India aims to roll out digital currency by next year: Finance Minister
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India aims to introduce digital currency by 2023. “The government and RBI are looking into its several commercial use purposes and not just financial inclusion, which is largely achieved through the JAM trinity (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile),” she said. The minister also said India will take a considerate decision on regulation around virtual currencies.
Crypto prices today: Bitcoin rises 1.9%, ETH up 0.5%
Bitcoin is currently trading at $39,379.2 a 1.94% increase over the previous day. Ethereum is up 0.5% over the last 24 hours to $2,884.92. Solana rose 0.7% to $99.18, while Cardano is trading lower by 0.61% at $0.836. Avalanche (AVAX) fell 0.96% to $69.48. The global crypto market cap stands at $1.80 trillion, a 1.12% increase over the previous day.
Coinbase lists competitor Binance’s stablecoin BUSD
Coinbase has listed Binance USD (BUSD), the crypto exchange’s U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, for trading on the Ethereum network. That makes it the eighth stablecoin to be offered by Coinbase. The main stablecoins listed on Coinbase include Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), TerraUSD (UST), Dai (DAI), Paxos Standard (PAX), Rai Reflex Index (RAI), and mStable USD (MUSD).
BlackRock launches its first crypto-exposed ETF
BlackRock has listed its iShares exchange-traded fund (ETF) to allow investors to gain exposure to the crypto market. The iShares ETF seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of US and non-US companies involved in the development, innovation, and utilization of blockchain and crypto technologies. BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager.
Goldman Sachs to explore tokenization of real assets
Goldman Sachs is examining non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and particularly the tokenization of real assets. The Metaverse, where real-world assets like real estate are bought and sold as NFTs, has caught the attention of big names in financial services and a range of other industries.