136. Central bank digital currencies in the age of coronavirus

Simon Taylor is back this week to talk about the latest and greatest news in blockchain, Bitcoin and crypto. Of course, he is not alone, and in this episode, Simon is joined in the studio by:

• Richard Crook - Director at Lab 577
• Dave Hudson - Chief Engineering Officer at R3

This week we kick things off with a discussion about central bank digital currencies. As coronavirus continues to spread across the globe we're beginning to see shifts in attitudes towards CBDCs. In the US, before Donald Trump signed into law the largest economic stimulus package in US history, there were murmurs of a digital dollar just before it was dropped from the bill. Meanwhile, in China, efforts to create a national digital currency have just gone up a notch as they complete development of the basic functions of a CBDC. A lot can happen in a few weeks, and in this episode, we continue to dig into the latest blockchain and crypto news including:

• House stimulus bills adopt then promptly drop 'digital dollar' (02:18)
• Turning A Crisis Into An Opportunity, China Gets One Step Closer to CBDC (07:43)
• Shift in payments habits because of coronavirus fears could bolster central bank digital currencies says BIS (11:30)
• Square says bitcoin 'engagement' on its Cash App has grown in recent weeks amid market volatility (17:05)
• HSBC Puts $10B of Private Placements on R3’s Corda Blockchain (27:44)
• CFTC announces finalized guidance on the 'actual delivery' of digital assets (36:04)

The Tweet of the Week comes from @antony_btc about "magical money" (41:49). Why not send us your best tweets? See if you can get a shout out on the show!

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Special Guests: Dave Hudson and Richard Crook.

Links:

• House stimulus bills adopt then promptly drop 'digital dollar'
• Turning A Crisis Into An Opportunity, China Gets One Step Closer to CBDC
• Turning A Crisis Into An Opportunity, China Gets One Step Closer to CBDC
• Shift in payments habits because of coronavirus fears could bolster central bank digital currencies says BIS
• Square says bitcoin 'engagement' on its Cash App has grown in recent weeks amid market volatility
• HSBC Puts $10B of Private Placements on R3’s Corda Blockchain
• CFTC announces finalized guidance on the 'actual delivery' of digital assets