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☆ De-dollarized payment systems are cropping up. Here's why they're unlikely to dent greenback dominance.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The emergence of new regional payment systems likely won't spur de-dollarization, OMFIF said. According to commentary published Thursday, obstacles are already afflicting new regional payment systems, even as de-dollarization rhetoric creeps up. AdvertisementMeanwhile, efforts to assemble regional financial systems have delivered the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, OMFIF cited as one example. For instance, it's even launched its own payments infrastructure, the Cross-border Interbank Payment System. But China's efforts to create an alternative system are a defensive ploy for now, OMFIF wrote in a separate note from May.

Persons: OMFIF, —, Julian Jacobs, it's, That's, Zoe Liu Organizations: Service, Monetary, Financial, Forum, United Arab, China, Foreign Relations Locations: China , Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Russia, Ukraine, Beijing, Taiwan

☆ A group of emerging nations could soon start knocking down one key pillar of dollar dominance
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The BRICS bloc could pick up its de-dollarization agenda at its October summit in Kazan, Russia. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe BRICS group of emerging nations has been agitating for a move away from US dollar dominance. Last year, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called for a BRICS common currency.

Persons: —, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, United Arab Emirates — Organizations: Service, United, United Arab Emirates, Business Locations: Kazan, Russia, Brazil, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, United Arab

And the DeSantis campaign made many of them, his advisers, allies and supporters have acknowledged to CNN in interviews. Republican presidential candidate and Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, speaks during a campaign event in Hampton, New Hampshire, on January 17, 2024. Michael Reaves/Getty Images DeSantis and his wife, Casey, have three children: from left, daughters Mamie and Madison and son Mason. But that approach was rejected by the woman who would be announced as DeSantis’ campaign manager, Generra Peck. And yet, in the face of this overwhelming rejection of his pitch to Make America Florida, DeSantis refused to change gears.

Persons: Ron DeSantis steeled, Donald Trump, DeSantis, Trump, “, Nikki Haley, Trump hadn’t, ” DeSantis, Elon Musk, ”, Curt Anderson, Alex Castellanos, Ron DeSantis, Joseph Prezioso, It’s, Casey, God, Rupert Murdoch’s, Will Lanzoni, Jane, Zuma Press DeSantis, Dunedin High School DeSantis, US Navy DeSantis, John Boehner, Charles Dharapak, Bill Clark, Tom Williams, Trey Gowdy, Al Drago, Zack Wittman, Patrick Farrell, Andrew Gillum, Chris O'Meara, Jeff J Mitchell, Stephen M, Dowell, Chris Kleponis, Lynne Sladky, Steve Cannon, Fernando Medina, Deborah Birx, Doug Mills, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Saul Loeb, Madison, Tori Lynn Schneider, Vera Leip, Joe Raedle, Michael Reaves, Mamie, Mason, WFTS DeSantis, Joe Biden, Hurricane Ian, Charlie Crist, Marco Bello, Reuters DeSantis, Sophie Park, Jordan Gale, –, Stormy Daniels, Jeff Roe, Ken Cuccinelli, Roe, scrappy, Ken Griffin, bankroll DeSantis, Griffin, Dana Bash, Generra Peck, Musk, ” Donors, Peck, Christina Pushaw, Bryan Griffin, Hugh Hewitt, Scott Olson, Ryan Tyson, Zuckerbucks, Kim Reynolds, Reynolds, Iowa –, Anna Moneymaker Organizations: CNN, Trump, New, GOP, Former South Carolina Gov, Christian Broadcasting Network, Elon, Republican, “ JV, ”, Politico, Florida Governor, Getty, Republican Party, New York Post, Disney, Florida Gov, Little League Baseball, Petersburg Times, Zuma Press, Dunedin High School, Yale University, US Navy, Navy, General's Corps, District, DeSantis, First, Bloomberg, Miami Herald, Tribune, Service, Democratic, Orlando Sentinel, White, Orlando Magic, NBA, Coronavirus, New York Times, Tallahassee Democrat, USA, Conservative Political, Conference, University of South, Reuters, Iowa State University football, PAC, “, Fox News, Florida, Central Bank Digital Currency, Iowa, Gov, “ Iowa Republican, Republicans Locations: Iowa, Florida, New Hampshire, Hawkeye, Hampton , New Hampshire, AFP, Wally's, Jacksonville , Florida, Dunedin , Florida, Windsor, V, St, Florida's, Tampa , Florida, Orlando, Jacksonville, Sanford , Florida, Tallahassee , Florida, Tallahassee, Pompano Beach , Florida, Miami, Surfside , Florida, University of South Florida, Covid, Tampa, Bedford, Bedford , New Hampshire, Ames , Iowa, New York, Dunedin, Newton , Iowa, Park City , Utah, Tennessee, South Carolina, Trump, Des Moines, West Des Moines , Iowa, Myrtle Beach, “ Iowa, America Florida

