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

ECB Officially Starts to Investigate Digital Euro — Development Could Begin in 2 Years

The European Central Bank (ECB) says it is “starting to investigate” a digital euro by launching a two-year investigation. ECB President Christine Lagarde believes the ECB should be ready to respond to people’s demands for digital currencies and come up with a European-based solution that “does not jeopardize the whole banking system.” Lagarde Unveils ECB’s … Read more

Samsung to Aid Bank of Korea in Central Bank Digital Currency Pilot Program

Samsung, the Korean tech giant, has decided to participate in a central bank digital currency (CBDC) program that is being carried out by the Bank of Korea. The company will be testing the feasibility of using these new instruments in its lineup of Galaxy phones, specifically assessing the possibility of making offline payments between peers. … Read more

81 Countries Are Now Exploring Central Bank Digital Currencies — 5 CBDCs Fully Launched

Eighty-one countries are now exploring central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), according to a new tracker. This number is 46 more countries than the number in May last year. In addition, five countries have fully launched their own digital currencies. 81 Central Banks Explore Launching Own Digital Currencies The Atlantic Council’s Geoeconomics Center unveiled a new … Read more

64% of Adults from 10 Different Countries Would Use a Central Bank Digital Currency: Report

As central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) advance in testing, a number of countries have taken the lead in an effort to create a CBDC. The enterprise blockchain firm Guardtime recently conducted a survey that shows adults from ten different countries would likely use a CBDC. Nearly two out of three respondents said they would likely … Read more

India’s Central Bank RBI Unveils Plan to Launch Digital Currency in Phases

The deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revealed that the central bank is planning to launch a state-backed digital currency in phases so that it would have “little or no disruption to India’s banking or monetary systems.” RBI Plans ‘Phased Implementation’ for Digital Rupee RBI Deputy Governor T. Rabi Sankar talked … Read more

US Senators Seek to Forbid American Athletes From Receiving and Using Digital Yuan During Beijing Olympics

Three U.S. senators have urged the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee to forbid American athletes from receiving or using digital yuan during the Beijing Olympics. Raising many concerns, including privacy, they warned, “Olympic athletes should be aware that the digital yuan may be used to surveil Chinese citizens and those visiting China on an … Read more

Fed Chair Jerome Powell Says ‘You Wouldn’t Need Cryptocurrencies if You Had a Digital US Currency’

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell believes that there is no need for cryptocurrencies if there is a digital dollar. “I think that’s one of the stronger arguments in its favor,” he said. The Fed chair also insists that the U.S. is not in danger of losing its reserve currency status. Fed Chair Powell Thinks Cryptocurrencies … Read more