Currency
PBoC to investigate bitcoin firms
Bitcoin price falls by 33% in January; PBoC to investigate four largest bitcoin companies
Polymer banknote provider Innovia bought for $845 million
Innovia bought by Canadian competitor following a “successful” year; CCL to build on the polymer provider's expertise in the field
Venezuela’s Maduro backtracks on bolivar withdrawal
Venezuelan currency crisis continues with delay of new series and re-integration of 100 bolivar note, as president blames “international sabotage”
Macedonian notes: world’s first security thread in long window
New designs entering circulation feature De La Rue’s Kinetic StarChrome; central bank also begins withdrawal of the D5,000 note
Sama unveils new banknote designs with updated features
Six denominations to feature new security thread and improved features for the visually impaired; new coin design also launched by Saudi central bank
Venezuela removes largest banknote amid contraband concerns
Government authorises removal of 100 bolivar bill to combat “mafias”; nation also closes border with Colombia amid “economic war”
Civil rights activist to appear on new Canadian $10 banknote
Viola Desmond will appear on new C$10 note, to be printed in 2018; Bank of Canada to repeat "bankNOTEable” campaign when seeking candidates for new C$5 note
Ink rubbing off notes ‘quite normal’, says Zimbabwe governor
Despite public outcry, governor says bond notes have so far been a success; launch of second tranche to bring total value of bond notes in circulation to $17 million
Venezuela central bank launches new banknotes amid soaring inflation
The bolivar has weakened to unprecedented levels as inflation soars and political instability engulfs the nation; new note series’ highest denomination is 200 times larger than current highest
Bank of Korea embarks on ‘coinless society’ project
Central bank wants to eradicate use of coins by 2020; first stage of the project to use electronic travel passes to pay for goods and services
Tallow controversy forces Innovia to look at alternatives
Innovia to seek alternative to tallow as traces of animal extracts in the Bank of England's new ‘fiver’ sparks global review; Canadian and Australian banknotes also contain traces in guardian substrate
Seychelles issues first full banknote series in 18 years
The central bank spends around $2.6 million producing new series; SCR10 note transformed into coin in the new series, while the SCR500 note gets a facelift
Bundesbank unveils blockchain settlement system
Prototype system able to transfer digital coins or securities as well as settling “basic corporate actions”; Deutsche Bundesbank to continue working on project to create a test concept