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Bank Negara Launches Digital Ringgit Pilot Programs (BNM)
Bank Negara Launches Digital Ringgit Pilot Programs (BNM)
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) announced that its Digital Asset Innovation Hub (DAIH) has onboarded three initiatives in 2026 to test real-world applications of ringgit stablecoins and tokenized deposits, focusing on wholesale payment use cases for domestic and cross-border transactions, including tokenized asset settlement. These initiatives will be conducted in a controlled environment with ecosystem partners, including corporate clients and other regulators, with some exploring Shariah-related considerations. The testing aims to assess monetary and financial stability implications, with BNM planning to provide clearer policy direction on ringgit stablecoins and tokenized deposits by end-2026, potentially integrating with existing wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) work. [BNM]
#CBDC#Stablecoins#DepositTokens#Tokenization#Malaysia#Innovation#DigitalAssets#Fintech#DFC
·bnm.gov.my·
Bank Negara Launches Digital Ringgit Pilot Programs (BNM)
Central Bank Digital Currency and Gresham's Law: An Experimental Analysis (SNB)
Central Bank Digital Currency and Gresham's Law: An Experimental Analysis (SNB)
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) published a paper that examines how people use central bank digital currency (CBDC) versus risky bank deposits through a laboratory experiment. The researchers tested Gresham's law—the principle that "bad money drives out good"—by having participants allocate funds between a risk-free account (like CBDC) and a risky account (like bank deposits) that could lose 50% with 10% probability. Key findings show that when the risk-free account is unrestricted, people extensively hold and pay with it. However, when limited by a ceiling or negative interest rate, people tend to hoard the risk-free money as a store of value while using risky money for payments—confirming Gresham's law. The study concludes that mechanisms designed to limit CBDC holdings (necessary to protect the banking system) may undermine its effectiveness as a payment method, suggesting it may be better to build payment systems on existing bank deposits rather than CBDC. [Source: SNB]
#CBDC#Fintech#DFC#FinancialStability
·snb.ch·
Central Bank Digital Currency and Gresham's Law: An Experimental Analysis (SNB)
Stablecoins in Retail Payments
Stablecoins in Retail Payments
ArXiv published a paper that systematically compares stablecoin-based payments with traditional card networks as retail payment systems. The authors introduce the CLEAR framework (Cost, Legality, Experience, Architecture, and Reach) to evaluate both systems across five dimensions. Their analysis reveals that while stablecoins offer advantages like continuous settlement, lower rail-level fees, and programmability, they suffer from significant drawbacks including weaker consumer protection (no native chargebacks), higher user-facing complexity (gas fees, wallet management), fragmented interoperability across blockchains, and limited merchant acceptance. Card networks, by contrast, subsidize consumers through interchange fees, provide strong legal recourse mechanisms, and benefit from standardized global infrastructure and network effects. The paper concludes that stablecoins demonstrate conditional advantages in closed-loop environments, cross-border corridors, and high-friction payment contexts (particularly in high-inflation economies), but remain structurally disadvantaged as general-purpose retail payment instruments compared to card networks due to their institutional incompleteness and lack of coordinated governance frameworks.
