President Biden called last week for an urgent, government-wide focus from the U.S. into the research of a potential Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in an Executive Order. It’s a move that’s been a long time coming—American efforts in the space have lagged far behind some other countries, including China, which has already launched a pilot for its own digital … [Read more...] about Could a Central Bank Digital Currency be in the Cards for the U.S.?
regulation
The Future of Digital Assets: Not a Zero-Sum Game
Blockchain technology and digital assets rose to new heights in 2021; with a record $30 billion in investments, interest in this sector of FinTech has never been stronger. But what's happening with all that money? That was the subject of 1871's recent Tech Talk: Digital Assets and Cryptocurrency: A Breakout Year, with experts weighing in on where developments in digital assets … [Read more...] about The Future of Digital Assets: Not a Zero-Sum Game
Can Digital Assets Really Disrupt Payments?
As digital assets continue to become more and more mainstream, what role they’ll play as they move beyond a token for professional traders to something more widespread and ubiquitous remains a primary question. To some extent, there are no clear answers – yet. A lot depends on the moves that government organizations and banks make moving forward, and the answers they come up … [Read more...] about Can Digital Assets Really Disrupt Payments?
Regulators Take Aim at DeFi
Decentralized Finance, more commonly known as DeFi, has been a growing sector on the wild frontiers of digital finance throughout 2021 – we’ve covered it ourselves a number of times over the past six months. It’s a space that excites many adventurous investors, as the yields look incredibly promising. But with multiple high-profile scams and hacks marring the space even as … [Read more...] about Regulators Take Aim at DeFi
FinTech and Crypto: 7 Years On
This post marks the seventh anniversary of FinTech Rising. I wrote the first posts while attending the 2014 Sibos* conference in Boston. The biggest thing I learned at that conference was the emergence of bitcoin into the mainstream financial system. As I wrote in that first FinTech Rising post, "Throughout the conference, the line on Bitcoin went something like this: It may … [Read more...] about FinTech and Crypto: 7 Years On
Crypto Regulation: The Empire Strikes Back
The past few weeks in crypto news recall that title of the second movie from the original Star Wars trilogy. U.S. regulators are eyeing crypto regulation for protection and territory. As Bloomberg reports this week, "Crypto faces a reckoning in Washington as U.S. regulators prepare to clamp down on the rapidly growing industry." I won't belabor the point, but will provide a … [Read more...] about Crypto Regulation: The Empire Strikes Back