Syndicate invested in cryptocurrency worth more than RM336mil
JOHOR BARU: Police have crippled a major Macau Scam syndicate which used its ill-gotten gains to buy property and invest in cryptocurrency totalling more than RM336mil.
At least 12 suspects – nine men and three women – were arrested in a series of raids in Penang and Kuala Lumpur last month.
Among the suspects were company directors.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay ( pic) said in Ops Pelican 2.0, police uncovered an intricate web of how the syndicate operated, including the identity of the mastermind, numerous mule accounts, fake companies and investments.
Victims who have been duped by the syndicate would first be told to transfer money into a mule account.
“The money is then channelled to another mule account belonging to another company,” he said, adding that all the mule accounts belonged to syndicate members and were designed not to leave a money trail.
Comm Ayob said the funds were then transferred to a property developer in Penang to purchase property and invest in Bitcoins.
“This modus operandi aimed to avoid detection from the authorities and was their way of money laundering,” he said during a press conference at the Johor police headquarters yesterday.
To date, police have found 91 mule accounts comprising 73 company bank accounts and 18 personal accounts.
“Since June last year, some RM25mil has been used to make progress payment for 100 condominium and commercial units in George Town,” he said.
Based on the Sale and Purchase Agreements, two companies are involved in property acquisition in 2015 totalling RM336mil.
Comm Ayob said the two companies belonged to the 55-year-old mastermind who has a criminal record. He is believed to have fled the country and is currently hiding in Thailand.
The man’s two sons are directors in the companies.
“Our investigations showed that some of the proxies and directors in the bogus companies are paid RM16,000 monthly,” he said.
The 12 suspects, aged between 29 and 68, have since been released on police bail.
Police are probing the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
The 55-year-old is now linked to an elaborate web of scams, including Macau scams
and others, through the setting up of layers of shell companies using
drug addicts as directors to launder ill-gotten gains and then investing
them in high-end properties in Malaysia and Thailand.1 day ago
You carry your smartphone everywhere. But the
way you use it could leave you vulnerable to specific forms of identity
theft, including robocall scams and hackers looking to hijack your phone
number. — AP
Blockchain
is perhaps best known for underpinning the operation of
cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, which Beijing may seek to replicate.PHOTO: REUTERS
One example of the potential application of
blockchain technology is a newly launched app by the Communist Party
that asks members to explain why they joined and what party loyalty
means to them. (Photo: AFP/Greg Baker)
BEIJING: China has launched an ambitious effort to challenge the US dominance in blockchain technology, which it could use for everything from issuing digital money, to streamlining a raft of government services and tracking Communist Party loyalty.
The technology received a crucial endorsement from President Xi Jinping last week, a signal that the government sees blockchain as an integral part of the country's plan to become a high-tech superpower.
Beijing is the latest in a handful of countries to have adopted a law strictly governing the encryption of data - particularly blockchain technology, which allows the storage and direct exchange of data without going through an intermediary.
Reputedly unfalsifiable, blockchain is a database shared across a network of computers. Once a record has been added to the chain it is almost impossible to change.
It is perhaps best known for underpinning the operation of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin - which Beijing may seek to replicate as it pushes ahead with its plans for a world-leading government-run digital currency.
Blockchain technology received a crucial endorsement from President Xi Jinping last week, a signal that the government sees it as an integral part of the country's plan to become a high-tech superpower. (Photo: AFP/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds)
Although the new law for blockchain "is still rather vague", the country is clearly one of the most active in terms of regulation, Stanislas Pogorzelski, editor of specialist site Cryptonaute.fr, told AFP.
"China has understood very well that to stay a superpower, you have to be at the forefront of new technologies," said Pogorzelski.
Blockchain is set to play a key role in many sectors in the future, including digital finance, internet of things, artificial intelligence and 5G.
LESS HUMAN INTERVENTION
Bitcoin(FX:BTC/USD)Stock market insights from social media
Updated https://sentifi.com/currencies/bitcoin
It could also serve to make China's vast bureaucratic system more efficient.