#Stablecoins#Fintech#Payments#DFC#CryptoAssets
·arxiv.org·
Stablecoins in Retail Payments
The Hidden Plumbing of Stablecoins: Financial and Technological Risks in the GENIUS Act Era (MIT DCI)
The Hidden Plumbing of Stablecoins: Financial and Technological Risks in the GENIUS Act Era (MIT DCI)
The MIT Digital Currency Initiative (MIT DCI) published a paper evaluates the financial, technological, and regulatory risks facing U.S. dollar stablecoins under the 2025 GENIUS Act. The authors argue that while the Act strengthens reserve asset quality and transparency, it treats stablecoin stability primarily as a balance-sheet problem, leaving critical vulnerabilities unaddressed. Maintaining par-value redemption depends not only on high-quality backing assets but also on the functioning of Treasury and repo markets, broker-dealer balance-sheet capacity, and blockchain operational reliability. The paper identifies three interconnected risk layers: financial risks (including Treasury market fragility and dealer intermediation bottlenecks), technological risks (smart contract bugs, consensus attacks, bridge failures), and regulatory gaps (undefined redemption mechanics, lack of capital requirements, no access to Federal Reserve liquidity facilities). The analysis reveals that even conservatively backed stablecoins could face stress from redemption surges or market disruptions, and that stablecoin issuers have significantly lower capital buffers than commercial banks. The authors conclude that durable stability requires an integrated approach spanning financial-market infrastructure, prudential regulation, and software governance, while highlighting a key policy dilemma: granting stablecoin issuers Fed access could reduce liquidity risk but might disintermediate banks and affect monetary policy transmission. [Source: MIT DCI]
#Stablecoins#Regulation#FinancialStability#Fintech#DFC#UnitedStates
·dci.mit.edu·
The Hidden Plumbing of Stablecoins: Financial and Technological Risks in the GENIUS Act Era (MIT DCI)
Money as a Coordination Device: Some Historical Lessons (BIS)
Money as a Coordination Device: Some Historical Lessons (BIS)
The BIS's Hyun Song Shin examines money's role as a coordination device by drawing parallels between historical systems (like the Bank of Amsterdam's bills of exchange) and modern decentralized cryptocurrencies. The core argument is that decentralized consensus mechanisms face a fundamental tradeoff: achieving true decentralization requires validators to earn sufficient rents to maintain infrastructure, but this necessitates congestion and high transaction fees, which undermines money's essential network effects. As a result, the cryptocurrency ecosystem has become increasingly fragmented across multiple Layer 1 and Layer 2 blockchains (Ethereum, Tron, Solana, etc.), with stablecoins now circulating across non-interoperable networks that require bridges or centralized exchanges. Shin concludes that this fragmentation contradicts money's coordination function, raising critical questions for central banks about how to maintain monetary system coherence while interacting with these fragmented stablecoin infrastructures. [Source: BIS]
#Fintech#Stablecoins#CryptoAssets#DFC
·bis.org·
Money as a Coordination Device: Some Historical Lessons (BIS)
CBDC and Monetary Sovereignty (CEPR)
CBDC and Monetary Sovereignty (CEPR)
This Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) article argues that a central bank digital currency (CBDC) is not essential for maintaining monetary sovereignty, contrary to popular claims. The author contends that throughout history, monetary stability has relied on a hybrid system of publicly defined units of account backed by private money (like bank deposits), rather than universal access to public currency. True monetary sovereignty depends on the central bank's legal authority and its capacity to absorb risk through balance-sheet operations during crises, not on issuing retail digital currency. The article further distinguishes between money (the settlement asset) and payments (the transaction mechanism), arguing that concerns about foreign payment providers are payment system issues requiring regulatory solutions, not CBDC. [Source: CEPR]
#CBDC#ECB#Eurozone#Sovereignty#Fintech#DFC
·cepr.org·
CBDC and Monetary Sovereignty (CEPR)
The Guardian view on Europe’s payments problem: sovereignty starts at the till (Guardian)
The Guardian view on Europe’s payments problem: sovereignty starts at the till (Guardian)
The Guardian argues that Europe should develop its own payment infrastructure to reduce dependence on US-controlled systems like Visa and Mastercard, especially given Donald Trump's willingness to use economic leverage against allies. The editorial points to India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a model—a state-backed, low-fee digital payment system that has successfully reduced reliance on foreign card networks while enabling billions of instant mobile transactions monthly. While acknowledging implementation challenges in the EU's complex institutional landscape, the piece contends that creating a European payment system is essential for genuine sovereignty and strategic autonomy, particularly as China and India are already exporting their own domestic payment models globally.
