Payments
Brazil’s central bank authorises business payments on WhatsApp
Peers can also send money in India, while B2B only is enabled in Singapore
RBI report details Covid contingency measures
Central bank reorganised staff and processes at “unprecedented scale and speed”
Digital pound unlikely to be monetary policy tool – Cunliffe
Deputy governor says effect of paying interest unclear and could clash with other objectives
IMF officials: do not make crypto legal tender
Fund leaders call for cautious approach to digital assets at February meeting
FSB sets ‘priority actions’ for global payments reform
Broad study of interoperability and alignment has been narrowed down to specific actions
Marks (and sizes and colours) of distinction
Many central banks make an effort to make cash accessible to blind and partially sighted users
Fed spurns Custodia a second time
Central bank again denies membership application from Wyoming crypto firm
India and Singapore link fast payments systems
Connection designed to help diaspora make cheaper and faster transfers
Russia to launch CBDC pilot in April
Central bank exploring cross-border functionality to evade sanctions
BoT’s Sethaput on inflation dynamics, central bank mandates and multi-lateral payments
The Bank of Thailand governor speaks with Christopher Jeffery about the trend towards higher inflation, the sustainable finance challenge, experiments with CBDCs and governance issues related to multi-lateral payments
Bank of Japan to start CBDC pilot in April
Central bank presses ahead with designing a general purpose CBDC
Laotian central bank launches CBDC pilot
Bank of the Lao PDR working with Japanese government and fintech firm to test CBDC
UAE plans to launch CBDC by 2026
Fintech strategy aims for cashless society through digital transformation
Bank Negara Malaysia commits to improve financial inclusion
BNM says the pandemic has eroded many people’s financial buffers
Digital pound would help resist ‘walled gardens’ – BoE’s Cunliffe
Tech firms may be able to quickly gain payments dominance, which a CBDC could break
CBRT steps in with support for earthquake-stricken regions
Turkish central bank eases payment costs and credit conditions as rescue work continues
BoE launches design phase of ‘digital pound’ project
UK likely to issue central bank digital currency as anchor for monetary sovereignty
Cash demand solid despite digitalisation, CPMI finds
Latest ‘red book’ statistics show rapid growth in cashless payments, but demand for cash still resilient
Iran and Russia to link banking systems to bypass sanctions
Move follows Iran’s signing of free trade “memorandum” with Russia-led EAEU
Fed deals double blow to crypto bank
Wyoming-based Custodia turned down for Fed membership and master account
Stefan Ingves on leadership, prudential oversight and transparency
The Riksbank and Basel Committee veteran speaks about his leadership philosophy, Basel III deal-making and concerns about regulatory rollback, the value of QE and negative rates, and the need for a legal architecture for CBDCs
Argentina and Brazil’s currency proposal met with scepticism
Experts say it is unclear whether governments want currency union or trade settlement mechanism
Why central banks shouldn’t ignore stablecoins
Rapid growth of stablecoins could impair monetary policy transmission
PBoC launches offline CBDC payments
Users can also conduct e-yuan transactions with 0% battery