The Brazilian Central Bank is opening the drex CBDC pilot to new entrants, aiming to test more advanced use cases and privacy solutions for the project’s second phase. Thirteen use cases have been confirmed, including carbon credits, agricultural bonds, and foreign trade platforms. Brazilian Central Banks Opens CBDC Pilot to New Consortiums Brazil is preparing […]
MARA, one of the largest bitcoin miners in the public market, has kicked off an exciting new pilot program aimed at powering its operations with excess natural gas from U.S. shale, as noted in a report from Reuters. This initiative emerges amidst an ongoing battle for electricity between artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and bitcoin […]
Swift will begin live trials for digital asset and currency transactions in 2025, engaging banks across North America, Europe, and Asia in a major step toward real-world applications. By leveraging its existing network, Swift aims to merge digital and traditional assets, addressing the challenges of disconnected platforms. The trials build on successful blockchain experiments, seeking […]
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 […]
Russia’s central bank is expanding its digital currency pilot program, involving 9,000 individuals and 1,200 companies. New features for the digital ruble, including payments via QR code, will be tested. Full-scale implementation is expected by late 2025. According to officials, demand for the digital ruble is growing, with successful integration anticipated due to ongoing sanctions. […]