The official Xinhua news agency said a blockchain-based system had been used for the first time to automatically generate and file an enforcement case in Chinese court against a party who failed to pay damages in a mediation agreement.
With less human intervention, such systems could make judicial enforcement in China "more intelligent and transparent," the agency said.
Chinese shares jumped this week as investors piled into stocks linked to blockchain, after Xi said China should step up research and development of the technology.
"Blockchain should play a bigger role in strengthening Chinese power in cyberspace, developing the digital economy and promoting socio-economic development," Xi said.
"The general sentiment of Xi's comments was simple," said Anthony Pompliano, who writes a daily cryptocurrency newsletter.
"Blockchain technology is really important for the future and China plans to be the global leader," Pompliano added.
LOYALTY TEST
According to analyst Kai von Carnap of the Mercator Institute for Chinese Studies, blockchain-backed tools have potential applications that go well beyond improving administrative efficiency in China.
"More interesting will be those targeting party discipline, internal stability and ideological loyalty," Von Carnap told AFP.
Chinese shares jumped this week as investors piled into stocks linked to blockchain, after Xi said China should step up research and development of the technology. (Photo: AFP/Hector Retamal)
One example is a newly launched app by the Communist Party that asks members to explain why they joined and what party loyalty means to them.
Blockchain technology is then used to store their responses on a permanent, widely distributed ledger - recording their thoughts in cyberspace forever.
"NOT A FAN"
As China trumpets its push for more blockchain technology, it is hoping to outpace trade-war rival the United States, whose President Donald Trump tweeted his disdain for cryptocurrencies in July.
"I am not a fan of Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies, which are not money, and whose value is highly volatile and based on thin air," he wrote.
The contrast between the world's two biggest economies is "striking", according to Pompliano, who says "bitcoin, blockchain technology, and digital assets are not a priority for America".
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg had to defend his plans to launch a digital coin called Libra to the US Congress in October, after it faced a torrent of criticism from all sides - including governments who see it as a threat to their monetary sovereignty.
"I don't think Libra will succeed," Huang Qifan, vice director of the CCIEE, an economic think-tank that advises Beijing, said this week in remarks widely reported by state media.
"It is better ... to have sovereign digital currencies issued by a government or a central bank," he said.
Last year China released a damning report on existing digital currencies, saying they were "increasingly used as a tool in criminal activities."
But while Beijing banned cryptocurrencies two years ago, it is fast-tracking preparations for its own state-run virtual currency, which is supposed to facilitate transactions and reduce costs.
The anonymity of cryptocurrencies allows users to buy and sell freely without leaving a digital trail - but China's mooted e-cash system will be tightly regulated, experts say, and run by the People's Bank of China.
Blockchain is perhaps best known for underpinning the operation of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, which Beijing may seek to replicate.PHOTO: REUTERS
One example of the potential application of blockchain technology is a newly launched app by the Communist Party that asks members to explain why they joined and what party loyalty means to them. (Photo: AFP/Greg Baker)
BEIJING: China has launched an ambitious effort to challenge the US dominance in blockchain technology, which it could use for everything from issuing digital money, to streamlining a raft of government services and tracking Communist Party loyalty.
The technology received a crucial endorsement from President Xi Jinping last week, a signal that the government sees blockchain as an integral part of the country's plan to become a high-tech superpower.
Beijing is the latest in a handful of countries to have adopted a law strictly governing the encryption of data - particularly blockchain technology, which allows the storage and direct exchange of data without going through an intermediary.
Reputedly unfalsifiable, blockchain is a database shared across a network of computers. Once a record has been added to the chain it is almost impossible to change.
It is perhaps best known for underpinning the operation of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin - which Beijing may seek to replicate as it pushes ahead with its plans for a world-leading government-run digital currency.
Blockchain technology received a crucial endorsement from President Xi Jinping last week, a signal that the government sees it as an integral part of the country's plan to become a high-tech superpower. (Photo: AFP/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds)
Although the new law for blockchain "is still rather vague", the country is clearly one of the most active in terms of regulation, Stanislas Pogorzelski, editor of specialist site Cryptonaute.fr, told AFP.
