TO VAX OR NOT TO VAX: In the German debate about how to best nudge those who remain stubbornly unvaccinated toward getting jabbed, there’s disharmony across the political tribes and the federal and state levels, but also within parties. Armin Laschet, the CDU’s candidate for chancellor in the September election, said those who test negative for the coronavirus, have recovered from COVID or are vaccinated ought to be exempt from restrictions. He told ZDF in an interview that aired Sunday evening: “I don’t believe in mandatory vaccination, and I don’t believe in putting indirect pressure on people to get vaccinated.”
FOCUS: Bundesbank-Vorstand Burkhard Balz: Der digitale Euro wird das Bargeld nic
Samstag, 19.06.2021, 00:00
Berlin. Bundesbank-Vorstand Burkhard Balz hat die geplante Einführung eines digitalen Euros verteidigt. „Wir leben in einer zunehmend digitalisierten Welt“, sagte er dem FOCUS Magazin. „Da müssen wir uns als Zentralbank fragen: Wie könnte eine digitale Variante des Euros aussehen?“. Die Details soll in den nächsten zwei Jahren eine Taskforce der Europäischen Zentralbank (EZB) klären, der Balz als Vertreter Deutschlands angehört. „Wir können mit dem digitalen Euro nur live gehen, wenn wir vorher möglichst alle Risiken minimiert haben“, sagte er. „Nur dann wird er von den Menschen auch angenommen.“ Vor allem bei der Sicherheit dürfe es keine Abstriche geben. „Wir brauchen also einen digitalen Tresor, den Kriminelle nicht knacken können.“ Das Bargeld werde der digitale Euro auf keinen Fall ersetzen. „Bargeld ist geprägte Freiheit, und die geben
Weekly Focus:
Germany Securities Settlement Bridge
India’s New Crypto Reporting Regulations
Bank of Jamaica Announces Central Bank Digital Current Pilot Program
US Regulatory Developments
Securities Fraud on the Dark Web Using Bitcoin
For the first time, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has brought an action against an individual, James Roland Jones, in connection with activities on the dark web that the SEC asserts constituted securities fraud under 10(b) and 10b-5 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Mr. Jones is accused of accepting Bitcoin in exchange for selling falsified information on dark web marketplaces. The SEC’s March 18, 2021 complaint describes the attempts by Mr. Jones to first obtain material nonpublic information about the public securities markets, and then after failing to do so, sell false nonpublic information about the public securities markets. Although Mr. Jones did not actually obtain nonpublic information, the SEC asserts that he
Germany’s federal bank tests blockchain payment system sans CBDC Business
The Deutsche Bundesbank in Germany has successfully tested a blockchain-based settlement interface for electronic securities. The test bridges the gap between mainstream finance and blockchain technology without relying on a central bank digital currency (CBDC).
Developed in partnership with Deutsche Börse Group and the German Finance Agency, the test demonstrates that the platform relies on two software modules which connect the existing payment system with digital ledger technology (DLT). To demonstrate the technology, the test issued a 10- year government bond using DLT along with trading in primary and secondary markets settled in the same system.