Digital currency
Bank of Canada paper offers advice on digital currency policy
Framework designed to help policymakers weigh up various forms of digital money
Venezuelan public invited to invest in national crypto asset
President Maduro announces public will be able to invest in ‘petro’ as well as gold; $1 billion from the proceeds of first petro auction to go to the central bank
Public should be allowed to open accounts with central banks – research
St Louis Fed paper argues against central banks launching full-blown digital currencies, but says an electronic form of central bank money “would be easy to implement”
SNB rejects idea of retail central bank digital currency
Governing board member Andrea Maechler says central bank digital currency would bring “incalculable risks”, and denies that crypto tokens are “comparable with” money
RBI to consider launching digital currency
Reserve bank to investigate issuing a digital form of central bank money, as it unveils measures to “ring fence” regulated banks against crypto tokens
FSB: cryptocurrencies too small to be major threat
Limited links to real economy imply crypto assets may avoid regulatory crackdown for now; work continues on consumer protection
Central bank digital currencies could aid policy transmission – BIS
BIS says CBDC may boost transmission of rate changes, but could also lead to runs at “unprecedented speed and scale”
Lithuania to launch ‘digital’ commemorative coin
Central bank will host a “hackathon” to decide on technology to underpin the digital asset
ECB’s Mersch urges caution on regulatory sandboxes
The ECB board member is “not sure we have the right answers yet”
UK lawmakers launch inquiry into DLT and cryptocurrency
Parliamentary committee is to investigate whether UK regulators have struck the right balance in regulating emerging technologies without stifling innovation
Polish central bank uses YouTube comedy to warn of digital currency dangers
Film runs up over 500,000 views, but some local media criticise lack of transparency
We don’t need cryptocurrencies – former St Louis Fed economist
Current payment infrastructure and physical cash already provide the benefits offered by cryptocurrencies, says Stephen Williamson
European authorities warn of dangers in cryptocurrency markets
Spanish and Dutch central banks warn of “misleading” data and unregulated markets
Asian central banks crack down on cryptocurrency
Central banks in China, Korea, Malaysia and Singapore all taking action as cryptocurrency prices slump
Bank of Lithuania set to board the blockchain
Central bank in the process of creating blockchain-specific sandbox that will grant firms access to its own platform, LBChain; hoping to launch in 2019
Danish central bank dismisses central bank digital currency
Digital instrument would not make current payment system more efficient, says report, adding introducing such a currency would pit the central bank against commercial institutions
Bank Negara Malaysia issues new digital currency regulation
Proposed regulation aims to hold digital exchanges to a higher standard of transparency, while ensuring they identify any AML/CFT risks that may arise
RBA’s Lowe discusses potential electronic Aussie dollar
Financial stability risk and reforms holding back provision of digital currency at the moment, says RBA governor, but clearing and settlement could be future use case
Malaysia’s Ibrahim warns of costs of not turning digital
Bank Negara governor outlines plans to push consumers towards e-payments, as the cost of cheque processing weighs on the economy
Ingves: Riksbank ‘will soon take a stance’ on e-krona
The executive board will examine whether e-krona could be the gateway to central bank money, as the decline in cash continues in Sweden
Digital currencies may foster competitiveness in retail payments, research finds
But central banks should be cautious and implement non-anonymous models to preserve security
How crypto is my currency?
Richard Heckinger examines how central banks are grappling with new ideas on crypto-currency and distributed ledgers
Canada’s Project Jasper to explore clearing of securities in third phase
Central bank teams up with new partner for phase three of DLT project, with results expected in May 2018
Bank of Lithuania bans banks from virtual currency activities
Lithuanian financial firms must disassociate themselves from virtual currencies, says central bank, warning licences may be revoked