"China has understood very well that to stay a superpower, you have to be at the forefront of new technologies," said Pogorzelski.
Blockchain is set to play a key role in many sectors in the future, including digital finance, internet of things, artificial intelligence and 5G.
LESS HUMAN INTERVENTION
Bitcoin(FX:BTC/USD)Stock market insights from social media
Updated https://sentifi.com/currencies/bitcoin
It could also serve to make China's vast bureaucratic system more efficient.
The official Xinhua news agency said a blockchain-based system had been used for the first time to automatically generate and file an enforcement case in Chinese court against a party who failed to pay damages in a mediation agreement.
With less human intervention, such systems could make judicial enforcement in China "more intelligent and transparent," the agency said.
Chinese shares jumped this week as investors piled into stocks linked to blockchain, after Xi said China should step up research and development of the technology.
"Blockchain should play a bigger role in strengthening Chinese power in cyberspace, developing the digital economy and promoting socio-economic development," Xi said.
"The general sentiment of Xi's comments was simple," said Anthony Pompliano, who writes a daily cryptocurrency newsletter.
"Blockchain technology is really important for the future and China plans to be the global leader," Pompliano added.
LOYALTY TEST
According to analyst Kai von Carnap of the Mercator Institute for Chinese Studies, blockchain-backed tools have potential applications that go well beyond improving administrative efficiency in China.
"More interesting will be those targeting party discipline, internal stability and ideological loyalty," Von Carnap told AFP.
Chinese shares jumped this week as investors piled into stocks linked to blockchain, after Xi said China should step up research and development of the technology. (Photo: AFP/Hector Retamal)
One example is a newly launched app by the Communist Party that asks members to explain why they joined and what party loyalty means to them.
Blockchain technology is then used to store their responses on a permanent, widely distributed ledger - recording their thoughts in cyberspace forever.
"NOT A FAN"
As China trumpets its push for more blockchain technology, it is hoping to outpace trade-war rival the United States, whose President Donald Trump tweeted his disdain for cryptocurrencies in July.
"I am not a fan of Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies, which are not money, and whose value is highly volatile and based on thin air," he wrote.
The contrast between the world's two biggest economies is "striking", according to Pompliano, who says "bitcoin, blockchain technology, and digital assets are not a priority for America".
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg had to defend his plans to launch a digital coin called Libra to the US Congress in October, after it faced a torrent of criticism from all sides - including governments who see it as a threat to their monetary sovereignty.
"I don't think Libra will succeed," Huang Qifan, vice director of the CCIEE, an economic think-tank that advises Beijing, said this week in remarks widely reported by state media.
"It is better ... to have sovereign digital currencies issued by a government or a central bank," he said.
Last year China released a damning report on existing digital currencies, saying they were "increasingly used as a tool in criminal activities."
But while Beijing banned cryptocurrencies two years ago, it is fast-tracking preparations for its own state-run virtual currency, which is supposed to facilitate transactions and reduce costs.
The anonymity of cryptocurrencies allows users to buy and sell freely without leaving a digital trail - but China's mooted e-cash system will be tightly regulated, experts say, and run by the People's Bank of China.
Blockchain endorsement: Xi said China will
increase investment in blockchain technology after chairing a study
session last week on developing the industry, state-owned Xinhua
reported.— AP
https://youtu.be/hfNcct7ZfbE
https://youtu.be/KoDD2Yk0bjE
Shenzhen tech index surges 5.3%, the most in eight months
Investors urge companies to develop blockchain businesses
BEIJING: Chinese investors snapped up every blockchain-related stock in sight after President Xi Jinping said Beijing wants to speed up development of the technology.
The gains were widespread yesterday, with Insigma Technology Co and Sinodata Co among more than 60 tech shares surging by the daily limit in Shanghai and Shenzhen.
