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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...
Report: Saudi Arabia Exploring Possibility of Implementing Blockchain in Government
23.4.2022
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is looking into the possibility of implementing blockchain technology across its government as well as allowing the use of cryptocurrencies. However, an official said the kingdom can only successfully build blockchain-based solutions if it hires people 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...
BIS joint pilot: Institutions can use CBDCs for international settlements
22.3.2022
The experimental CBDC platform proved that the design approaches used to address three major issues: access, jurisdictional boundaries, and governance were effective
Oculus Founder's Vision For Military AI, Which He's Helping Build, Is Kinda Yikes
14.3.2022
One of the founders of Oculus, now called Meta Quest, has been busy since being pushed out of the company in 2018 with, um, military tech that may be involved in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Read more
Western Union Suspends Operations in Russia, Belarus Over Ukraine War
12.3.2022
Remittance giant Western Union has joined other financial services companies supporting sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision will affect customers in the Russian Federation as well as those in Belarus, an ally of Moscow, backing its military operation. Western...
EU Commission to remove Russian banks from SWIFT cross-border network
27.2.2022
While condemning the Russian president Vladimir Putin’s move to lay siege across Ukraine, the EU Commission committed to undertake a series of measures to isolate Russia from the international financial system
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...
North America to lead growth in blockchain market, new report says
3.2.2022
Blockchain market size is expected to reach $104.19 billion by 2028, exhibiting at a CAGR of 55.8% across the forecast period as per the report
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...
Malaysia’s Central Bank actively assessing CBDC options
18.1.2022
Malaysia’s central bank recently completed a proof-of-concept for a CBDC with three other nations and may consider developing its own cross-border payment system using the blockchain
Report: Kenya Set to Scale Up Adoption of Cryptocurrencies in 2022
10.1.2022
In his Africa crypto market predictions for 2022, Marius Reitz, the general manager for Luno in Africa, has predicted that Kenya will scale up the adoption of cryptocurrencies. To support this assertion, Reitz points to Kenya’s as position as the leader in the world’s peer-to-peer...
Creator of App for Remittances to Africa and Asia Raises $65 Million in Series B Round
26.12.2021
Tap Send, the creator of a remittances app of the same name, revealed it has raised $65 million in a Series B funding round. The fintech firm plans to use the funds to build a cheaper and faster cross-border money transfer platform. Remittances to Overlooked Countries The fintech startup behind...
IMF Advises How Crypto Should Be Regulated Citing ‘Urgent Need for Cross-Border Collaboration’
11.12.2021
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has outlined some recommendations of how cryptocurrency should be regulated, noting that there is an urgent need for cross-border collaboration and cooperation on cryptocurrency regulation. IMF Provides Recommendations on Crypto Regulation The International...
Central Banks of France, Switzerland and BIS Complete Cross-Border CBDC Trial
9.12.2021
Bank of France, the Swiss National Bank (SNB), and the Bank for International Settlements have successfully tested the application of wholesale central bank digital currency in cross-border payments. The project used distributed ledger technology and was realized with help from private firms....
Palau partners with Ripple on climate friendly national digital currency
24.11.2021
The partnership will help Palau be climate-friendly while enhancing its cross-border payments and digital currency technologies
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....