Will New Regulations Help or Hurt Bitcoin Startups in the Philippines?
With everyone from Abra to ZipZap using it as either a launch market or a base of regional operations, the Philippines has long been the hub of innovation for bitcoin remittance companies. Local founders have said it was only a matter of time before the central bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), would come around to regulating the industry, and that process finally began in early February of this year. That's when when BSP deputy governor Nestor Espenilla announced the central bank would issue a circular that intended to clear up the government's position on bitcoin and other....
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CNBC recently asked, “How bad would it be for the economy of the Philippines if remittances were to dry up?” They proceeded to sign economic indications that this is indeed the route that the Philippine remittance market is headed down—slowing growth in remittances from key remitting markets, such as the U.S., elsewhere in Asia, and other regions. Another fundamental shift in economics pointed to by CNBC: The Philippines appears to be shifting from an economy that relies on sending labor abroad to one that employs labor at home—the proof of this argument is in the booming BPO industry. The....
The Philippines may soon introduce Bitcoin regulations amid increasing usage of cryptocurrencies for remittance. Bitcoin is increasingly being used for remittance in developing countries. Bitcoin remittance is probably the highest in the Philippines. In the current scenario, the country’s government has decided to draft Bitcoin regulations. The decision was made public by Nestor Espenilla, deputy governor of the country’s central bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The implementation of cryptocurrency regulations will be helpful to Filipinos as it will offer them protection amidst....
The Central Bank of Philippine is in the process of making few regulatory changes to combat money laundering and cyber attacks. The Philippines may soon introduce bitcoin regulations as the country’s central bank decides to tighten its screws around money laundering. The bank is also focused on improving the security of the cyber infrastructure. The South East Asian country of Philippines has suddenly decided to go hard on the money transfer and remittance businesses in the country. The sudden crackdown seems to be connected with the recent report published by Reuters and Fortune which....
The Philippines is a home to some of the industry’s most innovative startups including Coins.ph and Rebit.ph, that enable cost-efficient remittances from their home country to international recipients. At Bootstrap Manila, Bitcoin startups & investors revealed that 20 percent of remittances from the Philippines to South Korea are processed using Bitcoin. Coins.ph recently secured a $ 5 mln investment from former Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s fund, due to their unique approach that instead of competing with banks and existing financial services, it would be more beneficial for its users to....
Regulations or lack thereof can be tricky for businesses, especially if you are involved in Bitcoin startups or cryptocurrency related business. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are relatively new introductions to the economy and there isn't enough clarity amongst people regarding its inner working and implications. The companies that are into Bitcoin based businesses are doing so based on their belief and the emerging trends which indicate that Bitcoin might just be the digital currency that future will embrace and appreciate. Some of them have been really lucky so far, some not so much....