The excitement coincided with a 26% rally in Bitcoin, and also boosted stocks with more tenuous connections to blockchain, like baby-food producer Beingmate Co and selfie-app developer Meitu Inc.
Xi said China will increase investment in blockchain technology after chairing a study session last week on developing the industry, state-owned Xinhua reported late last Friday.
The market reaction shows how far an endorsement from Xi can go in China, where high-level officials yesterday began their first major policy meeting since early 2018.
“Most of these companies, especially those that are just beginning to state their connection with blockchain today, are trying to take advantage of the hype, ” said Li Shiyu, fund manager at Guangdong Xiaoyu Investment Management Co. “It shows how much excitement can be triggered by something stressed as a priority by the top man himself.”
The Shenzhen Information Technology Index closed 5.3% higher yesterday, its biggest advance in eight months.
Hundsun Technologies Inc, Easysight Supply Chain Management Co, YGSOFT Inc and dozens more companies with officially registered blockchain businesses rose by the 10% limit.
In Hong Kong, traders singled out Meitu due to its plans for an encrypted user-identification system.
The shares surged as much as 30%. Pantronics Holdings Ltd - which earlier this month said it will change its name to “Huobi Technology”, a reference to a digital currency exchange - rallied as much as 67%.
American depositary receipts of Chinese blockchain companies also surged last Friday.
Investors pressured other firms to jump on the blockchain hype, using an online Q&A platform to submit thousands of questions on their plans to use the technology.
“Please proactively make expansion plans in blockchain to jump on state policies - doing so would be the best reward to investors, ” urged one shareholder of development-store operator Hunan Friendship & Apollo Commercial Co. — Bloomberg
Blockchain endorsement: Xi said China will increase investment in blockchain technology after chairing a study session last week on developing the industry, state-owned Xinhua reported.— AP https://youtu.be/hfNcct7ZfbE
https://youtu.be/KoDD2Yk0bjE
Shenzhen tech index surges 5.3%, the most in eight months
Investors urge companies to develop blockchain businesses
BEIJING: Chinese investors snapped up every blockchain-related stock in sight after President Xi Jinping said Beijing wants to speed up development of the technology.
The gains were widespread yesterday, with Insigma Technology Co and Sinodata Co among more than 60 tech shares surging by the daily limit in Shanghai and Shenzhen.
The excitement coincided with a 26% rally in Bitcoin, and also boosted stocks with more tenuous connections to blockchain, like baby-food producer Beingmate Co and selfie-app developer Meitu Inc.
Xi said China will increase investment in blockchain technology after chairing a study session last week on developing the industry, state-owned Xinhua reported late last Friday.
The market reaction shows how far an endorsement from Xi can go in China, where high-level officials yesterday began their first major policy meeting since early 2018.
“Most of these companies, especially those that are just beginning to state their connection with blockchain today, are trying to take advantage of the hype, ” said Li Shiyu, fund manager at Guangdong Xiaoyu Investment Management Co. “It shows how much excitement can be triggered by something stressed as a priority by the top man himself.”
The Shenzhen Information Technology Index closed 5.3% higher yesterday, its biggest advance in eight months.
Hundsun Technologies Inc, Easysight Supply Chain Management Co, YGSOFT Inc and dozens more companies with officially registered blockchain businesses rose by the 10% limit.
In Hong Kong, traders singled out Meitu due to its plans for an encrypted user-identification system.
The shares surged as much as 30%. Pantronics Holdings Ltd - which earlier this month said it will change its name to “Huobi Technology”, a reference to a digital currency exchange - rallied as much as 67%.
American depositary receipts of Chinese blockchain companies also surged last Friday.
Investors pressured other firms to jump on the blockchain hype, using an online Q&A platform to submit thousands of questions on their plans to use the technology.
“Please proactively make expansion plans in blockchain to jump on state policies - doing so would be the best reward to investors, ” urged one shareholder of development-store operator Hunan Friendship & Apollo Commercial Co. — Bloomberg
-- China's central bank on the brink of launching a digital currency. How will this revolutionize the monetary landscape in China and abroad?
