The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has moved into Phase 2 of its e-HKD pilot program, expanding its exploration into tokenized deposits and e-HKD. With 11 groups of firms selected, the initiative delves into practical applications such as offline payments and asset settlement. The creation of an industry forum aims to solve potential challenges while […]
Central Bank of Brazil Reveals New Use Cases to Be Tested in Its Drex CBDC Second Pilot Phase
The Central Bank of Brazil disclosed a new set of use cases that will be part of the second phase of the ongoing pilot of its drex CBDC. Among the 13 instances selected from the 46 presented are platforms for tokenizing real estate, liquidity pools for trading public securities, and even automating automobile transactions. Central […]
FTC Urges Caution as Bitcoin ATM Fraud Cases Skyrocket
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reported a sharp rise in scams involving bitcoin ATMs, with fraud losses increasing nearly tenfold from 2020 to 2023 and exceeding $ 65 million in the first half of 2024. These scams often involve impersonations and target vulnerable populations, such as older adults, with significant financial impact. FTC …
South African Regulator Investigates 30 Cases of Unlicensed Crypto Operations
The Enforcement Division within South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has formed a team to investigate individuals or entities operating crypto financial services without proper licenses. Currently, 30 cases are under scrutiny. The FSCA aims to protect the public and maintain industry fairness by taking decisive action against unlawful crypto businesses. The regulator will […]
Tencent Tests Use Cases for Trading Settlements Using Digital Yuan and Mbridge
Tencent, the Chinese tech giant, was revealed to be participating in the tests that the Chinese institutions have completed using Mbridge, a CBDC-enabled cross-borders settlement platform. Tencent participated through its international settlements arm Tenpay, which piloted the use case of the Chinese CBDC, the digital yuan, to settle e-commerce exports using Mbridge’s rails. Tencent Participated […]