The European Central Bank (ECB) remains open to the idea of a digital euro equivalent but would want to stop citizens holding too much of it. That was the conclusion of a fresh working paper on so-called central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) by Ulrich Bindseil, the bank’s Director General of Market Infrastructure and Payments, on Jan. 3. ECB would need to “control volume” of CBDC The paper deals with the prospect of issuing a CBDC for the European Union, and also touches on the differences between such a currency and cryptocurrency stablecoins. Its issuance comes as China edges closer to …

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has confirmed it will offer euro (EUR) trading against six cryptocurrencies in the platform’s latest fiat expansion. In a blog post on Jan. 3, Binance confirmed trading for EUR pairs would begin at 8am the same day. Users will be able to trade EUR against Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), XRP and Binance Coin (BNB). Binance will also support trading against two stablecoins: Tether (USDT) and its own U.S. dollar-backed token, Binance USD (BUSD). Euro not just for Binance Jersey The move follows on from the addition of EUR deposits and withdrawals in November, which appeared along with …

Bitcoin (BTC) easily succeeds over other cryptocurrencies in multiple key areas, which all but guarantee its future as the standard, noted academic Konrad S. Graf has concluded. In the second installment of a two-part interview with Eurasia Review published Jan. 1, Graf highlighted a plethora of “competitive advantages” inherent to Bitcoin. Graf has sought to gain exposure for Bitcoin through academic essays, which expand beyond its mechanism of action to situate it within the broader economic system. Scarcity Bitcoin wins out over other forms of money — including other cryptocurrencies — largely due to its fixed supply. “Bitcoin’s top competitive …

Major global cryptocurrency exchange Binance now allows users to buy crypto directly through Visa credit and debit cards. In a Dec. 26 announcement, Binance said that its users are able to directly purchase four cryptocurrencies after binding their accounts to Visa cards issued within the European Economic Area. Binance users can buy four cryptocurrencies with euros or pounds Once the Visa card is linked, users can buy four cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), XRP and Binance’s native token Binance Coin (BNB) with euros or British pounds. According to the announcement, Binance plans to add support for Mastercard and additional …

The United States central bank will inject at least $425 billion of nonexistent money into the economy by the middle of next month. In a statement released Dec. 11, the Federal Reserve confirmed it would ramp up so-called repurchase, or “repo,” operations on key dates over the new year period. Fed to “print” 3x Bitcoin market cap in weeks The time of year required extra assurances for banks, the Fed claims, with repo operations designed to support their day-to-day operations. “The Open Market Trading Desk (the Desk) at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has released the schedule of …

Sweden’s central bank is planning plans to create a pilot platform for a digital currency known as the e-krona. While Switzerland took a negative stance towards a central bank digital currency (CBDC) earlier today, with its government claiming that it could do more harm than good, Sweden is starting to explore the potential benefits of e-krona, Reuters reports Dec. 13. Riksbank eyes partnership with Irish professional services firm Accenture According to the report, Riksbank, Sweden’s central bank, said that it would partner with Irish professional services company Accenture to create a pilot platform for a digital currency dubbed the e-krona. …

Israeli-based fintech and cryptocurrency firm Simplex now supports two new fiat currencies — the Japanese yen (JPY) and the Canadian dollar (CAD). Following the addition, users at some of Simplex’s partner exchanges such as Binance will be able to buy crypto via credit cards using JPY and CAD, industry publication The Block reports Dec. 9. Not all Simplex’s partner exchanges will be supporting JPY and CAD by default Cointelegraph contacted both Simplex and Binance in order to confirm the news. Simplex’s spokesperson confirmed the report, noting that the company’s partners are now able to allow their users to buy crypto …

Kazakhstan’s lawmakers won’t be taxing cryptocurrency mining until the mined crypto is exchanged for fiat money. According to a legislative analyst at a local blockchain association, cryptocurrency mining will not be treated as entrepreneurial activity but rather a “purely technological process,” local business publication Kursiv reports Dec. 4. Madi Saken, legislative analyst at the National Association for the Development of the Blockchain and the Industry of Data Centers of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NABDC), reportedly announced the news at a local blockchain event “Blockchain Day” on Dec. 4, news which Saken has confirmed in an email to Cointelegraph. Tax liabilities …

American financial software company Intuit has apparently limited the account of one of the cryptocurrency industry’s best-known figures, Andreas Antonopoulos. In a series of tweets on Dec. 4, Antonopoulos stated that Intuit had prevented him from accepting credit card payments via its accounting services due to his use of cryptocurrency. According to Antonopoulos, who undertakes regular international tours as a speaker and educator on Bitcoin (BTC) and associated topics, the company even requested he stop referencing cryptocurrency on his official website. Commenting on the events, he appeared to refuse to comply: “Intuit Merchant Services @intuit just told me that I …

Blockchain startup LifeLabs announced that it is developing a digital currency dubbed BVI~LIFE in partnership with the British Virgin Islands (BVI). According to a press release on Dec. 3, the currency is part of a broader initiative to grow the local fintech sector and will be presented during the BVI Digital Economy symposium. The coin will be a stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the U.S. dollar — which the BVI have used since 1959 — and its use is expected to reduce transactional fees, increase transaction speed and be accessible to outsiders such as tourists. LifeLabs is also developing Rapid Cash …

The Cardano Foundation, the firm behind the 12th biggest cryptocurrency Cardano (ADA), has launched AdaPay, an ADA payment gateway for merchants. Developed by the Cardano Foundation and enterprise-grade fintech platform Coti, the solution allows merchants to accept ADA payments with “near-instant” settlement in 35 fiat currencies directly in their bank accounts, the firm announced Nov. 27. The payment gateway was first announced in October 2019 The Cardano Foundation and Coti first announced their plans for the ADA payment gateway on Oct. 23. The payment solution is now purportedly available to be integrated directly into merchant’s website, using either an AdaPay …

Kraken, one of the largest and oldest Bitcoin (BTC) exchanges in the world, has joined the Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN). By joining SEN, the United States-based cryptocurrency exchange enables its clients to deposit and withdraw U.S. dollars from Silvergate accounts with no fees, the firm announced Nov. 27. According to the announcement, the depositing process will be different based on whether Kraken users have a Silvergate account. If they have an account at Silvergate, Kraken users will simply have to enable SEN funding on their Kraken account before using the option. Those who do not have a Silvergate account will …