No Plans to Make US Dollar Sole Currency, Zimbabwean Finance Minister Calls Idea ‘Suicidal’

The Zimbabwean Finance Minister, Mthuli Ncube, recently told business leaders that he is not planning to make the U.S. dollar the country’s sole currency again. Government Focused on Strengthening Local Currency Instead of entertaining those calling for the dollarization of the Zimbabwean economy, Ncube suggested his ministry is in fact focused on defending the value … Read more

Nigerian Foreign Exchange Crisis: Central Bank Issues Warning to Microfinance Banks

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has threatened punitive sanctions against microfinance banks that violate the conditions of their operating license through the performance of foreign currency-related transactions. In its latest circular, the CBN claims that microfinance banks have a very low capitalization hence their handling of such transactions threatens the stability of the financial … Read more

Forex Shortages Force Nigerian Corporates to Turn to Parallel Market

Nigeria’s ongoing shortage of foreign exchange is forcing corporates and businesses to source this resource on the parallel market, a former official with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has said. According to Muda Yusuf, who is the previous director-general at LCCI, these shortages stem from the foreign exchange market liquidity constraints that … Read more

Angola Hikes Benchmark Interest Rate as Central Bank Attempts to Tame Rising Inflation

The Angolan central bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) recently hiked the country’s benchmark interest rate from 15.5% to a record of 20%. The largely unexpected hike, which is one of the National Bank of Angola (NBA)’s attempts to curb inflation, marks the first time the benchmark rate has been increased since November 2017. Rising Inflation … Read more

New Bank of America Report Says Digital Currencies ‘Could Boost Economic Growth’ in Developing Countries

A new Bank of America (BOA) research study has found that both central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and private digital currencies hold “a lot of potential” for increasing financial inclusion in developing countries. In the report, the bank also argues that such “digital currencies could reduce transaction costs and allow more economic activities in emerging … Read more

The Turkish Lira Plunges Following Removal of a Central Bank Governor, BTC Searches up

The Turkish lira currency plunged by more than 10% on March 22 after the country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan unexpectedly fired Naci Agbal, the country’s central bank governor. Having initially touched a new low of 8.280 a dollar, the lira recovered to close at 7.75 a dollar by 20.00 hours GMT. Inflation Fears On the … Read more

BTC to Gold Exchange Rate Surges to New All Time High of 17 Ounces per Bitcoin

Bitcoin’s record-breaking rally is continuing into the new year with the bitcoin to gold exchange rate touching a new all-time high of 17.38 ounces per bitcoin. According to data from Marketwatch, the new high easily surpasses the all-time high recorded on January 01, 2021, of 10.74 ounces per coin. The new milestone comes as the … Read more

Former Microsoft Engineer Says Nigerian Expatriates Are Using Bitcoin to Circumvent Country’s Overvalued Exchange Rate

A former Microsoft software engineer and co-founder of Buycoins Africa Tomiwa Lasebikan says some Nigerians expatriates are now using bitcoin to circumvent the country’s overvalued exchange rate when sending remittances. According to Lasebikan, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s fixed exchange rate of $1:380 is robbing recipients 20-30% of their remittance value each time they … Read more

Traditional Law and Finance Can Adapt to Bitcoin, These Examples Show

Bitcoin brought about solutions to persistent problems that stood in the way of previous attempts to invent digital money, such as the risk of double spending. Some of its features, however, like the characteristic irreversibility of blockchain transactions, have created certain challenges for the traditional legal and financial systems. At times they may seem incompatible … Read more

Localbitcoins Removes In-Person Cash Trades Forcing Traders to Look Elsewhere

On June 1, cryptocurrency enthusiasts were shocked to hear that the peer-to-peer exchange Localbitcoins has ceased offering in-person cash trades. According to a few users, all pending fiat trades have been canceled, leaving local traders who prefer cash high and dry and forced to seek other avenues. Also read: Bitcoin.com’s Local Bitcoin Cash Marketplace Gathers … Read more