#Sovereignty#Fintech#CBDC#Eurozone#DFC#FastPayments#Payments
·theguardian.com·
The Guardian view on Europe’s payments problem: sovereignty starts at the till (Guardian)
Stablecoins Beyond The Hype: Lack Of Credit Protection For Holders (Forbes)
Stablecoins Beyond The Hype: Lack Of Credit Protection For Holders (Forbes)
Forbes published an article by Vipin Bharathan that examines critical flaws in the GENIUS Act's stablecoin regulations, particularly regarding credit protection for holders if an issuer becomes insolvent. While the Act claims stablecoin holders would be first in line during bankruptcy with a 14-day payout, legal analysis by Adam Levitin reveals they actually rank fifth as unsecured creditors, behind four types of secured creditors including repo lenders, DIP (Debtor in Possession) lenders, bankruptcy professionals, and set-off claims. The article warns that stablecoins lack FDIC insurance protections that saved bank depositors during crises like SVB's collapse, making them vulnerable during runs when redemptions could trigger a downward spiral in treasury reserve values. As stablecoin issuance grows, their potential failure could threaten financial infrastructure, possibly forcing government intervention despite their private nature—creating a scenario where profits remain private but losses become public, while contradictions in the poorly-drafted legislation will likely be resolved through lengthy bankruptcy litigation rather than the promised rapid payouts. [Source: Forbes]
#Stablecoins#Bankruptcy#CryptoAssets#Fintech#UnitedStates#DFC
·forbes.com·
Stablecoins Beyond The Hype: Lack Of Credit Protection For Holders (Forbes)
Universal Launches UAE’s First Central Bank-Registered USD Stablecoin (Universal Digital)
Universal Launches UAE’s First Central Bank-Registered USD Stablecoin (Universal Digital)
[January 29, 2026] Universal Digital Intl Limited become the first Foreign Payment Token Issuer registered by the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), alongside the launch of USDU, the first USD-backed stablecoin to be registered as a Foreign Payment Token under the UAE’s Payment Token Services Regulation. This makes USDU the only compliant USD settlement option for digital assets in the UAE market. The stablecoin is backed 1:1 by reserves held in safeguarded accounts at Emirates NBD and Mashreq, with Mbank providing corporate banking support, and features monthly independent attestation by a global accounting firm. Universal, regulated by Abu Dhabi Global Market's Financial Services Regulatory Authority, is partnering with AECoin, the first licensed UAE Dirham (AED) stablecoin in the UAE, for future AED conversions and with Aquanow for broader institutional distribution, positioning USDU as a bridge between traditional financial systems and the emerging digital asset economy both domestically and internationally. [Source: Universal Digital]
#UAE#Stablecoins#DFC#Fintech#Regulation
·universal.ae·
Universal Launches UAE’s First Central Bank-Registered USD Stablecoin (Universal Digital)
Potential Implementation of Timor-Leste eCentavos (BCTL)
Potential Implementation of Timor-Leste eCentavos (BCTL)
[September 6, 2024] Banco Central de Timor-Leste (BCTL) published its 2025-2035 Strategic Plan for Financial Sector Development in which it discussed its plans to possibly issue eCentavos central bank digital currency (CBDC), as part of its strategy to modernize the financial system, enhance payment efficiency, and promote financial inclusion. The project will follow a phased approach starting with a comprehensive feasibility study in 2025 that examines potential benefits, challenges, and lessons from other central banks' CBDC experiences. This may be followed by pilot testing in at least five municipalities in 2026, and full-scale implementation in 2028. The plan emphasizes the importance of assessing technological resilience, privacy and security concerns, user adoption, and interoperability with existing financial systems during the gradual rollout. [Source: BCTL]
#CBDC#Fintech#DFC#Timor-Leste
·bancocentral.tl·
Potential Implementation of Timor-Leste eCentavos (BCTL)
Talking ’Bout Next Generation (Bank of England)
Talking ’Bout Next Generation (Bank of England)
The Bank of England is leading a major overhaul of the UK's retail payments infrastructure through a new public-private partnership. Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden outlined three key goals: enabling direct account-to-account payments at retailers (bypassing card networks to reduce merchant costs averaging 0.6% per transaction), supporting seamless exchange between traditional bank deposits, tokenized deposits, and regulated stablecoins in a "multi-money" system, and improving cross-border payment speed and cost. The new Retail Payments Infrastructure Board, chaired by the Bank and including industry representatives, will consult on the design in Spring 2026, while a separate industry-led Delivery Company will build the infrastructure. To bridge the gap until the new system is ready, the Bank is encouraging interim private sector innovation through technology labs and a proportionate regulatory approach, aiming to modernize the UK's payment system to match advances seen in countries like India (UPI), Brazil (Pix), and Sweden (Swish).