☆ Blockchain expert explains why stablecoins are the "most important" asset for regulators to work on
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBlockchain expert explains why stablecoins are the "most important" asset for regulators to work onPaul Brody of EY discusses why he believes central bank digital currencies do not hold much value, and what regulators' next steps should be post-crypto ETF approvals.

Persons: stablecoins, Paul Brody, EY

☆ Southeast Asia is on the cusp of a 'supercharged' digital payments revolution, PwC says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Widespread mobile ownership, together with rapid digitalization after the pandemic, helped spur the expansion of digital financial services in Southeast Asia, said PwC. PwC"This enhanced availability and convenience of digital payments will see the bulk of the regional population leveraging mainstream digital financial products, such as e-wallets, further expediting the expansion of financial services," said PwC. watch now"Consumers are adopting digital financial services at a rapid pace. Cash is no longer king, as digital payments now make up more than 50% of the region's transactions," a recent Google, Temasek and Bain & Company report wrote. "In some regions such as Southeast Asia, [digital payments via e-wallets] are already more common than physical card payments and set to dominate point-of-sale [systems] overall," wrote Dan Jones and Alex Walker of OliverWyman.

Persons: PwC, hawkers, —, Cash, Dan Jones, Alex Walker of OliverWyman Organizations: Banking, Getty, Careem, Mercado Libre, Temasek, Bain & Company Locations: China, East Asia, Shanghai, Banking Asia, Asia, Southeast Asia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Paytm, India, AliPay, Latin America

☆ Digital bank robberies key risk for central bank e-money, BIS report warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Steve Marcus/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Digital bank robberies and other cyber hacks will be a key risk for countries launching digital versions of their currencies, a new report from the Bank for International Settlements has warned. The BIS, dubbed the central bankers' central bank, has been overseeing much of the global development work on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and its report is its most comprehensive assessment yet of the challenges. A worst case scenario though would be a cyber hack that saw money stolen from what would effectively be a central bank's digital vault. "Cyber security is a key risk for CBDCs," the report published on Wednesday said, adding they would have "far-reaching implications" for the way central banks currently operate. China is trialling a prototype digital yuan with 200 million users, while the European Central Bank has just begun two years of advanced-stage exploratory work.

Persons: Steve Marcus, Marc Jones, Christina Fincher Organizations: Def Con, REUTERS, Bank for International, BIS, CBDCs, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, U.S, Bahamas, Nigeria, China

☆ IMF, World Bank and BIS in first 'tokenisation' collaboration
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Cecilia Skingsley attends a session on central bank digital currencies at the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington, U.S., October 14, 2022. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Three of the world's cornerstone institutions - the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Bank for International Settlements - are to work together for the first time to "tokenise" some of the financial instruments that underpin their global work, a BIS official said on Tuesday. The trio will also work with Switzerland's central bank which has been pioneering tokenisation, the process of turning conventional assets into uniquely coded "tokens" that can be used in faster new systems. Their collaboration will initially focus on simple but still paper-based processes such as when richer countries donate into some of the World Bank's funds to support poorer parts of the world. She also touched on the new breed of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), repeating calls for some global rules and technology standards so they can work across the world and with existing payment systems.

