Fintech
Central banks report 28 operational bitcoin ATMs on average
Jurisdictions with larger institutions have the most machines
Economists warn of emerging ‘sovereign-stablecoin nexus’
Researchers model regulatory options as stablecoins become intertwined with core markets
CBDCs politicised in one in five jurisdictions
Public and private sectors mostly concerned about privacy of digital currencies
Central banks develop GenAI tool for inflation nowcasting
Researchers say method has global applicability
Fintech licences issued yearly remain below 10 on average
Number of fintechs in operation averages just over 60
India launches CBDC pilot using 24/7 grain ATMs
Public can use QR codes or SMS passwords to release food
Central banks keep trialling link between wCBDC and RTGS
Most respondents motivated to issue wCBDC to enable financial innovation
Majority of central banks still lack CBDC issuance powers
Legal mandates are scarce in both larger and smaller central banks
BoE to assess eligibility of digital gilts in monetary operations
UK set to become first G7 country to issue sovereign bonds on DLT
Two in five CBDCs designed to be programmable
Over half of respondents’ retail CBDC projects are at research phase
Some central banks expect CBDC to boost seigniorage
Result depends on design features of digital currency, with many central banks unsure of the outcome
Iraq’s KRG launches payment system for government bills
Central bank-approved platform forms part of digitisation efforts in autonomous Kurdistan Region
Payment innovation is top fintech research priority
Recruitment and retention of talents is biggest tech challenge, but constraints vary somewhat by teams
Central banks facing fintech hiring challenges tend to have bigger teams
Private sector opportunity is most widely reported issue for fintech staffing
World will choose dollar stablecoins over CBDCs – Bessent
Treasury secretary expects private sector option to be “important source of funding” for US government
HKMA wants lenders to accelerate post-quantum planning
De facto central bank to unveil preparedness index, among other future-proofing tech initiatives
Nigeria’s central bank publishes first fintech report
Inaugural edition focuses on how current regulatory frameworks impact innovation
Bank Indonesia becomes full member of Nexus
Cross-border network seeking system architect to lead global instant payments interoperability
BdF governor and Coinbase CEO clash over stablecoins at Davos
De Galhau warns of ‘full dollarisation’, while head of crypto exchange heralds dawn of ‘bitcoin standard’
Iran using Tether’s stablecoin to bypass sanctions, report finds
Central bank thought to be using USDT to buy rial on crypto exchanges as domestic currency plummets
India proposes linking Brics countries’ CBDCs
Bloc, which has already committed to improving payments interoperability, faces geopolitical challenges