Finextra Research: Latest fintech news, analysis, interviews, features and opinion by industry experts

Central banks to test FX settlement in wCBDC

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is launching Project Rialto to explore how instant cross-border payments could be improved using a modular foreign exchange component combined with settlement in wholesale central bank digital currencies (wCBDC).

04 June 2024

Company update/payments

Banks in Kazakhstan roll out CBDC card services

In just 6 months after Kazakhstan launched the digital tenge, its Central Bank Digital Currency, over 10 innovative CBDC card services have become available to the country's population of 20 million.

16 May 2024

News/payments

Fime acquired by Gallant Capital

Private equity firm Gallant Capital Partners has acquired payments consultancy and testing specialist Fime as well as the UL Solutions payments testing business and merged the two. Financial terms were not disclosed.

07 May 2024

News/crypto

EBAday 2024: The future of CBDCs, tokenised deposits and stablecoin adoption

Tokenised money is on the horizon in numerous countries. This week, the Bank of England’s Sarah Breeden announced that a discussion paper will be released in summer 2024 to draw on input from the private sector to complement the work being conducted on stablecoin regulation and retail central bank digital currency (CBDC).

22 April 2024

News/crypto

New Zealand consults on digital cash

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has opened a consultation on the potential launch of a central bank digital currency.

18 April 2024

News/payments

David Birch confirmed as EBAday 2024 challenge speaker

Exploring digital money, digital assets, digital identity and the future of banking, David G. W. Birch has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for one of the most compelling sessions at EBAday every year.

05 April 2024

Company update/crypto

ClearBank joins Digital Pound Foundation

ClearBank has announced their membership to the Digital Pound Foundation’s (DPF) membership community. ClearBank joins the Foundation as an Associate Member and will take part in the Identity and Privacy and Policy, Legal and Regulatory Working Groups.

27 March 2024

News/payments

Swift hails results of CBDC connector testing

Swift says a new round of sandbox testing has found that its central bank digital currency interlinking technology can enable financial institutions to carry out a wide range of transactions using CBDCs and other forms of digital tokens, easily incorporating them into their business practices.

26 March 2024

News/crypto

UDPN launches digital currency sandbox

The Universal Digital Payments Network (UDPN) has launched a digital currency sandbox for both commercial and central banks.

19 March 2024

News/startups

EBAday 2024: Calling early-stage startups to showcase products

The 19th edition of EBAday, the largest annual European event for payments and transaction banking, will return on 18th – 19th June 2024 at CCL in Lisbon, Portugal.

15 March 2024

News/crypto

MPE 2024: What will be the impact of a digital euro?

At the Merchant Payments Ecosystem 2024 conference in Berlin, Evelien Witlox from the European Central Bank (ECB) presented a keynote on the possibilities of a digital euro.

13 March 2024

News/crypto

US digital dollar is “nowhere near” development, says Federal Reserve chair

Chairman of the US Federal Reserve Jerome Powell spoke before the Senate on Thursday, stating that the US was “nowhere near” CBDC development.

08 March 2024

News/crypto

Banks "barking up the wrong tree" over CBDC deposit flight says ECB

The European Central Bank says banks are "barking up the wrong tree" when they fret over the impact of deposit flight from a future digital euro, arguing instead that stablecoins and electronic money institutions pose more of a threat to the deposit base.

20 February 2024

News/payments

NextGen Nordics 2024: What to expect from this year's conference

Finextra is returning to Stockholm for the annual NextGen Nordics event. Attendees can expect in-depth conversations on a variety of topics, and much more.

16 February 2024

News/payments

India tests offline and programmable CBDC

India is moving ahead with the next stage of its digital rupee pilot, adding programmability and offline payment capability.

12 February 2024

News/crypto

Metaverse to place new demands on payment services - BIS

The metaverse could place new demands on payment services that may be better met by central bank digital currencies and retail faster payment systems than by crypto, according to a Bank for International Settlements report.

08 February 2024