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According to DigitalToday, the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) and the Ministry of Science and ICT have launched the "Deposit Token Payment Infrastructure Expansion Project," which will extend the results of South Korea's CBDC pilot "Project Hangang" into the private payment sector.The project is overseen by the Financial Settlement Agency, with participation from 9 banks, 8 payment gateways, and 2 large demand-side entities, with a total budget of 9.6 billion KRW, aimed at reducing payment fees for small and micro merchants. The project utilizes existing payment systems rather than building new infrastructure, allowing users to complete payments through bank deposit token wallets without requiring merchants to change terminals.The government also plans to apply deposit tokens to a pilot for official travel expenses and explore a treasury fund management model linked with dBrain. Approximately 3 billion KRW of the total project budget will be invested in the development, operation, and promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises, startups, and IT companies, while participating banks will separately advance about 4.5 billion KRW in related businesses.

According to the Korea Herald, the second phase of South Korea's central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot project "Han River Plan" is about to officially launch. The Bank of Korea and commercial banks are making final preparations for the real transaction testing of deposit tokens in the second phase. If the system development and participant recruitment preparations are completed as planned, actual transactions are expected to begin as early as September.In the first phase transaction testing from April to June last year, 81,000 people participated through electronic wallets and conducted 114,880 transactions using deposit tokens. The first phase examined the deposit token payment system, while the second phase focuses on exploring commercialization. Additionally, the Ministry of Economy and Finance of South Korea announced in its economic growth strategy for the second half of the year released on the 15th that next year it will implement a pilot project for the tokenization of government bonds linked to the central bank's institutional-level central bank digital currency (CBDC).

According to CoinDesk, U.S. President Trump refused to sign a bipartisan housing bill that includes a four-year ban on the central bank digital currency (CBDC), temporarily canceling the scheduled signing ceremony and demanding that Congress first pass his proposed SAVE AMERICA ACT election bill.The CBDC provision in the housing bill would prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a digital dollar before the end of 2030, which was originally seen as an important advancement by the cryptocurrency industry.

According to Cointelegraph, the U.S. House of Representatives passed housing legislation with a vote of 358 to 32, which includes a provision for a temporary ban on central bank digital currencies (CBDC), lasting until 2030. The bill has now been sent to President Trump for signing. Previously, it was reported that the U.S. Senate passed a housing bill that includes a four-year ban on the Federal Reserve's CBDC.

According to CoinDesk, the U.S. Senate passed a housing bill with a vote of 85 to 5, which includes a four-year ban on Federal Reserve central bank digital currency (CBDC). This ban will last until the end of 2030, prohibiting the Federal Reserve system or its member banks from issuing or creating central bank digital currency or any digital assets that are substantially similar. Although the Federal Reserve has not actively promoted a CBDC project, Republican lawmakers view CBDCs as a dangerous act of government overreach and insisted on including it in the housing bill. The newly appointed Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh called CBDCs a "bad policy choice" during his nomination hearing. Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 prohibiting any actions to advance CBDCs. If the House passes it and the President signs it, the ban will become law.

According to The Block, leaders of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives jointly released an updated version of the "21st Century Housing Road Act," confirming that the two chambers have reached a bipartisan agreement. The core content of the bill focuses on housing affordability reform, including expanding housing supply and limiting market monopolies by corporate landlords. Notably, an additional clause in the bill explicitly prohibits the Federal Reserve from issuing or creating CBDCs and any "substantially similar" digital assets before December 31, 2030, a clause driven by House Republicans. The Trump administration has consistently held this position, with Treasury Secretary Mnuchin previously stating that CBDCs are "not under consideration." The bill will first undergo procedural voting in the Senate and is expected to be submitted to the House for review after Congress reconvenes, and then sent to the President for signing.

According to crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett, the final text of the compromise on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), proposed by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, includes a Federal Reserve CBDC ban that was originally part of the housing bill. This text is expected to ultimately become law. Notably, the termination date of the ban has been moved up from December 31, 2030, to June 12, 2029.

