Share this article

Hong Kong Reportedly Picks ConsenSys for Digital Currency Pilot Project

The Ethereum venture studio said it will work on implementing Hong Kong and Thailand's cross-border CBDC.

Updated Sep 14, 2021, 10:00 a.m. Published Sep 25, 2020, 3:01 p.m.
Hong Kong and Thai officials collaborating on Project Inthanon-Lionrock.
Hong Kong and Thai officials collaborating on Project Inthanon-Lionrock.

Ethereum workshop ConsenSys said it has been chosen by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) to assist in Hong Kong and Thailand's cross-border central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot.

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

  • ConsenSys said in a Friday announcement it will "work on the second implementation stage" of those countries' Project Inthanon-LionRock CBDC alongside consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers and Forms, a Hong Kong fintech.
  • A joint effort by HKMA and the Bank of Thailand, Project Inthanon-LionRock is examining if, where and how distributed ledger technology (DLT) might enhance cross-border payments between commercial banks.
  • Inthanon-LionRock's third phase wrapped in December 2019 with the development of a workable CBDC prototype. Project leads determined CBDC could indeed make cross-border payments more efficient but did not specify concrete next steps.
  • HKMA did not immediately confirm the partnership. Further details were not available by press time.

More For You

More For You

BlackRock's digital assets head: Leverage-driven volatility threatens bitcoin’s narrative

(Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images)

Rampant speculation on crypto derivatives platforms is fueling volatility and risking bitcoin’s image as a stable hedge, says BlackRock’s digital assets chief.

What to know:

  • BlackRock digital-assets chief Robert Mitchnick warned that heavy use of leverage in bitcoin derivatives is undermining the cryptocurrency’s appeal as a stable institutional portfolio hedge.
  • Mitchnick said bitcoin’s fundamentals as a scarce, decentralized monetary asset remain strong, but its trading increasingly resembles a "levered NASDAQ," raising the bar for conservative investors to adopt it.
  • He argued that exchange-traded funds like BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin ETF are not the main source of volatility, pointing instead to perpetual futures platforms.