#PaymentSystems#Payments#Fintech#UnitedKingdom#CBDC#DepositTokens#FastPayments#Tokenization#DLT#DFC
·bankofengland.co.uk·
Talking ’Bout Next Generation (Bank of England)
BSP eyes CBDC for settling tokenized government bonds (GMA News)
BSP eyes CBDC for settling tokenized government bonds (GMA News)
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is reportedly developing a second proof of concept for its wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) to settle government tokenized bonds, following the completion of Project Agila testing in 2024. According to BSP deputy governor Mamerto Tangonan, this initiative will provide a settlement instrument for the Bureau of the Treasury's tokenized treasury bonds (TTBs), which raised ₱10 billion from the domestic bond market using distributed ledger technology. The wholesale CBDC is intended for use by commercial banks and financial institutions for interbank payments, securities transactions, and cross-border payments, with the BSP planning to expand participation beyond the initial six banks in the next testing phase, though no specific timeline has been announced. [Source: GMA News]
#CBDC#Philippines#wCBDC#Settlement#Tokenization#DFC#Fintech
·gmanetwork.com·
BSP eyes CBDC for settling tokenized government bonds (GMA News)
Understanding Disputes Over Digitalization: CBDC Cross-Border Perspectives (Emory Law)
Understanding Disputes Over Digitalization: CBDC Cross-Border Perspectives (Emory Law)
The Emory International Law Review published a paper by Heng Wang that examines the complexity of disputes arising from digitalization through the lens of cross-border central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). The paper analyzes CBDC-related disputes using a three-dimensional framework: the social dimension (divergent state interests, approaches, and levels of commonality among jurisdictions); the material dimension (subject matter complexities involving data, technology, and parties' perceptions regarding dispute classification, risk tolerance, and market attitudes); and the temporal dimension (how technology and rule development evolve over time, creating legal vacuums and new challenges). The paper finds that dispute complexity stems from factors including regulatory inconsistencies across jurisdictions, technological uncertainties, varying privacy standards, interoperability challenges, and geoeconomic considerations. It argues that understanding these multifaceted dimensions is essential for developing effective dispute settlement mechanisms and governance frameworks as digitalization accelerates, particularly as CBDC networks expand and interconnect globally. [Source: Emory Law]
#CBDC#CrossBorder#Fintech#DFC#Legal
·scholarlycommons.law.emory.edu·
Understanding Disputes Over Digitalization: CBDC Cross-Border Perspectives (Emory Law)
Crunchfish to Participate in BOE Digital Pound Lab (Crunchfish)
Crunchfish to Participate in BOE Digital Pound Lab (Crunchfish)
Crunchfish, a Swedish fintech company specializing in offline digital payment solutions, has been selected by the Bank of England (BOE) to participate in the Digital Pound Lab, an experimental initiative exploring potential use cases for a digital pound. The company will spend approximately three months developing proof-of-concept solutions focused on resilient digital payments and offline transaction functionality within the Lab's simulated environment, which includes APIs, wallets, and smart contract capabilities. Crunchfish will demonstrate how its offline-capable payment technology could contribute to future digital currency implementations, with participants potentially presenting their findings at a showcase event later in the year. [Source: Crunchfish]
#CBDC#Crunchfish#Sandboxes#UnitedKingdom#Fintech#Offline
·crunchfish.com·
Crunchfish to Participate in BOE Digital Pound Lab (Crunchfish)
Digital Turkish Lira Second Phase Progress Report (CBRT)
Digital Turkish Lira Second Phase Progress Report (CBRT)
[November 24, 2025] The Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT) published a progress report on the 2nd phase of its Digital Turkish Lira project, which will focus on developing programmable payments and offline payment capabilities while maintaining core principles of privacy, interoperability, and financial inclusion. The digital lira will operate through a two-tier system where the central bank issues the currency and financial intermediaries provide user access without the central bank storing user identity data. Key developments include payment templates and packages that enable automated, condition-based transactions integrated with digital identity verification, and offline payment functionality using smart cards and NFC technology to work without internet connectivity. The system is being designed for interoperability with digital assets, cross-border payment platforms, and existing financial infrastructure, with the goal of reaching a minimum viable product stage by the end of this phase before any potential circulation decision in a third phase. Similar to the first phase, pilot tests will also be conducted in the second phase. [Source: CBRT]