According to The Block, the new governor of the Bank of Korea, Shin Hyun-song, delivered an inaugural speech promising to promote the development of central bank digital currency (CBDC) and deposit tokens, and will expand related applications through the "Han River Project" Phase Two, while participating in global collaborations such as Project Agora to strengthen the position of the Korean won in the global payment system.It is noteworthy that Shin Hyun-song did not mention the Korean won stablecoin in his speech, despite South Korean legislators actively advancing the "Digital Asset Basic Law" to establish a legal framework for stablecoins, with discussions expected to resume after the regional elections on June 3. Previously, during his tenure at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), Shin held a negative attitude towards stablecoins, believing that stablecoins could not replace currency, but it has been reported that his stance has changed, stating that the Korean won stablecoin should coexist with CBDC.

According to a report by the Korea Herald, the nominee for the governor of the Bank of Korea, Shin Hyun-sung, stated in a written response during a personnel hearing at the National Assembly that central bank digital currency (CBDC) and commercial bank deposit tokens based on its issuance should become the core of the digital currency ecosystem. Shin Hyun-sung expressed basic support for the introduction of a Korean won stablecoin but emphasized that maintaining trust in the currency is the most important.Regarding the issuing entity of the Korean won stablecoin, he believes that South Korea is not a reserve currency country, and compliance capability is crucial. Therefore, he suggested prioritizing the issuance by a bank-centered alliance, allowing non-bank institutions to participate, and gradually expanding later. Shin Hyun-sung holds a cautious attitude towards the claim that stablecoins can enhance foreign exchange trading efficiency, believing that it is still unclear whether blockchain can comply with capital and foreign exchange regulations. He also stated that crypto assets, including stablecoins, have failed to meet the core functions of currency such as a measure of value, medium of exchange, and store of value, asserting that crypto assets cannot replace fiat currency.

According to CoinDesk, Brett Guynn, a legal official at the Federal Reserve, stated that there are currently no ongoing central bank digital currency (CBDC) development plans.

The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan housing bill with 89 votes in favor and 10 against, which includes a provision prohibiting the Federal Reserve from issuing central bank digital currency (CBDC). The ban will last at least until the end of 2030, requiring the Federal Reserve not to issue or create CBDC or similar digital assets directly or through intermediaries such as financial institutions. However, the bill's prospects in the House of Representatives remain uncertain.Some lawmakers have raised objections to the provision in the bill that limits the number of homes large institutional investors can hold, which may lead the House to push for a new version of the bill, thereby affecting its progress. Industry insiders have stated that the relevant provisions reinforce the position of private sector-led digital asset innovation and protect financial privacy.

Investment bank TD Cowen stated that the U.S. Congress may be close to passing legislation to permanently prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). This move could benefit stablecoin issuers but may also introduce new complexities for cryptocurrency market structure legislation.Last week, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz proposed an amendment in the housing bill "21st Century ROAD to Housing Act," calling for a permanent ban on the Federal Reserve issuing CBDC. The amendment aims to convert the currently effective temporary ban, which lasts until 2030, into a permanent provision. The housing bill is expected to be submitted for a Senate vote as early as this week.Jaret Seiberg, Managing Director of TD Cowen's Washington research department, indicated that the housing bill ultimately submitted for the president's signature is likely to include this ban, and the possibility of a permanent ban is higher than that of a temporary one. Seiberg pointed out that the amendment is primarily aimed at solidifying the current policy stance.The Federal Reserve has repeatedly stated that it will not issue a digital dollar without explicit authorization from Congress. Meanwhile, several U.S. lawmakers have recently co-signed a letter to congressional leadership, urging for a permanent ban on CBDC. Congressman Ralph Norman stated that unlike cash, CBDC could allow the government to track transactions and monitor individual spending behavior, thus a permanent ban is necessary to protect the privacy and freedom of Americans.It is noteworthy that the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act" last year, which prohibits the Federal Reserve from directly issuing CBDC to individuals. Cruz has also been actively pushing for similar legislation in the Senate.

According to Cointelegraph, Ray Dalio warned that CBDCs are coming, which will eliminate financial privacy while giving governments the power to tax, seize funds, and cut off the funding sources of political opponents.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is pushing for a plan to connect central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) among BRICS countries, aimed at simplifying cross-border trade and tourism while reducing the dominance of the US dollar.Sources say that the Reserve Bank of India has urged the proposal to establish a CBDC interlinking system to be included in the agenda of the BRICS summit that India will host in 2026. This will be the first formal attempt by BRICS members to establish CBDC links, which include Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa, as well as new member countries such as the UAE, Iran, and Indonesia.

