{"id":39266,"date":"2017-08-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-20T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bravenewcoin.com\/insights\/the-central-bank-of-jamaica-is-actively-building-cryptocurrency-awareness\/"},"modified":"2017-08-21T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-08-20T12:00:00","slug":"the-central-bank-of-jamaica-is-actively-building-cryptocurrency-awareness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bravenewcoin.com\/insights\/the-central-bank-of-jamaica-is-actively-building-cryptocurrency-awareness","title":{"rendered":"The central bank of Jamaica is actively building cryptocurrency awareness"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Jamaica Information Service (JIS) recently reported<\/a> that the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ)\u00a0is \u201cbuilding cryptocurrency awareness.\u201d The statement was provided on Wednesday, by the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) Deputy Governor Livingstone Morrison, at the central bank\u2019s quarterly media briefing.<\/p>\n Morrison says the central bank must create opportunities for the exploitation of certain technologies, including cryptocurrency, while pointing out that such technologies should not pose undue risk to the local financial system.<\/p>\n The Bank has subsequently established an internal group of persons who are working to build awareness of these kinds of technological happenings across the world. The group are also guiding regional efforts.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever we do in Jamaica will have a ripple effect across the region, certainly if the benefits are to be fully accessed.\u201d Jamaica is one of several small countries that were abandoned<\/a> by a number of large, international coorespondent banks under the premise of \u201cde-risking\u201d or \u201cde-banking.\u201d At least six countries in the Caribbean lost most of their international banking partners, which found these island nations to be no longer profitable.<\/p>\n The small island nation was one of the hardest hit, losing at least seven<\/a> of their correspondent banks, according to Allan Wright, an economist at the Inter-American Development Bank.<\/p>\n The lack of international banking networks across the region has affected the day-to-day lives of many Caribbeans, having made it difficult for local businesses to receive remittances and pay suppliers outside of their own country. Even payments between next-door Caribbean neighbor countries have a hard time being completed.<\/p>\n "I am concerned that all is not well in this world of small countries with small financial systems. In fact there is a risk that they become more marginalized." Gabriel Abed, the co-founder and Director of Barbados-based Bitcoin wallet and payments solution Bitt<\/a> told BraveNewCoin that he has spoken to the BOJ Deputy Governor about cryptocurrency multiple times, and was initially shocked to hear Morrison say, \u201cCryptocurrency is the future.\u201d<\/p>\n Abed claims that he has also spoken with the country’s Prime Minister about the subject. \u201cI have also spent time with the Prime Minister of Jamaica who is well aware of our mission,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n The Bitt co-founder added that the PM has also made positive comments, that blockchain as a tool that will build Jamaica’s future, and the two have since discussed using a blockchain to record real estate title deeds. \u201cIt is up to the regulators to allow companies like Bitt to offer next generation digital services to the average Jamaican,\u201d Abed said, \u201cWithout a doubt the interest amongst citizens and businesses is huge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAny approval from the Bank is likely to take shape in the form of mobile money.\u201d While a plethora of mobile Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency wallets exist, the solutions currently offering Jamaicans the ability to hold Jamaican dollars (JMD) in their mobile wallets is still lacking, most likely due to old laws still on the books which the JIS states, \u201cRequires approval from the BOJ.\u201d<\/p>\n The state sponsored outlet named a Bitcoin wallet and money transfer service called Caricoin<\/a>, noting that they have been in discussion with the central bank. The UK-based company has been working to enter the Jamaican market since 2016, and is attempting to offer Jamaicans an easy onramp into the world of cryptocurrency.<\/p>\n The Caricoin wallet offers Bitcoin balances in Jamaican Dollars (JMD), as well as allowing customers to buy both bitcoin and mobile top-ups from Jamaican bank accounts.<\/p>\n\n
\n— – Livingstone Morrison, Bank of Jamaica Deputy Governor<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\n— – Madame Lagarde, International Monetary Fund Director<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\n— – Chad Bryan, Jamaica Information Service<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n