-- and, we meet a scholar whose calling revolves around friendly China-US ties. How can people on both sides maintain the relationship.
China's to launch its own digital currency
https://youtu.be/IWVBxOdfdOo
The Point: What does China think about Facebook's digital currency?
https://youtu.be/eAPLA4oy7Ks
Facebook announced plans to launch a cryptocurrency for its members, with the aim of enabling them to make virtually all their transactions online. What are the potential risks for governments, companies and individuals?
China to launch gov’t-backed digital currency
https://youtu.be/KEj6gNiIlOw
China Is Issuing It's Own Digital Currency
https://youtu.be/Jj_t9Mnnj8k
China's yuan will become a cryptocurrency, blockchain expert says
https://youtu.be/jAbVPCpdXRs
China Cryptocurrency is Ready!!! - Crypto Daily News
https://youtu.be/0i-1cU53Fkk
Christine Lagarde: 'Central Bank digital currency is coming alive'
https://youtu.be/-D9MRkw5wOc
Tech Daily: China government backed digital currency launch soon
https://youtu.be/HTqdVPchmhY
US, China to meet as Beijing considers digital currency
https://youtu.be/AOvdDBnb08M
CHINA’S CENTRAL BANK SAYS THEIR DIGITAL CURRENCY IS READY
https://youtu.be/zU9pni9bYmk
From 'Made in China' to 'Created in China'从ä¸å›½åˆ¶é€ 到ä¸å›½æ™ºé€
https://youtu.be/mt77GAFWQV0
Made in China" used to be a synonym for cheap products, but all that has changed. China has made huge progress in innovation and technology. From the Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer, the fastest in the world, and the 500-meter-wide radio telescope in southwest China's Guizhou Province, to the development of lithium battery and 3D-printed blood vessels made from stem cells and renewable energy technologies, Chinese innovations are making a name for themselves.
CGTN explains China's huge transformation from the world's factory to an innovation leader.
CGTN's special program "New China" gives you an in-depth look at China 70 years on. Our crew is on a 12-day journey around China's southwestern, southeastern and northeastern regions. Don't miss it. #PanoramicChina #70YearsThriving
China's central bank speeds up digital currency drive
Private-sector players likely to participate in project
Photo: VCG
With internet technologies advancing and cryptocurrencies flourishing amid a broad digital transformation, individual countries are starting to issue legal tender in digital form, and the People's Bank of China (PBC), the country's central bank, is also accelerating its pace in this area.
As of Sunday, the PBC had applied for 74 patents involved with digital currencies to the National Intellectual Property Administration, according to a report by the Economic Information Daily on Monday.
The PBC said it will speed up the development of legal digital currency on Friday.
Wang Xin, director of the PBC Research Bureau, said in July that the authority is organizing market-oriented institutions to jointly research and develop a central bank digital currency and the program has been approved by the State Council, China's Cabinet.
"China is beefing up efforts in digital currency innovation, a trend driven by emerging technologies that is spreading worldwide," said Huang Zhen, a professor at the Central University of Finance and Economics.
Rather than letting cryptocurrencies challenge the position of sovereign currencies, it is wiser for countries to roll out their own digital currencies, Huang told the Global Times on Monday.
Chinese authorities ordered a ban on initial coin offerings in 2017 and stopped direct bitcoin-yuan trading as the rapidly expanding market spawned concerns over financial risks.
The PBC, one of the earliest central banks in the world to start the process of digital currency innovation, launched its program in 2014 during the tenure of former governor Zhou Xiaochuan. In 2017, the PBC established a research institution for the digital currency.
"China is among the leading countries in terms of its research into a government-backed currency," said Huang.
Favorable conditions
The basic conditions favorable for China's implementation of a digital currency include comprehensive and fast networks, broad digitalization in the financial sector, and advanced financial technologies - particularly blockchain, a digital, public ledger that records online transactions, according to Huang.