Persons: Cecilia Skingsley, Elizabeth Frantz, Skingsley, Marc Jones, Matthew Lewis Organizations: International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, Bank for International, BIS, Atlantic Council, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, London

☆ Singapore to pilot use of wholesale central bank digital currencies in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ravi Menon, managing director of Monetary Authority of Singapore, speaks during the Singapore FinTech Festival in Singapore, on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. SINGAPORE — Come 2024, Singapore will pilot the live issuance and use of wholesale central bank digital currencies, said Ravi Menon, managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. "I'm pleased to announce that MAS will pilot the live issuance of wholesale CBDCs to instantaneously support payments across commercial banks here," Menon said. MAS is the city-state's central bank and financial regulator. Wholesale CBDC is a digital currency issued by a central bank, that's used exclusively by central banks, commercial banks or other financial institutions to settle large-value interbank transactions.

Persons: Ravi Menon, Menon, I'm, that's Organizations: Monetary Authority of, Singapore FinTech Festival, Singapore FinTech, MAS Locations: Monetary Authority of Singapore, Singapore, SINGAPORE

☆ 'Not convinced' by cryptocurrencies like bitcoin: Former BOE advisor
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'Not convinced' by cryptocurrencies like bitcoin: Former BOE advisorMichael Sheren, former advisor and co-founder of the Bank of England's fintech accelerator program, explains why he remains unconvinced by cryptocurrencies and why stablecoins and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are the future of digital currencies.

Persons: BOE, Michael Sheren, cryptocurrencies Organizations: Bank of England's, Central Bank Digital

☆ Mastercard says wide adoption of central bank digital currencies would be ‘difficult’ right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BARCELONA, SPAIN - MARCH 01: A view of the MasterCard company logo on their stand during the Mobile World Congress on March 1, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Joan Cros Garcia/Corbis via Getty Images)SINGAPORE — There isn't enough justification for the widespread use of central bank digital currencies right now, which makes broad adoption of such assets "difficult," Ashok Venkateswaran, Mastercard 's blockchain and digital assets lead for Asia-Pacific, told CNBC. A retail CBDC, which is the digital form of fiat currency issued by a central bank, caters to individuals and businesses, facilitating everyday transactions. This is different from a wholesale CBDC which is used exclusively by central banks, commercial banks and other financial institutions to settle large-value interbank transactions. But a lot of the central banks nowadays have gotten very innovative because they are working very closely with private companies like ours, to create that ecosystem," said the Asia-Pacific lead.

Persons: Joan Cros Garcia, Corbis, Ashok Venkateswaran, Venkateswaran, Kong's Organizations: MasterCard, Mobile, Congress, Getty Images, Mastercard, CNBC, Singapore FinTech, Monetary Fund, Atlantic Council, Hong Locations: BARCELONA, SPAIN, Barcelona, Spain, SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Singapore, U.S, Hong Kong

☆ IMF says central bank digital currencies can replace cash: 'This is not the time to turn back'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE — Central bank digital currencies have the potential to replace cash, but adoption could take time, said Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday. "CBDCs can replace cash which is costly to distribute in island economies," she said Wednesday at the Singapore FinTech Festival. CBDCs are the digital form of a country's fiat currency, which are regulated by the country's central bank. They are powered by blockchain technology, allowing central banks to channel government payments directly to households. Several central banks have already launched pilots or even issued a CBDC," the IMF said in a September report.

Persons: Kristalina Georgieva Organizations: International Monetary Fund, IMF, Singapore FinTech, Bank for International, Atlantic Council Locations: SINGAPORE — Central, Singapore

☆ IMF chief urges more proactive push for central bank digital currencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The head of the International Monetary Fund has urged countries to make a more proactive push to develop central bank digital currencies (CBDC). Eleven countries, including a number in the Caribbean, and Nigeria, have already launched CBDCs. Around 120 others are exploring them, although progress and approaches differ widely and a few have even abandoned the idea altogether. Georgieva said that with technology advancing so rapidly, countries needed to push ahead with development now to avoid getting caught out in future.

