US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Acknowledges Sanctions Weaponization Could Hurt Dollar Hegemony

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen talked about the dangers that sanctions based on the U.S. dollar might pose for the hegemony of the currency in international markets. According to Yellen, the government tries to use sanctions “judiciously,” as they can create a desire to find alternatives to the U.S. dollar. U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen Talks … 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

FDIC Creates Bridge Banks for Failed Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank Clients to Access Funds

The U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has announced that clients of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank (SBNY) can access their funds during normal banking hours on Monday, March 13, 2023. The FDIC stated that both banks’ deposits were made whole under the “systemic risk exception” approved by the U.S. Federal Reserve and … Read more

Reports Claim Russia Defaulted on Foreign Debt for the First Time in a Century, Kremlin Disagrees and Says It Paid

According to reports, the Russian Federation has defaulted on its foreign debt for the first time since 1918. Bondholders told the press that they had not received payments from the transcontinental country. However, Russia’s finance ministry denies the allegations and says the country made the payments via the Euroclear monetary system. Russia Is Accused of … Read more

Russian Crypto Mining Giant Bitriver Considers Challenging US Sanctions

Russia’s Bitriver, one of the largest operators of crypto mining data centers, may take legal action against the U.S. over the decision to place it under sanctions. The company insists it does not help the Russian government to circumvent international restrictions. Bitriver Rejects US Accusations as Unfounded, Sees No Legal Ground for Sanctions Leading Russian … Read more

‘Being a Currency and a Security Are Not Contradictory,’ Crypto Can Be Both: Monetary Historian

Franklin Noll, an academic and monetary historian, has asserted that crypto can be both a security and a currency. Pointing to the history of U.S. money, Noll argues that being both a currency and a security is, in fact, not contradictory. The ‘Infamous’ Continental Dollar Coins Franklin Noll, a U.S.-based monetary historian, has asserted that … Read more

OFAC Escalates Russian Sanctions Listing Bitcoin Addresses, US Treasury Crypto Crackdown Rumors Spread

Rumors concerning the U.S. Treasury cracking down on several financial institutions over money laundering has been spreading like wildfire on social media and forums. There’s been no formal announcement from the U.S. entity and at this stage, the news is widely considered FUD. However, some are assuming the hearsay stems from the recent Russian sanctions … Read more