“Consensus by CoinDesk May 24-27, 2021 unites professionals across the globe for an immersive virtual experience aimed at exploring the evolution of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. This four-day experience will bring together more than 10,000 attendees across a variety of educational panels, workshops, keynotes, fire-side chats, networking experiences and more for an up-close look at the good, the bad, the ups, the downs, the excesses and the optimism of crypto.” Today is the last day to snag a ticket for $99. Tomorrow the price goes up to $149.
This paper summarizes the initial exploration and findings of the World Bank Group Technology and Innovation Lab, in partnership with the IMF’s Digital Advisory Unit, on blockchain interoperability and some of the related approaches and efforts being carried out by blockchain innovators and other institutions. It covers the use cases and technical approaches of the different blockchain platforms used to exchange information and assets, as well as the experimentation the group conducted in the area of interoperability. The paper further identifies interoperability issues which needs more attention and provides guidance to practitioners.
BitGo’s Newest Charter Deepens Its Regulatory Arsenal
“BitGo obtained a New York Trust (becoming a New York Limited Liability Trust Company) from New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) to operate as an independent, regulated qualified custodian under New York State Banking Law. The Trust Charter enables BitGo to provide custodial services for New York clients who need to secure large amounts of digital assets with designated entities that offer the highest level of security, regulatory oversight and operational efficiency. Additionally, a New York Trust Charter allows a company to provide custodial services in many other states without obtaining additional licenses. To date NYDFS has only approved a handful of Trust Charters for companies engaged in virtual currency business activity, including Gemini, Coinbase and Paxos.”
French Lawmaker Signs Petition to Allow Central Bank to Buy and Hold Bitcoin
Jean-Michel Mis, a member of the French National Assembly, announced that he has signed a petition to amend the laws to enable the Banque de France to buy and hold crypto-assets. The petition was started on March 5 by François-Xavier Marie Jean Elder Thoorens; it can be signed until Sept. 5. Petitions with at least 100,000 signatures within six months are forwarded to the Conference of Presidents, which will decide whether to follow up on the matter.
* The views expressed herein are those of the author and should not be attributed to the International Monetary Fund, its Executive Board or its management.