Persons: Yuri Gripas, Kristalina Georgieva, Georgieva, Marc Jones, Paul Simao Organizations: Monetary Fund, REUTERS, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Caribbean, Nigeria, Singapore

☆ Unlike private stablecoins, the digital Euro will protect the public interest: Bank of Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUnlike private stablecoins, the digital Euro will protect the public interest: Bank of ItalyAlessandr Perrazzelli, deputy governor of the Bank of Italy, discusses how central bank digital currencies differ from stablecoins and cryptocurrencies.

Persons: Bank of Italy Alessandr Perrazzelli Organizations: Bank of Italy

☆ SBF's conviction is the final nail in the coffin for crypto bros hoping to get rich quick
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty of all seven charges against him. AdvertisementAdvertisementA New York jury took less than five hours on Thursday to find Sam Bankman-Fried guilty of all seven charges the FTX founder faced. Now facing up to 110 years in prison, SBF's conviction marks the final nail in the coffin for the coterie of crypto bros who got rich quick. Bankman-Fried also testified he believed regulation would help give FTX a competitive edge over rival crypto exchange Binance. That complaint includes one especially damning exchange, in which the SEC alleges Binance's chief compliance officer said:"we are operating as a fking unlicensed securities exchange in the USA bro."

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Crypto's, —, Renato Mariotti, that's, it's, SBF, Binance's, There's, Kwon, Luna, Elon Musk's, Joe Biden's Organizations: Service, bros, BlackRock, DMs, Securities, Exchange Commission, Binance, SEC, New York Magazine Locations: York, Japan, Washington, Binance, USA

☆ Hong Kong's payment system Octopus to allow e-CNY transactions: CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHong Kong's payment system Octopus to allow e-CNY transactions: CEOOctopus' CEO Tim Ying says e-CNY adoption in its e-payment system will be the first retail cross-border use of the central bank digital currency.

Persons: Tim Ying Organizations: Hong

☆ Analysis: Time for central bank digital currencies to prove their worth
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - A milestone move by the European Central Bank toward launching a digital euro within a few years means the time has come for the newest incarnation of money to prove its worth. A few countries have introduced central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), China is trialling a prototype yuan with 200 million users, India is gearing up for a pilot and some 130 countries representing 98% of the global economy are exploring digital cash. Commercial bankers fret about the costs and possible deposit bleeds as customers could move money into central bank accounts, while developing countries worry that an easily accessible digital dollar, euro or yuan could cause havoc in their systems. DEFINING A GLOBAL STANDARDA key unknown is whether the U.S. Federal Reserve or Bank of Japan will launch retail CBDCs. "The current adoption level of eNaira has been reflective of the early stage of CBDC awareness," the country's central bank said in a written response to questions, adding it had been "consistent" with expectations.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Josh Lipsky, Fabio Panetta, couldn't, Lee Braine, Bo Li, Atlantic Council's Lipsky, Lipsky, Marc Jones, MacDonald Dzirutwe, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, European Central Bank, Reuters, Atlantic Council, Facebook, ECB, Barclays, Bank of, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, International Monetary Fund, Atlantic, Thomson Locations: China, India, Western, Nigeria, U.S, Canada, Bahamas, London, Lagos

☆ Australia central bank sees possible cost savings in tokenisation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A worker is reflected in a wall of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) head office in central Sydney, Australia, March 1, 2016. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Australia's central bank on Monday said tokenised money could help save billions of dollars in costs in domestic financial markets, as it studies whether and how to launch a central bank digital currency. Australia's government on Monday separately outlined proposals for regulating crypto and digital assets that will make platforms subject to existing Australian financial services laws and require platform operators to obtain an Australian Financial Services Licence. The RBA has been studying whether to issue a central bank digital currency (CBDC) of its own and if it would help facilitate atomic settlement in tokenised asset markets. A wholesale CBDC could also act as a complement to new forms of privately issued digital money, including tokenised bank deposits and asset-backed stablecoins.

