Tagged: federal reserve

August 9, 2021 @ 3:41 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bitcoin’s (BTC) usage growth during the last 10 years has been “strong” and “steady,” and on this journey, from its “humble” beginnings, the flagship crypto has progressed through various phases of “differing usage,” according to a new report from CoinShares. Starting as a “worthless geeky… Read More

May 23, 2021 @ 11:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

US Federal Reserve Chief Jerome Powell recently noted that cryptocurrencies pose significant risks to financial stability. Powell stated on Thursday (May 20, 2021) that greater regulation of crypto assets may be necessary. As reported by Reuters, the US Treasury Department cited concerns about wealthy people… Read More

May 17, 2021 @ 2:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

As was reported last March, five federal regulatory agencies joined in a consultation pertaining to the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) within financial institutions. The Federal Reserve Board, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), and… Read More

March 23, 2021 @ 10:57 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

US Federal Reserve Chairperson Jerome Powell has cautioned that transacting in digital currencies such as Bitcoin can pose significant risks due to the high volatility nature of these new assets. Powell noted that virtual currencies remain highly volatile. He pointed out that Bitcoin may not… Read More

February 23, 2021 @ 8:10 am By Omar Faridi  |  

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated on Monday (February 22, 2021) that Bitcoin is an “extremely inefficient” way to settle financial transactions. Yellen commented on how the digital currency’s price fell sharply (as usual) during morning trading hours, but then stayed above the $53,000 mark… Read More

August 7, 2020 @ 10:29 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The US Federal Reserve, which is the central banking system of the country, has reportedly been working on a new real-time payment and settlement system, called FedNow. Governor Lael Brainard claims that the Fed plans to have FedNow fully operational as soon as possible. Brainard… Read More

May 30, 2020 @ 5:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The developers of the Digital Dollar project have published a detailed whitepaper that outlines the steps required for the US to issue its own virtual currency. As confirmed in the paper, the Digital Dollar Project is being developed with the assistance of the Digital Dollar… Read More

April 30, 2020 @ 10:08 am By JD Alois  |  

The Federal Reserve Board has announced it is expanding the scope and eligibility for the Main Street Lending Program. The Federal Reserve developed the Main Street Lending Program to help credit flow to SMEs that were in sound financial condition before the pandemic but have… Read More

April 9, 2020 @ 10:17 am By JD Alois  |  

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivered a speech today following the announcement of historic actions being taken by the central bank to stem the collapse of the once strong US economy. Earlier today, the Fed announced an unprecedented $2.3 trillion vehicle to backstop the economy… Read More

April 9, 2020 @ 8:40 am By JD Alois  |  

Today, the US Federal Reserve took unprecedented actions to provide up to $2.3 trillion in loans to support the economy. The Fed said the funding will assist households and employers of all sizes and bolster the ability of state and local governments to deliver critical… Read More

March 15, 2020 @ 5:29 pm By JD Alois  |  

In an unprecedented action, the US Federal Reserve reduced its primary credit rate by 150 basis points to 0.25 percent, effective March 16, 2020. This reduction in the primary credit rate reflects both the 100 basis point reduction in the target range for the federal… Read More

February 8, 2020 @ 6:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

Fed Governor Lael Brainard delivered a speech in California this past week discussing the “Digitalization of Payments and Currency.” Brainard has been at the forefront in discussing Fintech innovation providing unique perspective from her perch at the Federal Reserve. She said that BigTechs and Fintechs… Read More

October 3, 2019 @ 8:44 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Two US lawmakers have asked the Federal Reserve to consider issuing a digital version of the US dollar (or Central Bank Digital Currency – CBDC).  Rep. Bill Foster (D-III.) and Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) have submitted a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in… Read More

August 9, 2019 @ 1:35 pm By JD Alois  |  

Digital assets and blockchain technology continue to infiltrate the financial services sector at a growing rate. Blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT) is being tested or used to issue securities and currencies and manage back-office operations. In light of this reality, the Federal Reserve Bank… Read More

August 6, 2019 @ 10:46 am By JD Alois  |  

Chair of the House Financial Services Committee Maxine Waters issued a statement yesterday regarding the Federal Reserve’s announcement that it will pursue a faster payments process for consumers. Long discussed with little movement, Federal Reserve Board of Governors Member Lael Brainard revealed the “FedNow” plan… Read More

August 5, 2019 @ 2:48 pm By JD Alois  |  

Recently, the Federal Reserve has taken political heat for its inability to pursue a faster payments system – something that has been technically feasible for years. Currently, payments and transfer languish for days creating issues for both sides of the transaction – most frequently individuals… Read More

April 16, 2019 @ 3:37 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week, Federal Reserve Governor Michelle W. Bowman delivered a speech at the “Fed Family” luncheon at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. The topic of her presentation was “Community Banking in the Age of Innovation.” Bowman joined as a member of the Board… Read More

February 27, 2019 @ 9:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

It is almost inevitable that topics regarding Fintech surface in Congressional hearings that address the financial services industry. This week’s hearings involving the House Financial Services Committee and Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell were no different and some of the questionings went beyond payments. There… Read More

December 4, 2018 @ 9:22 am By JD Alois  |  

Multiple federal agencies have come together to encourage banks to innovate when it comes to compliance. The statement is part of a governmental working group that has been created to collaborate between some of the financial regulatory entities. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency… Read More

July 1, 2018 @ 10:25 am By Christian Felber  |  

On June 10th, Swiss voters took to the polls to decide whether the country should switch to a so-called sovereign money system. Those supporting the measure felt it would make the financial system safer by preventing bankers from recklessly lending and putting people’s savings at… Read More