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☆ Cryptocurrencies could cause the next financial crisis, Indian central bank head warns
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Shaktikanta Das, governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), called for private cryptocurrencies to be "prohibited." The next financial crisis will be caused by private cryptocurrencies, if these assets are allowed to grow, the head of India's central bank warned on Wednesday. Das' comments come as the central bank pushes to introduce its own digital version of the Indian rupee. The digital rupee is a type of central bank digital currency (CBDC). China's central bank is furthest ahead globally on the development of a CBDC.

☆ Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong Says Regulation Could Boost USD Coin Usage
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Vicky Ge Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, wants to make USD Coin ‘the de facto central bank digital currency of the U.S.’Coinbase Global Inc. Chief Executive Brian Armstrong believes that regulation will help fuel the rise of a stablecoin backed by his exchangeUSD Coin will become “the de facto central bank digital currency” of the U.S., he said in a Friday interview.

☆ Factbox: UK sets out financial sector reforms
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Britain on Friday set out plans to overhaul the financial sector including a review of rules to make bankers accountable for their decisions and easing capital requirements on smaller lenders. Here are some of the measures announced:- Reforming the Ring-FencingRegime for Banks- Issuing new remit letters for the PRA and FCA with clear, targeted recommendations on growth and international competitiveness- Reforming securitisation regulation- Launching a Call for Evidence on reforming the Short Selling Regulation- Welcoming the PRA consultation on removing rules for the capital deduction of certain non-performing exposures held by banks- Overhauling the UK’s regulation of prospectuses- Committing to establish the independent Investment Research Review- Committing to having a regime for a UK consolidated tape in place by 2024- Consulting on reform to the VAT treatment of fund management- Consulting in Q1 2023 on bringing Environmental, Social, and Governance ratings providers into the regulatory perimeter- Consulting on a UK retail central bank digital currency alongside the Bank of England in the coming weeks- Publishing a response to the consultation on expanding the Investment Manager Exemption to include cryptoassets- Laying regulations in early 2023 to remove well-designed performance fees from the pensions regulatory charge capReporting by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia's RBA finds unexpected industry interest in an eAUD
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Interested entities ranged from large banks, financial market infrastructure providers and consultancies, to small digital asset firms and fintechs. The RBA intends to select a number of proposals to take forward into the pilot phase early next year. However, Jones cautioned that the actual adoption of a retail CBDC to replace cash would be revolutionary and come with costs and dangers that had yet to be addressed. Instead, it was possible household holdings of eAUD at the RBA would end up replacing deposits held by commercial banks, sapping their ability to lend. "Prior to crossing this Rubicon, a strong public interest case would first need to emerge," Jones concluded on adoption of a retail CBDC.

☆ BOJ to conduct digital yen trial with Japan's 3 megabanks, others - Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Daniel Leussink | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Florence Lo/IllustrationTOKYO, Nov 23 (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan will start a trial with an eye on launching a digital yen with Japan's three megabanks and regional banks next spring, the Nikkei newspaper reported. The central bank could decide in 2026 whether to issue a digital currency after verifying issues for two years, such as whether there are problems with deposits and withdrawals from bank accounts, Nikkei said. A spokesperson for the BOJ was not immediately available to comment on Wednesday, a public holiday in Japan. It will likely come after the BOJ wraps up a second phase of its central bank digital currency (CBDC) experiment that started in April, and which will last about a year. The BOJ will collaborate with participating banks in the trial from next spring to check whether CBDCs can be transferred between accounts, the Nikkei reported.

☆ FTX collapse shows why crypto must be regulated before it threatens stability of financial system, says Bank of England official
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Bank of England's deputy governor for financial stability spoke at a conference on Monday. Crypto must be regulated before it's large enough to threaten overall financial stability, he said. Jon Cunliffe, the bank's deputy governor for financial stability, spoke at a conference at Warwick Business School on Monday. Cunliffe said that while crypto isn't large enough "to threaten the stability of the financial system, its links with mainstream finance have been developing rapidly." In his speech on Monday, Cunliffe added that some crypto technologies could also improve the financial system.

