Report: Cryptocurrency Can Potentially Complement Mobile Money Argues Kenyan ...
The CEO of one of Kenya’s biggest lenders has argued there is a possibility cryptocurrencies will complement mobile money in Africa but first, there is a need to convince regulators of their benefits. African Regulators’ Stance on Crypto Cryptocurrencies can potentially complement mobile money in Africa if regulators on the continent are made to change their perceptions of the digital currencies, the boss of one of Kenya’s biggest lenders has said. According to James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Group Holdings Plc, central banks first need to be convinced of the....
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A lawsuit filed by bitcoin payments startup BitPesa and its partner against mobile money giant Safaricom was heard in the Kenyan High Court on Tuesday. The startup says Safaricom "intimidated" its gateway partner, Lipisha, forcing it to suspend its services without prior notice, according to Kenyan newspaper the Daily Nation. The stoppage came into effect on 12th November. As a result, BitPesa and Lipisha are facing significant challenges to maintaining their business. A lawyer for the two firms told the Daily Nation that BitPesa is "at risk of collapse" because it's now unable to conduct....
Bitcoin exchange igot has expanded to Kenya following the acquisition of TagPesa, a local cryptocurrency exchange and remittance gateway, and integration with M-Pesa's mobile payments service. Igot's Kenyan customers can now use the exchange's services by depositing and withdrawing Kenyan shillings either from their local bank accounts or their M-Pesa accounts. The company, which is based in Australia, also provides remittance services to over 40 countries worldwide, including the EU, Middle East and Africa. The acquisition of TagPesa allows igot customers around the world to send funds....
As mobile payments and cryptocurrency have made strides providing an alternative to traditional banking in Kenya, legal conflicts have emerged among mobile currency providers and Safaricom, the nation's dominant telecom service. Kenyan legal authorities may need to clarify how anti-money laundering/know your customer (AML/KYC) and other regulations will be enforced and who will enforce them. BitPesa, a bitcoin payments and remittance service which uses the Safaricom telecom, and Lipisha, the payment gateway for both BitPesa and M-Pesa, are suing Safaricom in Kenya, according to....
On Tuesday, November 24, 2015, Uhuru Kenyatta, the president of the Republic of Kenya, reshuffled his cabinet, dropping five cabinet secretaries and replacing them with new faces to give his government new impetus. Among the nominees is Joe Mucheru, who is a board member at Bitpesa, a Bitcoin exchange that leverages on mobile money services such as....
The Bank of Ghana has said the expected implementation of the central bank digital currency will not disrupt or negatively impact the operations of mobile money operators. Rather, the central bank expects the digital currency to improve the efficiency of Ghana’s settlement systems as well as to “fast-track cross border trade.”
CBDC to Complement Mobile Money
The Ghanaian central bank has moved to allay fears that the implementation of the central bank digital currency (CBDC) known as the e-cedi might adversely impact the operations of mobile money operators....