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Co-Founder of Africa Focused Fintech: Traditional Banks Not Optimized to Serve the Unbanked
2.6.2022
For years, traditional financial institutions in different parts of the world have been attempting to narrow the financial exclusion gap by extending their services to the unbanked population. Yet for many reasons, these institutions still cannot avail their products and services to everyone that...
Anonymous Allegedly Hacks Sberbank, Russia’s Largest Bank
20.5.2022
Hacktivist collective Anonymous has allegedly breached the systems of one of the largest financial institutions in Russia, Sberbank. The attackers announced on social media they have published thousands of emails, phone numbers, and addresses. Anonymous Hackers Reportedly Gain Access to Sberbank...
US Fed hikes interest rates, Bitcoin plunges below $36K, and Argentina’s central bank says no to financial institutions offering crypto: Hodler’s Digest, May 1-7
7.5.2022
Banco Galicia Becomes First Bank to Introduce Crypto Trading in Argentina
3.5.2022
Banco Galicia, one of the largest financial institutions in Argentina, has introduced cryptocurrency trading as part of the services it is currently offering to customers. Users interested in investing in cryptocurrency are already able to purchase four different crypto assets directly from...
Nigerian Agencies Told to Stop ‘Demonizing’ Crypto Industry Players
20.4.2022
Nigerian public and law enforcement agencies have been urged to “stop the demonization” of the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. According to an association that advocates for the risk-based regulation of the crypto industry, financial institutions should not use a Nigerian...
FBI Issues Alert Concerning Malicious State-Sponsored North Korean Hackers Targeting Crypto Firms
19.4.2022
On April 18, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Treasury Department, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) published a Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) report concerning malicious North Korean state-sponsored cryptocurrency activity. According to the U.S....
Digital Ruble ‘Much Needed,’ Russia’s Central Bank Says, Won’t Delay Testing
19.4.2022
The Central Bank of Russia has emphasized the importance of moving forward with its digital ruble project. According to a statement by a top representative, the monetary authority has no intention to delay the trials despite not all invited banks being ready to participate yet. Bank of Russia...
OFAC Update Claims Ronin Hack Is Tethered to North Korea’s Hacker Syndicate Lazarus Group
15.4.2022
According to the U.S. Treasury and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the recent Ronin bridge hack may have been tied to the North Korean hacker syndicate called Lazarus Group. Federal law enforcement officials have tied the flagged ethereum address connected with the Ronin bridge exploit...
Regulatory Arm of UAE Financial Centre Releases Defi Discussion Paper
15.4.2022
The regulatory arm of UAE’s financial centre, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), has released a discussion paper that is seeking stakeholders’ comments regarding the regulation of decentralized finance (defi). The paper also makes clear the regulator’s stance regarding...
FDIC Asks Thousands of Banks to Disclose Crypto Plans
11.4.2022
The U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has asked thousands of banks and other financial institutions it supervises to declare existing crypto activities and any plans they have to engage in crypto activities in the future. Banks to Disclose Crypto Plans to FDIC The Federal Deposit...
The Eerie Similarities of Today’s Great Monetary Shift and the Panic-Led Creation of the Federal Reserve System
9.4.2022
While many Americans believe the U.S. Federal Reserve is the caretaker of the country’s monetary system, its also believed to be one of the worst financial institutions ever created. In 2022, amid a gloomy economy, war, and a number of global crises, the possibility of a great monetary shift...
National Bank of Georgia to Regulate Country’s Crypto Sector
8.4.2022
The National Bank of Georgia is taking steps to regulate the crypto market in the Southern Caucasus country, its governor revealed in a recent interview. While companies in the industry are to expect a licensing regime, financial institutions have already been banned from providing crypto-related...
Report: Four Nigerian Lenders Penalized for Failing to Block Crypto Transactions
7.4.2022
The Nigerian central bank recently fined four financial institutions it accuses of failing to stop clients from using their respective platforms to conduct cryptocurrency transactions. According to one of the affected institutions, the central bank is using a certain “advanced...
Study: 10% Growth in Crypto Market Cap Reduces Value of African Firms by 0.76%
2.4.2022
A study undertaken by two assistant professors at American University in Cairo (AUC) has suggested that an increase of 10% in the crypto market cap causes the market value of “African micro-entities” to drop by 0.76%. Crypto Market Growth Hurts Less Competitive Sectors According...
Report: Kenya Central Bank Governor Reiterates His Opposition to Cryptocurrencies
25.3.2022
The Kenyan central bank governor has once again told Kenyans to be wary of the risks that are associated with cryptocurrency transactions and trading. The governor also warned financial institutions supporting cryptocurrency transactions that they risk losing their licenses. Crypto Trading...
Fed Chair Powell Says Crypto Needs New Regulation Citing Risks to US Financial System
24.3.2022
The chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, says crypto requires new regulation, citing that it presents risks to the U.S. financial system and could destabilize existing financial institutions. Fed Chair Powell Sees the Need for New Crypto Regulation Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell...
Russian Banks Told to Track Crypto-Related Transactions Amid Currency Restrictions
19.3.2022
Bank of Russia has recommended commercial banks pay heightened attention to their clients’ transactions related to cryptocurrencies. The regulator requires the financial institutions to monitor such activity against the backdrop of restrictions on currency operations amid western sanctions....
US Banking Giants Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Wind Down Business in Russia
13.3.2022
Global investment banks Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are winding down business in the Russian Federation. The move comes as western sanctions against Moscow over its decision to launch a military invasion of Ukraine continue to expand, supported by leading financial institutions. Goldman Sachs...
DOJ Task Force ‘KleptoCapture’ to Target Crypto Exchanges in Sanctions Evasion Crackdown
13.3.2022
A new task force set up by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), KleptoCapture, will also target cryptocurrency exchanges. Financial institutions, banks, money transmission services, and crypto exchanges that allow Russian oligarchs to move money “will be in the crosshairs of this...
Charles Schwab Files for ‘Crypto Economy ETF’ With SEC
4.3.2022
Charles Schwab is launching a crypto economy exchange-traded fund (ETF). According to the company’s filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), “Schwab Crypto Economy ETF” will trade on the NYSE Arca. Charles Schwab Registers Crypto Economy ETF With...