Skrill digital wallet users in the selected states can now purchase Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin through Coinbase. Paysafe Group Limited subsidiary Skrill digital wallet has partnered with Coinbase to venture into the United States crypto market. Through the partnership, Skrill digital wallet customers across 37 states and territories can now access the crypto market through the Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange. Paysafe through Skrill has taken notable steps to venture into the United States market. Mind you, the company is responding to increased demand in digital payments fueled by the…
Tag: Digital
Toyota’s IT arm works on digital token pilot with crypto exchange
Toyota Systems, the IT arm of Toyota Motor Corporation, is collaborating with Japanese cryptocurrency exchange DeCurret to develop a branded Toyota digital currency, according to an official announcement on Oct. 26. The large-scale pilot will involve 2,500 employees at Toyota Systems. The platform will feature digital currency payments for benefits. According to the announcement, participating employees will be able to exchange the digital currency for benefits points or gifts from a catalog. Toyota Systems noted that the digital currency cannot be exchanged for Japanese yen. The new pilot uses DeCurret’s…
New bill would legally recognize digital signatures on a blockchain
Republican Congressman David Schweikert (R-AZ) has referred a new bill to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that, if passed, would recognize digital signatures on the blockchain as enforceable by law. This is particularly important for the enforceability of smart contracts, which automate transactions or other contractual obligations according to binding, pre-specified rules. Smart contract advocates have long used the adage “code is law,” and the new bill, if approved, could make this a statutory reality. According to public records, the bill was referred to the committee on Oct. 2. A summary of…
Australian government’s digital business plan includes $5M for blockchain
The Australian government this week unveiled its $574 million Digital Business Plan that includes seven-figure grants for distributed ledger technology initiatives. Announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison ahead of next week’s Federal Government budget, the plan outlines $4.95 million in support for “two blockchain pilots directed at reducing business compliance costs.” Morrison said: “The plan supports Australia’s economic recovery by removing out-dated regulatory barriers, boosting the capability of small businesses, and backs the uptake of technology across the economy.” Piper Alderman partner Michael Bacina told Cointelegraph that these two projects…
European Commission adopts digital finance package for crypto and blockchain
The European Commission is moving to provide more legal clarity and certainty for the cryptocurrency industry in its member states. On Sept. 24, the EC officially adopted a new digital finance package including digital finance and retail payments strategies, as well as legislative proposals on crypto assets. The EC said that the new package represents the first time that the authority proposed new legislation on crypto assets. As part of the new legislative proposals, the EC pays special attention to stablecoins — a type of cryptocurrency that pegs value to…
The Bahamas will launch a digital Central Bank ‘Sand Dollar’ in October
The Bahamas is gunning to become the first country in the world to roll-out a state-backed virtual currency nationwide, and has announced it will launch a central bank-issued cryptocurrency during October. The assistant manager of eSolutions at the Central Bank of The Bahamas, Chaozhen Chen, told Bloomberg that the digital currency, dubbed ‘Sand Dollars’, is intended to drive greater financial inclusion among the remote islands within the archipelago nation. “A lot of residents in those more remote islands don’t have access to digital payment infrastructure or banking infrastructure. We really…
No one can refuse China’s digital currency, says central bank exec
China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) known as the digital yuan should be regulated in line with cash-related laws, according to a senior exec at the country’s central bank. In an opinion article on Sept. 14, Fan Yifei, a deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), outlined the major regulatory principles for the operation of the digital yuan. the digital representation of the official currency of the People’s Republic of China. According to Fan, the digital renminbi is legally compensatory to the traditional fiat currency. In the article, the deputy governor…
Digital Assets Data CEO says mainstream finance still doesn’t trust Bitcoin
Following the news of Fidelity Investments’ Bitcoin (BTC) fund filing, Mike Alfred, CEO of analytics outfit Digital Assets Data, described continued hesitancy in mainstream finance when it comes to Bitcoin. “Many in the traditional financial services/asset management/wealth management verticals remain deeply skeptical of Bitcoin and the ecosystem,” Alfred told Cointelegraph on Sept. 10. “One commenter on my LinkedIn yesterday even called Fidelity’s move ‘Abby’s folly,’” he said, which takes a shot at Fidelity CEO Abigail Johnson in reference to her activities and position as an early Bitcoin adopter. A mainstream…
Pandemic has accelerated adoption of digital currency: ECB President
The pandemic has seen consumers adopt digital payments in increasing numbers and the trend was accelerating, said the President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Christine Lagarde. She also indicated a panel of euro-zone central bank officials is set to reveal a verdict on a European central bank digital currency (CBDC) imminently. Speaking at an online conference hosted by Deutsche Bundesbank on Sept. 10, Lagarde, stated that EU residents had embraced digitalization, with e-commerce sales increasing roughly 20% between February and June, even as total retail sales declined 1.2%. She…
SBI Holdings to set up blockchain-based digital stock exchange in Osaka
SBI Holdings, Japanese financial giant and a major blockchain-focused institution, is reportedly planning to set up a blockchain-based digital stock exchange. Yoshitaka Kitao, president and CEO at SBI Holdings, announced the company’s plans to collaborate with Osaka Prefecture to establish a new global financial hub. The new international financial center is will purportedly be located in Osaka and Kobe, Nikkei reports on Sept. 2. SBI is planning to launch a digital stock exchange based on blockchain technology. The exchange is expected to attract global fintech companies and contribute to the…