G20

The Tightrope of Regulation

In a significant move at the recent G20 meeting in India, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Financial Stability Board (FSB) released a joint paper outlining a framework for the global regulation of cryptocurrencies. While the proposals mostly tread familiar territory, what’s new is their conviction in crypto’s unstoppable growth and success. A flurry of optimism greeted the G20’s endorsement of the report because it advocates that countries don’t ban crypto. Hidden in its text, however, are some worrying signs. For example, on the first page, they state, “Widespread

BIS partners with Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa for CBDC trials

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS), spearheaded by Singapore, will test the use of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) for efficient global payments. Via a recent press release, the BIS announced that it is joining forces with the central banks of Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Africa to examine a direct, shared platform for international payments. The experiment, under Project Dunbar, aims to reduce costs and increase the speed between cross-border payments by institutions. According to Andrew McCormack, Head of the BIS Innovation Hub Centre in Singapore, “Project Dunbar brings