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Yesterday I reported that the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) was reported to be launching a central bank digital currency (#CBDC) pilot today (September 22, 2022). The news isn't coming directly from the CBI, but from the Iran Chamber of Commerce. Now Al Jazeera is reporting that the digital rial will run on a platform called Borna, which was developed using Hyperledger Fabric, an open-source permissioned distributed ledger technology (DLT) blockchain platform

Iran and Russia are reportedly looking to launch a new gold-backed stablecoin to be used for cross-border transactions in the place of the US dollar, the Iranian rial and the Russian ruble in the Persian Gulf region. The cryptocurrency would also specifically intended as a payment method in the Astrakhan area - an economic zone whose design helped Russia begin to receive cargo shipments from Iran.

Central Bank of Iran Governor Mohammad Reza Farzin reportedly announced that the launch of a digital rial is imminent. A pilot test of the retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) reportedly commenced in July 2024 on the island of Kish, involving two major Iranian banks, Mellat and Tejarat. https://news.bitcoin.com/iran-officially-unveils-central-bank-digital-currency-project/

Iran reportedly officially unveiled its CBDC on June 23, 2024 during a ceremony attended by Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Governor Mohammad Reza Farzin and chief executives of several major banks. A pilot project will commence in July on the island of Kish, involving two major Iranian banks, Mellat and Tejarat, and will focus on retail transactions. The digital rial's introduction is part of Iran's strategy to enhance its digital economy and payment infrastructure.

Iran banned the mining of crypto-assets after a series of blackouts across major cities. The ban is effective immediately and will last until September 22. Iranian officials blame a surge in mining -- as well as increased manufacturing and a drop in hydroelectricity supply -- for blackouts that are playing havoc with businesses and daily life.

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) will reportedly start a central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot on September 22, 2022. The bank published a draft document outlining the "goals, dimensions, threats and opportunities for the development" of a digital rial in August 2022. The CBI's current head, Ali Salehabadi, said earlier this month that the bank had the necessary infrastructure and rules in place for a launch.

Iran has reportedly completed preliminary research for the launch of a potential digital rial, including a pre-pilot development phase, according to the central bank's Monetary and Banking Research Institute. However, this should be taken with a big "grain of salt" because there have already been two, apparently false, reports that pilot launches were imminent, e.g., in January 2022 and February 2023. So I will be "demoting" the Iranian central bank digital currency (CBDC) from "piloted/launched" to "proof-of-concept" in my next retail CBDC update.

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) will launch a pilot its digital rial central bank digital currency (CBDC) in July 2024. It will allow banking customers and tourists on Kish Island to make purchases and transfer funds using digital wallets and QR codes. The CBI has been developing its CBDC since 2022, and started proof-of-concept work in June 2023. The digital rial has been targeted solely for use in Iran and to facilitate domestic micro payments operations. The overarching goal of the project is to modernize and simplify domestic transactions.

Iran is using Bitcoin mining to circumvent and lessen the effect of the economic sanctions that the U.S. and other countries have applied to the country since 2006, according to a new study by Elliptic. The country is indirectly using bitcoin mining to export part of its energy reserves, whose exports are being hampered by the said sanctions.

Protests in Hong Kong, Lebanon and Iran have forced cypherpunks to test censorship-resistant technologies in the wild.  But protesters on the ground found they lack internet access during times of civil unrest. Bitcoin has mainly proven useful for receiving value from abroad to hold and privately store. Sources in Lebanon and Iran said there is scant liquidity, and since they are cut off from global exchange platforms, digital assets are rarely useful as currency.

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI), via its Informatics and Services Corporation (ISC) and in conjunction with Areatak - a Tehran-based blockchain solutions provider - is developing a national blockchain project for its banking and financial sector.

"The central bank of Iran is gearing up to begin the pilot phase of its digital currency project in the near future, its new head announced to representatives of local media. The monetary authority is also preparing to move forward with a plan to reform the legislation that governs its own activities."

The Central Bank of Iran will reportedly launch a central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot after the Nowruz (Iranian New Year) holidays in March. Informatics Services Corporation has developed the digital rial platform over the past two years and the central bank has prepared the infrastructure.

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) reportedly informed banks and other credit institutions about regulations related to the minting and distribution of the crypto riyal central bank digital currency (CBDC). The distributed ledger technology based system will be maintained by authorized financial institutions and capable of implementing smart contracts.

The Central Bank of Iran will reportedly make its CryptoRial central bank digital currency (CBDC) available to the public on February 7, 2023, following its pilot phase, of which little is known. Bank Melli, Bank Mellat and Bank Tejarat were involved in the experimental stages of the project, and Bank Melli and Bank Mellat conducted the pilot. If anyone out there knows more about the pilot, or upcoming launch, please let me know!

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) is reportedly preparing a pilot launch of its Crypto-Rial central bank digital currency (CBDC) in August 2022. In the first phase, the pilot process will be launched in one region before it is extended to other areas of the country.

"Iran plans to launch a pilot for its central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the near future, a top-level executive has revealed. The Iranian central bank believes that the CBDC can resolve inconsistencies with its financial system and decentralize resources."

The Central Bank of Iran is reportedly authorizing banks and licensed foreign exchange shops to use crypto-assets as payments for imports, to mitigate the impact of economic sanctions imposed by the United States. The crypto-assets must derive from mining operations officially licensed by the Iranian Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade.

The Central Bank of Iran published a draft document outlining the "goals, dimensions, threats and opportunities for the development" of a digital rial in August 2022.

The Central Bank of Iran has approved the issuance of gold-backed crypto-asset designed to maximize the use of Iranian frozen bank assets, according to the CEO of Iranian Information and Communication Technology. In fact, a number of Iranian banks have been working with blockchain startup Kuknos Company on this "Paymon" project since January.