#CBDC#Turkey#Fintech#DFC
·tcmb.gov.tr·
Digital Turkish Lira Second Phase Progress Report (CBRT)
Angolan Central Bank Exploring Central Bank Digital Currency (BNA)
Angolan Central Bank Exploring Central Bank Digital Currency (BNA)
[April 29, 2025] The Banco Nacional de Angola (BNA) revealed in its 2024 Annual Report that it concluded a preliminary study on central bank digital currency (CBDC), with the objective of evaluating the benefits and risks associated with different models, and analyzing potential implementation in the Angolan financial system. For 2025, the BNA will continue to monitor international CBDC projects, including exchanges with specialized institutions and central banks, with the aim of deepening knowledge and exploring possible paths for its eventual implementation. [Source: BNA] However, according to a Bloomberg Law article, the BNA has purportedly been exploring CBDC since at least 2022. [Source: Bloomberg Law]
#Fintech#CBDC#DFC#Angola
·bna.ao·
Angolan Central Bank Exploring Central Bank Digital Currency (BNA)
Liberia's Central Bank Exploring Central Bank Digital Currency (CBL)
Liberia's Central Bank Exploring Central Bank Digital Currency (CBL)

[May 5, 2025] The Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) revealed in its 2025-2029 Strategic Plan that it will explore the feasibility of introducing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) to enhance financial inclusion and modernize the financial system. CBL’s approach will include a feasibility study to assess the potential impact of a CBDC on Liberia’s monetary policy, financial stability, and payment systems, and engagement with key stakeholders, including financial institutions, government bodies, and the public, to gather insights and address concerns surrounding the introduction of a CBDC. Based on the findings of the research and studies, the CBL may consider launching a pilot CBDC program, initially targeting areas where traditional banking infrastructure is limited, to assess its viability in the Liberian context. This is in line with the medium-term goal of the Bank to digitalize the financial system and the economy at large and reduce the need for paper currency. [Source: CBL]

#Liberia#CBDC#DFC#Fintech
·cbl.org.lr·
Liberia's Central Bank Exploring Central Bank Digital Currency (CBL)
Central Bank of Uzbekistan Explores Digital Som Pilot Project (UZ Daily]
Central Bank of Uzbekistan Explores Digital Som Pilot Project (UZ Daily]
[September 11, 2025] The Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU) is reportedly exploring the launch of digital som central bank digital currency (CBDC) and commercial bank-issued stablecoin pilot projects. Both retail and wholesale CBDCs are being considered. The stablecoin pilot would be conducted in a regulatory sandbox run by the National Agency for Advanced Projects, the central bank emphasizing the importance of strict reserve backing to avoid effectively creating additional money supply. [Source: UZ Daily]
#CBDC#Uzbekistan#Fintech#DFC
·uzdaily.uz·
Central Bank of Uzbekistan Explores Digital Som Pilot Project (UZ Daily]
Central Bank of Uzbekistan Explores CBDC (Business & Finance Consulting)
Central Bank of Uzbekistan Explores CBDC (Business & Finance Consulting)

[November 15, 2021] Speaking at the 2nd international PLUS forum ("FinTech without Borders: Digital Asia), Shukhrat Fayzullaev, deputy director of the Payment Systems Department of the Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU), reportedly spoke about the central bank's central bank digital currency (CBDC) pre-project study. The purpose of this study was to: (1) analyze the prerequisites and economic efficiencies of introducing a CBDC, (2) examine the experience of other countries that have introduced or are introducing CBDCs and (3) assess the technical, human and financial resources that will be required to develop a CBDC. [Source: Business & Finance Consulting]

#CBDC#Fintech#DFC#Uzbekistan
·bulletins.bfconsulting.com·
Central Bank of Uzbekistan Explores CBDC (Business & Finance Consulting)
Digital Currencies Impact on Financial Stability and Financial Cycle (Bank of Albania)
Digital Currencies Impact on Financial Stability and Financial Cycle (Bank of Albania)
[February 11, 2022] The Bank of Albania published a paper that examines the impact on financial stability and financial cycles of crypto-assets, stablecoins, and central bank digital currencies (CBDC). Since then, it seems the Bank of Albania hasn't done any more work on the CBDC topic. [Source: Bank of Albania]
#Albania#Fintech#CBDC#DFC
·bankofalbania.org·
Digital Currencies Impact on Financial Stability and Financial Cycle (Bank of Albania)
Central Bank of the Barbados was Researching CBDC in 2020 (CBB)
Central Bank of the Barbados was Researching CBDC in 2020 (CBB)
