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Nigerian Central Bank Dismisses Old Naira Banknote and Cash Shortage Rumors
11.11.2023
The Nigerian central bank has dismissed rumors suggesting that the previously demonetized naira banknotes are no longer legal tender. According to the bank, all banknotes it has ever issued remain legal tender and “should not be rejected by anyone.” No Shortage of Naira Banknotes Says...
Ripple Expands Payments Network to 70+ Crypto and Traditional Payout Markets
10.11.2023
Ripple has expanded its payments network to more than 70 crypto and traditional payout markets. “Accumulatively this adds up to 90% of the global foreign exchange market,” the company explained, highlighting that the Ripple network has facilitated over $30 billion in payment volume...
Tether’s USDT and Chinese Blockchains Face Potential U.S. Government Ban
9.11.2023
Source: Washington DC The U.S. lawmakers are proposing a bill aiming to prohibit the U.S. government officials from transacting with Tether’s USDT, China-based blockchain networks, and “other foreign adversaries.” The U.S. Representatives Zach Nunn (R-IA) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) have...
OFAC Sanctions Russian National Accused of Using Virtual Currency to Launder Money
5.11.2023
According to the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Russian national Ekaterina Zhdanova has been sanctioned as punishment for using virtual currency to launder money for designated Russian elites. OFAC said Zhdanova’s properties and interests in the United States are now either...
Web3 Protocol WalletConnect Halts Services in Russia, Following US Treasury Guidelines
1.11.2023
Web3 platform WalletConnect, which links cryptocurrency wallets, has restricted its services in Russia, in light of the latest US Guidelines. The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) unveiled sanctions in Russia and a few parts of Ukraine. The restrictions came into effect...
Nigeria Plans to Include Fintechs in Broadened Official Currency Market
26.10.2023
A Nigerian official recently said the foreign exchange-starved country plans to include “legitimate” market participants like bureaux de change and financial technology companies in the official forex currency market. Finance Minister Wale Edun also said the country will receive...
Nigerian Central Bank Lifts Forex Restrictions on 43 Items — Market Forces to Determine Exchange Rate
15.10.2023
The Nigerian central bank said on Oct. 12 that it had lifted foreign exchange restrictions imposed on the importation of 43 items. The central bank said the restrictions initially imposed in 2015 may have contributed to the weakening of the naira on the parallel foreign exchange market. Unifying...
Russia Could Use Digital Ruble to Evade SWIFT, Wants Foreign Banks to Use its CBDC
12.10.2023
Russia’s Central Bank thinks its digital ruble could let citizens pay abroad without making use of the SWIFT banking platform – and wants to let foreign banks use its CBDC.
Per the Russian IT-focused media outlet CNews, the Central Bank has drafted a bill that, if passed, would allow foreign banks...
Israeli Shekel Hits 7-Year Low Amid Conflict; Central Bank Launches $30B FX Intervention
10.10.2023
On Monday, as tensions escalated between Israel and Hamas militants from the recent weekend skirmishes, the Israeli shekel plummeted to its weakest level in seven years. Responding to the declining currency, the Bank of Israel unveiled a strategy to offload up to $30 billion in foreign exchange...
Gold-Backed Digital Tokens Now an Approved Payment Method Says Zimbabwean Central Bank
9.10.2023
Zimbabwean residents and institutions can now pay or settle domestic transactions using the recently launched gold-backed digital tokens, the central bank has said. Bank governor John Mangudya said the central bank has enlisted the services of external auditors to “validate the availability...
OFAC’s Sanction Bucket Grows: BTC, TRX, and ETH Addresses Flagged Over Fentanyl Ties
6.10.2023
The Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) under the Treasury has released an updated version of the specially designated nationals (SDN) list, featuring multiple alleged fentanyl traffickers from China along with their associated cryptocurrency addresses. These highlighted crypto addresses...
China Allows Visitors to Top Up Digital Yuan Wallets with Visa, Mastercard, Cash
28.9.2023
Trying to make the digital yuan more attractive for foreigners, China has added a “recharge before use” feature to its digital currency system. The upgrade will allow visitors from abroad to replenish a digital yuan wallet through the global payment networks Visa and Mastercard among other methods....
Tanzanian Central Bank Launches Foreign Exchange Reserves Boosting Gold Buying Scheme
27.9.2023
The Bank of Tanzania said on Sept. 25 that it has kickstarted an initiative that seeks to boost the country’s foreign exchange reserves by buying gold with local currency. The bank said its objective is to acquire six tonnes of gold from miners and traders in 2023 alone. The Tanzanian Gold...
Taiwan Implements Stricter Regulations, Bans Unregistered Foreign Crypto Exchanges from Operating
27.9.2023
Today, on September 26, Taiwan's financial regulator, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), unveiled new guidelines for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) aimed at enhancing the protection of cryptocurrency users in the country.
In March, the FSC confirmed its position to closely...
Treasury Sanctions Ethereum Wallet Used by Sinaloa Cartel to Launder Fentanyl Financing
26.9.2023
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned an Ethereum wallet used by the Sinaloa Cartel to launder money from fentanyl sales in the U.S. Mario Alberto Jimenez Castro, an accused money launderer for the cartel’s Los Chapitos faction, allegedly...
Taiwan bans unregistered foreign crypto exchanges from operating
26.9.2023
Apart from local exchanges like Maicoin, major global crypto trading firms like Binance, ByBit and Kraken have also been serving customers in Taiwan
Foreign Travelers Can Now Use China’s Digital Yuan App
25.9.2023
Visitors to China can now buy digital yuan tokens with overseas cards via the central bank’s official CBDC mobile app.
Per the China Business News, via Yicai, the bank has updated its app to allow visitors to China “to download the digital yuan app from app marketplaces.”
The platform has been...
70% of South Korean Reported Foreign Assets Are Crypto- Here’s More
20.9.2023
South Korea’s crypto adoption grows as authorities disclosed that 70% of the nation’s reported overseas assets are cryptocurrencies.
On Sept 20, The country’s National Tax Service (NTS) in an official release stated that 5,419 business and individuals reported their financial accounts with...
Criminals more reliant on cross-chain bridges than ever after mixer crackdowns
20.9.2023
The sanction of cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash in August caused the first major shift, but that is now accelerating even faster than projected
Thailand to Tax Overseas Earnings From Crypto Traders – Will it Impact Foreign Investment?
19.9.2023
Thailand would soon tax foreign earnings from crypto traders, a tighter measure to close the loophole, which allowed overseas income into the country tax-free.
The rule came from Thailand’s Revenue Department, which aims to fund its proposed economic stimulus, according to a BangkokPost report....