Fintech
Bahrain launches new cross-border payment pilot
Central banks plans to scale up system to handle CBDC transactions
Bank of Israel accelerates work on CBDC
Central bank has been exploring pros and cons of issuing a digital shekel since 2017
CBDCs must be interoperable – Swift and Accenture paper
Swift plans new CBDC trials for members across traditional payment rails
Digitalisation will not render Norwegian banks obsolete – deputy governor
Use of cash falling rapidly, as Norges Bank studies options to issue a CBDC
Kazakhstan’s central bank announces CBDC pilot
Central bank says it will issue token-based prototype to lenders
MAS launches new regtech grant
S$42 million fund will help firms test new digital products before full deployment
Georgia’s central bank launches CBDC project
Central bank says private sector involvement will be “crucial”
MAS proposes ‘unbundling digital currency stack’
Layers of governance could allow single common settlement platform for CBDCs
DNB survey finds 49% of respondents ready to use digital euro
Over half of sample had not heard of central bank-issued digital currency, survey finds
FCA chief announces launch of fintech ‘nursery’
Rathi also says social media firms should be held accountable for products they advertise
Zhang Tao on the IMF’s fintech agenda, CBDCs and big tech oversight
IMF deputy MD speaks about the fund’s views on CBDC operating frameworks and macrofinancial surveillance
BoE and Treasury launch CBDC task force
Central bank also forms new division to lead “internal exploration” of digital currency
Sweden may have a digital currency in five years, says Riksbank governor
Sveriges Riksbank is testing e-krona pilot as Swedish cash use falls rapidly
Fintech & IT Benchmarks 2021 report – executive summary
Shedding light on fintech initiatives, staffing, salaries, cyber security and more
Fintech & IT Benchmarks 2021 report – detailing the evolution of technology
Benchmarking data sheds light on staffing trends, priority areas of research and more
ECB’s digital euro consultation says public worried over privacy
Nearly half of responses to ECB come from Germany
Most central banks spend less than 20% of their IT budget on security
Average spend was 16% of IT budget
Regulating big tech and non-bank financial services in the digital era
Experiences from China highlight potential benefits of digital-bank and holding-company approaches
AML/CFT regulation of crypto assets needs rapid reform – BIS report
Few jurisdictions are implementing “travel rule” for crypto assets, report says
Central banks take less than 50 minutes to fix critical outages
Time tolerances for critical system downtime range from one to 32 hours
Average IT salaries are highest in Europe
Pay varies by income of institutions’ host economies
Cuban central bank approves new money transfer app
Digital wallet offered by Cuban telecoms firm will only receive and pay out in pesos
Riksbank prepares for second phase of e-krona pilot
Next phase will explore whether blockchain can handle scaled-up retail payments
Payment innovation is top fintech research priority for central banks
CBDC ranked second as central banks explore wider implications of fintech for payments