[July 1, 2000] The Central Bank of the Barbados (CBB) hosted a seminar of central bank digital currency (CBDC) at which Governor Cleviston Hayne revealed that the CBB the CBB was researching CBDCs. In attendance were representatives from the Bahamas, Canada and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB). However, there has been no public follow-up on the central bank on the topic. [Source: CBB]
#CBDC#DFC#Fintech#Barbados#FastPayments
·centralbank.org.bb·
Central Bank of the Barbados was Researching CBDC in 2020 (CBB)
Bank of Mauritius Calls for Participation in Projects for its Innovation Hub (BoM)
Bank of Mauritius Calls for Participation in Projects for its Innovation Hub (BoM)
[August 23, 2024] The Bank of Mauritius announced the upcoming launch of its Innovation Hub, inviting interested participants to register for fintech solution development projects, including Suptech/Regtech and central bank digital currency (CBDC). This collaborative platform aims to foster cutting-edge innovations for the financial, banking, and regulatory sectors in Mauritius and the region by bringing together diverse stakeholders including entrepreneurs, industry experts, technology providers, regulators, academia, and students. The initiative is designed to accelerate the growth of the fintech ecosystem by leveraging the collective expertise and creativity of these key players. [Source: BoM]
#Fintech#Mauritius#Innovation#Sandboxes#CBDC#DFC#RegTech#SupTech
·bom.mu·
Bank of Mauritius Calls for Participation in Projects for its Innovation Hub (BoM)
Bank of Mauritius Progresses its CBDC POC Work (BoM)
Bank of Mauritius Progresses its CBDC POC Work (BoM)
[January 10, 2024] The Bank of Mauritius (BoM) has progressed on its research for the potential implementation of a digital rupee retail central bank digital currency. In this respect, the BoM has embarked on a proof-of-concept (POC) project starting with one commercial bank, There are other POCs in the pipeline, and other commercial banks and members of the public will be invited to join the pilot in due course. [Source: BoM]
#CBDC#Mauritius#Fintech#DFC
·bom.mu·
Bank of Mauritius Progresses its CBDC POC Work (BoM)
U.S. SEC Statement on Regulatory Treatment of Tokenized Securities (SEC)
U.S. SEC Statement on Regulatory Treatment of Tokenized Securities (SEC)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) clarified how federal securities laws apply to distributed ledger technology (DLT) based tokenized securities. It outlines two main categories: issuer-sponsored tokenized securities, where companies directly issue securities in tokenized format (with ownership records maintained on-chain, off-chain, or both), and third-party tokenized securities, where unaffiliated parties create tokenized versions through custodial arrangements (like tokenized security entitlements) or synthetic instruments (like linked securities or security-based swaps). The statement emphasizes that the format or recordkeeping method doesn't change how securities laws apply—tokenized securities face the same registration, reporting, and regulatory requirements as traditional securities. It also addresses specific considerations for security-based swaps, including restrictions on sales to non-eligible contract participants, and provides guidance on distinguishing between different types of tokenized instruments based on their economic reality rather than their labels. [Source: U.S. SEC]
#Tokenization#Regulation#CryptoAssets#DLT#Blockchain#UnitedStates#Fintech
·sec.gov·
U.S. SEC Statement on Regulatory Treatment of Tokenized Securities (SEC)
Digital Pound Lab: Phase 1 Update: Overview of First Round of Use Cases (BOE)
Digital Pound Lab: Phase 1 Update: Overview of First Round of Use Cases (BOE)
The Bank of England (BOE) Digital Pound Lab Phase 1 has completed, showcasing various demonstration use cases for U.K. retail payments infrastructure. The BOE developed several core capabilities including verifiable credentials for privacy-preserving identity verification, payment requests via QR codes, digital cheques, allowances for delegated spending, e-commerce integrations with delivery-versus-payment features, and blockchain interoperability. External participants (Fluxpay Limited; LINK, in collaboration with Consult Hyperion; NOBO Finance, in collaboration with Applied Blockchain; and Yotra Limited) tested additional use cases such as tiered wallets, tourist wallets, point-of-sale payments, and conditional business-to-business payments. Phase 2 is now underway with applications open until March 2026, aiming to explore more innovative payment services that don't currently exist, with a showcase event planned for July 2026. [Source: BOE]
#CBDC#Fintech#Sandboxes#UnitedKingdom#DFC
·bankofengland.co.uk·
Digital Pound Lab: Phase 1 Update: Overview of First Round of Use Cases (BOE)
ECB Calls for Experts to Explore Roles of Digital Euro Technical Service Providers (ECB)
ECB Calls for Experts to Explore Roles of Digital Euro Technical Service Providers (ECB)
