Circle Issues Update Amid Stablecoin Volatility; Firm Is Prepared to ‘Stand Behind USDC and Cover Any Shortfall’

On Saturday, March 11, 2023, Circle Financial updated the public about its stablecoin, USDC, and noted that the stablecoin’s liquidity operations will resume normally on Monday morning in the United States. Circle said that the company’s teams would be ready on Monday to “handle significant volume” and that the firm will “stand behind USDC and … Read more

Silicon Valley Bank Faces Financial Woes as Stock Is Halted, Sells $21 Billion Bond Portfolio at a $1.8 Billion Loss

On March 10, 2023, market observers are discussing the troubles Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) faces, as the firm’s stock slid more than 60% in the last 24 hours. SVB was forced to sell a $21 billion bond portfolio at a $1.8 billion loss. CEO Greg Becker insists that the financial institution “will be well positioned” … Read more

Wikimedia Foundation Debates Acceptance of Cryptocurrency Donations Over Environmental Concerns

Following Mozilla’s decision to pause crypto donations due to environmental concerns, a number of Wikimedia Foundation community members have submitted a proposal that asks the foundation to stop accepting digital currency donations. The proposal explains that crypto donations “signals [an] endorsement of the cryptocurrency space,” and also says that “Cryptocurrencies may not align with the … Read more

Banking System Uses Significantly More Energy Than Bitcoin, Research Shows

A new report shows that the banking system consumes more than twice the amount of energy that bitcoin does. The authors analyzed bitcoin’s energy usage and compared it to the banking and gold industries. Banking System Consumes Much More Energy Than Bitcoin Galaxy Digital published a report last week entitled “On Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption: A … Read more

OCC Chief Says Americans Gravitating Toward Digital Currencies: Urges Banks to Embrace Innovation

Brian Brooks, the acting comptroller of currency at the U.S. Office of Comptroller of Currency (OCC), says America must adopt digital currency payment rails if the country hopes to compete with global payment rails in the future. He insists changing consumer needs must be prioritized over the interests of powerful banks that may be against … Read more

Cryptocurrency Could Kill Bank Lending, Warns Bank of England Deputy Governor

In the cryptocurrency economy, the supply of credit through the banking system could disappear, warned Bank of England Deputy Governor Sir Jon Cunliffe. That would be a change with “profound economic consequences,” he added, emphasizing the risks from Facebook’s Libra project and global stablecoins. Also read: SEC Karate-Chops Steven Seagal Over Promoting Cryptocurrency Touted as … Read more

Central Bank of China Pumps 300 Billion Yuan Into Financial System, Cuts Loan Rates

The Chinese government has taken multiple steps so far to contain the economic fallout from the coronavirus epidemic, including interest rate cuts and financial injections worth billions of yuan. It did it again this week, extending the monetary easing provided by the central bank. With the budget under pressure, however, there are indications that Beijing … Read more

84 PBOC Digital Currency Patents Show the Extent of China’s Digital Yuan

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has reportedly filed 84 patents relating to its plans to launch a digital currency. The patents reveal the central bank’s plans which include integrating digital currency wallets into existing retail bank accounts. The potential for the Chinese central bank digital currency to achieve scale from the get-go has put … Read more

Liquidity Difficulties in China: Second Bank Bail-Out Now Reality

Although it has its peculiarities, the Chinese banking sector now faces similar challenges to the west’s financial system. Dozens of small banks have been experiencing liquidity difficulties in the past few months. Observers believe the expanding problem has the potential to trigger a financial crisis that could grow into a new global meltdown. Chinese state-owned … Read more

Iranian Banker Calls for Cryptocurrency Acceptance

An official at Iran’s biggest bank called for bankers to use digital currencies themselves and design a domestic digital currency.  Also Read: Iranian Bitcoin Adoption Surges Amid Political Protests and Censorship Digital Currencies Shaping the Future of Banking Masoud Khatouni, the deputy for information technology and communications network at Bank Melli Iran (BMI), has come out … Read more