National Bank Of Georgia Selects Ripple Labs As Potential CBDC Partner

The central bank of Georgia is advancing its digital currency project. The monetary authority is preparing to launch the CBDC as early as next year and plans to use the blockchain-based version of the national fiat, the Georgian lari, to facilitate retail sales. Georgia to Introduce Digital Lari in 2022 The National Bank of Georgia (NBG) intends to pilot its own digital currency in a program scheduled for next year, Vice President Papuna Lezhava revealed this week. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the high-ranking official remarked that 85% of the world’s central banks....

The Republic of Georgia's central bank has invited fintech firms and others to participate in the CBDC project. The National Bank of Georgia said that it is considering launching a central bank digital currency.In an announcement today, the central bank hinted at the issuance of a central bank digital currency, or CBDC, in an effort “to enhance efficiencies of the domestic payment system and financial inclusion.” The National Bank of Georgia, or NBG, said it would be inviting fintech firms and other financial institutions to participate in the project, named Digital Gel after the symbol....

The Bank of Ghana (BOG) says it has signed an agreement with Giesecke Devrient (GD) to implement a pilot central bank digital currency (CBDC) project. This pilot CBDC, which is a precursor to the e-cedi digital currency, is set to be tested with banks, payment service providers, merchants, consumers and other relevant stakeholders. Learning From the Trial Phase In a press release, the Ghanaian central bank says GD will provide the technology and a solution that suits Ghana’s requirements. The press statement adds that during the trial phase, a study seeking to look at “the....

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 services. Central Bank of Georgia to Propose Cryptocurrency Regulations Georgia’s monetary authority is planning to introduce rules for operations in the nation’s crypto space. The financial regulator has drafted new legislation to achieve this, the bank’s Governor Koba....

Following the Commonwealth Bank of Australia's (CBA) move to partner with Ripple Labs in using blockchain technology for its offshore transactions, other banks in Australia joined the bandwagon. Westpac and Australia New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) are also working to test payment technology offered by Ripple Labs. According to Westpac, it is in the early stages of a proof of concept using the Ripple network in which staff are making low-value international payments to two other countries. ANZ is still in the middle of constructive conversations with Ripple and is in the process of....