Share this article

Zimbabwe to Introduce Gold-Backed Digital Currency: Report

The country's central bank wants people to be able to exchange Zimbabwe dollars for the gold-backed token so that they can hedge against the currency's volatility.

Updated Apr 24, 2023, 7:36 p.m. Published Apr 24, 2023, 9:23 a.m.
jwp-player-placeholder

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, or RBZ, plans to introduce a gold-backed digital currency as legal tender to help stabilize the local currency, the Zim dollar, the Sunday Mail reported.

The tokens will be a form of electronic money backed by the country's gold reserves, which will be held by the central bank. The RBZ wants people holding Zim dollars to be able to exchange their money for the gold-backed token to help them hedge against the volatility of the local currency.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the State of Crypto Newsletter today. See all newsletters

A year ago, 1 U.S. dollar was worth about 150 Zim dollars, and it's now worth closer 1,000 Zim dollars, according to Investing.com. The country operates with both the Zim dollar and the U.S. dollar.

Last August, the RBZ said it planned to create a central bank digital currency. Other African countries have also been exploring a CBDC; Nigeria launched its eNaira in October 2021.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe didn't immediately return a request for comment.

More For You

KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

16:9 Image

KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

What to know:

  • KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
  • This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
  • Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
  • Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
  • Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

More For You

Senate Agriculture's crypto market structure draft peppered with Democrat pitches

Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. (screen capture, Senate Agriculture Committee)

The latest draft of the major crypto legislation has begun to be targeted with amendments as the Senate Agriculture Committee approaches its hearing next week.

What to know:

  • Proposed amendments to the Senate Agriculture Committee's crypto market structure bill have been posted, and the Democrats filing the pitches are seeking to push a number of the points they've sought over months of negotiation.
  • Democrat amendments include proposals for banning senior government officials from profiting off of crypto interests and a demand for filling the Commodity Futures Trading Commission before new rules can be put in place.
  • The committee's markup hearing for the bill is currently scheduled for next week, though a winter storm threatens the U.S. capital.