Bank of Russia Aims for Full Launch of Digital Ruble in 2024

The Central Bank of Russia plans to begin the comprehensive implementation of the digital ruble two years from now, according to a paper detailing its monetary policy priorities for the 2023 – 2025 period. As the development of the state-issued digital…

Nepal Prepares to Issue Digital Currency, Drafts Necessary Amendments

A task force in Nepal has proposed legal changes allowing the country’s central bank to issue its own digital currency. The move comes after a study indicated that such an initiative is feasible and recommended certain provisions that would authorize the…

Central Bank of Brazil Director Praises Bitcoin as a Financial Innovation, Talks Programmable Digital Real

Fabio Araujo, Director of the Central Bank of Brazil, has praised the properties of Bitcoin, saying it is a financial innovation using new technologies. To Araujo, Bitcoin was the catalyst for what is today known as Web3. At an event, Araujo…

Central African Republic Token Sale off to Slow Start — $1.26 Million Raised in Under 5 Days

The Central African Republic’s token sale appeared to have gotten to a slow start after less than 13 million out of the 210 million Sango coins were sold since the commencement of the sale on July 25. The country has claimed…

Credit Cards Should Not Be Used for Crypto Transactions, Taiwan’s Financial Watchdog Says

The financial regulator of Taiwan has asked local banks not to allow the use of cards for payments in transactions involving cryptocurrencies, local media revealed. The authority says these assets are risky while associated cash flows are hard to monitor. Taiwanese…

Harvard Professor Rogoff: Central Banks, Governments Are ‘Way Behind the Curve’ in Regulating Cryptocurrencies

Harvard Professor of Economics and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kenneth Rogoff says central banks and governments are “way behind the curve” in regulating cryptocurrencies. He added that officials throw out the idea of having central bank…

ECB’s Lagarde, Panetta See Digital Euro as More Efficient Payment Means Than Crypto

Unbacked cryptocurrencies are not an efficient means of payment and stablecoins are vulnerable to runs, top officials at the European Central Bank have pointed out in a new article making the case for a digital euro. The executives have marked key…

CBDC Ensures Nigeria Remains Competitive in Increasingly Digital World — Central Bank Governor

The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has insisted the recently introduced e-naira digital currency can potentially boost trade and investment activities in the country. He added the digital currency “would be necessary in the future to ensure Nigeria…

Bank of Jamaica Governor: Cryptocurrency ‘Not Sufficiently Stable to Be a Good Means of Payment’

The governor of the Jamaican central bank has warned people using or who have plans to use cryptocurrencies to be mindful of the associated risks. The governor added that cryptocurrencies’ unpredictability means they cannot function as a medium of exchange. Not…

Digital Real Will Be Used by Banks in Brazil as Collateral to Issue Their Own Stablecoins

The Brazilian central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital real, will be more of a wholesale asset instead of a public retail-focused token, according to statements from the president of the Central Bank of Brazil, Roberto Campos Neto. Campos Neto indicated…