” currency
Crypto Has Evolved From Being Seen as an ‘Anti-Establishment Rebellion Asset’ Says FCA Executive Director
26.4.2023
From being seen as a small “anti-establishment rebellion asset” more than ten years ago, crypto has grown to “become more widespread,” says Sarah Pritchard, an executive director at the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Pritchard said while the...
TBD and Yellow Card to Enable Fiat On and Off-Ramp Payments in 16 African Countries via BTC
18.4.2023
TBD and the Africa-focused cryptocurrency exchange platform Yellow Card recently partnered to launch a fiat on and off-ramp that enables payments in some 16 African countries through Bitcoin rails. The objective of this arrangement is to make cross-border payments not only more affordable...
Strike Launches Bitcoin Lightning Network-Enabled Money Transfers to Africa
7.12.2022
United States-based users of Strike, a digital payments platform built on Bitcoin’s Lightning Network, can now transfer funds instantly and at a low cost to Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria via the recently added new feature known as “Send Globally.” The new feature instantly converts...
FTX Collapse: African Crypto Industry Leaders’ Perspective and Advice to Regulators
16.11.2022
The collapse of FTX and subsequent calls for tougher regulation by the likes of U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren have increased the likelihood of regulators adopting even stricter crypto laws. In Africa, crypto industry participants warn of the unintended consequences arising from rushed...
Stablecorp Wants to Reduce Cross-Border Payment Friction
13.10.2022
Cryptocurrencies a ‘Good Alternative to Traditional Settlement Processes’ — Study
25.7.2022
Cryptocurrencies can be a good alternative to conventional settlement processes because they are underpinned by blockchain technology which enables the instant finalization of transactions without the involvement of intermediaries, a new report has said. Some players in the cross-border money...
Co-Founder of Africa Focused Fintech: Traditional Banks Not Optimized to Serve the Unbanked
2.6.2022
For years, traditional financial institutions in different parts of the world have been attempting to narrow the financial exclusion gap by extending their services to the unbanked population. Yet for many reasons, these institutions still cannot avail their products and services to everyone that...
Study: 54% of UAE and Saudi Arabia Survey Respondents Said Crypto Should Be Used for Payments
12.4.2022
An average of 54% of survey respondents from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said they believe cryptocurrency should be used as currency. Still, a significant proportion of the respective countries’ respondents believe certain obstacles are stopping cryptocurrencies from...
Report: Number of African Cryptocurrency Users up by Nearly 2,500%
22.3.2022
The number of cryptocurrency users in Africa grew by almost 2,500% between January 2021 and January 2022, while the average number of monthly transactions went up by 1,400%, a new report by Kucoin has said. Widespread Adoption of Cryptocurrencies According to a new report by crypto exchange Kucoin...
Bahrain Central Bank Completes Cross-Border Transfer Test Using JPMorgan Blockchain
14.2.2022
The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), working in partnership with Bank ABC, recently announced it had successfully tested the transfer of funds across borders using JPMorgan’s JPM Coin. The test fulfills the central bank’s goal of creating safe and efficient settlement solutions...
Kenyan Central Bank Document Discusses Benefits and Risks Posed by CBDC — Public Asked to Comment
12.2.2022
Kenya’s central bank has acknowledged in a recently released document that a central bank digital currency could potentially benefit the country’s financial system. The bank, however, warned that rolling out a CBDC could also pose risks to the same. CBDC’s Impact on Financial...
UAE Based Money Transfer Firm Announces Partnership With Ripplenet
28.1.2022
Al Fardan Exchange, a money transfer firm, has joined up with Ripplenet in a deal that will see the company use the Ripplenet blockchain when sending funds across national borders. Al Fardan’s Reasons for Joining Ripple A United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based money transfer platform, Al Fardan...
New Payment System Seeking to Bolster Intra-African Trade Goes Live
22.1.2022
A new continent-wide payment system that seeks to strengthen African fiat currencies, as well as to boost intra-Africa trade, recently went live. Discussions about onboarding more African countries are still ongoing. SMEs the Main Beneficiaries of the Payment System A new African payment system...
Kenya Central Bank Governor on CBDC: It’s About Getting It Right Rather Than Being First
22.11.2021
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) governor, Patrick Njoroge, has said his institution is currently exploring the use of central bank digital currencies (CBDC) to settle cross-border payments. Njoroge however insists the bank’s priority is getting it right rather than being the first....
Kenyan Fintech Player: ‘Banking the Unbanked’ Is the Most Important Use Case for Digital Currencies in Africa
28.9.2021
The year 2020 may well go down as the year when blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, in particular, gained mainstream recognition. The restrictions on movement, as well as the widespread fear of catching a virus, forced many to look for alternative ways of making payments or sending...
New Bank of America Report Says Digital Currencies ‘Could Boost Economic Growth’ in Developing Countries
23.6.2021
A new Bank of America (BOA) research study has found that both central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and private digital currencies hold “a lot of potential” for increasing financial inclusion in developing countries. In the report, the bank also argues that such “digital...
Former PayPal employees launch decentralized cross-border payment network on Algorand
15.6.2021
“Fueling cross-border transactions with regulated stablecoins to represent fiat on-chain has never been done before,” said Borderless Capital CEO David Garcia
JPMorgan and DBS to launch blockchain cross-border payment platform
28.4.2021
JPMorgan and DBS’ new blockchain interbank platform is designed to complement central bank digital currency projects