Tag: Digital

Russia delays digital ruble launch testing due to lawmaking process

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The rollout of The Bank of Russia’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot is being delayed indefinitely. However, participating banks have stated their readiness to begin the testing.  As reported by the state-owned TASS on March 28, the CBDC pilot won’t start on April 1, as previously announced, because specific legislation has only passed through the first reading in the State Duma — the Federal Assembly’s lower house. According to TASS, the legislation may be enacted by early May. The number of private banks participating in the pilot has also changed…

The government should fear AI, not crypto: Galaxy Digital CEO

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Mike Novogratz, the CEO of digital asset investment firm Galaxy Digital told investors he is shocked over the amount of regulatory attention for crypto rather than artificial intelligence (AI), a technology he believes will trigger a “deep fake” identity crisis. The chief executive explained at the firm’s fourth-quarter conference call on March 28 that the U.S. government has it “completely upside-down” in choosing to focus so much on crypto regulation and yet turn a blind eye to AI: “When I think about AI, it shocks me that we’re talking so…

European Banking Federation shares its vision of digital euro, wCBDC, bank tokens

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The European Banking Federation (EBF) has released a paper detailing its vision for the digital money ecosystem of the future, and the retail digital euro in particular. The carefully worded paper expressed values and concerns about the digital euro from the perspective of commercial banks.  The paper, released on March 28, emphasized the bank’s values, such as stability and privacy. It called for closer public-private partnership in the introduction of the digital euro. “There is currently no dialogue in place to address the fundamental changes and risks to the monetary…

How Irish farmers turn cow dung into digital gold (Bitcoin)

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An Irish dairy farmer has found an unusual way to make use of the excess energy produced on his farm — by turning to Bitcoin (BTC) mining. Tom Campbell, who runs a farm in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, produces renewable energy using a method called anaerobic digestion. This involves breaking down biodegradable material to a point where it creates methane gas, which can be used to produce electricity. Campbell primarily uses the electricity to power his farm, but when there is excess energy that cannot be exported to the grid,…

Galaxy Digital swings to profit after $1B net loss in 2022

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On March 28, Canadian investment firm Galaxy Digital, operated by blockchain personality Mike Novogratz, disclosed that it had achieved a preliminary pre-tax income of $150 million from Jan. 1, 2023, to March 24, 2023.  The results followed a $1 billion net loss in 2022, which was largely attributed to a $659 million unrealized loss on digital assets and a $496 million unrealized loss on investments. As told by Novogratz: “2022 was a formative year for Galaxy, and while we and our industry faced unprecedented macroeconomic events, we succeeded in staying…

Binance.US Acquisition of Voyager Digital Halted by Federal Judge

Since the time of the auction and the bidding process, US regulators have expressed a lack of confidence in the sale of the company to Binance. Judge Jennifer Rearden, a new Federal Judge for the US District Court in New York has temporarily halted the proposed sale of Voyager Digital to Binance.US. According to the judgment passed, the proposed $1 billion sale will now only be concluded once a decision has been made concerning the final details of the bankruptcy proceedings. The decision to suspend the completion of the acquisition…

Ted Cruz and Ron DeSantis take on the ‘digital dollar’: Law Decoded, March 20–27

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Two lawmakers in one week weighed in against the possibility of a United States central bank digital currency (CBDC). Florida Governor Ron DeSantis — expected by many to throw his hat into the ring for the 2024 U.S. presidential race — has called for a ban on a digital dollar in the state. DeSantis spoke out against the Federal Reserve issuing and controlling a CBDC, claiming the initiative would grant “more power” to the government.  Texas Senator Ted Cruz went even further, introducing a bill to block the Fed from…

Traditional finance fears drive digital asset investment inflows to $160M

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On March 27, European cryptocurrency investment firm CoinShares published its “Digital Asset Fund Flows Report,” which revealed that digital assets continue to attract investors’ attention as concerns over the stability of traditional finance (TradFi) continues to grow.  According to the latest report, investment products in digital assets experienced inflows of $160 million last week, the largest since July 2022, marking a significant reversal after six weeks of outflows totaling $408 million. The report also noted that “while the inflows came relatively late compared to the broader crypto market,” investors are increasingly…

Digital Euro Key for European Payment Autonomy, ECB President Lagarde Says – Finance Bitcoin News

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The digital euro has an important role in preserving the payment autonomy of Europe, the head of the eurozone’s monetary authority emphasized. The new currency, which is still under development, is meant to be sovereign and safe, cheap and widely available, Christine Lagarde assured during a discussion devoted to central bank digital currencies. Payment Cards and Apps Now Are Not Necessarily European, Lagarde Points Out A digital euro has a key role to play in safeguarding Europe’s payment autonomy, President of European Central Bank (ECB) Christine Lagarde was quoted as…

Contango Digital Assets Successfully Closes $1.2M Seed Round for Web3 Infrastructure

Blockchain-oriented VC firm Contango plans to use the seed round proceeds to facilitate increased Web3 adoption globally.  Contango Digital Assets recently successfully concluded a $1.2 million seed round geared toward establishing Web3 infrastructure. To date, the leading blockchain venture capital firm has deployed more than $7 million globally to support Web3 startups. According to reports, Contango will double this sum in 2023 amid increased Web3 and blockchain mainstream adoption. The Contango Digital Assets seed round generated much excitement among participating investors. These investors included HNW Angel investors, Family Office, and…