☆ Swiss National Bank still sees no case for central bank digital currency
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ZURICH, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The Swiss National Bank currently sees "no compelling advantage" to introducing digital central bank money for the general population, governing board member Andrea Maechler said on Thursday. "We have taken quite a strong position," Maechler told a Swiss Finance Institute event in Zurich, saying such a move could lead to the public holding accounts with the central bank as well as with commercial banks. If customers became "worried or mad with a particular bank, you could transfer the money overnight to the SNB," Maechler said. "This would add a lot of risk and volatility to the system which is ultimately not needed." Reporting by John Revill, editing by Noele IllienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fed's Waller maintains skepticism on U.S. digital currency
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 10 (Reuters) - There is currently no credible case for the United States to develop an official digital version of the dollar, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Thursday, keeping to his long-held skeptical view amid debate at the U.S. central bank. "The case for adopting one is not yet convincing to me and many others," Waller said during an event at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. Fed policymakers remain divided on the need for a central bank digital currency, with Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard, second in command at the Fed, among those expressing support. Regardless, the Fed has indicated it would not launch one without clear support from the White House and lawmakers. Reporting by Lindsay Dunsmuir; Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NY Fed official: Digital dollar could speed foreign exchange settlement
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Michael S. Derby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 4 (Reuters) - A top Federal Reserve Bank of New York official said on Friday that the bank sees promise in using a central bank digital dollar to speed up settlement time in foreign exchange markets. Michelle Neal, who is head of the bank's Markets Group, did not say anything involving a central bank digital currency, or CBDC, was imminent. Foreign exchange spot transactions "are critical in the context of cross-border payments, and serve as a building block for longer, more complex transactions," Neal said in the text of remarks to be given before a conference in Singapore. According to the research effort, a Fed digital dollar, used in a wholesale capacity, and the technology to record transactions "results in instant and atomic settlement." The Fed has been exploring for some time how it can launch a fully digital dollar that some have referred to as Fedcoin.

☆ Singapore has no 'real use case' for a central bank digital currency, says MAS
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | 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 EmailSingapore has no 'real use case' for a central bank digital currency, says MASSopnendu Mohanty of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, however, says central bank digital currencies can be extremely useful in emerging markets where many people are unbanked.

☆ Britain's new PM is a fan of crypto. There are hopes he'll give the industry a boost
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Dan Kitwood | Getty ImagesU.K. cryptocurrency firms and investors have high hopes that new prime minister Rishi Sunak could turn around Britain's fading crypto aspirations. Crypto isn't exactly high up on his priority list, but industry insiders say there's reason to be optimistic. Before Sunak's appointment as PM, confidence in the U.K.'s position in the global crypto market had been waning. In a survey of 300 British fintech founders, only 9% believe it's leading the way on crypto. Yet the U.K. is home to a fairly active crypto market.

☆ India cenbank to start pilot of digital rupee on Nov 1
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: A man walks behind the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) logo inside its headquarters in Mumbai, India, April 8, 2022. REUTERS/Francis MascarenhasBENGALURU (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will launch the pilot for a central-bank-backed digital rupee for the wholesale segment on Nov. 1, it said on Monday, identifying nine banks, including top lender State Bank of India, to participate in the project. Settlements in central bank digital currency would reduce transaction costs, the RBI added. Besides SBI, the pilot will include Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Yes Bank, IDFC First Bank and HSBC, the RBI said. The central bank’s plans for a currency in digital form comes amid its staunch opposition of cryptocurrencies.

[1/2] People buy food at stalls promoting China's digital yuan, or e-CNY, during the 2022 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, China September 1, 2022. REUTERS/Tingshu WangHONG KONG/SHANGHAI, Oct 27 (Reuters) - China's digital yuan took the centre stage in the world's largest cross-border central bank digital currency (CBDC) trial to date, a report showed, pointing to how Beijing is speeding up yuan globalization efforts amid rising geopolitical tensions. China's digital currency, or e-CNY, was the most issued, and actively transacted token in the $22 million pilot that used CBDCs to settle cross-border trades, a Bank of International Settlement (BIS) report showed. The PBOC's participation in m-Bridge represents its ambition to eventually promote global, wholesale use of the e-CNY. But China's yuan internationalisation, digital or not, faces challenges amid a slowing economy ravaged by COVID flare-ups, and a property debt crisis.

SYDNEY, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The cryptocurrency industry said on Wednesday it was disappointed with Australia's decision to continue treating digital currencies as assets for tax purposes, and not as foreign currency. The government said in its budget announcement on Tuesday it would introduce legislation to enshrine the treatment of digital currencies such as Bitcoin as an asset. This means investors would pay capital gains tax on profit from selling crypto assets through exchanges and when they trade digital assets. The crypto sector is largely unregulated in Australia and the Treasury said in August it would prioritise ‘token mapping’ work, which will help identify how crypto assets and related services should be regulated. "Europeans are going to be pulling ahead, the U.K. now has a prime minister who is familiar with central bank digital currencies," Bowler said.

