The Central Bank of Russia has released a report highlighting the potential for further development in the growing digital assets industry. The report predicts a significant increase in the issuance of digital financial assets (DFAs) in Russia, citing their transparency and user-friendliness as key factors. The bank also anticipates the emergence of new types of digital assets that will cater to specific business needs, expanding the digital asset space in Russia beyond existing offerings. As the regulatory framework continues to develop, the digital assets sector in Russia is projected to flourish, offering alternative funding opportunities for businesses impacted by financial sanctions.

Latam Gateway, the payment provider for Binance in Brazil, has received a license from the country's central bank to operate as a payment institution and electronic money issuer.

Nigeria's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is considering allowing licensed digital exchanges to list tokens backed by assets like equity, debt, or property. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ether will not be among those assets, according to SEC head of securities and investment Abdulkadir Abbas. The SEC aims to register fintech firms as digital sub-brokers, crowdfunding intermediaries, fund managers, and tokenized coins issuers, but crypto exchanges will not be registered until the central bank provides clear regulations for the market.

Singapore authorities are collaborating with banks in the country to establish uniform standards for screening potential customers from the crypto and digital assets sectors.

In April, Japan's Finance Ministry is set to launch an expert panel to examine the possibility of issuing a digital yen. In particular, the panel will attempt to create a framework for a national digital currency backed by the central bank.

The Federal Reserve currently only recognizes one form of currency: physical Federal Reserve notes.

Over the past century, the number of American banks has significantly decreased, dropping from 30,000 banks in 1921 to 4,997 U.S. banks in 2021, according to data from the Federal Reserve. Recently, the U.S. central bank denied Custodia Bank of Wyoming, a financial institution that holds $1.08 for every dollar deposited by customers. Although there appears to be a need for such a bank after the collapse of three major U.S. banks, the Federal Reserve stated that board members have “heightened concerns” about institutions with plans to focus solely on a narrow sector. (Bitcoin.com)

According to the Nigerian central bank governor, central bank digital currency or e-naira transactions have gone up 63% to $47.7 million, while the number of downloaded wallets since Oct. 2022 is around 13 million. The governor attributed the rise in the value of CBDC transactions to the Nigerian government’s use of the e-naira when transferring social welfare funds to marginalized groups. (Bitcoin.com)

The Nigerian economy’s cash shortage has suddenly changed the fortunes of the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) eNaira, which was once struggling to see any major adoption and traction. On Tuesday, March 21, Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria said that eNaira transactions have shot up by 63% to 22 billion nairas ($47.7 million) since its introduction. Also, in comparison to the data from October 2022, the total number of CBDC wallets has also jumped by more than 12 times to 13 million. (coingape)

Coinbase has inked deals with Brazilian payment solutions provider Ebanx and Pix, the instant payment app operated by the Central Bank of Brazil. The new partnerships will make it easier to purchase crypto using the Brazilian real, as well as enable deposits and withdrawals from Coinbase accounts in real. Brazilians will also have easier access to opening a Coinbase account.