Last week in review: Federal Reserve neutral on CBDCs

Last week saw another promising news cycle for crypto, with governments across the world approaching the space more positively. Meanwhile, crypto has also begun to dominate the employment sector, with job ads reaching new highs in 2021, and new reports show Bitcoin could be greener than gold.

A lot happened last week – here are our top picks!

Federal Reserve remains neutral on CBDCs in highly-anticipated report

What

The Federal Reserve finally released its report on CBDCs this week but instead of taking a stance on policy, the report provides a very academic breakdown of CBDCs

Why

The mild response comes as other nations have ramped up efforts to roll out their own CBDCs

What next

The US public has until May 2022 to give input, after which the central bank may provide more clarity on the way forward

Read the full story here.

400% increase in crypto job ads in 2021

What

According to LinkedIn, ads for job roles in cryptocurrency increased by nearly 400% in 2021

Why

Increased demand for cryptocurrency in 2021 triggered hiring sprees by various crypto startups and established companies around the globe

What next

Recent surveys suggest the crypto employment surge will continue through 2022

Read the full story here.

BMC Bitcoin mining survey shows improvements in Bitcoin energy use

What

In its latest survey, the Bitcoin Mining Council (BMC) found that the Bitcoin mining electricity mix increased to 58.5% sustainable energy usage in the fourth quarter of 2021, up from 1% in the first quarter of last year

Why

The Bitcoin Mining Council was founded following growing concerns globally about Bitcoin mining’s consumption of energy. This is the third quarterly publication by the Council

What next

The Bitcoin mining community continues to look for ways to improve its energy footprint, one of Bitcoin’s biggest challenges going forward

Read the full story here.

New York mayor to take first pay-check in Bitcoin and Ether

What

New York mayor Eric Adams is set to convert his first pay-check into BTC and Ether

Why

Adams has long been a proponent of Bitcoin, having promised a variety crypto-friendly policies during his campaign to become mayor of New York

What next

Citizens of the Big Apple now eagerly wait to see how Adams will transform NY into “the centre of Bitcoin”

Read the full story here.

Jamaican Prime Minister predicts over 70% of country will use digital currency within five years

What

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness expects more than 70% the population to be using the country’s digital currency within five years

Why

This prediction comes as the central bank rolls out the e-money nationally during the first quarter of 2022

What next

Holness said the central bank digital currency, or CBDC, will reduce banking costs and bring more people into the financial system

Read the full story here.