Persons: David Gray, Brad Jones, Jones, tokenisation, " Jones, Wayne Cole, Jamie Freed Organizations: Reserve Bank of Australia, REUTERS, Rights, Australian Financial, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ China FX regulator says CBDC features could improve monetary policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

China's official app for digital yuan is seen on a mobile phone next to 100-yuan banknotes in this illustration picture taken October 16, 2020. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Oct 13 (Reuters) - A Chinese foreign exchange regulator official said "programmable features" of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) could help enhance the effectiveness of monetary policy tools, state media reported on Friday. China is among a host of countries developing their own CBDCs - digital tokens issued by central banks - although adoption is still in its early stages. Lu said he expected the People's Bank of China (PBOC) could explore the features to adjust rates of CBDC, which could also be used manage the macro economy. Transactions using China's CBDC, the e-CNY, hit 1.8 trillion yuan ($249.33 billion) at end-June.

Persons: Florence Lo, Lu Lei, Lu, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, Shanghai Securities News, People's Bank of China, Bank of International, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: China

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried talked crypto with Jerome Powell the same month that the Fed chair met with JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs CEOs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sam Bankman-Fried met with Jerome Powell last year to discuss crypto, per the NYT. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementJerome Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, once met with Sam Bankman-Fried to discuss crypto, The New York Times reported. Prior to the meeting, Wetjen sent the Fed chair some policy papers that FTX had recently published, according to the NYT. The FDIC and a spokesperson for Bankman-Fried did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, sent outside US working hours.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Jerome Powell, SBF, Martin Gruenberg, —, Mark Wetjen, Wetjen, FTX, Powell, stablecoins, cryptocurrencies, Goldman Sachs, David Solomon, Jamie Dimon, Morgan Stanley, James Gorman, Lael Brainard Organizations: Wall Street, Service, Federal Reserve, The New York Times, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, JPMorgan Chase, Times, Fed, National Economic Council, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, FDIC, Customers Locations: Alameda

☆ Legal fog over central bank digital currencies "unacceptable", BIS warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Agustin Carstens leaves after G-20 finance ministers and central banks governors family photo during the IMF/World Bank spring meeting in Washington, U.S., April 20, 2018. His warning comes as central banks around the world push ahead with central bank digital currency (CBDC) development in a bid to make money more high tech and keep up with the features now offered by cryptocurrencies. Some 11 countries have already launched them and next month the European Central Bank is expected to receive the green light to start work on a digital euro. Carstens, whose organisation is overseeing much of the global test work, said central banks have a mandate to meet public demands and have also made significant investments into CBDCs. "It is simply unacceptable that unclear or outdated legal frameworks could hinder their deployment," added Carstens, the former governor of the Mexico's central bank.

Persons: Agustin Carstens, Yuri Gripas, Marc Jones, Josie Kao Organizations: IMF, Bank, REUTERS, Bank for International, BIS, cryptocurrencies, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin travels the globe to keep crypto alive as the U.S. cracks down
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

Today, the biggest challenge for Buterin and the ethereum community is making sure that it provides actual value to people. Buterin was named the world's youngest crypto billionaire at age 27 as the crypto market swelled to its peak in 2021. And he isn't, according to his own estimation, the be-all and end-all authority on the ethereum network. About the ethereum network, he says, "On the other hand, you've got your laptop. In terms of what's next for ethereum — Buterin says a big priority is focusing on privacy and scalability through zero-knowledge rollups.