In recent years, Chinese internet companies have made huge achievements in the mobile payment and e-commerce sectors, helping create a digital economy of more than 30 trillion yuan ($4.36 trillion), according to media reports.
In June, US social media giant Facebook released an official white paper for its cryptocurrency project Libra, a blockchain-powered stablecoin expected to arrive in 2020.
The move stepped up the global race for digital currencies, with China's central bank paying close attention.
The central bank is closely working with market participants on creating a central bank digital currency, PBC official Wang said.
"China's private market players have accumulated some experience in the digital currency sector. Their participation in the government's work will effectively help promote the project," Cao Yin, an expert in the blockchain sector, told the Global Times on Monday.
It is likely that the sovereign digital currency will be issued within two or three years at the soonest, although the authority tends to take a prudent attitude, Cao said.
Once it is broadly implemented, the new currency will have a big impact on Alibaba's Alipay and Tencent's WeChat Pay, the two dominant mobile digital payment tools in China, as the PBC's digital currency is featured by decentralization, unlike the former two.
Challenges ahead
There are still some bumps on the road to promoting the digital currency.
"For this new kind of currency, its nature actually poses challenges to existing policies in such aspects as foreign exchange control, so it takes time to balance benefits with potential risks," said Cao.
A flexible and open mechanism is needed by the PBC to attract more talent, he added.
Digital currencies can help strengthen regulation as transaction data can be tracked and analyzed, including illegal money laundering, according to Huang. But laws and rules should be formulated in a timely fashion to protect individual information. "Safety is the biggest issue," he added.
"Use of the digital currency to better serve the real economy also requires policy guidance," said Huang.
Newspaper headline: PBC accelerates digital currency drive.
in China to launch a national digitalcurrency, following the central government's plan to work...
Source: Global Times | Author: Li Xuanmin and Shen Weiduo in Shenzhen | Column: Economy
: 3pxFile photo: ICpResearch into a national digitalcurrency, as mentioned in a central government...
Source: Global Times | Author: Zhang Hongpei | Column: Economy
-- China's central bank on the brink of launching a digital currency. How will this revolutionize the monetary landscape in China and abroad?
-- and, we meet a scholar whose calling revolves around friendly China-US ties. How can people on both sides maintain the relationship.
China's to launch its own digital currency
https://youtu.be/IWVBxOdfdOo
The Point: What does China think about Facebook's digital currency?
https://youtu.be/eAPLA4oy7Ks
Facebook announced plans to launch a cryptocurrency for its members, with the aim of enabling them to make virtually all their transactions online. What are the potential risks for governments, companies and individuals?
China to launch gov’t-backed digital currency
https://youtu.be/KEj6gNiIlOw
China Is Issuing It's Own Digital Currency
https://youtu.be/Jj_t9Mnnj8k
China's yuan will become a cryptocurrency, blockchain expert says
https://youtu.be/jAbVPCpdXRs
China Cryptocurrency is Ready!!! - Crypto Daily News
https://youtu.be/0i-1cU53Fkk
Christine Lagarde: 'Central Bank digital currency is coming alive'
https://youtu.be/-D9MRkw5wOc
Tech Daily: China government backed digital currency launch soon
https://youtu.be/HTqdVPchmhY
US, China to meet as Beijing considers digital currency
https://youtu.be/AOvdDBnb08M
CHINA’S CENTRAL BANK SAYS THEIR DIGITAL CURRENCY IS READY
https://youtu.be/zU9pni9bYmk
From 'Made in China' to 'Created in China'从ä¸å›½åˆ¶é€ 到ä¸å›½æ™ºé€ https://youtu.be/mt77GAFWQV0
Made in China" used to be a synonym for cheap products, but all that has changed. China has made huge progress in innovation and technology. From the Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer, the fastest in the world, and the 500-meter-wide radio telescope in southwest China's Guizhou Province, to the development of lithium battery and 3D-printed blood vessels made from stem cells and renewable energy technologies, Chinese innovations are making a name for themselves. CGTN explains China's huge transformation from the world's factory to an innovation leader.
