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U.S.-based crypto advocacy group, the Blockchain Association, is lobbying key figures in the Biden administration to advocate for more favorable regulations. The Association’s executive director, Kristin Smith, told Fox Business the group has already met with or is in the process of scheduling meetings with high-ranking Whitehouse officials including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Deputy Secretary nominee and …

Blockchain Association meeting with key Biden staff about regulations Read More »

Janet Yellen may be open to having United States regulators consider a digital currency, but she still seems to have strong concerns about Bitcoin (BTC).  In an interview for The New York Times’ DealBook DC Policy Project held on Monday, Yellen said it makes sense for the Federal Reserve to look into a digital dollar. Speaking to …

US treasury secretary floats idea of digital dollar maintained by the Fed Read More »

According to a report by Arab News on Tuesday, clients of Dubai government-owned licensing firm Kiklabb can now pay for visa fees and trade licenses via cryptocurrencies. The supported crypto payment options are Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and Tether (USDT). Commenting on the move, Kiklabb CEO Tasawar Ulhaq said that the decision was in line with the …

Dubai-based licensing company adopts cryptocurrency payments Read More »

U.S. President Joe Biden’s pick for Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen may see more benefits to cryptocurrency than her previous testimony indicated.  After a virtual hearing of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee held on Tuesday, Yellen hit the headlines for her answer to Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan’s question about how she would respond to “emerging financial …

Treasury Secretary nominee says crypto has potential to improve the financial system Read More »

China’s efforts to develop a centrally issued digital currency took a leap forward on Sunday as the state-owned Agricultural Bank of China launched the first digital yuan ATMs. Customers at select branches within the Shenzen region have reportedly begun spending and converting the digital yuan they received as part of China’s “red envelope” lottery, which saw $3 million …

State-owned Chinese bank rolls out ATMs for digital yuan Read More »

Major Vietnamese bank HDBank has now become the first bank in the country to issue letters of credit, or L/C, using blockchain technology. According to a Wednesday report by local media outlet Viet Nam News, the issuance, document presentation and successful payment of L/C on the blockchain marks a major milestone toward HDBank’s stated goal to become …

Vietnamese bank issues its first letters of credit on the blockchain Read More »

Digital-asset regulation has been a hot topic in 2020 and shows no signs of cooling. A recent G-7 meeting concluded that the sector faces an ongoing need for regulation. In addition to talking about COVID-19 and economic issues, the group “also discussed ongoing responses to the evolving landscape of crypto assets and other digital assets …

World governments agree on importance of crypto regulation at G-7 meeting Read More »

China’s central bank and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, or HKMA, are in the preliminary stages of piloting the digital yuan for cross-border payments — underscoring another key development in the rollout of a central bank digital currency, or CBDC. In a media release that appeared on the HKMA website on Friday, chief executive Eddie …

China’s central bank plans digital yuan pilot for payments to Hong Kong Read More »

China Construction Bank, the world’s second-largest bank by assets, is cooperating with Malaysian and Singaporean partners to test blockchain technology for use in the bond market. As previously reported, China Construction Bank’s branch in Labuan, Malaysia, had initially pursued a partnership with a Labuan-based fintech firm to issue what was hailed as prospectively the first-ever blockchain-based digital …

China Construction Bank’s blockchain bond efforts take a new direction Read More »

Olsztyn, Poland is reportedly the first city in the world to leverage Ethereum’s blockchain to aid the provision of emergency services, offering yet another tangible use case for distributed ledger technology.  Olsztyn has completed a successful trial run of SmartKey, a bridging technology that connects blockchain with physical assets, to aid in police, fire and ambulance services. …

Polish city becomes first to adopt Ethereum blockchain for emergency services Read More »