Persons: Vitalik Buterin, Buterin, coder, doesn't, Czech Republic Pavel Sinagl, that's, clasped, Buterin wasn't, cryptocurrencies, Sam Bankman, Luna, they're, Dmitry, Vitalik, Dmitry Buterin, ethereum blockchains, you've, Satoshi Nakamoto, ethereum, — Buterin Organizations: CNBC PRAGUE, CNBC, Canadian, U.S . Tornado, Buterin, U.S, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, CFTC, People's Bank of China, tinker, Ethereum, Ethereum Foundation Locations: Prague, Russia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Netherlands, Paralelní Polis, Holešovice, China, U.S, Africa, Argentina, Buenos Aires, San Francisco, CBDCs, Moscow, ethereum, Denver, Paris

☆ Israel central bank says digital shekel launch an 'open question'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Bank of Israel in November 2021 stepped up its research and preparation for the possible issuance of a digital shekel to create a more efficient payments system after first considering issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in late 2017. "Whether or not we will issue a digital shekel is still an open question, as it is in most if not all other advanced economies," Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron said at a conference on digital currencies. Israel's central bank has been experimenting with a digital shekel with its Hong Kong counterpart and the Bank for International Settlements. Deputy Governor Andrew Abir said that for Israel, issuing a digital shekel would provide more competition in a financial system dominated by a few large banks and institutions. "I believe central banks should return to examine the possibility (of) remunerated CBDCs – that is, for the central bank to pay interest CBDC directly to the end users who hold it, and enjoy the security provided by the central bank.

Persons: Amir Yaron, Yaron, Israel, Andrew Abir, Abir, Steven Scheer, Alexander Smith, Mark Porter Organizations: The Bank of Israel, Bank of Israel, Hong Kong, Bank for International, Thomson Locations: Israel

☆ Standard Chartered-owned crypto firm Zodia launches in Singapore
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Zodia Custody, a company that helps large institutions store their crypto, launched in Singapore on Tuesday in a bid to tap into the country's rapidly growing digital asset market. The development makes Zodia the first entity that is owned by and partnered with banks to provide digital asset custody services for financial institutions in Singapore, Zodia said in a news release. Zodia is also part-owned by SBI Digital Asset Holdings, the crypto division of Japanese bank SBI. "Singapore is a market that has been no stranger to the crypto world for a long time," Sawyer said. Standard Chartered has a "fantastic brand" in Singapore, Sawyer said, adding that the backing of such a large institution has helped boost its conversations with major financial firms.

Persons: Zodia, StanChart, Julian Sawyer, Sawyer, blockchain, Crypto, Zodia's, Coinbase Organizations: Standard Chartered, Northern Trust, SBI Digital Asset Holdings, SBI, CNBC, Starling, Chartered, Arrows, United, United Arab Emirates Locations: Singapore, British, Asia, Africa, Japan, Pacific, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seal is pictured on a gate outside the RBI headquarters in Mumbai, India, February 2, 2016. Retail CBDC transactions are averaging close to 18,000 a day, way short of the RBI's one million-a-day target by 2023 end. UPI is an instant real-time payments system that allows users to transfer money across multiple banks without disclosing bank account details. The facility, announced in June, has been activated by large banks, including State Bank of India, the country's largest lender. Top private lender HDFC Bank is working with a technology firm IDEMIA to build a version of offline CBDC transactions for feature phones, according to two people aware of the plans.

Persons: Danish Siddiqui, Sharat Chandra, Akhil Handa, Handa, Jaspreet Kalra, Siddhi Nayak, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Bank of India, REUTERS, Danish, Rights, Reserve Bank of India, UPI, State Bank of India, India Blockchain, HDFC Bank, Bank of Baroda, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Rights MUMBAI, Siddhi

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve's top regulatory official said on Friday the central bank is "a long way" from any decision on whether it would issue its own digital currency, and added it would not do so without official support in Washington. Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr said while officials are investigating a central bank digital currency (CBDC), the Fed was far from any decision. "Of course, investigation and research are very different from decision-making about next steps in terms of payments system development, and we are a long way from that." Barr's comments echo those of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who also has said the Fed would not move to issue a digital currency without explicit authorization from Congress. It is important to get the legislative and regulatory framework right before significant risks emerge," he said.

Persons: Michael Barr, Evelyn Hockstein, Barr, Jerome Powell, Pete Schroeder, Hugh Lawson, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs Committee, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Federal, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, Philadelphia

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