ECB official urges governments to tax bitcoin

The National Bank of Austria president Ewald Nowotny has urged governments to regulate and tax bitcoin, The Daily Mail reported. Speaking with the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Nowotny, who is also a member of the ECB governing council, underscored the need for a value-added tax on bitcoin.

ECB officials see tremendous potential in blockchain technology

The executive board members of the European Central Bank (ECB) have highlighted the potential of blockchain technology for banks and market infrastructures, while reflecting on the prospect of central bank digital currencies.

PBoC refutes reports on shutting down of bitcoin mining

The People’s Bank of China has refuted recent reports that suggested that the central bank was seeking to curb bitcoin mining activities in the country. Caixin reports that the PBoC did not hold any meeting on shutting down bitcoin mining activities. Previous reports suggested that the meeting supposedly took place on January 03.

Indian government’s policy think tank explores blockchain technology

The National Institution for Transforming India, also called NITI Aayog, is exploring the potential of blockchain application in education, health, and agricultural sectors, The Economic Times reported. A senior government official told ET that the Aayog is currently working on a proof of concept aimed at bringing the technology to the key areas.

South Korean government likely to ban anonymous cryptocurrency trading this month – Report

According to a latest report from Yonhap News Agency, the government is developing a system that is expected to end the use of anonymous accounts in cryptocurrency transactions. Industry sources told the local media outlet that the system is expected to go into effect around January 20.

Mongolbank warns against cryptocurrencies

Mongolbank has joined its global counterparts to warn against the risks of cryptocurrencies. The central bank on Thursday issued a warning on its website, highlighting the potential of cryptocurrencies to be used for illicit activities such as tax evasion, money laundering and terrorism financing.

Over 860k Venezuelans register to mine Petro cryptocurrency

Venezuela has been making headlines ever since President Nicolás Maduro announced plans to launch “Petro” cryptocurrency. According to Bitcoin.com, the government has now opened the registrations for miners to sign up for mining and gaining access to the new cryptocurrency. Maduro said that over 860,000 people have already registered.

GFSC’s DLT Regulatory Framework goes into effect in Gibraltar

The Gibraltar Financial Services Commission's (GFSC) regulatory framework on distributed ledger technology (DLT) went into effect on January 01, 2018. With the rollout of the new DLT regulatory framework, firms in Gibraltar that use the technology to store or transmit value belonging to others, will now have to apply for a licence from the GFSC.

National Bank of Poland rolls out new website to warn against cryptocurrencies

The National Bank of Poland has rolled out a new website that cautions people against cryptocurrencies and lists the potential risks, Bitcoinist reported. The website name, which translates to ‘beware of cryptocurrencies,’ starts off with the message “Virtual money is not money” and goes on to explain that “Cryptocurrencies, virtual currencies, digital currencies are not "electronic money" within the meaning of the law.”

Central Bank of Azerbaijan seeks to tap blockchain for relations between banks and customers

TheCentral Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) is seeking to tap blockchain technology to build a digital identification system for regulating the relations between banks and customers, according to the central bank’s statement published on ‘Azerbaijan’ newspaper on December 29, 2017, 4-traders reported.

Research Studies:

BoE’s research unit likely to submit central bank digital currency report this year

Indian government awaits cryptocurrency report from expert committee

Investments/Acquisitions/ Fund-raising:

Finnish cryptocurrency startup Prasos raises €2.5M

Digital Currency and Blockchain Initiatives:

Bank Hapoalim, Israel Aerospace Industries collaborate on blockchain cybersecurity solutions

Huobi announces roadmap for 2018, to launch two cryptocurrency exchanges

Chronicled, Qtum Foundation collaborate to combine blockchain and IoT

Waves announces ‘Basics Fund’ to support blockchain startups

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