BIS Asks Central Banks to Urgently Develop CBDCs to Compete With Crypto Assets

The head of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub, Benoît Cœuré, has urged central banks to act now on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) to compete with initiatives in the private sector, including cryptocurrencies. “CBDCs will take years to be rolled out, while … crypto assets are already here,” he said. BIS Says … Read more

Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and South Africa to Trial Cross-Border Digital Currency Payments

The central banks of Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Republic of South Africa have set out to test the use of state-issued digital currencies in cross-border payments. The trial, led by the Bank for International Settlements, aims to establish whether they can simplify transactions and make them cheaper. Reserve Bank of Australia Teams Up With … Read more

IMF, World Bank, BIS Recommend Countries Work Together on CBDCs to Enhance Cross-Border Payments

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the Bank of International Settlement (BIS) have conducted an extensive study of using central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) for cross-border payments. Their report to the G20 states that enhanced cross-border payments “can be achieved … as long as countries work together.” The Committee on Payments and … Read more

US State Department Official Wants El Salvador to ‘Ensure Bitcoin Is Well Regulated’

The U.S. Department of State’s undersecretary of state for political affairs, Victoria Nuland, has explained during a press conference that the U.S. has urged El Salvador to be responsible with the country’s new bitcoin law. Nuland told the press that the U.S. was taking a “tough look at Bitcoin” and that Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele … Read more

BIS Economist Recommends ‘Technology-Neutral’ Crypto Regulation, Low-Cost Supervision of Decentralized Markets

An economist with the Bank of International Settlements has found that cryptocurrencies are not sought as an alternative to fiat currencies or regulated finance, therefore a “technology-neutral regulation to this asset class” is recommended. The economist discussed “embedded supervision,” adding that “The main aim is low-cost supervision of decentralized markets.” BIS Economist Suggests Regulatory Approach … Read more