The Kingdom of Morocco may see its first crypto bill introduced “in the following days.” The document is already written by the Central Bank and will be discussed with the industry stakeholders. On Jan. 3, during the press conference, the Governor of Morocco’s Central Bank, Bank Al-Maghrib (BAM), Abdellatif Jouahiri announced a series of discussions between the BAM and the market participants. Regulators, such as the Moroccan Capital Markets Authority (AMMC), the Insurance Supervisory Authority and Social Security (ACAPS), will also participate. It will precede the implementation of the crypto law. According to Jouahiri, the BAM collaborated with the International …

"Bitcoin (BTC) is Freedom" is one of Bitcoin’s many epithets. Like “Bitcoin is digital gold,” “Bitcoin is property,” or even Bitcoin is absolute digital scarcity, these phrases ricochet around the walls of Bitcoin-themed conference arenas. They’re also memed into eternity on social media. But one of Bitcoin’s overarching mantras is “Don’t trust, verify.” Rooted in an old Russian proverb, the phrase has come to define the Bitcoin ethos. It suggests rules, ideas, and concepts should be tested, tried and verified. So with that in mind, to what extent is Bitcoin actually freedom? How far can we make the point that …

The Central African Republic has announced it will delay the listing of cryptocurrency, Sango Coin, on crypto exchanges due to current market conditions and marketing reasons. The update was revealed in Sango's Telegram group. Sango Coin was launched in July with the aim of raising nearly $1 billion over the next year, however, so far, only $1.66 million worth of the coin has been sold, according to the Sango website. In April of this year, the Central African Republic made Bitcoin legal tender, (BTC), becoming the first African state to do so. The country had also previously announced a plan …

The African continent has been tipped as an important market for crypto adoption due to its young population, lousy economic management by governments and lack of efficient financial infrastructure to connect the continent internally and globally. Adoption is becoming so widespread that celebrities do not want to get left out, with several big names in the entertainment and media space working with crypto brands. In the first episode of Cointelegraph’s new podcast Hashing It Out, hosted by Cointelegraph social media specialist Elisha Owusu Akyaw, Fonbnk co-founder Michael Kimani answers questions about what crypto adoption really looks like in the face …

The ongoing crypto winter is not stopping the industry from pushing for global adoption and accessibility. A new partnership between CoinCorner and Bitnob opens a way for users across continents to perform cross-border transactions involving multiple fiat currencies. Typically transfer of funds between Europe and Africa requires a third-party facilitator like Western Union, which rely on centralized entities. These transactions often have processing times of multiple parties prior to approval and are known for their expensive cuts. World Bank estimates that remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa went upwards of $40 billion yearly as of 2020 —with Nigeria receiving almost half of …

A hydro-powered crypto mining project based in Africa released an update on its efforts to bring energy developments to rural communities via Bitcoin (BTC). On Dec. 9, Gridless Compute tweeted photos and commentary on how their hydro-power BTC mining rigs are powering an entire rural settlement while also lowering energy rates for 2,000 people, the equivalent to 500 families. According to the tweet, costs decrease from $10 per month to $4. All of this while securing BTC’s underlying blockchain network. Powering a rural Kenya village and securing the #Bitcoin network with excess hydropower, all while lowering rates to 2000 people …

The Lightning Network has struck Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria. During a conference in Ghana, Strike CEO Jack Mallers announced that the Bitcoin (BTC) payments company has partnered with the mobile app Bitnob to facilitate payments into Africa. Mallers made the announcement on stage at AfroBitcoin, a Bitcoin conference in Ghana's capital city of Accra. He stood alongside Bernard Farah, the Nigerian CEO of Bitnob, following a short presentation on how it works. Money transfers into Africa take advantage of the Lightning Network, the layer-2 payments network built atop Bitcoin. The feature is called “Send Globally,” and it enables instant, low-cost …

Nigerian customer's of the crypto exchange AAX reportedly attacked the company's office in Lagos and harassed its employees, in a response for the recent halt of withdrawals, according to local reports from Dec. 3. Although it's unclear when the assault happened, the Nigerian Blockchain Technology Association Stakeholders (SiBAN) confirmed the storm in an announcement on Nov. 28, urging angry users to be patient with the exchange's workers, who were also impacted by the issues. SiBAN noted: "Therefore, we appeal to and discourage any dissatisfied or angry user or investor from harassing or victimizing the AAX Country Manager (Nigeria), other local …

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is calling for increased regulation of Africa's crypto markets, one of the fastest-growing markets in the world, the global institution blog reported on Nov. 22. Among the reasons why countries in the region should embrace regulation, the monetary fund cited the collapse of FTX and its ripple effect in cryptocurrencies prices, which is "prompting renewed calls for greater consumer protection and regulation of the crypto industry." Moreover, the authors argue that "risks from crypto assets are evident" and "it’s time to regulate" to find a balance between minimizing risk and maximizing innovation. Based on the …

Mobile money has been a strong competitor to central bank digital currency (CBDC) in Africa, but many of the continent’s central bankers have greater faith CBDC, according to a Bank for International Settlements (BIS) report published Nov. 24. African central bankers also saw greater utility in CBDC for implementing monetary policy than bankers in other parts of the world, according to the BIS. Nineteen African central banks responded to the survey that served as a basis for the report, and all of them stated that they were actively interested in CBDC. Only Nigeria has issued a retail CBDC, the eNaira, …

An amendment was introduced to the Kenyan law in capital markets on Nov. 21 that would require those who own or deal in cryptocurrencies to provide the country’s Capital Markets Authority with information on their activities for tax purposes, local media report. This is the first time Kenya has extended financial regulation to cryptocurrency. Under the Capital Markets (Amendment) Bill, Kenyans would pay capital gains taxes to the Kenyan Revenue Authority when they sell or use digital currencies. Cryptocurrency held for less than a year would be subject to income tax, while after that capital gains tax would apply. Kenya …

How does one build a Bitcoin (BTC) community? How to start? Where to begin? And what are the best practices? Cointelegraph spoke to Bitcoin community builders around the world to shed light on a growing phenomenon in the Bitcoin world. From Indonesia to South Africa to El Salvador and the Congo, circular-based Bitcoin economies and community projects have sprung up across the globe. Cointelegraph asked the successful community-focused Bitcoiners how to kickstart a Bitcoin circular economy and what advice they’d lend to enthusiasts looking to replicate the success of projects like Bitcoin Beach, El Zonte. For Bitcoin community project leader …