CGTN's special program "New China" gives you an in-depth look at China 70 years on. Our crew is on a 12-day journey around China's southwestern, southeastern and northeastern regions. Don't miss it. #PanoramicChina #70YearsThriving
China's central bank speeds up digital currency drive
Private-sector players likely to participate in project
Photo: VCG
With internet technologies advancing and cryptocurrencies flourishing amid a broad digital transformation, individual countries are starting to issue legal tender in digital form, and the People's Bank of China (PBC), the country's central bank, is also accelerating its pace in this area.
As of Sunday, the PBC had applied for 74 patents involved with digital currencies to the National Intellectual Property Administration, according to a report by the Economic Information Daily on Monday.
The PBC said it will speed up the development of legal digital currency on Friday.
Wang Xin, director of the PBC Research Bureau, said in July that the authority is organizing market-oriented institutions to jointly research and develop a central bank digital currency and the program has been approved by the State Council, China's Cabinet.
"China is beefing up efforts in digital currency innovation, a trend driven by emerging technologies that is spreading worldwide," said Huang Zhen, a professor at the Central University of Finance and Economics.
Rather than letting cryptocurrencies challenge the position of sovereign currencies, it is wiser for countries to roll out their own digital currencies, Huang told the Global Times on Monday.
Chinese authorities ordered a ban on initial coin offerings in 2017 and stopped direct bitcoin-yuan trading as the rapidly expanding market spawned concerns over financial risks.
The PBC, one of the earliest central banks in the world to start the process of digital currency innovation, launched its program in 2014 during the tenure of former governor Zhou Xiaochuan. In 2017, the PBC established a research institution for the digital currency.
"China is among the leading countries in terms of its research into a government-backed currency," said Huang.
Favorable conditions
The basic conditions favorable for China's implementation of a digital currency include comprehensive and fast networks, broad digitalization in the financial sector, and advanced financial technologies - particularly blockchain, a digital, public ledger that records online transactions, according to Huang.
In recent years, Chinese internet companies have made huge achievements in the mobile payment and e-commerce sectors, helping create a digital economy of more than 30 trillion yuan ($4.36 trillion), according to media reports.
In June, US social media giant Facebook released an official white paper for its cryptocurrency project Libra, a blockchain-powered stablecoin expected to arrive in 2020.
The move stepped up the global race for digital currencies, with China's central bank paying close attention.
The central bank is closely working with market participants on creating a central bank digital currency, PBC official Wang said.
"China's private market players have accumulated some experience in the digital currency sector. Their participation in the government's work will effectively help promote the project," Cao Yin, an expert in the blockchain sector, told the Global Times on Monday.
It is likely that the sovereign digital currency will be issued within two or three years at the soonest, although the authority tends to take a prudent attitude, Cao said.
Once it is broadly implemented, the new currency will have a big impact on Alibaba's Alipay and Tencent's WeChat Pay, the two dominant mobile digital payment tools in China, as the PBC's digital currency is featured by decentralization, unlike the former two.
Challenges ahead
There are still some bumps on the road to promoting the digital currency.
"For this new kind of currency, its nature actually poses challenges to existing policies in such aspects as foreign exchange control, so it takes time to balance benefits with potential risks," said Cao.
A flexible and open mechanism is needed by the PBC to attract more talent, he added.
Digital currencies can help strengthen regulation as transaction data can be tracked and analyzed, including illegal money laundering, according to Huang. But laws and rules should be formulated in a timely fashion to protect individual information. "Safety is the biggest issue," he added.
"Use of the digital currency to better serve the real economy also requires policy guidance," said Huang. Newspaper headline: PBC accelerates digital currency drive.
in China to launch a national digitalcurrency, following the central government's plan to work... Source: Global Times | Author: Li Xuanmin and Shen Weiduo in Shenzhen | Column: Economy
: 3pxFile photo: ICpResearch into a national digitalcurrency, as mentioned in a central government... Source: Global Times | Author: Zhang Hongpei | Column: Economy
