ChainCatcher news, according to Daily Hodl, Roman Golovchenko, Chairman of the Board of the Central Bank of Belarus, announced in a statement that a CBDC is planned to be launched next year. The digital form of the Belarusian ruble will be fully circulated in the second half of 2026, and will support businesses in freely using the CBDC, with the goal for government agencies and individuals set for 2027.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov has signed a constitutional bill that authorizes the launch of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot project and grants the "digital som" legal tender status.According to the bill, the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan is granted exclusive issuance rights for the digital som, can establish rules for issuance and circulation, and supervise digital currency operating platforms. Testing of the digital som platform is expected to take place this year, but the final decision on whether to officially issue it will not be made until the end of 2026.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com, Brazil's central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot project Drex is facing difficulties as the resources allocated to the project have decreased, slowing down its progress and hindering development.The two largest companies involved in designing the project's privacy solutions—Microsoft and Ernst & Young—have recently reduced their manpower dedicated to these efforts. This deadlock is related to the central bank's recent actions, as it ended the second phase of the Drex pilot without approving any projects submitted by participants. The privacy proposals that needed to ensure transaction confidentiality while allowing regulatory review did not meet the central bank's requirements in this regard, leaving the Drex project currently stalled.Ernst & Young, which is responsible for the Starlight privacy project, has lost three personnel involved in the development of this solution. Meanwhile, after investing significant resources last year, Microsoft has also reduced its involvement in the ZKP Nova privacy proposal. However, Microsoft's partner Hamsa will continue to test and support ZKP Nova.Central bank executive secretary Rogerio Lucca recently pointed out that the team behind Drex is still researching the project's future. He stated, "Based on the ongoing test results, the technical team is currently discussing possible future steps for the project." However, he did not disclose the test results.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, the U.S. House Financial Services Committee passed the "Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act" (H.R. 1919) with 27 votes in favor and 22 against. The bill was introduced by Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer and aims to prevent central bank digital currencies from being used for monetary policy and prohibits the Federal Reserve from providing financial services directly to individuals.Emmer stated that the bill ensures that U.S. digital currency policy is in the hands of the American people rather than the executive branch. This move echoes the executive order signed by President Trump in January this year to protect American citizens from the threats posed by CBDCs. At the same time, the committee also advanced stablecoin regulatory legislation to establish a framework for dollar-pegged stablecoins to enhance their global competitiveness.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, South Korea's 7-Eleven convenience stores will participate in a central bank digital currency (CBDC) payment test from April 1 to June 30, during which payments made with CBDC will enjoy a 10% discount on all products.This national pilot program is led by the Bank of Korea and financial regulatory agencies, with a limit of 100,000 participants, covering multiple banks and retail channels. Users can convert their bank deposits into equivalent CBDC for consumption. The project aims to promote the prototype construction of future monetary systems.

ChainCatcher news, according to ZeroHedge, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has proposed a bill to prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC).The Texas Republican senator's bill can be seen as a companion bill to the anti-CBDC legislation introduced by Minnesota Republican Representative Tom Emmer. Emmer's bill was reintroduced on March 6. A companion bill is legislation that is textually similar or identical to another bill and is introduced in another chamber of Congress.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, the Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) Khaled Mohamed Balama stated that the country's blockchain-based central bank digital currency (CBDC) digital dirham is expected to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2025. This digital currency will help enhance financial stability and combat financial crime.It is reported that the digital dirham will be accepted across all payment channels just like physical currency. Balama stated that the digital dirham will promote the development of innovative digital products, services, and new business models, while reducing costs and improving access to international markets.

ChainCatcher news, according to ledgerinsights, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) has taken the lead in launching its pilot wholesale central bank digital currency (wCBDC) for settling tokenized securities transactions on the SIX Digital Exchange (SDX). The Swiss National Bank recently published its annual report, which outlines other related activities, including the exploration of synthetic CBDC, a privately tokenized currency backed by central bank funds.The Swiss central bank describes this tokenized private currency as one of three options for DLT settlement it is considering. The other option is wCBDC. The third is a connection between the SIC payment system and the DLT system, which has previously been tested in its Project Helvetia CBDC exploration.The Swiss central bank reiterated that it has not committed to issuing a permanent wCBDC and is not inclined towards adopting any particular solution, but is simply evaluating various options at this stage.

