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Binance CEO’s Warning About Wazirx Wallets, Nigerian EFCC on Naira Depreciation, O’Leary Buys the Dip — Bitcoin.com News Week in Review
14.8.2022
Another week has passed and developments in the Binance-Wazirx controversy continue, Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claims it has identified individuals fueling the naira’s depreciation, Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary says crypto “desperately...
Report: Nigerian Anti-Graft Body Identifies Individuals Fueling the Naira’s Rapid Depreciation
9.8.2022
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently claimed it had identified individuals and organizations whose rapid accumulation of U.S. dollars recently accelerated the depreciation of the local currency, a report said. According to Abdulrasheed Bawa, the EFCC chairman...
Latest Turkey Inflation Rate of 79.6% the Highest in 24 Years — Weakening Lira and Russia-Ukraine War Blamed
6.8.2022
According to the latest data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, the country’s annual inflation rate for the month of July was 79.6%, the highest in 24 years. Rising transportation costs, food and non-alcoholic beverages were some of the product categories that contributed to the overall...
Nigerian Currency Recovers Versus US Dollar — Central Bank Says Importers Must Repatriate Forex Earnings
6.8.2022
After touching a new all-time low of N710 per dollar in late July, a new report says the Nigerian currency has rebounded by as much as 10%. After initially blaming speculators, the Central Bank of Nigeria has said importers who fail to remit forex earnings may be contributing to the naira’s...
Speculators and Crypto Traders Blamed for Naira’s Plunge, Kenyan Institutions Told to End Dealings With Nigerian Fintechs, CAR Token Sale off to Slow Start
4.8.2022
In this week’s Africa news highlights, the Nigerian central bank blames speculators for causing the local currency’s plunge to a new all-time low on the parallel market. In Kenya, the central bank has told financial institutions to cease having dealings with two Nigerian fintechs...
Nigerian Central Bank Told to Consider Floating the Naira, Recent Interest Rate Hike Slammed
2.8.2022
The Central Bank of Nigeria should be discontinuing the fixed exchange rate system and let the naira freely float against the major currencies, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, the leader of a Nigerian association of bureau de change operators has said. The leader also slammed the recent adjustment of...
Nigerian Currency Plunges to New All Time Low — Central Bank Blames Speculators
30.7.2022
The Nigerian central bank has accused currency speculators of being behind the local currency’s recent plunge to a new all-time low of N710 against the greenback. The leader of a Nigerian association of bureau de change operators insisted crypto trading may be to blame for the naira’s...
Report: Nigerian Central Bank Incentive Scheme Failed to Halt Naira Depreciation
7.7.2022
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s attempt to incentivize the country’s forex market through the so-called “Naira for Dollar” scheme has failed. This is evidenced by the local currency’s plunge of more than 25% since the launch of the incentive scheme in March...
Report: Lebanese Pound Exchange Rate Against Dollar Plunges to All-Time Low
31.5.2022
After relative calm for a few months, the Lebanese pound has plunged to an all-time low of 35,600 per dollar, a report has said. The currency’s latest slide is expected to worsen Lebanon’s economic challenges. Pound Depreciation In a sign that Lebanon’s ongoing economic crisis...
Study Finds 33.4 Million Nigerian Adults Hold or Have Traded Crypto in Last 6 Months
12.4.2022
According to a new report, approximately 33.4 million Nigerians, or 35% of the country’s adult population, are holders of cryptocurrencies or have traded them in the past six months. The report attributes the growing adoption of cryptocurrencies to rising inflation and the plunging value...
Ghana Central Bank Reiterates Warning Against Practice of Pricing Goods in Forex
12.4.2022
The Bank of Ghana has warned businesses and the public against the practice of demanding or making payments in foreign currency without its authorization. The central bank’s warning comes just over a month after Ghana’s currency was rated the worst performing among Africa’s...
Turkey Reveals Scheme That Encourages the Conversion of Gold Deposits Into Lira Time Deposits
2.1.2022
The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey recently revealed it made the decision to provide incentives to gold deposit and participation fund holders that request to convert these into lira time deposits, a statement from the central bank has said. Incentives Intended to Boost Financial Stability...
An African Perspective on Why the World Needs Cryptocurrencies
29.12.2021
Rising cryptocurrency use in Africa over the past few years has not only shown that digital currencies are now a vital means of moving funds across borders and between people, but that cryptocurrencies are also an important means of accessing global markets for the financially excluded....
Nearly 500,000 Nigerian CBDC Wallets Downloaded Since Launch
17.11.2021
Nearly half a million e-naira wallets have been downloaded a few weeks after the central bank digital currency (CBDC) was officially launched by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, the central bank has said. E-Naira’s Initial Trade Volumes In addition to the 488,000 wallets that have been...
No Plans to Make US Dollar Sole Currency, Zimbabwean Finance Minister Calls Idea ‘Suicidal’
29.10.2021
The Zimbabwean Finance Minister, Mthuli Ncube, recently told business leaders that he is not planning to make the U.S. dollar the country’s sole currency again. Government Focused on Strengthening Local Currency Instead of entertaining those calling for the dollarization of the Zimbabwean...
Zimbabwean Dollar Could Collapse, Business Lobby Warns
14.10.2021
A Zimbabwean business lobby group, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), has warned that the country’s currency could collapse if authorities fail to “implement policy measures that are needed to support it.” Central Bank Approach Unsettling the Market In a letter...
Nigerian Vice President Says Current Naira Exchange Rate ‘Artificially Low’
12.10.2021
Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo recently warned that the country’s official naira exchange rate of N411 for every dollar is artificially low. This exchange rate, according to Osinbajo, discourages foreign exchange entrance into the country. Naira Exchange Rate Must Reflect Realities...
Nigerian Lawmaker Proposes Closure of All Domiciliary Accounts in Order to Save Imperiled Naira
30.9.2021
Nigerian lawmaker Ibrahim Obanikoro has called on Nigerian authorities to “close all domiciliary accounts for the next 12 months.” Such a move, he argues, will help to ease pressure on the naira, which has depreciated by more than 10% in the past two months. The Naira’s...
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...