Sunday, December 28, 2025
ADVT 
National

Feds uneasy with Facebook cryptocurrency: Document

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 Mar, 2021 05:58 PM
  • Feds uneasy with Facebook cryptocurrency: Document

Internal Finance Department documents show officials have deep concerns about the effect of Facebook's planned digital currency on Canada's financial stability.

Officials wrote in the briefing note last summer that they believed the company had yet to address multiple concerns and risks its digital currency posed to the financial system.

The July briefing note, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, also says the government was working on options to ease the risks.

Officials appeared less concerned about rivals like Bitcoin, which the briefing note says has not played a large role in everyday transactions in Canada for various reasons.

Unlike Bitcoin, Facebook's offering would be a "stablecoin" whose value would be less volatile, and could be easily used by hundreds of millions of the social media giant's users upon release.

The ease of use and stability of value are among the reasons governments and central banks like the Bank of Canada have taken a keen interest in the currency.

MORE National ARTICLES

Vancouver home sales up 29% in October

Vancouver home sales up 29% in October
Home sales were also up 1.2 per cent from September amid a surge in sales of detached homes.

Vancouver home sales up 29% in October

Surrey man charged with sexual interference

Surrey man charged with sexual interference
This week, 32-year-old Thomas Dawson Peacock, of Surrey, was charged with three counts of sexual interference.

Surrey man charged with sexual interference

Liberals introduce rent-relief bill

Liberals introduce rent-relief bill
The bill would also extend the federal emergency wage subsidy until June 2021. The government's previous rent relief program was widely criticized because it needed buy-in from landlords, many of whom did not participate.

Liberals introduce rent-relief bill

COVID underscores need for HIV self-tests: expert

COVID underscores need for HIV self-tests: expert
A new paper published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal is reiterating calls from the health-care community for Canada to follow dozens of other countries in introducing HIV self-testing kits.

COVID underscores need for HIV self-tests: expert

COVID-19 rules ignored by Vancouver crowd: police

COVID-19 rules ignored by Vancouver crowd: police
Police say in a news release officers were called to the Granville entertainment district Saturday night when a growing crowd of people weren't paying attention to physical distancing rules.

COVID-19 rules ignored by Vancouver crowd: police

Canadian Trump impersonator losing business

Canadian Trump impersonator losing business
The 63-year-old from London, Ont., is one of several people around the world who work as impersonators of the United States president.

Canadian Trump impersonator losing business