Cryptocurrency - Long Reads, News, Articles & Research: Finextra

From cash to crypto: Understanding the changing face of money

Vid Hribar Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystems Analyst at RBI

From cash to crypto: Understanding the changing face of money

This piece was co-authored by Gerald Ruschka, digital banking leader at RBI. Money is a topic that often escapes active consideration. When making transactions, whether in-store or online, our primary concerns revolve around the sufficiency of funds and the chosen payment method (for example, cash or card.) – rarely do we contemplate the form of ...

28 February 2024 /crypto

EU CBDC: What do we know so far about the digital euro?

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

EU CBDC: What do we know so far about the digital euro?

The European Central Bank (ECB) has been working on developing the digital euro, a central bank digital currency (CBDC) that would operate as an electronic equivalent to cash in the EU. The progress on the digital currency has not been without its hiccups, with the ECB recently publishing blog post debunking common myths on the impact of the digi...

21 February 2024 /crypto

CBDCs in fintech services: What are the risks and opportunities?

Vladimir Krasik Global Head of Internal Treasury at Revolut

CBDCs in fintech services: What are the risks and opportunities?

Many central banks around the world are now pursuing projects of central bank digital currencies (CBDC), digital tokens backed and issued by monetary regulators. According to the latest evaluation by the economists at the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), four monetary authorities – those of Nigeria, the Bahamas, the Eastern Caribbean, and ...

15 February 2024 /crypto

Crypto disputes on the rise – a 2024 look at litigation, arbitration and regulation

Nell Perks Partner at Latham & Watkins

Crypto disputes on the rise – a 2024 look at litigation, arbitration and regulation

The English courts and international arbitral institutions have observed a steady uptick in crypto disputes (especially fraud claims) as investment in cryptocurrencies has become more widespread. The value of these disputes is on the rise, and they increasingly involve sophisticated commercial entities such as crypto exchanges and lenders, not jus...

31 January 2024 /crypto

When is the next Bitcoin halving? Everything you need to know

Dominique Dierks Content Manager at Finextra

When is the next Bitcoin halving? Everything you need to know

The next Bitcoin halving is just around the corner, which will have significant impact on not just the Bitcoin price but the cryptocurrency industry as a whole. We detail everything you need do know about the Bitcoin halving date and the wider impact of the upcoming halving event. What is a Bitcoin halving? Bitcoin relies on blockchain technology ...

19 January 2024 /crypto

What is an ETF? All you need to know after the US SEC approves Bitcoin spot ETFs

Níamh Curran Senior Reporter at Finextra

What is an ETF? All you need to know after the US SEC approves Bitcoin spot ETFs

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced its approval of 11 bitcoin spot ETFs, allowing for trading to begin as early as today. There has been a lot of buzz and build-up to this outcome, not least because the SEC’s X account was reportedly hacked resulting in their determination being tweeted a day early. For many, this is the...

11 January 2024 /crypto

Are stablecoins the next opportunity in payments?

Níamh Curran Senior Reporter at Finextra

Are stablecoins the next opportunity in payments?

In 2023, we have seen stablecoins - cryptocurrency designed to have a relatively stable price, typically by being pegged to a commodity or fiat currency – being embraced by some of the biggest payment players like Visa and PayPal. Despite being less than a decade old, more than 11 trillion in stablecoins were settled on-chain in 2022, accountin...

09 January 2024 /crypto

What’s happening at Binance? A 2023 timeline

Dominique Dierks Content Manager at Finextra

What’s happening at Binance? A 2023 timeline

With a resigning CEO and a record-breaking payout of billions of dollars – Binance’s November settlement was just the tip of the iceberg of a year filled with regulatory woes. In this article we highlight the key events of 2023 that led to Binance agreeing to pay some of the largest fines in US history. March 2023: CFTC sues Binance In March, the U...

24 November 2023 /crypto

Paige McNamee Senior Reporter at Finextra

What is tokenised gold?

Despite the crypto winter and general uncertainty around digital assets, we’re continuing to see the emergence of real-world asset tokenisation as defi continues its creep into financial services. Artwork, intellectual property, real estate, corporate securities, luxury cars, commodities, and gold, are some examples of this tokenisation. Last week...

07 November 2023 /crypto

An outlook on emerging technologies, alternative finance and digital identity

Dominique Dierks Content Manager at Finextra

An outlook on emerging technologies, alternative finance and digital identity

This is an excerpt from The Future of Digital Banking in North America 2024 report. The collapse of the cryptocurrency platform FTX in late 2022 has sent waves through the industry that continue to linger. It triggered not only the loss of trust but also increased scrutiny for digital currencies and decentralised platforms by regulators. While the...

27 October 2023 /crypto

Future of Fintech in Latin America 2023: Seizing blockchain opportunity by riding the crypto wave

Paige McNamee Senior Reporter at Finextra

Future of Fintech in Latin America 2023: Seizing blockchain opportunity by riding the crypto wave

This is an excerpt from The Future of Fintech in Latin America 2023 report. Adoption of blockchain use cases are growing fast across Latin America. A breadth of use cases including bitcoin, stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies (as stores of value against inflation, banking the unbanked, low-fee remittances, DeFi applications, play-2-earn games, ...

08 September 2023 /crypto

How should stablecoins and digital currencies be regulated by the government?

Ganesh Viswanath-Natraj Assistant Professor at Gillmore Centre, Warwick

How should stablecoins and digital currencies be regulated by the government?

Ever since Bitcoin's emergence in 2009, interest in cryptocurrencies has skyrocketed. However, an abrupt and painful crash has sparked calls for more stringent regulatory measures. In May 2022, cryptocurrencies TerraUSD and Luna plummeted in value by 99% within just two days, causing a broader loss of confidence in the crypto markets and leading t...

06 September 2023 /crypto

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