The Australian Central Bank is focusing on a wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) due to its potential economic benefits compared to a retail CBDC. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has launched Project Acacia, a three-year plan to explore wholesale CBDC opportunities. While the RBA and Treasury could still consider a retail CBDC, a […]
DBS Bank, Singapore’s largest bank, has announced plans to launch over-the-counter (OTC) crypto options trading and structured notes for institutional clients in Q4 2024. This new offering will allow institutional investors to gain exposure to bitcoin and ethereum, the two largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. The initiative aims to provide sophisticated tools for managing digital […]
Elvira Nabiullina, head of Russia’s central bank, has highlighted challenges in cross-border settlements, including payment issues and falling trade volumes. She emphasized the importance of finding new solutions, such as using digital currencies and cooperating with global partners, to address these issues. Russia Faces Cross-Border Payment Issues Amid Declining Trade Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira […]
The Bank of Russia aims to open the payment infrastructure for the Russian central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital ruble, by July next year. Larger banks will offer digital ruble accounts and services by this deadline, with smaller institutions following later. The initiative seeks to enhance payment efficiency and reduce costs, with retailers also […]
An Indian High Court has ruled that police cannot freeze entire bank accounts during fraud investigations. Only fraud-related amounts in bank accounts can be frozen. The decision followed a case where an account was frozen due to a cryptocurrency investigation. The court stressed that freezing accounts entirely disrupts livelihoods and called on investigative agencies to […]