Russia to Increase Reliance on National Currencies in Energy Trade, Vows to Move Away From the US Dollar

Russia will increase its reliance on national currencies to settle payments for its energy resources, moving away from the US dollar, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. Novak noted there is a great interest in acquiring Russian energy resources, leading Russia to accept more currencies for these settlements. Russia Aims to Settle Energy … Read more

Dollar to Play Lesser Role Due to Its Weaponization, Digital Currencies, Economist Jeffrey Sachs Says

Within the next decade, the U.S. dollar will play a much less dominant role than it is today, according to Jeffrey Sachs. The renowned economist listed a few factors for the diminishing status of the greenback such as its use as a political weapon by Washington, the introduction of currencies like the digital yuan, and … Read more

US Central Bank’s Fednow Payment Service to Launch in July, Economist Calls Timing ‘Suspicious’

According to the U.S. Federal Reserve, the central bank’s Fednow payment service will start operating in July, and participants will be certified in April to leverage the Fednow Pilot Program. Ken Montgomery, the Fednow program executive, is urging American financial institutions to make preparations to join the central bank’s new payment service. Economist Richard Werner, … Read more

Blockchain to Become More Relevant in Payments This Year, Sberbank Exec Says

Blockchain technology can help solve current issues with settlements, according to the deputy chief executive of Sberbank. Russia’s largest bank is working with other financial institutions to develop blockchain-based payment applications, the banker revealed. Sberbank Sees Solution to Russia’s Troubles With Settlements in Blockchain With major Russian banks disconnected from the main global interbank payment … Read more

USDC Stablecoin Nears Parity With USD After Fed’s Bailout Announcement

The stablecoin USDC has nearly regained parity with the U.S. dollar after rising just above $0.99 on March 12, 2023, at 7:20 p.m. Eastern Time. The stablecoin jumped back to the $0.99 range after the U.S. Federal Reserve revealed it would bail out depositors of California’s Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and New York’s Signature Bank. … Read more

JPMorgan to Open Blockchain Innovation Lab in Greece

Financial giant JPMorgan has announced it will open a new blockchain innovation lab in Greece. The lab will be focused on the development of applications on top of Onyx, the blockchain platform launched by the bank in 2020, and on digital identity solutions. JPMorgan to Push Blockchain Development in New Innovation Lab JPMorgan, the investment … Read more

Bank of Japan to Launch Digital Yen CBDC Pilot Later This Year

The Bank of Japan is preparing to launch a pilot test for a digital yen, its central bank digital currency (CBDC), later this year. Shinichi Uchida, executive director of the Bank of Japan, explained that the goals of this new pilot are to test the technical feasibility of the currency and to include private businesses … Read more

Latam Common Currency to Focus on Settlements Among Mercosur and BRICS Countries

President of Brazil Luis Inacio Lula Da Silva clarified the scope and reach of the common currency that Brazil and Argentina are studying to issue in Latam. Lula Da Silva clarified that he believed this currency would be used to settle cross-border payments between the two countries and also countries from BRICS and Mercosur. Lula … Read more

China-backed Blockchain Project Proposes SWIFT Alternative for Stablecoins and CBDCs

The company developing China’s blockchain network wants to create a system for international settlements with stablecoins and state-issued digital currencies. The plan is to establish a platform facilitating the use of these two fiat-based digital assets in foreign trade. Company Behind China’s Blockchain Push Aims to Make Stablecoins and State Coins Interoperable Hong Kong-based Red … Read more