Ripple to power Georgia’s central bank digital currency, the digital lari

The National Bank of Georgia (NBG) has selected blockchain payments network Ripple Labs as the official technology partner for developing digital lari, its central bank digital currency (CBDC) project. Ripple said in a  statement that the partnership will encompass the implementation and deployment of the Digital Lari pilot initiative through the Ripple CBDC Platform. The National Bank of Georgia will utilize this innovative CBDC platform to evaluate potential applications of the Digital Lari, determining its advantages to the government sector, enterprises, and individual retail users. Before being designated as NBG’s technology partner, Ripple…

Swiss Bank SGKB Partners with SEBA Bank to Bring Bitcoin and Ethereum Trading to Clients

The Swiss banking industry has been incredibly receptive to crypto with many local banks adding cryptocurrency services to their offerings. Swiss bank St.Galler Kantonalbank (SGKB) has launched Bitcoin and Ether trading with plans to add more cryptocurrencies in the future based on client feedback. The cryptocurrency service is made possible by a partnership with crypto-focused bank SEBA and comes after a brief testing period earlier this year. Launched on November 1, the service is currently available to a select group of clients. The service is St.Galler Kantonalbank’s (SGKB) first foray…

SNB Working With SIX Stock Exchange, 6 Banks on Wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency Pilot

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Bank of England to Hold UK Interest Rates Again as Manufacturing and Business Activity Falls

The market expects the UK’s apex bank to hold off on increasing or decreasing interest rates even as economic data is falling. The Bank of England (BoE) is expected to hold UK interest rates on Thursday due to recorded price pressures and a decline in economic activity. At the moment, the market is pricing a 93% chance that the apex bank will not increase or reduce rates. UK inflation came in at 6.7% in September, higher than analysts expected but unchanged from August’s figure. The BoE has increased interest rates…

Russian bank begins tracking customer crypto activities

By tracking crypto transactions, the Russian government seemingly wants to make a regulatory field for state corporations to enter the market. A Russian bank has started tracking its customers’ activities in crypto as the government desires to form regulatory conditions for state corporations to enter. In an interview with Russia’s state newspaper, Parlamenstakaya Gazeta, Russian lawmaker Anton Tkachev said the initiative is just a pilot so far, but eventually the system might be rolled out at the state level should the pilot be a success. Tkachev did not disclose the…

Kasikorn Bank Acquires Majority Stake in Satang Crypto Exchange for $103 Million

Thailand’s Kasikorn Bank, also known as K-Bank, has successfully secured a majority 97% stake in the parent company of Satang, a prominent crypto exchange operating in the country since 2017. The acquisition, valued at 3.705 billion Thai baht ($102.8 million), was executed through K-Bank’s newly established subsidiary, Unita Capital, specializing in investments in digital assets companies, media reports said. Upon the completion of the transaction, Satang is slated to undergo a rebranding as Orbix. This transformation will be accompanied by the establishment of three subsidiary entities: Orbix Custodian, Orbix Invest…

Sam Bankman-Fried Tells Jury ‘Run on the Bank’ Felled FTX

Bankman-Fried has argued throughout his testimony that he had a vague picture of his empire’s finances in the run-up to FTX and Alameda’s collapse, and he said that by November 2022, when he tweeted, he still believed that FTX didn’t have any “hole” in its balance sheet, and Alameda still had assets in excess of liabilities. Source

Central Bank Digital Currency, or e-HKD, Could Add Unique Value, but Further Investigation Is Needed, HKMA Says

The report said the pilot found that an e-HKD could add value in three main areas – programmability, tokenization and atomic settlement – with the potential to facilitate faster, more cost-efficient and more inclusive transactions. However, the program’s 14 pilots with 16 participating firms were conducted on a small scale under a controlled environment, the report said. Source