☆ Banking agencies to provide guidance on crypto after better understanding risks- FDIC head
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 20 (Reuters) - Banking regulators expect to provide industry guidance to financial institutions on crypto-related activities once agencies better understand the associated risks, said the acting chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp."We must understand and assess the risks associated with these activities the same way that we would assess the risks related to any other new activity," said Martin Gruenberg on Thursday during a speech at the Brookings Institution. Gruenberg also added that a potential future payments system based on the use of stablecoin, which are crypto-assets typically pegged to the U.S. dollar, should complement the Federal Reserve's forthcoming FedNow service, as well as a possible U.S. central bank digital currency. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Hannah Lang in WashingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A U.S. central bank digital currency isn't necessary for dollar supremacy- Fed's Waller
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 14 (Reuters) - Creating a U.S. central bank digital currency is likely not important to the long-term status of the U.S. dollar, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said Friday. In a speech during an event held by the Harvard National Security Journal, Waller said that a digital dollar would not offer material benefits over making U.S. dollar-denominated payments, especially because the introduction of a central bank digital currency, or CBDC, would introduce additional risks, such as cybersecurity threats. "I don’t think there are implications here for the role of the United States in the global economy and financial system," Waller said, suggesting instead that the debate around a digital dollar should focus on financial stability, payment system innovations and financial inclusion." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Hannah Lang in WashingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's digital currency passes 100 bln yuan in spending - PBOC
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Transactions using China's digital yuan surpassed 100 billion yuan ($13.9 billion) as of Aug. 31, China's central bank said on Wednesday, as the country continues its roll-out of a central bank digital currency. The spending involved 360 million transactions in pilot areas in 15 provinces and municipalities, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said, adding that more than 5.6 million merchants could now accept payments with the digital currency. China is at the fore of a global race to develop central bank digital currencies, although adoption is still in the early stages. Transactions using e-CNY rose from 87.6 billion yuan by the end of 2021, the PBOC said. The central bank also took part in the cross-border multiple Central Bank Digital Currency (mCBDC) Bridge trial developed by the Bank of International Settlements and conducted tests to connect with Hong Kong's local digital payment system, it said.

☆ China trials cross-border settlement involving cenbank digital currencies
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Florence Lo/IllustrationSHANGHAI, Sept 29 (Reuters) - A central bank digital currency trial focused on cross-border transactions has been completed, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) said, with Chinese state-owned banks participating as Beijing tries to internationalise its digital yuan. More than 160 cross-border payments and foreign exchange transactions totalling more than $22 million were made during the first trial involving four central bank currencies and real-value transactions, the BIS said in a statement. State media reported on Thursday that Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Agricultural Bank of China were among the 20 participating commercial banks. China has been testing its digital currency in major cities, mainly for domestic retail payments, though the central bank has also vowed to explore cross-border payments in digital yuan. Russia, sanctioned by the West over its war in Ukraine, has announced plans to use its own digital currency to trade with China.

☆ Premarket stocks: Is the bitcoin winter beginning to thaw out?
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But signs of a thaw, spurred on by global currency chaos, are beginning to appear. The gains gave crypto bulls hope that bitcoin was becoming a safe haven asset, or one that acts as a hedge when stocks are falling. Then, around midday, the dollar grew in strength and bitcoin came crashing down again, wiping out all of its recent gains. But all assets are suffering, bitcoin isn’t in this alone.”The silver lining: But even as bitcoin prices fall, investors see signs of a bottom. The central bank is also considering the launch of a Central Bank Digital Currency, which is essentially a digital version of the dollar.

☆ Biden White House just put out a framework on regulating crypto — here’s what’s in it
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

U.S. President Joe Biden walks from Marine One to the White House following a trip from Michigan, in Washington, U.S., September 14, 2022. Here are some of the key takeaways from the White House's new crypto framework. Fighting illicit financeOne section of the White House's new framework on crypto regulation focuses on eliminating illegal activity in the industry — and the measures proposed appear to have real teeth. Crime is rife in the digital asset sector. Then there's the hypothetical digital dollar that would be the Federal Reserve's take on a CBDC.

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