#central bank

Following a comprehensive two-year study, the European Central Bank has initiated the next stage in the development of a potential central bank digital currency (CBDC).

In the Argentine primary elections, Javier Milei, a candidate who supports Bitcoin and vehemently opposes the Central Bank, has garnered most of the votes. He's not shy about criticizing the Central Bank, dubbing it a conduit for politicians to exploit Argentinians via inflation. Milei is convinced that the salvation lies in Bitcoin, which can instill privacy back into finances. Simultaneously, Bitcoin has hit a fresh historical maximum value when measured in Argentine peso.

Brazil's Central Bank has officially christened its digital currency as 'Drex', moving away from its previous moniker, the digital real. The visual identity of Drex has also been released, featuring two arrows, with one integrated into the uppercase 'D', illustrating the transition of Brazil's conventional fiat currency to its digitalized form. Does the green hue symbolize perpetual growth?

Private banks in South Korea, Hana Bank and Woori Bank, have taken a keen interest in tokenized deposits, commonly known as Deposit Certificates or CDs. CDs offer an alternative rooted in blockchain technology, serving as an equivalent to private stablecoins and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). Presently, it's being viewed as a potential substitute for customary notes and deposits without disrupting the existing banking system.

Mairead McGuinness, the European Commissioner for Financial Services, believes there's no need to rush the launch of a digital euro before the next EU elections in June 2024. She advises the next EU Commission to take a careful and measured approach to the CBDC rollout. Furthermore, McGuinness mentioned that the European Central Bank will finalize its stance on the project this coming October.

Singapore’s central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), has released a final regulatory framework for single-currency stablecoins (SCS) under its regulation. MAS stated that the framework’s goal is to guarantee “a significant level of value stability” for stablecoins. This framework will be applicable to all stablecoins tied to the Singapore Dollar or any other G10 currency issued within Singapore.

Despite advances in payment effectiveness and customer care, analysts Alkesh Shah and Andrew Moss from Bank of America think that PayPal USD (PYUSD) won't be widely adopted anytime soon. They wrote, "Over the longer term, we expect PYUSD to experience additional adoption headwinds as competition from central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and yield-bearing stablecoins increases."

Raoul Pal, once at the helm of Goldman Sachs, envisions a steep rise in the global count of cryptocurrency users. He drew parallels between the initial decade of digital assets and internet evolution, leading to the conclusion that the tally of cryptocurrency enthusiasts could hit the 1.2 billion mark by the end of 2025. His projections suggest this number could catapult to a staggering 5.1 billion by 2030. The key drivers in achieving such an extensive digital asset adoption, he believes, will be Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and NFTs.

The IMF, in an article addressing CBDCs and cryptocurrencies in Latin America and the Caribbean, acknowledges, "While a few countries have completely banned crypto assets given their risks, this approach may not be effective in the long run." Interestingly, the article places more emphasis on the benefits of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) rather than cryptocurrencies, while also highlighting potential problems linked with digital assets. Furthermore, the IMF recommends improving transparency by including cryptocurrency transactions in national data records.