Facebook-owned messaging service, WhatsApp, is purportedly in preliminary talks with multiple digital payments firms as well as a state-owned bank to launch digital payment services in Indonesia. Reuters reported that they had learned of this development from anonymous sources on Aug. 20. According to the report, WhatsApp is currently negotiating with transportation booking service Go-Jek, mobile payments provider DANA, fintech startup OVO and state-owned Bank Mandiri. Bank Mindri operates a digital wallet service, per the report. WhatsApp’s plan for Indonesia is to support payments through digital wallets in the region, according to Reuters’ sources. The report further speculates that Facebook’s …

Antitrust regulators at the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, have sent out a questionnaire to determine whether Facebook’s proposed stablecoin Libra is an anti-competitive project. Bloomberg learned of the news via a private document, per a report on Aug. 20. According to the report, the commission sent out a questionnaire earlier in August in an attempt to figure out whether rival entities would be able to compete with the Libra Association and its product on a fair basis. Officials reportedly believe Libra may hinder competition via its exchange of information and use of consumer data. Moreover, …

Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss — Bitcoin (BTC) bulls and founders of the Gemini crypto exchange — say they are open to partnering with archrival Mark Zuckerberg on Libra. CNN Business reported on Aug. 19 that the twins are not allowing their notorious and drawn-out settlement with Zuckerberg stand in the way of a potential collaboration. In talks to join the Libra Association Whether or not a partnership will finally materialize, Cameron told CNN that Libra represents a step towards mass adoption of cryptocurrency, underscoring: "I think there is a day in the future where we can't live without crypto, or …

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) is almost ready to launch its government-backed digital currency, official sources say. An Aug. 20 report from the CPC-owned English-language news portal China Daily further revealed that the central bank digital currency (CBDC) may have been influenced by the unveiling of Facebook’s planned cryptocurrency, Libra. “Inspiration from Libra” After five years of research and system development work since 2018, the PBoC is almost ready to launch its CBDC, the deputy director of the bank’s payments unit Mu Changchun revealed at a forum last week. Trials for the currency have been ongoing and the institution …

Update [11:51 UTC]: This article has been removed due to noncompliance with Cointelegraph’s quality policy. We apologize for any inconvenience this situation may cause.

Top cryptocurrency exchange Binance is launching an open blockchain project “Venus” focused on developing localized stablecoins worldwide. In an announcement published today, Aug. 19, the exchange argues it is well-positioned to launch such a currency ecosystem in light of its existing public chain technology, Binance Chain, wide user base and already established global compliance measures. Leveraging existing know-how The exchange says it is seeking partnerships with governments, corporations, technology firms, and other cryptocurrency and blockchain projects in order to develop a new currency ecosystem that will empower both developed and developing countries The exchange’s vision for the project, per the …

On Aug. 18, the developers of ZenGo, a non-custodial keyless cryptocurrency wallet solution, announced that their app now supports Facebook’s Libra testnet. Experimenting with Libra According to the announcement, now users “can send and receive Facebook’s new cryptocurrency, Libra, just like any other cryptocurrency in ZenGo.” The developers also noted that the “testnet funds don’t hold any real value and are only for testing purposes.” The post explains: “If you would like to experiment with Libra, you can turn on Libra testnet from the Account tab in the wallet. Once you turn on the feature, make sure your wallet is …

A delegation of the United States House of Representatives will visit Switzerland on cryptocurrency concerns, with Facebook’s not-yet-released stablecoin Libra being in the focus. As local weekly news outlet NZZ am Sonntag reported on Aug. 17, a six-member delegation from the House Financial Services Committee is going to meet with Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) Adrian Lobsiger to exchange views about digital currencies. A spokesperson told NZZ am Sonntag that Libra will be the focal point of the dialogue between the regulator and U.S. lawmakers. The delegation is led by the chairwoman of the House Financial Services …

The People's Bank of China (PBoC) has completed the development of a prototype for issuing a national cryptocurrency, as Cointelegraph reported on Aug. 11. As it turned out, it will be powered by a two-tier operating system, which, however, will not be fully decentralized. What do we actually know? The fact that China is close to issuing state digital money, which for the past three years has been on the tongues of the local authorities, was revealed at China Finance 40, the forum dedicated to policy research on Chinese economics and finance. Speaking at the event, PBoC Deputy Director Mu …

A decentralized public network that aims to ensure the internet belongs to its users is taking Facebook to task — and alleges “it’s been their internet for too long” in reference to the social media giant. Hedera, “the only public decentralized network that utilizes the hashgraph consensus algorithm,” has recently paid for a full-page ad in the weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal that said: “Thank you Facebook Libra. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Mance Harmon, the company’s CEO and co-founder, said he shared his vision for Hedera with Facebook’s David Marcus in February 2018 — setting …

David Marcus, the man spearheading Facebook’s blockchain effort, has gotten a tremendous amount of spotlight lately. The rapid emergence of Libra has dominated the coverage of other crypto-related developments, as it became apparent that the social media giant’s inroad into the realm of digital assets will have most serious consequences for both the blockchain sector and the global financial system in general. While previously the crypto industry has hardly ever had one key spokesperson — which is perhaps a natural and welcome state of affairs for a domain wherein decentralization is the most cherished of values — Libra’s newfound position …

Last month, Facebook rocked the world with its blockbuster Libra announcement. Even a year ago, the idea that an iconic United States company would launch a digital currency or that a sitting president would tweet about it seemed insane. Welcome to the new normal. The Libra announcement sent politicians scrambling, hit the mainstream media like a hurricane, and left many crypto influencers wondering if the social network giant just turned 90% of altcoins worthless. What tiny crypto project with a few dozen programmers can stand against the combined might of not just Facebook but also the titans of the tech …