Push to Use National Currencies in SCO Cannot Be Stopped, Russia’s Lavrov Says

Efforts to transition to trade in national currencies in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) can no longer be stopped, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. During a meeting with his colleagues in India, Moscow’s top diplomat also discussed the similar initiative within BRICS. Sergey Lavrov Convinced SCO Countries Will Switch to National Currencies, Won’t … Read more

BRICS ‘Getting Applications to Join Every Day,’ Attracts 19 Requests Before Summit

Over two dozen nations have applied for BRICS membership ahead of its upcoming annual summit, the representative of the hosting nation revealed in an interview. The organization which unites leading emerging economies will discuss its enlargement in early June. BRICS to Talk Expansion as Number of Candidates Continues to Grow The BRICS group of nations … Read more

Treasury Secretary Yellen Holds Unscheduled Meeting With Top Financial Regulators Amid Turmoil in Banking Sector

U.S. Treasury secretary Janet Yellen initiated an unscheduled Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) meeting with the country’s top financial regulators on Friday amid issues plaguing the U.S. banking sector. Banking stocks and all four U.S. benchmark indexes fell again on Friday as the government’s efforts last week failed to quell the country’s financial calamity. Janet … Read more

Ethereum Plans ‘Shapella’ Transition on Zhejiang Testnet — Dev Insists ‘Withdrawals are Coming’

Ethereum core developers plan to activate the “Shapella” transition through the Zhejiang public testnet on Feb. 7, 2023, according to Tim Beiko of the Ethereum Foundation. If successful, Beiko said the Sepolia testnet could follow two days later, followed by the Goerli testnet. He noted that the testnet has a faucet, block explorer, and staking … Read more

Eurozone Finance Ministers Pledge Support for Digital Euro Project, Talk Privacy

The ministers of finance of the countries in the eurozone reaffirmed their support for efforts to prepare for the potential launch of a digital euro. Meanwhile, the single currency area’s monetary authority sought to reassure future users that the new currency will be “preserving privacy by default and by design.” Eurogroup to Remain Involved in … Read more

Bank of Russia Wants to Restrict Crypto Investments by Blocking Card Payments, Report Reveals

The Central Bank of Russia is currently reviewing various ways to prevent Russians from investing in cryptocurrency. One the options on the table is to block card payments to certain recipients such as crypto exchanges, a media report has unveiled. A recent meeting at the State Duma has indicated, however, that the authority’s hardline stance … Read more

G7 Finance Ministers and Bankers Adopt Guidelines for Central Bank Digital Currencies

Any digital currency issued by a central bank must support financial and monetary stability, finance leaders from G7 member states have insisted. State-issued coins should also ensure privacy, transparency, and data protection, the officials stated. The forum adopted 13 public policy principles for retail digital currencies and stressed that “CBDCs are not ‘cryptoassets.’” CBDCs Must … Read more

Crypto Market Is ‘Development Vector’ of Nation’s Digital Economy, Ukraine President Says

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has highlighted the importance of launching a legal digital assets market in his country during a working visit to the U.S. The Ukrainian head of state met with top investors including from the cryptocurrency industry. President Zelensky Highlights Importance of Ukraine’s Virtual Assets Market Speaking to venture capital funds and … Read more

ECB Keeps Subzero Interest Rates and Open-Ended QE Worth €20B a Month But Launches Policy Review

The European Central Bank (ECB) has launched an extensive review that will examine a wide range of its policies by the end of this year. Under its new president, Christine Lagarde, the bank will try to establish why its monetary stimulus has failed to achieve the Eurozone’s goal of close to 2% inflation. Sharing few … Read more