The European Central Bank (ECB) is inviting technical service providers (TSPs) from the EU to participate in two expert-level workshops in early March 2026 focused on their role in supporting market readiness for a potential digital euro. Following the October 2025 announcement of the digital euro project's next phase, which includes a pilot starting in the second half of 2027 and potential first issuance in 2029, these half-day workshops will explore how TSPs can support payment service providers in both distribution and acquiring/acceptance activities. Interested TSPs must apply by February 10, 2026, and participants will be selected based on factors including their EU establishment, relevant experience, and technical capabilities, with the goal of creating balanced and representative workshop groups that will help inform the upcoming digital euro pilot activities. [Source: ECB]
#CBDC#ECB#Eurozone#Fintech#DFC
·ecb.europa.eu·
ECB Calls for Experts to Explore Roles of Digital Euro Technical Service Providers (ECB)
Tether Launches USA₮, the Federally Regulated, Dollar-Backed Stablecoin (Tether)
Tether Launches USA₮, the Federally Regulated, Dollar-Backed Stablecoin (Tether)
Tether launched USA₮, a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin specifically designed for the U.S. market under the GENIUS Act framework. Issued by Anchorage Digital Bank (America's first federally regulated stablecoin issuer), USA₮ aims to provide institutions with a compliant digital dollar alternative while Tether's global USD₮ continues operating worldwide. The stablecoin features Cantor Fitzgerald as reserve custodian, bank-grade compliance infrastructure, and is initially available on major exchanges including Bybit, Crypto.com, Kraken, OKX, and Moonpay. This launch represents Tether's effort to strengthen U.S. dollar dominance in the digital economy while meeting American regulatory standards. The press release notes that Tether is the 17th-largest holder of U.S. Treasuries globally, ahead of sovereign holders including Germany, South Korea, and Australia. [Source: Tether]
#CryptoAssets#Fintech#Regulation#Stablecoins#Tether#UnitedStates#DFC#USDT#USAT
·tether.io·
Tether Launches USA₮, the Federally Regulated, Dollar-Backed Stablecoin (Tether)
ECB Paves Way for Acceptance of DLT-Based Assets as Eligible Eurosystem Collateral (ECB)
ECB Paves Way for Acceptance of DLT-Based Assets as Eligible Eurosystem Collateral (ECB)
The European Central Bank (ECB) announced that it will accept marketable assets issued using distributed ledger technology (DLT) as eligible collateral for Eurosystem credit operations starting March 30, 2026. These DLT-based assets must meet standard Eurosystem collateral eligibility criteria and be available for settlement in systems compliant with the Central Securities Depository Regulation (CSDR) and reachable via TARGET2-Securities (T2S). The Eurosystem is also launching a work plan to explore whether DLT-native assets not represented in traditional securities settlement systems could become eligible collateral in the future, taking a staggered approach that considers market developments and evolving regulations like the DLT Pilot Regime and Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR). This initiative reflects the ECB's commitment to supporting innovation and technological progress in financial markets while maintaining safety and efficiency standards. [Source: ECB]
#DLT#ECB#Eurozone#Fintech#Tokenization#Collateral
·ecb.europa.eu·
ECB Paves Way for Acceptance of DLT-Based Assets as Eligible Eurosystem Collateral (ECB)
Stablecoins as Eurodollars 2.0 - Toward a Shadow Dollar Standard (SSRN)
Stablecoins as Eurodollars 2.0 - Toward a Shadow Dollar Standard (SSRN)
A paper posted on SSRN co-authored by the University of Toronto's Redouane Elkamhi argues that fiat-backed stablecoins function as "Eurodollars 2.0"—a new generation of offshore dollar liabilities that operate outside traditional banking regulation but remain economically linked to U.S. financial markets through reserve holdings and redemption mechanisms. Like the historical eurodollar system, stablecoins expand dollar liquidity creation and circulation beyond domestic borders, potentially strengthening dollar dominance by embedding the dollar as the default settlement asset in tokenized finance and accelerating digital dollarization in economies with weak currencies. However, this creates similar fragilities: stablecoins can experience rapid redemption runs that force reserve liquidations and transmit stress to money markets, while their global accessibility may erode monetary sovereignty in other jurisdictions. The authors propose the "Stablecoin Eurodollar System" framework to analyze how stress propagates through on-chain payment layers, off-chain reserve portfolios, and wholesale funding markets, emphasizing that the key policy challenge is not whether stablecoins exist but how convertibility into state money is governed when usage becomes systemic—particularly regarding reserve requirements, transparency standards, and whether public sector liquidity backstops should be extended to this new class of dollar instruments. [Source: SSRN]
#Stablecoins#CryptoAssets#DFC#Fintech#CrossBorder
·papers.ssrn.com·
Stablecoins as Eurodollars 2.0 - Toward a Shadow Dollar Standard (SSRN)