ChainCatcher news, the Bank of Korea (BOK) plans to launch a central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot called "Hangang." The program aims to facilitate daily transactions from April to June. Once the Bank of Korea issues digital currency to seven participating banks, these institutions will distribute deposit tokens for use in local supermarkets, online shopping malls, and convenience stores. The pilot is expected to involve 100,000 local citizens.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cryptonews citing BusinessKorea, the Bank of Korea plans to collaborate with the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service to launch a pilot program involving actual transactions of central bank digital currency (CBDC) with 100,000 consumers.The pilot will involve seven major commercial banks, including Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Hana Bank, Woori Bank, NongHyup Bank, Industrial Bank of Korea, and Busan Bank. These banks will issue deposit tokens backed by CBDC for retail transactions at specific merchants, including 7-Eleven convenience stores, Kyobo Bookstore, and the delivery platform Ddaenggyeoyo.Participants will use electronic wallets to generate QR codes for transactions, with a spending limit of 1 million won (approximately 688 USD).This pilot will test the effectiveness of CBDC-backed deposit tokens in a retail environment, and its results will provide important references for other economies exploring digital currencies globally.

ChainCatcher news, according to BTCTN, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes that the African country of Namibia has no compelling reason to issue a retail Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and should instead focus on enhancing Instant Payment Solutions (IPS) to address issues of payment affordability and interoperability.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the Bank of Israel has proposed a design scheme for a central bank digital currency (CBDC) that may be adopted in the future, provided that a decision is made to launch such a currency. In a document released on Tuesday, the Israeli central bank described the proposed digital shekel (DS) as a "multi-purpose CBDC," which can be used for both retail and wholesale.The document states, "The digital shekel will be a multi-purpose digital currency that meets the retail needs of end users such as households and businesses, as well as the wholesale needs of financial institutions." Therefore, the Bank of Israel will provide a digital currency equivalent to cash while upgrading the existing settlement systems of financial institutions, adding "smart" features such as composability and programmability.The Bank of Israel also emphasized that no decision has yet been made on whether to issue a CBDC. Therefore, the design scheme proposed in the document should only be regarded as a preliminary concept.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, reported that on February 20, the European Central Bank (ECB) is expanding the development of a wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) payment system for settling transactions between institutions.The establishment of the new system will be carried out in two phases. First, a CBDC settlement platform will be developed, and the second phase will involve deeper integration with existing ECB systems, such as the foreign exchange trading market.Piero Cipollone, a member of the ECB's Executive Board and an official responsible for overseeing the wholesale CBDC program, stated that the initiative will help achieve "a more coordinated and integrated European financial ecosystem."

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Kyrgyzstan rejects central bank digital currency (CBDC) and turns to support gold-backed stablecoins.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Deutsche Börse CEO Stephan Leithner has called for the establishment of a permanent digital euro, pointing out that this central bank digital currency will play an important role in financial stability, efficiency, and EU autonomy.He believes that the launch of a permanent CBDC is a key element of the EU's digital agenda and an important part of its financial strategy.

ChainCatcher news, Japan's IT giant Hitachi's Indian subsidiary invests in Spydra. The startup aims to achieve real-world asset tokenization on public and private blockchains, specializing in enterprise blockchain Hyperledger Fabric.The purpose of this collaboration is to bring innovation to Hitachi in "Web 3.0, Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), and blockchain technology."

ChainCatcher news, the think tank OMFIF conducted a latest survey on central bank digital currencies (CBDC) and found that nearly three-quarters (72%) of the surveyed central banks intend to issue CBDCs. Among them, most (48% of respondents) plan to issue within five years, while 12% of respondents plan to issue within the next two years.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey pointed out that Bitcoin and stablecoins require different regulatory measures, with higher regulatory thresholds for stablecoins. He also confirmed that central bank digital currency is still under research. On Tuesday, Bailey delivered a speech at the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago in London, discussing changes in financial markets and their impact on stability, while reflecting on potential changes in the global cryptocurrency regulatory environment, especially after Trump's election.Bailey stated that the cryptocurrency regulatory reform plan of the Trump administration is still unclear, while the Biden administration, particularly the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), faces challenges in establishing a regulatory framework, opting instead to take action through the courts, which has created inconsistencies in the regulatory framework. In the UK, Bailey divides the cryptocurrency industry into two parts: cryptocurrencies not included in the banking system and stablecoins.He referred to the former as "pure investment risk" due to its high volatility, non-traditional currency status, and skepticism about its potential to become a currency. However, Bailey also mentioned that he understands people invest in cryptocurrencies in a portfolio manner after acknowledging the risks. Regarding stablecoins, Bailey believes they fulfill some functions of money, especially in payments, and have support, but stablecoins also exhibit characteristics of mutual funds, with insufficient transparency. Therefore, Bailey emphasized the need to establish reasonable regulatory standards, particularly in the payments sector, where stablecoins should be appropriately regulated like money.As for the potential central bank digital currency or "digital pound," Bailey stated that there are significant differences from stablecoins, and the Bank of England is collaborating with the UK government on research.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com News, U.S. Senator Mike Lee has reintroduced the No CBDC Act, which aims to permanently prevent the Federal Reserve from supporting digital currencies.The bill has the joint support of Senators Ted Cruz and Rick Scott, marking another significant move following Trump's executive order banning CBDCs. The legislation will ensure that the Federal Reserve cannot issue, hold, or use CBDCs in any form.