US Court Sentences Russian Crypto Ransom Launderer to Probation and Fine

A Russian crypto entrepreneur, charged with laundering money from ransomware attacks, has been sentenced to probation and fined in the U.S. after pleading guilty. Founder of two coin trading platforms, Denis Dubnikov, was arrested in the Netherlands and extradited to the…

ECB President Lagarde Warns of ‘Major Disaster’ If US Defaults on Debt Obligations

There is a lot of discussion lately about the U.S. government’s debt ceiling and whether Congress will act before defaulting. In a recent interview, Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), said she is confident the U.S. can…

Brazil and China Deepen Trade Integration to Move Away From US Dollar, as First Yuan-Based Settlement Is Processed

Brazil and China have reached a milestone in their economic integration, as the first bilateral settlement in Chinese yuan was completed ahead of the visit of President Luis Inacio “Lula” da Silva to China. The settlement, which was processed by the…

Analysts Weigh In on BRICS Currency as Tool to Face US Dollar-Based Sanctions

Analysts have begun considering using a future BRICS currency to sidestep U.S. sanctions and the dollar’s influence in international markets. While the rise of the U.S. dollar was significant to spur an era of economic growth after World War II, the…

Dollar to Play Lesser Role Due to Its Weaponization, Digital Currencies, Economist Jeffrey Sachs Says

Within the next decade, the U.S. dollar will play a much less dominant role than it is today, according to Jeffrey Sachs. The renowned economist listed a few factors for the diminishing status of the greenback such as its use as…

India to Facilitate International Settlements in Rupees to Reduce Dependence on the US Dollar

The government of India has announced that it will facilitate the settlement of international transactions using its national currency, the rupee. As part of its foreign trading policy framework implemented on April 1, the country introduced this measure to facilitate payments…

Putin, Xi Vow to Use Yuan as Russia and China Move to Settlements in National Currencies

As part of the talks that Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping are currently conducting in Russia, Russia has vowed to move to use the Chinese yuan as a settlement currency with countries in Asia, Africa, and Latam….

Meta Winding Down Support for NFTs on Facebook, Instagram

U.S. tech giant Meta is giving up on operations with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) amid ongoing turbulence in the crypto space. The company allowed creators to share digital collectibles on its leading social media platforms last year. Meta Platforms Cutting Off Support…

Binance Bans Russians From P2P Transactions With Dollars and Euros

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has introduced new restrictions for Russian users, in accordance with the latest European sanctions. The platform is restricting access to peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions in U.S. dollars and euros for traders based in the Russian Federation. Binance Prohibits US…

BIS Releases Report On ‘Project Icebreaker’ — Develops Cross-Border Retail CBDC Payment Model

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has released a report summarizing the “Project Icebreaker” trial, which explored the potential advantages and difficulties of utilizing a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) in cross-border payments. The experiment was designed to test “the…