The digital lari is envisioned as allowing interoperability with a digital euro while maintaining monetary flexibility as the nation considers EU membership.
The National Bank of Georgia (NBG) has declared that it would go on with limited-access live pilot testing of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) based on the lari. Ripple Labs is one of nine firms taking part in the initiative, all of which will be tested before one is chosen to continue.
Providing agricultural insurance and automating real estate transactions are two examples of how a digital lari, or GEL, may be put to use, according to Varlam Ebanoidze, NBG’s director of fintech, in a June interview.
In May of 2021, the NBG said that it was thinking about issuing a CBDC, but gave no indication of when this would happen. In January, the NBG stated that it was looking for fintech companies interested in taking part in a small-scale live test.
Including China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates, Project mBridge is a component of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and the NBG stated on September 8 that it will participate as an observer. According to the statement, the company will also “leverage knowledge and skills” from the BIS’s Project Aurum.
Augentic, Bitt, Broxus Holdings, Currency Network, DCM, eCurrency Mint, FARI Solutions, and Sovereign Wallet are among the other companies participating in the pilot program with Ripple. Several governments, including Colombia, Montenegro, Hong Kong, Bhutan, and Palau, have confirmed Ripple’s participation in CBDC initiatives.
Also Read: The Head Of The ECB Says The Digital Euro CBDC Will Not Be “Completely Anonymous”
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