The Bank and HM Treasury are exploring the design phase of a digital pound
A summary of work over the past year on a digital pound, including how it relates to the evolving payments landscape.
Digital PoundPositive fundamental development in the UK and the US
seems to have boosted the prices of the three top cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin,
Ether, and XRP. The three tokens have staged a rebound in the daily and weekly
charts, with XRP leading the resurgence. In the UK, a new Economic secretary has been appointed to oversee digital assets, while in the US, plans are underway to refund thousands of Bitcoins stolen in the 2016 crypto hack on Bitfinex.At the time of publication, Bitcoin was trading at
$99,235, representing a 2% and 5% increase in the past day and week,
respectively. Data from CoinMarketCap also shows that Ether is up 4% (3% in the
past week), while XRP has added 9% in the daily chart and a substantial 27% in
the weekly chart.Bitcoin ETFsDespite these gains, cumulative trading volume for
Bitcoin ETFs fell to $2.23 billion, down sharply from more than $3 billion the
day before, according to data from sosovalue.com. The outflows come despite
broader market optimism fueled by cooling inflation. A report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed
wholesale inflation rose only 0.2% in December, below economist expectations,
contributing to a 1.3% rise in the total crypto market cap to $3.53 trillion.BREAKING: Hong Kong just approved the first batch of spot #Bitcoin ETFs. pic.twitter.com/TbjXPgZyH8 Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) April 15, 2024The inflows, while modest, suggest growing confidence
in Ethereums trajectory. Industry analysts are now watching to see whether
this trend continues amid evolving market dynamics.UK Appoints New Economic Secretary Emma Reynolds was reportedly appointed as the new
Economic Secretary to oversee digital assets and central bank digital
currencies (CBDCs). Reynolds, formerly a managing director at TheCityUK
trade body, replaces Tulip Siddiq, who resigned following a scandal involving
ties to Bangladesh. INSIGHT: What is the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA)?MiCA was introduced to address regulatory inconsistency, rising fraud and potential risks to financial stability, aiming to create a level playing field and safeguard consumers. pic.twitter.com/fB2uztr1cE Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) December 17, 2024Siddiq had set out the UKs crypto agenda, committing
to a regulatory framework similar to the European Unions. Reynolds now
inherits this ambitious roadmap, tasked with balancing innovation with
regulation. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has already laid
out plans for a comprehensive crypto regime, but it remains to be seen how
Reynolds will approach these policies. As Bitcoin ETFs face mounting outflows and Ether funds
hint at recovery, the UKs renewed focus on crypto regulation under new
leadership could shape the markets future.
This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.
A summary of work over the past year on a digital pound, including how it relates to the evolving payments landscape.
Digital PoundNo decision has been made on whether to proceed with retail CBDC, central bank emphasises
CBDC Digital PoundThe digital pound's design phase seeks to balance innovation with user privacy, requiring collaboration across public and private sectors.
CBDC Central Bank Digital Currency Digital PoundThe Bank of England is to launch a Digital Pound Lab as it sets out its blueprint for the design phase of a future Britcoin.
Britcoin Digital PoundReport, conducted with MIT, says cryptographic techniques would not guarantee privacy
Digital PoundWith the growing interest in CBDCs, the Bank of England released a paper in collaboration with the MIT Digital Currency Initiative that explores solutions to build trust in a potential digital pound.
CBDC Digital Pound