According to Cointelegraph, U.S. Congressman Warren Davidson has warned that the United States is sliding into a financial system that requires licensing and is heavily monitored. He believes that the recently passed cryptocurrency legislation undermines the initial promise of permissionless private money in the industry.Warren Davidson criticized the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act in a post on the X forum, arguing that the bill would give rise to a wholesale version of a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC), which could be used for "surveillance, coercion, and control." He also expressed concerns that a digital identity system might be introduced in the future, forcing American citizens to obtain government permission to use their own money.

According to Cointelegraph, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has urged countries to prioritize the development of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) over privately issued stablecoins, citing concerns that the latter could affect financial stability.In its December Financial Stability Report, the Reserve Bank of India pointed out that CBDCs can maintain "the singularity of currency and the integrity of the financial system," and should continue to serve as "the ultimate settlement asset" and "the cornerstone of trust in currency." "Therefore, the Reserve Bank of India strongly recommends that countries prioritize the development of CBDCs over privately issued stablecoins to maintain trust in currency, ensure financial stability, and build a faster, cheaper, and safer next-generation payment infrastructure." The Reserve Bank of India also noted that the introduction of stablecoins could create new channels for financial stability risks, especially during periods of market stress. Therefore, "countries must seriously assess the associated risks and develop policy responses suitable for their own financial systems."

According to a Reuters report, the Reserve Bank of India released a financial stability report stating that the bad loan ratio in the Indian banking system is expected to decline to 1.9% in the fiscal year 2026-27, down from 2.1% in September 2025. However, the risks for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) are rising, with their bad loan ratio expected to increase from 2.3% to 2.9%.The report also reiterated concerns about stablecoins, emphasizing that stablecoins pose risks to macro-financial stability and supporting the priority development of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) by countries to maintain financial order.

According to reports from Decenter citing sources, the Bank of Korea has recently sent a formal document regarding the second round of CBDC testing to major banks. A Bank of Korea official stated, "Details including specific methods and timelines are currently under discussion." The second round of testing is considering the distribution of some government subsidies in the form of digital currency.The aim is to use CBDC to restrict the use of subsidies and reduce the management and administrative costs associated with subsidy distribution. The Bank of Korea previously launched a three-month CBDC pilot project in April, involving seven participating banks, but later suspended the project. At that time, the pilot project was criticized for its limited practical application value and the burden of costs amounting to billions of Korean won on participating banks.

According to Cointelegraph, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Wednesday with a vote of 312-112, but the bill did not include the previously promised ban on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), leading to dissatisfaction among hardline Republicans.Republican Congressman Keith Self posted on the X platform, "Conservatives were explicitly promised that strong anti-CBDC language would be included in the NDAA, but that promise was broken." Self had submitted an amendment on Tuesday to include a CBDC ban, but the amendment did not advance and was not voted on in the House. In July, House Republican leadership had reached an agreement with hardliners in the party to include a CBDC ban in the defense spending bill in exchange for their support on three cryptocurrency bills. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson for not fulfilling the promise. The bill has now been sent to the Senate, aiming for passage by the end of the year. Self stated that he would continue to push for a CBDC ban in the next must-pass legislation.

The Norwegian central bank (Norges Bank) announced after several years of research that there is currently no need to issue a central bank digital currency (CBDC), citing that Norway's domestic payment system is "efficient and secure," and has a well-established emergency mechanism.Although the use of cash in Norway is among the lowest in the world, leading to increased attention on the discussion of digital currency, the central bank believes that the current system can still meet demand.Norwegian central bank governor Ida Wolden Bache stated:"If the future requires maintaining the efficiency and security of the payment system, we will be ready to launch a CBDC at any time."She also emphasized that the central bank will continue to collaborate with the financial industry and other central banks to monitor the global development of CBDCs and digital currencies.In the Nordic region, the political stance on digital currencies has been relatively cautious. Sweden, despite early fluctuations, still calls for a restart of discussions on the e-krona; the European Central Bank plans to launch a digital euro pilot as early as 2027, with a potential official issuance in 2029.The Norwegian central bank plans to release its CBDC research summary and future plans in the first quarter of next year, stating that it does not rule out the possibility of issuing a CBDC in the future, while continuing to study tokenization and various forms of digital currencies.