Turkey Scraps Planned Crypto Tax, Targets Economic Reforms

Turkey has decided not to move forward with a new tax targeting stock market and cryptocurrency gains, according to Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz. While previously discussed, the plan has been dropped, with the government focusing instead on reducing tax exemptions. This shift follows concerns about the stock market and broader efforts to stabilize the economy … Read more

Central Bank of Turkey Reports First Payment Transactions on Digital Lira Network

The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) has conducted the first payment transactions on the test network of the digital lira. The monetary authority intends to proceed with more testing in 2023 and plans to invite banks and fintech companies to join the trials. Turkey to Widen Participation in Digital Lira Project, Focus … Read more

Bank Holdups and Protests Continue to Rise in Lebanon as Depositors Demand Their Own Savings

On Dec. 17, reports detail that residents in Lebanon have been staging sit-ins and protests at banks in order to access their own savings accounts. Since the economic collapse in 2019, Lebanon’s banks froze Lebanese bank accounts, and a number of branches have remained closed indefinitely. The deprivation of wealth has caused a few impoverished … Read more

Latest Turkey Inflation Rate of 79.6% the Highest in 24 Years — Weakening Lira and Russia-Ukraine War Blamed

According to the latest data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, the country’s annual inflation rate for the month of July was 79.6%, the highest in 24 years. Rising transportation costs, food and non-alcoholic beverages were some of the product categories that contributed to the overall rate increase. Transportation Costs Rose the Most Turkey’s consumer inflation … Read more

Turkish Referee Flips Bitcoin at Istanbul Derby Kick-Off, Soccer Authority Launches Probe

A soccer referee’s decision to toss a bitcoin before the start of a recent match between Istanbul giants Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe has sparked controversy in Turkey. The country’s football authority is trying to establish why a crypto coin was used for the ritual when that role should have been reserved for the Turkish lira. Bitcoin … Read more

Central Bank of Turkey Expands Research, Prepares to Test Digital Lira on New Platform

The Turkish central bank has established a new platform together with technology stakeholders to further the development of a digitalized version of the national fiat currency. The new collaboration will allow Turkey to focus on expanding research and conducting tests of the prospective digital lira. Turkey Sets Up Digital Lira Collaboration Platform The Central Bank … Read more