Analysis

A Crypto President? Top U.S. 2024 Contenders Aren’t Fans, and Rivals Are Way Behind

Crypto was on fire as a topic in the early U.S. presidential campaigning, but the first Republican debate last week showed it may not be an issue that has legs with candidates trying to grasp mainstream attention. While we wait to see whether digital assets come up at the Republican primary debate next month, here’s how the major candidates from both parties shake out on the topic:

Federal Reserve’s ‘FedNow’ Launch Triggers Fresh Speculation Over Digital Dollar

The U.S. Federal Reserve denies that its new instant payments service, FedNow, is in any way tied to the digital asset space. But experts say the new system could lay the groundwork for the infrastructure needed for a potential central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the U.S. And so this week’s announcement has led to a fresh airing of warnings about potential privacy and control risks around a digital dollar.

Binance Feels Strain of World’s Regulators Leaping Into Action

Australian officials directly sought out current and former employees of Binance’s operation there this week, demanding copies of internal communications and data from their personal devices, according to a person familiar with the government’s move against the leading crypto exchange, which marked the latest in a pile-up of legal troubles facing the company.